The New BOF Website

[Paul Frost]

It would be interesting to know why they picked 1100 pixels for the width, as that's very unusual in web design. With more and more people using mobile devices to surf there is even a growing trend to narrower designs that scale down better or flexible width to match the device.
The number of people that use their iPhone (other phones are available) to surf and don't have/use a computer is rising rapidly.

Check out this 1 minute video in which the Adobe CTO explains how things are changing.
More Metrics on web & mobile use.

I have a very large monitor but only have my browser width at about 1000 pixels so I can have 2 applications side by side. The long line length of text is also very difficult to read.

I almost feel seasick the way the page jumps up and down if your mouse goes near the menu bar.

[blindasabat]

It doesnt fit onto my pretty standard width laptop screen

Dare I ask how much this revamp cost us?

[SJC]

I almost feel seasick the way the page jumps up and down if your mouse goes near the menu bar.

Have to agree with this comment.
The page content from the red login bar downwards needs to remain in one place.

[andypat]

I dont seem to have a problem with width on my fairly small laptop. Looks quite good at first glance.

[AndyC]

have you refreshed?

I did and got no improvement -looking at it now with my own netbook on Firefox it works fine so it looks like the classic "IE6 is not supported"

[Scott]

IE6's is notoriously non-standards compliant, but as its market share is down under 5% these days, and both Google and YouTube (amongst others) have stopped supporting it, I think the BOF website can be forgive for not being compatible.

[Nimby]

OK I'm being picky and this may resolve itself in a day or so. But if you try to edit your profile you get a 404 error for http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/editprofile.php
which also says "Your browser cannot find the document corresponding to the URL you typed in".

Surely it's their server that can't find the page, not my browser. And I clicked on their edit link - I didn't type a URL.

[superstartradesman]

Good on BOF for acknowledging the issues with the previous site and commissioning a redesign, which gets rid of some of the worst examples of bad practice.

But there are still a number of issues that simply wouldn't be present in a web site designed by people who really understand diverse browsing environments and who apply a web standards approach to design and development.

The fixed width layout issue has been mentioned, and the unusual dynamic sub-navigation menus (sometimes shown in two levels - for example when you select Events > The JK), which push down all page content and makes selection of a submenu option very difficult, are a major usability fail.

It also seems that the development team weren't aware of the importance of maintaining a decent level of contrast between text and background to optimise readability. Blue links on a blue background???

I know I should be sending constructive feedback directly, but perhaps a thread like this collecting comments in one, public space is actually the easiest way for BOF to get a quick reaction from the membership?

[frog]

I like the fact that it is much easier to see what is actually on the website. I like the way the fixtures are, with major events jumping out at you.
I hate menus popping up and down when I just move my mouse, like others I prefer the screen to stay still unless I click on something or hold my mouse over something for a couple of seconds. I felt a bit motion sick with some of it.

[Mrs H]

NOOOOOOOooooooo ages ago Angry Haggis told me how to set up an infinite one page rolling events list from the BOF page instead of all those silly tedious 10/20/30 events a page....and now it's gone.

Please AH how did you do it again?

[Oldman]

I know I should be sending constructive feedback directly, but perhaps a thread like this collecting comments in one, public space is actually the easiest way for BOF to get a quick reaction from the membership?

Don't you mean "Nopesport posters" or "some of the membership" rather than "the membership"?

[RS]

I hate having to scroll across which I'm having to do on my 15" laptop Tried to do something with that weird bit of coloured map on the left column after having stuff jumping and bringing up sub menus and have given up. I'm sure there must be something positive I could find if I persevered but time is precious and I get frustrated easily....

[RJ]

I get the news column, the red one on the right, disappearing under the text of the central column on my IPad. The rest of the pages seem to work OK.

I had to go and search for my log in details because my browser didn't log me in automatically the first time. I'm glad I wrote it down!!

I like the colours and the improved menus.... apart from the expanding bars at the top. Would probably be better as drop downs instead. Various reports are using larger text sizes.... much more readable.

[Spookster]

NOOOOOOOooooooo ages ago Angry Haggis told me how to set up an infinite one page rolling events list from the BOF page instead of all those silly tedious 10/20/30 events a page....and now it's gone.

Please AH how did you do it again?

Doesn't the Fixtures page for PDA that is part of the new website do that job for you? The list contains every event in the database.

[SeanC]

Since BOF is a very small organisation with a very small budget and few staff (albiet with lots of expert volunteer advice)... I think it's a good effort.

Good to see the new section for schools. Perhaps with this new content management system this can be expanded with more resources, games - and that will help drive traffic to the site (teachers, children and parents).

I think it's inevitable that as soon as there is a new site it needs updating to keep up with the technology... and we'll have to keep doing major rebuilds every few years if we want it to help develop the sport, but hopefully the content management system will help those maintaining it with the small changes.