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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Great Magazine
I am very pleased with the look of the magazine , I come from Europe ( Denmark ) and I have always enjoyed looking at trains & layouts from U.S.A , keep on the good work , I get a lot of inspiration from your site.
Merry X-Mas & Happy New Year.
John Jorgensen , Aarhus Denmark.
Well, I don't Like Change
Ok I do, otherwise I would be in the process of updating my website right now.
In general I'm liking the new look. I have never been a fan of "banner ads" as I find them intrusive and annoying I also realize that they pay the bills. The way you plan to do them don't look intrusive in any way and they are of interest.
The only thing I do have a problem with is the buttons. As others have already stated they look 1990's. They seem to jump out at you and hit you in the face, maybe if they weren't as bold it would be more pleasing to the eye. Please note that this is a minor complaint and I'm looking forward to it's launch in the new year.
Ron Newby, General Manager, Clearwater Valley Railway Co., http://www.cvry.ca
After we log in....
...will the right-hand sidebar still have the regular "Hobo Al (substitute your user name)", "Who's New!", "Recent Blog Posts" and "Who's Online" sections?
I especially like the "Hobo Al (substitute your user name)" and "Who's Online" sections.
Thanks,
Al
P.S. I've noticed that the Who's Online" section always lists just 10 names, even though the message may say "There are 18 users....onlne". Is this a bug or is it intentionl- to keep the list (and screen) shorter?
The buttons at the top
The look of the buttons is fine! They are definitely buttons. But I'm not sure that I like them located so prominently at the top.
I do realize that every screen has limited "real estate", so the top may be best place for them, but I'd still rather see your nice and simple "Magazines | Advertisers | Community | News/Events | Authors | Contact Us | Help" at the very top. The buttons at the top result in a somewhat "busy", congested look.
No matter what you end up doing, I know I will love the new look, and I very much appreciate your allowing us to chime in, like this.
Al
We hear you
We hear you on the "ugly buttons" ... we're going to make them more Web 2.0 in appearance.
As to their prominence, that's an attempt to address the questions we get every week.
Believe it or not, we get emails that say: "how do I download your magazine?" or "how do I read your magazine?"
We figure if the buttons are prominently placed right at the top of the page next to the logo, they're going to be darn hard to miss. In this case, we're opting to put function over form.
Sometimes it seems "in your face" is the only way some people will find it.
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Read my blog
Email alerts?
Hi Joe,all,
Happy Thanksgiving all!
Maybe I am missing this,.......is/will there be an email alert feature in the discussion forums?
Dr Dirt
Hobo Al, I stay logged in all of the time.
Ionly get logged off when I run a pc cleaner program once a month or so and it cleans off all cookies. I think people can pretty much look at all of the forums and blogs on the site without logging in. If that is the case, then when it says that there are 10 users listed by name but 18 people using the site, I suspect the other 8 are lurkers who have not logged in. The site knows that they are there, but doesn't have any identification for them. Anyway that is my guess.
Logged in all of the time
Russ,
Your are absolutley right- I'm also ALWAYS logged.
But I was looking at the sample image of the new site, which showed no one logged in, and i noticed that these regular sections in the right-hand column WERE NOT THERE:
"Who's New!"
"Recent Blog Posts"
"Who's Online"
I was just hoping that the screen, when you ARE logged in, will still have those sections in the right-hand column.
-Al
P.S. I think that the "lurkers" who are not logged in are the ones called "guests". So that still leaves me asking why it would say something like "There are currently 18 users (i.e users logged in) and 42 guests online", but of the 18 logged in users, it will always only show 10 of those users.
Buttons
I like them - I'm not psychic and I don't like having to scroll around trying to find a link.
I know a button when I see one.
As far as the 90's shot - I don't watch Lady GaGa or the Jonas Brothers either.
Remember - without Old school there would be no New school.
Note: Tried to "preview" this but just a blank box ?