A long time ago, we used the word "redesign" to describe our frequent changes and upgrades to OnMilwaukee.com. But when we found ourselves redesigning the redesign every week, we realized we needed a different phrase.
To take a page from Google's playbook, here at OnMilwaukee.com, we're in "perpetual beta."
What that means is that Web technology and innovation never sit still, and to stay ahead of the curve, we're developing and deploying large and small applications and updates all the time. For us, "Web 2.0" isn't just a buzzword, it's a way of life.
This week, you might notice we now offer two display options for the main and section homepages. One we call "list view," which displays all new content in chronological order -- including articles, blogs, briefs, reviews and commentary.We call the other view -- one we deployed a few months ago -- "compact." That one distinguishes by type of content and includes side-scrolling "AJAX-ified" thumbnails.
Both views are controlled by cookies, which means when you toggle from one to the other, it remembers and saves your selection for the next time you visit OnMilwaukee.com.
We've added so much since the last time I wrote about redesigns, and I'm probably missing a few. But while you're trolling OnMilwaukee.com, planning your summer weekends, here are a few innovations you might have missed:
Smarter search: Our search engine, at the top right of every page, now offers keyword suggestions based on data from our nearly 12,000 active articles. Just start typing, and it will help you along the way.
More intuitive movie guide: The movie guide makes better use of rich media, including trailers and photos, and provides a better look at show times for today and in the future.
Neighborhood guides: Where applicable, articles and blogs are also categorized by neighborhoods. Use the main navigation on the left to see what's new in your area.
Top searches, tag clouds and most Talkbacked: You've loved our Top Clicks system for a long time. Now we've taken that same code and enhanced it to list top searches and most Talkbacked articles. Or you can use the tag clouds to see what other people are reading, too.
New Talkback interface: It's easier than ever to navigate through our popular Talkbacks, and you can now add your Member ID avatar to personalize your comments even more.
More Readers Blogs functionality: You can now add photos, links and keyword tags to your Readers Blogs. And you can chart their popularity with Readers Blogs Top Clicks.
Lightboxed photos: Within articles and blogs, you can now see larger versions of the photos we upload. Just click on the "click to enlarge" icon on the bottom right of every photo.
OnMilwaukee.com Mobile: We've built a mobile version of OnMilwaukee.com that works great on PDAs, smart phones and iPhones. Give it a try at http://mobile.onmilwaukee.com.
New sharing tools: Now you can easily submit content to your favorite social media sites with the "share" tool in every article. That includes Digg, Del.icio.us, Twitter, Facebook and more.
On the content side of things ...
Summerfest / Summer Festivals Guide: We love summer and know you do, too. Between our Festival and Summerfest Guides, we have 130 stories loaded up and ready to go, and once Summerfest starts, expect dozens of reviews and innovative stories.
New bloggers: We're adding great new writers all the time. Some of the names you might recognize are Jason Wilde, Mark Metcalf, Marilynn Mee and Trenni Kusnierek.
Return of This Day in Milwaukee History: OK, it never went away. But this popular feature is now back and prominently displayed on the homepage.
That's just a bit of what we're working on at OnMilwaukee.com. More is going on behind the scenes, too, to enhance the reader experience, so stay tuned.
We're always growing and evolving, and we count on your feedback to build a better OnMilwaukee.com.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
