SCN: SCN site and logo redesign

[Kenneth Applegate]

On Wed, 29 Aug 2001, Rod Clark wrote:

> > ... it used to be possible to get to the Science/Technical
> > area about one level down and find our Seattle Astronomical
> > Society link. Now, it is buried another level or two down, in
> > with a lot of clutter (or resource links, if you prefer). This
> > is not necessarily progress!
> 
> Ken, 
> 
>    The Seattle Astronomical Society is featured in bold type
> near the top of the main Sci-Tech page, along with the other
> Sci-Tech sites hosted on SCN. It is also mentioned on a more
> detailed subject menu, as you've noted.
> 
> Rod Clark

Sorry Rod, but that is incorrect. At the top of the main Sci-Tech page
there is an Astronomy link in boldface type. Following that down to a
third level, the things that are in large boldface are Topic headings
Instruments, Observing, and Science for in-page jumps. Since the
Instruments section has only 3 entries, the Observing section shows on the
page, and the Seattle Asronomical Society barely makes it at the bottom -
YES! even in boldface! However, if any of the topic lists were longer, SAS
would be a 4th click away from the SCN home page.

And look at the links on that page(see below). Aside from the rather odd
choice of Topic headings, it is just a hodgepodge. While the random, more
or less astronomical science links are interesting, I question whether
they should be mixed in with a list of local astronomical organizations.
The two UW items, Astrobiology program and Project Astro program are both
local links that people might really want to locate - but they get lost in
a list of "cool astro sites".

I think priorty on the SCN community pages should be given first to
Info Providers ON SCN that fall under a given Community heading like
Sci-Tech, secondly to other related local organizations, and last [maybe]
to related general links. Furthermore, that division should be
reflected in the page layout, with headings like "Sci-Tech web sites
hosted on SCN", "Related Local Organizations", and "Other Links of
Interest".

I'm using the SCN Sci-Tech and Astronomy pages as an example, but similar
problems exist with most of the other Community page areas. I _used_ to
tell people they could just go to the SCN Community pages and find the
astronomy club under SCi-Tech. I would never do that now - the navigation
is too complex, so I just give them our own URL.

Ken Applegate

=========================================
[from http://www.scn.org/tech/astro.html]
INSTRUMENTS

Seattle Sundial Trail
UW Physics-Astronomy Sundial

OBSERVING

Battle Point Astronomical Association
Dark Skies Northwest
Seattle Astronomical Society

SCIENCE

NASA JPL Space Calendar
Scale Model of the Solar System
The Search for Extrasolar Planets
SETI Institute
Structure and Evolution of the Universe (NASA)
Sunspots and the Solar Cycle
Superstrings - universal theory of all fundamental interactions
UW Astrobiology Program
UW: Project ASTRO/Seattle
View the Earth from Space


Ken Applegate How do you identify astronomers from Seattle? 
<starsrus at scn.org> By the windshield wipers on their telescopes! 
Seattle Sundial Trail


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