We've been working on the new Web site for four days now, and we still have a few glitches but the e-Edition is up and running. Check out the link at the top of our home page. It's a lot more user friendly. For example, on page 1A, you can now click on the line at the bottom of the story that tells you on what page the story continues and the program will automatically take you to that page. You can also search the PDFs in the e-Edition to find a specific name or topic. The pages are now listed in a drop-down menu at the top of the first page, so you don't have to keep going back and forth from a page to a list as you did before.
The archives are still available under the button in the navigation bar at the top of the home page.
We've had a few complaints from those who don't like change in any form, but most people are enjoying the added features, including the videos and being able to comment on stories. Some of the photo galleries are up already, and soon you'll be able to buy a photo you saw in the pages of Laredo Morning Times. We've had a couple of suggestions, and we're looking into the feasibility of those.
We'd love to hear from you. Please let me know what you think.
6 comments:
I personally do not like the new format. Too much opening graphics before the news display. On a not so new computer, it takes a lot of time to download. No pictures with the obits is a dissappointment.I know change takes time to adjust, but I believe the old format was more easy to use.
We are more graphics intensive; we have discovered that people gravitate toward photos and other visuals more than the text. I know it can take longer to download on an older computer - I'm looking at new computers now myself so it doesn't take so long at home - but I believe the positives outweigh the negatives.
You can still see the photos with the obits if you sign up for the e-Edition - click on the box at the top of the home page for more information.
Some good suggestions from Annie about the layout. I'm getting used to it and like the interactive part better. The comments on the stories are becoming better as Laredoans get the hang of it.
I would like more on the Reporter's Blog from both reporters and readers, but it's out of the eye's view and having to sign up for gmail account is a clear deterrent to anyone bothering to post comments. I predict that Reporter's Notebook will fail.
I lived in Laredo/San Ygnacio for 18 years, taught at LCC for those 18 years and care deeply about Laredo and its future, especially for the wonderful students I've had over the years. I've retired in Austin and always read LMT and the NYtimes online.
My understanding is that the online version of LMT will cost $12 a month if one doesn't take the paper. I hope that's only for the interactive part, not access to the news. That's a lot of money for the new format. I fairly regularly post on the nytimes blogs and would pay for some kind of bundle of newspapers, but not for LMT alone!
I think the Wall St. Journal is worth paying for, though I haven't. The NYtimes, Washington Post, and others of that stature warrant some income from the web, especially with the decline in advertising and subscriptions that newspapers face, so I understand LMT's plight, but...
So I'm taking advantage of posting while it's still free.
My experience in Laredo is that once the "powers that be" bring in new things, some restaurants, major chain stores, and other positive changes, folks from Laredo become pretty "uptown" quickly.
I even think that a Barnes and Noble with Starbucks and a meeting alcove would go over very well near the TAMIU area. One of the problems in Laredo is the lack of a central and pleasant meeting space for friends to chat (in Austin, we say, "let's have lunch/dinner at Central Market on N. Lamar). Book clubs, genealogy groups, writer's groups would have a chance to build community with the Barnes and Noble alcove.
As a long time reader of LMT (since 1988), I want to say it's a better local paper than the American Statesman (which has always been one of the worst big city newspapers in the state and remains as bad as when I left!).
Good luck with the new site. With the prohibitive cost, I'll probably have to say sayonara to my LMT morning read.
Sue
Diana, you should consider following this article on newspapers charging for online content: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=107108&lfe=1
It's just not worth it for e-editions, heck, people barely even subscribe for WSJ e-editions.
The site is still way too heavy on graphics, and the images that should be loaded aren't even on the website, for example, images that come out in the newspaper should coincide with all articles.
My eyes struggle to navigate through LMT's website. Any new updates coming soon? Perhaps consider evaluating LMT's site up against SA Express or Austin Chronicle. The animated gifs, and the flash leaderboard banner with moving images up at top need to stay still or have an end time after their rotation, that's the rule of thumb for animation online.
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