Thoughts on Firehouse.com Widescreen Upcoming Launch

[webteam]

Since all you "off duty" folks are the most active...we'd like to get some feedback on a new widescreen version of the home page. As much as 80% of users is on a wide screen format and also on high speed connection. Many larger web sites are moving to this format, giving you just a little bit extra but also keeping the core content in the browser area most folks can view.

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS BETA MOCK UP ONLY ... ALL LINKS TO NOT WORK.

http://www.firehouse.com/indexnew.html

Feel free to post your comments here or send via PM. If you have technical issues, please include your browser, browser version, connection speed, etc.

Some things to note:

- Bigger placement of the magazine in preparation for more and more archives in 2006.
- More room for featured columns and such, which will also grow substantially in 2006 with both free and MembersZone areas.
- More dominant Career Center area, a very popular and growing area of the site
- Elimination of the current 'tabs' and puttng the Apparatus Showcase and In Quarters images to the home page.
- The flash slideshow of photos stays...its really allowed us to showcase dozens of photos each week.
- Special promotion for EMSResponder.com, the new EMS site that will include the existing EMS content from Firehouse.com, launching this quarter.
- More real estate for our really in-depth sections, like University of Extrication, Apparatus Architect, etc.
- And more

Also coming in 2006.
- More enhancements to the Firehouse Network

An example of this format in live operation is
http://www.officer.com

Thanks
WebTeam

[ChiefReason]

As one who must wear bifocals, I can tell you that going widescreen gives the "appearance" of a larger screen. I looked around the office for an old monitor that was not flatscreen, because the only disadvantage that I can think of would be some distortion on the rounded monitors. I have to wonder how many still use the old monitors.
The page didn't look as cluttered. Information seemed easier to find.
I like it.
Sign me up.
Whoops; I already am.
CR

[hwoods]

Looks like the WT has another hit on their hands. This looks to be very good, and quite user friendly as well. I'll give it a 9 (There's only one 10, and I'm married to her). A word of caution though, Some folks expect instant miracles that work perfectly. Life ain't like that, and neither is the WT. Give it a chance to work, ALL the bugs won't be ironed out in an hour or two, but when it is fine tuned, it'll be worth any temporary pain.

[ullrichk]

I doesn't work well for me with the settings on my monitor at work, but on my laptop and home computer it looks great. I like it.

BTW, what's up with the Home Page for Heroes? It strikes me as appealing to "outsiders", but a little awkward otherwise. I'm not complaining, just thinking out loud. . .

Keep up the good work.

[Proby1711]

... now if they could only fix the 'birthdate' glitch & sort out all the members still on guest status, we'd be laughing...

[superchef]

Great job WebTeam. I have a flat screen at work and home and it is very user friendly. I found the page to be much easier and quicker to browse for information. Keep up the good work WT!!!

(maybe you could insert an aroma feature for me?)

cheffie

[MalahatTwo7]

Mmm ya ok. I had some trouble noting the difference from work, but I can see it here at home. Looks ok to me.

[ffemt1977]

yessiree thats the way I like it ah ha!!

[Weruj1]

I like that MUCH better !!!!!!!!!!!! really really I do !

[PFDTruck2]

Looks good to me.

[xploded]

I think it's a great idea. Looks good to me.
Thanks for always trying to improve.

[arhaney]

Looks good to me! I'm on dialup at home and the page load speed was fine.....

Keep up the good work!

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

I'm with the Proby on the birthdate thing, I was scratching my head over that one.

I like the wide screen a lot better, nothing is a bigger pain than scrolling up and down, but on every screen I have (18" LCD, 19"CRT, 15" Laptop) it looks fine and it fits side to side with no problems.

Now if I could just make the 18" LCD be the one at home and not the office....

[Resq14]

Some things to note:

- Bigger placement of the magazine in preparation for more and more archives in 2006.

Looks great.

I wish you would make the "primary pane" in the middle even bigger though, at the cost of the sidebars. I'd rather gain a little more there, and a little less on the sides.

I realize advertising probably constitutes the lion's share of funding for the site... it just seems a little "flashy." No offense of course.

I will say I prefer your sister site's forum setup -- menu's at the top and just the forums from screen left to screen right - no ads or menu trees there. JMHO.

[Engine58]

Looks good..

[FDNY101TRUCK]

My laptop is already widescreen so I like it either way...

[stillPSFB]

Well if a total computer-illiterate like me can figure it out then it must be ok

[captstanm1]

I think it looks good. Nicer, cleaner look that the current configuration.

CR...I will let you know about the glasses and bi or trifocals as I ordered mine this week!!!

[Co11FireGal]

I'm going to have to go with ullrichk...the homepage for heroes thing doesn't really do much for me...

The widescreen looks great though.

[TimHusker]

It certainly looks fine from my point of view. However, I doubt the figure the WT is giving of 80% using WS, which apparently caused the reasoning behind the idea to stretch FH's format. Seems senseless to me in light of the fact that 93.4% (yeah, I made that up...) will tend to use more than one format from day to day; going from work to home, etc. It seems the current, world adopted format currently in use will serve us all for many more years to come. But, that's just me. The WT is doing a fantastic job, but I feel the change in format's would be a "stretch" at best.

Timba