New SFX directory

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

I should let Mark tell us but I can't wait. The new SFX directory and exchange server is online.

It is very different from their old website and directory and has alot more resorts. It not perfect but [SIGN]WOW[/SIGN] what a change.

Congrats to all the SFX team.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks for letting us know. I'm going to go take a look.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

Thanks for letting us know

It was nice to look around a little.

Sue

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Definite improvement over the old site.

[EvelynK72 Member Find all posts View Profile Close EvelynK72]

The graphics are pretty looking, but it is too slow for me even with a cable modem connection. Guess I'd rather have text or drop-down boxes where the information is there almost immediately. I guess we get so used to fast access to info, that when you have to wait it for graphics then it seems like an eternity.

I do like the expanded list of resorts though!

Evelyn

Edited to add that the headings for the list of Caribbean resorts are wrong. The first three are listed as Aruba, Bahamas and Antigua, but should be listed as Antigua, Aruba and Bahamas in order to match up with the resorts that are listed. Hope Mark sees this.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

So sllllooowww. And I have a cable modem, too. Plus it assumes you know where all the states and countries are! I have to admit that it took two tries to find Virginia....

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

I should let Mark tell us but I can't wait. The new SFX directory and exchange server is online.

It is very different from their old website and directory and has alot more resorts. It not perfect but [SIGN]WOW[/SIGN] what a change.

Congrats to all the SFX team.

Bill - thank you for your post. We have launched a "Beta-Version" of our new resort directory. This directory and it's structure is not complete at this time.This is phase one with 2 more phases being implemented in the very near future.

Once again, we do stress this is only a Beta-Version and look forward to receiving feedback from viewers and Members.

[Steve Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve]

Hi Mark,

The new website is a big improvement!!!

I think some of your geographical regions are a bit odd, however. In particular, I find it hard to believe that you have Virginia included with New York and New Jersey rather than with the Carolinas. Perhaps this can be re-thought.

Steve

[eal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eal]

Hi Mark,
Comments from a Canadian member:

Three resorts in British Columbia Canada are listed under Whistler: they are:
Grand Okanangan, Manteo Beach and Lake Okanagan.

I don't think anyone looking to stay in the Okanagan would think to look under the Whistler listings (a mere 260 miles away).

You probably could do like II and have Western BC (Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Whistler) then have Central BC (Okanagan) and then have Eastern BC (Fairmont, Panorama). Although you have so many Whistler resorts that it probably deserves its own "flag".

You don't have any resorts listed in Canmore Alberta, although I thought you had some in the old directory, like Grand Canadian and Elkhorn at the Lodges.

Regarding Hawaii, the link to Poipu Point on Kauai is broken, it seems to want to go to the old Embassy website that is no longer in existence since Sunterra took over. Same with Kaanapali Beach Resort on Maui.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

As others have already said. Nice graphics, but horrendously slow. I'm using 8Mb broadband in the UK and it is virtually unusable at present.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

As others have already said. Nice graphics, but horrendously slow. I'm using 8Mb broadband in the UK and it is virtually unusable at present.

Hi Keith - Thanks for the input. There have been a few comments so far about how slow the loading is. Many of the tests we have conducted so far have been on computers outside of our offices, as internally more often than not you can achieve better performance speeds.

In tests on outside computers at peoples offices and homes, the directory on first load loads in about 1.4 seconds using computers that have at least 1.3 ghz of power and using standard DSL cable speeds. These are very fast load times.

Is it possible that people complaining of slowness have older machines, and/or slow cable connections?

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

Mark

There are always some errors when you have this big of project. So, I'm sure that we can find lots of errors if we try.

How would you like us to communicate them to you?

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Mark,

I'll do some timings and post the results here. I'm using a machine with 1.8Gb processor, 2.5gb ram and masses of free disk space so don't think that is the problem. Also checked link speed earlier and it gave a figure of around 5Mb.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Mark

There are always some errors when you have this big of project. So, I'm sure that we can find lots of errors if we try.

How would you like us to communicate them to you?

Hi Bill - There are a number of actual errors we are aware of. Before we go to work on these errors, we are looking to hear from viewers about undiscovered errors and other aspects of the user experience as to the ease and use of the directory.

If you could email at accounts@sfx-resorts.com, or p.m. me (rather than clutter up TSforums) it will be appreciated.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Mark,

I'll do some timings and post the results here. I'm using a machine with 1.8Gb processor, 2.5gb ram and masses of free disk space so don't think that is the problem. Also checked link speed earlier and it gave a figure of around 5Mb.

Hi Keith - You certainly have a machine that is up there with speed and power. The machines we tested it on are not as powerful as the one you have, but did produce very fast load times. We have been very sensitive to potential load time issues using Flash, and in development, nixed a number of ideas that did not produce satisfactory load times.

We also had a number of our UK Members test the load times on their machines. Only four out of thirty reported slow load times. They were using a Macromedia Flash lower than Version 9,0,16,0.

When they upgraded to Version 9,0,16,0 they reported faster and good loading times for our directory. Please check your version of Flash. If you need to upgrade, here is the link: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/downl...ShockwaveFlash

Let me know if this made any difference for you.