Testing the New SearchWarp 2.0 Design
Posted: Tuesday, May 04, 2010
by Bruce Horst
WryteStuff
June 8th, 2010
I've updated the Hall of Fame section, though some of the halls of fame aren't in that section so they aren't updated.
I've also fixed quite a few issues with already-converted pages. There were some errors when viewing the site using Internet Explorer, and the teasers on the home page sometimes got cut off. I appreciate those who bring these issues to our attention. It's amazing how we can see the same thing day after day but never notice the problems!
May 28th, 2010
Page 2 and the Featured Columnist page are now switched over to the new design. I've also fixed a few layout issues with the top of the pages that were visible when viewing a page on a lower resolution monitor.
I'm now working on converting the home page to use readers' choice articles, much like Page 2 does. This will be an experiment that will run the month of June.
I'm also working one changing the community interaction score over to a simpler system that matches our tag line of Read. Write. Discuss. SearchWarp members will eventually be ranked using those 3 criteria.
I've also got to figure out how to display the Memorial Day logo with the new design. Hmmm.
May 25th, 2010
I have just switched the Q&A main page over to 2.0 so the questions and answers will appear in the new format. This makes a total of 5 pages converted so far.
We've received a few comments about the tops of the pages not displaying correctly for some people. Our intent was to have all the elements of the top of the page "fold" into each other if it is viewed on a browser with a lower screen resolution. I think it's safe to say that it's not working exactly like it's supposed to, but I haven't had the time to look at it. I don't know how many people are seeing this issue, but I hope it's just a few. Now that the Q&A section is nearing completion I will take a look.
Next I'm going to be converting all the pages which are linked to from the top menu bar. Page 2 will be first, and since I'll be working on it I think it's a good time to test the idea of having the home page articles be selected by SearchWarp members instead of the editors. For the month of June we'll have the top readers' club / readers' choice articles displayed on the home page.
May 17th, 2010
I've gotten 4 pages converted so far, in 3 weeks. Eeek!
I've been working on getting the site-wide messaging system working so that users can be warned in case of technical issues. I'll resume with the conversion by working on the Q&A section, but it might be a week until I get it complete.
There are a few more pages which will take days to convert, but once they are done, I should be able to convert the rest of the pages at a rate of 3-5 per day.
The caching system is working great... I see that Google now reports SearchWarp as being faster than 90% of all web sites. Woohoo!
May 11th, 2010
Just wondering, how do you like the 'Recent Activity' reported at the top of the page? Is it useful or annoying?
May 11th, 2010
I have decided to keep a log of the conversion process here. There's an awful lot of work to do and I know some of you have been asking where I've been, even though I'm on the site most of the day and much of the night.
I've gotten two pages converted so far. Only 58 to go! The caching system for this design is also new, and there are quite a few issues to work out before it's working satisfactorily. The old caching system still required the database to be functional for it to work. The new system has several modes of operation. One mode will allow the site to function without the database working. The caching system actually saves a complete copy of each page as a standard HTML file so that the cache can be copied to another location and the site will be a complete, static web site.
This sounds like unimportant geekery I know, but I lose sleep over worrying about the database server and backup plans in case the database server crashes. I'll sleep better having several backup options available.
In case you're wondering why we need a caching system, it's what allows the web site to handle so much traffic. Instead of having to generate a complete page every time someone views a page, it allows a copy to be pulled out of cache, freeing many server resources. If you want to see how much difference it makes, view an article while logged in and look at the tiny 'page load time' number at the bottom. Usually it's around .5 seconds. Then log out and view the article. The first view will generate the page and save it to cache. Then hit refresh. This copy will be served from the cache and the page load time will usually be .005 seconds or less.
There are 5 main pages which are most important, the article page, the author page, the about author page, the comments page, and the home page. So far the article page and the authors page are the two I have converted so far. 3 weeks to convert 2 pages, at this rate I won't be done until 2011!
May 4th, 2010
The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least that's what we're trying for!
It's been almost a decade since SearchWarp has had a major redesign, but I'm happy to announce that this week we will begin testing a new design for SearchWarp. We're calling it SearchWarp 2.0.
The vast majority of SearchWarp visitors won't see a lot of difference. We've worked hard at keeping all the previous features available in the new design. Our 3 goals for the new design are:
- A more professional appearance. The old design is more colorful, but we feel like the writers on SearchWarp would be better served to have their writing presented in a more main-stream, professional manner.
- Better compatibility with mobile devices. The new design presents articles in an easily readable format in screens as small as 300 pixels wide. What this means to you is that the millions of people using the new generation of gadgets such as iPads and smart phones will be able to read your writing without any trouble.
- A platform for the future. There are more features we have on the to-do list, many more! This new design is a necessary step to get where we want to go. The good news is, we're taking you along with us!
Please let us know if you see any issues pop up with this new design. If all goes well, we hope to make the new article design public by this weekend. If that test goes well, we'll continue to make the rest of the pages of SearchWarp take advantage of the new design. There's a lot of work ahead for us, but we're ready.
SearchWarp was founded with the slogan, "You Write, We Promote!" and this is exactly how we view our relationship with the writers on SearchWarp. We do what we do best, while enabling you, our writers, to do what you do best. With these new upgrades, we hope to be able to serve you better, well into the future!
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Top-level comments on this article: (10 total)I just checked out the new design Bruce, it really looks good. Search warp has certainly come a long way since I became a member in '05Yes it has. Thanks for being a part of it, David!
Thanks again for all the hours and hard work you and Jean el al put into making Seachwarp what it is! I HATE change but think this one sounds like it has great promise! MarijoYes, we all hate change. We are trying to keep all the old functions and just add to them, hopefully that will help. Thanks for your comments!
I think all changes are for good, mean opportunity, challenge and improvement. I'm a newbie at Searchwarp, but I must say to this point, I love it, and is wonderful you're keeping the structure but producing the difference for us as writers.Thanks Samantha, and welcome to SearchWarp!
Looks really neat and organized- organized things are dear to my heart-Ha! Well, I want to be neat and organized, but it doesn't always work out that way. Thanks for your comments.
Bruce,Very nice, thank you for the good improvement. You and Jean are a good team. Thanks again,Thanks Jose, we are a good team and the best of what we've produced has nothing to do with the Internet! SearchWarp is a great site because its members are great, no doubt about that. We're just enablers!
Very nice, and thank you for the information.Thanks for your comments, Dewayne.
Bruce, you are doing great. The new look does enhance the professional appearance and most of all, you continue to keep everything so "user friendly". I know I'm getting senile but some sites, one in particular which I also write some for, are so complex, I cannot find my way around. After several months now, I can barely find their home page. And I can find no listings of writers and their works. You just have to ramble around until you finally hit something you want to see.Thanks Joel. I think I know the site you are referring to, and I can't find my way around there, either. I think it makes people give up and just click on ad to get out of there.
bruce, looking good!tell the 'geek squad, great job-we appreciate all the eforts to bring the new design up and running (i am sure everything went smooth as silk (!?#!%!?!!)appreciated from this end of the screen.bing
Hi Bruce, Thank you for your article. It sounds interesting to read about v2.0. I like the part "Mobile Device Friendly". Thank you again for your sharing.
Great new design. Well done.I really like the new look - it will just take a while to play about and really maximize the layout. But your really onto something.
Though the one small suggestion I would make is that on the homepage you could perhaps move the thing with "cool stuff" and "categories" to the top of the page because people need this to navigate effectively.
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