Upcoming Website Changes

[BobD]

Hi Gang,
We're just finishing up the upgrade to the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts website. After we work out all of the bugs over there, we'll be upgrading this website.

The overall goal of the upgrade was to change the website from Issue specific (where you need to know what issue an article was in to find it) to content specific (where you can find the article easily and find other related article easily without knowing what issue it was in).

We also want to update the software so Shannon and I can easily add more content, including videos, blogs, etc.

Right now, I've got several more videos by Gene Messer I'd like to get up on the site, but unfortunately, our IT guy is the only one who can upload them and he's swamped with work. After the upgrade, I'll be able to upload the files myself.

Anyway...check out the new SSWC site at Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and let me know what you think. Please give my honest feedback if you see anything we can improve.

Bob

[BobD]

Forgot to mention:
The new message board software will allow us to include classified ads, individual user blogs, and social groups.

Bob

[Simplyme]

I frequent the sister site just as much as this one.

I would suggest that you test run the other site a little more before you change this one. They are a few issues I still have with the other site, like not having the link to Calendar of Event on the left side anymore. And there has been a few post with comments regarding the new look. But I guess you can't please all the people all the time, and it will take a little getting use to. You have to realize also that alot of people that come to these sites are not to computer savy......So simple is always best.....A lot of bells and whistle does not make up for content.

I still think both site are the best out there for the subject matter.....No one comes even close.

That just my 2 cents(and I expect change in return).

[BobD]

Thanks for your feedback. SSWC was a smaller site to begin with and that's why we're using it as a test. We're going to work out all of the bugs first over there before we even start to upgrade this site.

I don't remember there ever being a calendar of events on the SSWC site, though...

Bob

[Simplyme]

You could be right about the Calendar of Event. I must be confusing it with this site. I know it is a slow and long process, your effort in making these great sites is very much appreciated. "REALLY"

Keep up the great work........

[TreeWizard]

I don't know if it can be added but on another sight I frequent they have a feature that when you click on a thread that you have read before, it skipps over all the comments you've already read and takes you to the first one added since you were last there.

[Terry Vance]

I for one hope we are not going to have to put up with all that blue. It is really hard to read - at least for me. If we do I for one will probably visit less often. If blue was easy on the eyes they would print books with blue ink on white pages - and they don't. I hope you keep the black with white.

Just spent about 5 minutes at the other site and have a headache. Too much blue.

See ya.

[Paul_Guraedy]

I just went over and checked out the Scroll Saw Website. Since I don't go there very often (and its been a while) I really don't know what has changed. It was a difficult to move around until I got a little familiar with it, but then, so is any new site.

It took me a while to find the area we know as Message Board. Once there, I was in familiar territory.

I do think it would be a good idea to stay as close as possible to the current lay out.....including menu, color, etc. It makes changes in methodology easier to accept. I enjoy getting a new car with new bells and whistles; but, don't go changing the layout of my woodcarving shop. A new floor plan might be more efficient; but, I need to be convinced of that fact before I am pushed out of my comfort zone. I imagine this to be especially true with the Forum and for those among us whose comfort level with computers is not real high anyway. The thing to keep in mind is that we are woodcarvers and that is our interest.

Keep our membership comfortable, happy and here by making the changes in look that are absolutely necessary. Once the new navigation is accpeted, then make gradual changes.

[BobD]

Thanks for your feedback, gang! I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, since we are shifting over to a new content management system, it's not possible to make gradual changes. We will be updating the message board software first, and it will be a few weeks after we update the message board that we start transitioning over the rest of the board.

Bob

[BobD]

By the way, SSWC's accent color has always been blue (like the accent color on this board has always been green).

Bob