Introducing the beta version of the new richardflynn.net
Thanks for coming to look at this new βeta version of richardflynn.net (3.0!). I have spent some time working on a new site design, as you will see. There are still parts of the site which are unfinished—some even that haven’t really been started—but enough has been done so far for you to able to get a feel of how the site will operate.
Please provide feedback!
I would be grateful to hear your reactions to the new site, whether they be general (about the design or content) or more specific (such-and-such doesn’t work, or doesn’t work as you might think it should). In order to provide feedback, either send me an email, or more preferably, fill in the beta feedback form.
Please remember that this site is ‘βeta’, which is a nice excuse for things not working properly. You can still fully use the existing version of my site.
What’s different and what’s not
The biggest change in this new site is my move from using WordPress (about which I waxed somewhat lyrical when I launched the current version of the site, version 2.0) to Expression Engine as the site’s content management system. Expression Engine is more complex than WordPress, and has a steeper learning curve, but is ultimately more powerful in its ability to handle different types of content.
You should be able to find all of the content that was on the old site. In fact, I think things are laid out more logically and accessibly than before. Previously both the archive of titles of essays I’ve written and the list of sites I’ve linked to (with my own comments) have been rather poorly laid-out, appearing ephemerally on the site’s home page. Now both those things have been brought together in a new section of the site called the Notebook, which also includes shorter items which I’ve written, a more ‘blog’-like section for the site where I can amuse myself with remarks about things I’ve done and seen, and stuff I might have discovered. All of that is probably of little interest to anyone but me, but I don’t mind that. All of the articles from the old site are available, and you can access all of my photos and albums just as you could before. A few of the most recent comments on articles haven’t made it over to this new site yet, but they will in due course.
There are some things which I know don’t work. For example, there are some places where you should see a block of my most recent photos, but are instead treated to a nice hole. I also haven’t yet produced the ‘My favourite photos’ section which you will find linked to on the new photos page. For the moment, that simply redirects you to the photos section page, but I’ll be starting work there soon.
In fact, over the next few days I will be publishing a list of all the things, big and small, that still need to be attended to before this site becomes the real richardflynn.net and the old version is retired. I don’t yet know when exactly that will be, but my aim is for it to be before the end of September when I return to Oxford.
For now, though, please feel free to check out the site, kick the tires, try to make it break, and please, send feedback about your experiences!