Sneak peek - the look of the new MRH web site
Here's how the current mockup of the new MRH web site looks.
Some things to note about the new site look ...
1. We're moving permanently to the new shorter URL - mrhmag.com and the site now emphasizes that.
(The old URL - model-railroad-hobbyist.com will continue to work indefinitely also)
2. Notice the rotating header has been replaced with a rotating slide show at the top of the page - this rotating slide show will include both ads and our "yes, it's a model ..." images. You can now click on any slide show image to get more info. Each image will remain on the screen for about 5 seconds and then do a 2 second fade to the next image. If you want to navigate to any image that just went by, you can use the nav buttons on the sides.
3. On the right at the top of the menu sidebar there's a rotating block that shows one sponsor logo at a time, to remind you who is sponsoring our site. In this sample page, you can see the BLMA logo.
4. Notice at the bottom of the first post of any thread there's also now a banner ad. As much as possible, the banner ads will be topically placed. For example, you'll see Digitrax ads and Fast Tracks ads in the Track and electrical/DCC forum.
We believe this allows us to sell ads on our web site to help fund this venture, but this is a classy approach that's not too annoying or in-your-face. Certainly, there will be no popup ads, and any ads you do see will be informative and model rallroading-specific.
One final note - while the version of the site shown in this mockup is operational on a test server at our offices, the look of the actual site once we roll it out could be different than what we show here - you never know what great ideas we may come up with between now then then. We're hoping to roll out the new site sometime around the first of the year to inaugerate our move to monthly!
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What about the Post New Comment Box location/link?
Joe,
Have you decided for the "new" site, what you will do with the "post new comment" box? Will it be how it is now, or will it, as some suggested a "link" to a post new comment box on the bottom of the page?
I think what you are doing as shown above looks great. It helps with getting more advertisers for MRH while still not being an in your face design. Classy and resourceful! WAY TO GO! Keep up the great work!
Ken L.
I love the new look website Joe...
Joe,
Not sure why I love it so much, it actually took me a second or two to realise why something was very familiar!
You have seriously made my year, thankyou for the great honour (even if only for the mock-up)!
The whole theme seems to flow really well, it works and it looks great. Some great ideas with the advertising for sponsors and linking them with related forum topics & discussions. The rotating slideshow is fantastic, I always thought who did that layout? Are they on the forums, or is a generic photo... Now you can click on it and be directed to their respective blogs.
Cheers,
Jas...
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Web Blog: http://jlandtrailroad.blogspot.com/ Facebook: JL&T RAILROAD Complete MRH Blog: JL&T Railroad - Complete Blog Index…Test Banner
Joe, just make sure you guys test the loading of the banner and ensure it doesn't overwhelm a user's browser with the loading and fading of images. At my work we had to redo something simliar to yours because users were complaing their browser would lock up while going between images. These were P4/Centrino's, so not the newest in the world but not dinosaurs by any means,
Phil
Website Design
Joe,
I'm amazed that you guys have come so far in such a short time. It wasn't too long ago that you went on the air for the very first time. The site has had a few teething problems but it still works so well. It's an example to all of what is possible on the Internet.
When you originally launched the site, I found it extremely interesting reading about how you sensed the possibilities with emerging technologies and how you had to learn to use the new things you envisioned doing. It appears that you've incorporated many of them into the website and, with luck (and money), will continue to do so.
In the coming new year, we will be treated to the second iteration of your ground-breaking website. I wonder what more you've envisioned for us and what we might enjoy next?
It seems that we all benefit from your's and the guys in your mini "skunk works" continuing hard work. Thank you and kudos to all!
George
Looking Good!
It looks good to me too! I like the slideshow, ad's included. Being able to click for more info is great! Can't wait for the new year.
Posts with multiple screens of replies
Joe-
For those posts which have multiple screens of replies, it would help save time in following the replies over time if we could navigate to the 2nd, third, or last screen of replies from the Top of the first screen of the post.
Jeff Fry
Slide show performance
We're deliberately using a very performant approach to the slide show. It only loads images as it needs them. If it needed to preload every image it would be S-L-O-W ...
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Read my blog
Unfortunately, that won't change ...
Unfortunately, because of the way the Drupal engine has been built, it doesn't know how many pages are in the thread until it displays the first page. So fixing this involves re-architecting the Drupal web site engine, which isn't happening until later in 2011 - and until we decide to upgrade to it - which could be as late as 2012.
I wish we had a better answer here, but we don't. Sometimes simple things are hard - and in this case it's very true.
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Read my blog
VBDrupal
If you haven't already , give VBDrupal a lookover. It combines Drupal as you have it now with the much more robust forum software VBulletin (which yes, does require a license purchase). It would solve problems like the page threading, give you a lot more forum features & control and better forum navigation than what drupal does on it's own.
http://www.vbdrupal.org/
Looking forward to see the new site go live.
Shaun
Not a sneak peek
This is an outright revelation. Nothing sneaky about it. Lets think reality.
Rich