I had a suggestion that some links should automatically 'open in new window'. PLEASE don't encourage/allow publishers to do this ! It's easy for the user to open in new window (or tab) if he/she chooses, but effectively impossible to 'open in the same window' once the link uses target="_blank". It really is very rude to override your end user's free choice of how a link should open and will drive visitors away.
I'll write you a "HOWTO" to add to the page about submitting articles and mail it (both of) you direct.
It may have taken you 5.6 seconds to find the "Welcome to Yorkshire" website, but I still don't know if the website I found is the one intended - there are lots of websites with that in their home page title, but none actually seems to be a "Welcome to Yorkshire" website per se.
I looked at several and found one that definitely featured a link to the Tour home page, and used that link. It may well not be the one intended, and do feel free to change it, but it reflects very badly on the site if there is no link at all ! That process took me a lot longer than 5.6 seconds as I didn't know which site was the one you meant - obviously you did - equally obviously, A.N. random visitor would not. It doesn't really matter whether it takes 5.6 seconds or 5.6 minutes - adding a link takes a few seconds if you know the site in question and there's really no excuse for omitting the link and expecting visitors to search themselves. It suggests that your time is more valuable than theirs which is an appalling attitude to visitors.
Can I request that if you are posting a reference to someone else's website, you actually make it a link ? It's great that the Tour de France is coming to Swaledale, but it took me a considerable time using Google to find the "Welcome to Yorkshire website" and presumably the author who wrote the article at /news-and-events/977-the-tour-de-france-is-coming-to-swaledale.html must have known the URL... I've fixed this one (since I wanted to go read about it and it would have been churlish not to do so)..
Andy
It took me the inconsiderable time of 5.6 seconds to Google and find the "Welcome to Yorkshire" website so it's not really too arduous a task.....
Can I request that if you are posting a reference to someone else's website, you actually make it a link ? It's great that the Tour de France is coming to Swaledale, but it took me a considerable time using Google to find the "Welcome to Yorkshire website" and presumably the author who wrote the article at /news-and-events/977-the-tour-de-france-is-coming-to-swaledale.html must have known the URL... I've fixed this one (since I wanted to go read about it and it would have been churlish not to do so)..
Andy
Well, when I've worked out how to add URLs in Joomla using my iPad whilst on holiday in Whistler on a dodgy wifi connection then these gross failures will stop immediately.
Can I request that if you are posting a reference to someone else's website, you actually make it a link ? It's great that the Tour de France is coming to Swaledale, but it took me a considerable time using Google to find the "Welcome to Yorkshire website" and presumably the author who wrote the article at /news-and-events/977-the-tour-de-france-is-coming-to-swaledale.html must have known the URL... I've fixed this one (since I wanted to go read about it and it would have been churlish not to do so)..
I know it's not readily accessible any more, but people may have links or bookmarks. This page http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=109&Itemid=150 (and the similar one for sea trips) has its formatting badly broken - the articles are in two columns, but the white background is only the same width as the main pages, ie. designed for a single column. Trying to follow links to second and subsequent pages also results in a 404 not found error. This latter point does look like a Joomla bug. It's interesting - if I put other Canoe Section categories into that format, eg. http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=158&Itemid=112 it all comes out in a single column and looks fine. Andy
Some of the Mapping (both OS Openspace and Google) linked from the Canoe Section pages is broken - both providers seem to have made incompatible changes to their APIs. I've only just spotted this, but will try to find time to fix it soon. Meanwhile, my apologies - the OS maps work if you zoom in a lot (they seem to start with a view of the whole of Britain, as a call to set the area is failing somehow), but the Google ones may take a bit more work...
It looks OK now (have you been back to edit?). The front page shows the slideshow and intro for non-members, but has a list of the latest news for signed-in members above it. The idea is to give members a fresh page, whilst visitors see an introduction to the club.
The "Lancaster Hole and Wretched Rabbit" write up currently at the top of the front page is in a font so small that I can't read it at all. Why is it not in the same font as other articles ? Aren't we supposed to have a consistent look-and-feel ?
OK. realised I could fix that myself. The whole article had an extra set of paragraph and span tags round it specifying font:x-small - now removed.
But it seems a little odd that "Welcome" is at the bottom of the page, with a random trip write-up at the top. The intro really ought to be at the top, always, for new site visitors.
Members' programme currently showing contact details "Only available to Members / Guests", even though I'm logged in. I note that I haven't had the Monday 1 a.m. weekly email from the programme, either. Something broken ?
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It may have taken you 5.6 seconds to find the "Welcome to Yorkshire" website, but I still don't know if the website I found is the one intended - there are lots of websites with that in their home page title, but none actually seems to be a "Welcome to Yorkshire" website per se.
I looked at several and found one that definitely featured a link to the Tour home page, and used that link. It may well not be the one intended, and do feel free to change it, but it reflects very badly on the site if there is no link at all ! That process took me a lot longer than 5.6 seconds as I didn't know which site was the one you meant - obviously you did - equally obviously, A.N. random visitor would not. It doesn't really matter whether it takes 5.6 seconds or 5.6 minutes - adding a link takes a few seconds if you know the site in question and there's really no excuse for omitting the link and expecting visitors to search themselves. It suggests that your time is more valuable than theirs which is an appalling attitude to visitors.
It took me the inconsiderable time of 5.6 seconds to Google and find the "Welcome to Yorkshire" website so it's not really too arduous a task.....
Well, when I've worked out how to add URLs in Joomla using my iPad whilst on holiday in Whistler on a dodgy wifi connection then these gross failures will stop immediately.
/news-and-events/977-the-tour-de-france-is-coming-to-swaledale.html
must have known the URL...
I've fixed this one (since I wanted to go read about it and it would have been churlish not to do so)..
Andy
http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=109&Itemid=150
(and the similar one for sea trips) has its formatting badly broken - the articles are in two columns, but the white background is only the same width as the main pages, ie. designed for a single column. Trying to follow links to second and subsequent pages also results in a 404 not found error. This latter point does look like a Joomla bug.
It's interesting - if I put other Canoe Section categories into that format, eg.
http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=158&Itemid=112
it all comes out in a single column and looks fine.
Andy
Andy
Paul
OK. realised I could fix that myself. The whole article had an extra set of paragraph and span tags round it specifying font:x-small - now removed.
But it seems a little odd that "Welcome" is at the bottom of the page, with a random trip write-up at the top. The intro really ought to be at the top, always, for new site visitors.