Comments on: PoliticsHome: overwhelming and soulless http://puffbox.com/2008/04/07/politicshome-overwhelming-and-soulless/ Adventures in government, politics and open source. Mostly WordPress-related. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:30:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Mike Rouse http://puffbox.com/2008/04/07/politicshome-overwhelming-and-soulless/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Mike Rouse Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:52:55 +0000 http://puffbox.com/2008/04/07/politicshome-overwhelming-and-soulless/#comment-256 I was part of the project that was shut down so that PoliticsHome could be born - some might remember it as 18DoughtyStreet - either way, it is no more. Instead, we have PoliticsHome. As I thought when I was hanging around at the time... The concept broadly is good, but limited in terms of business success opportunity and the delivery sucks. It doesn't work on Opera, mobile and is a great example of a site non-compliant with the DDA and other stanards. On a broader note it is insiders talking to insiders about insiders. I see that no lessons have been learned from the previous operation at all - probably a difficult exercise to complete anyway given that the turnover was 130% or so in just 12 months. I was part of the project that was shut down so that PoliticsHome could be born - some might remember it as 18DoughtyStreet - either way, it is no more. Instead, we have PoliticsHome.

As I thought when I was hanging around at the time... The concept broadly is good, but limited in terms of business success opportunity and the delivery sucks. It doesn't work on Opera, mobile and is a great example of a site non-compliant with the DDA and other stanards. On a broader note it is insiders talking to insiders about insiders. I see that no lessons have been learned from the previous operation at all - probably a difficult exercise to complete anyway given that the turnover was 130% or so in just 12 months.

]]> By: Alan in Belfast http://puffbox.com/2008/04/07/politicshome-overwhelming-and-soulless/comment-page-1/#comment-255 Alan in Belfast Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:16:20 +0000 http://puffbox.com/2008/04/07/politicshome-overwhelming-and-soulless/#comment-255 Sorry if the nice people at PoliticsHome feel a bit gutted, but ... Initially, I though I'd reached the service admin page showing the uptime graph and a list of error messages. The black screen may be eco-friendly and save on photons, but I can't think of a single serious website that uses a black background. Use of capitals on TOP STORY HEADLINES makes me want to look away. A couple (more) hours with a UI specialist and some tweaks to the style sheet might make the site a lot more visually accessible and then the content would be critiqued. But in the meantime, my eyes hurt. Sorry if the nice people at PoliticsHome feel a bit gutted, but ...

Initially, I though I'd reached the service admin page showing the uptime graph and a list of error messages. The black screen may be eco-friendly and save on photons, but I can't think of a single serious website that uses a black background.

Use of capitals on TOP STORY HEADLINES makes me want to look away.

A couple (more) hours with a UI specialist and some tweaks to the style sheet might make the site a lot more visually accessible and then the content would be critiqued. But in the meantime, my eyes hurt.

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