Comments on: Introducing the all-new LibDems.org.uk website

By: The future’s turquoise?

The future’s turquoise? — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:47:17 +0000

[...] Coincidence, or not, that turquoise features strongly in the Liberal Democrats’ new extended colour palette? [...]

By: Dave Page

Dave Page — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:57:39 +0000

Oh dear, just tried submitting some feedback on the website itself at https://www.libdems.org.uk/contact.aspx but the form doesn’t work in either of my browsers (Konqueror and Iceweasel) – both say “This field is required” under the (filled-in) “Enter your Comments” box.

Any idea how to submit feedback without using the feedback form?

By: fdp100

fdp100 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:07:21 +0000

It looks good, but I suppose a bit too much pale blue (or whatever). Content great and bang up to date, with some info about energy matters e.g. the Councils who have adopted the 10:10 target

By: rantersparadise

rantersparadise — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:56:10 +0000

@ Jo

Wow and you think the Green Party has intelligent policies that could really govern the UK? I’m going to have to check that site again as it was as bad as the BNP site when it came to utter unrealistic make believe information.

By: David Loxton

David Loxton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:09:14 +0000

The docs should all be PDFs and they will be soon. We are taking a look at the body-text contrast issue. I think that the policy content is bound to evolve, particularly as we are now in the run-up period to the general election. There is actually more on-the-page policy content (as opposed to downloads) than there was on the old site. The new site also has more analytical tools, so we can see how users respond to, or find their way around, the various sections.

As I said in my article, this launch is not the end of the process of developing the Liberal Democrat presence on the web.

Thanks for the feedback here and elsewhere, which we do read avidly!

By: Lester Holloway

Lester Holloway — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:16:12 +0000

The website is changing the image of the party to reflect Britain and that’s a very positive thing. Set next to that, quibbles about the colour scheme seem fairly minor

By: Hywel

Hywel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:50:45 +0000

Aside from my (major) reservations about the colour scheme we also seem to have airbrushed another chunk of policy papers from existence as only 6 show up on the relevant page – as opposed to the greater number actually passed by conference.

By: Jo Anglezarke

Jo Anglezarke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:24:06 +0000

Within a couple of weeks after joining the Green Party I found out simply what the main policies were from the website, who the councillors were, who the candidates were…in fact so much info was available quickly I stayed on the site for a couple of hours. Some of the links on the old LD site were dead, I could never find my way to a specific policy (I had no idea Lib Dems had supported academies otherwise would have left ages ago) – in fact it was the most cluttered useless waste of space.

You have gone to the other extreme and created a vacuous nonsense with even less info on it –

with of course pleases me no end

By: rantersparadise

rantersparadise — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:15:59 +0000

@ Dave Page

“People go to political party websites looking for policies on issues,”

But how do they find that information? How does it look?

How user friendly is it?

By: rantersparadise

rantersparadise — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:57:23 +0000

@ Dave Page

Fair enough. I felt you started with a negative.

So what did you hate about the old? But like about the old? And than felt that there was a middle ground to cater for ‘ALL’?

By: Mary Reid

Mary Reid — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:09:55 +0000

Well, it looks pretty enough but I am deeply disapppointed at the huge snub given once again to councillors.

No-one would think that we are a major player in local government. No mention of the many places where we are actually in government (unlike Westminster). If you click on ‘Get involved’ you can find out how to be a parliamentary candidate but not a council candidate.

Not a single councillor is referred to anywhere (unless they have gone on to become MPs or peers). Even the ‘In your area’ section gives the local MP, if a Lib Dem, but makes no mention of the local council where we control it.

In fact, you would think that government stopped at regional/state level.

Now I thought all that had been talked through with the last revision of the website, and some way had been found to gather and collate the relevant information. WriteToThem already works at council level, so why can’t we?

By: Dave Page

Dave Page — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:24:30 +0000

People go to political party websites looking for policies on issues, Croslandist. It doesn’t matter how ancient the policy is, but people should be able to find them.

By: Croslandist

Croslandist — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:21:38 +0000

I’m not sure that “it’s quite difficult to locate ancient policy papers” is a very good criticism. How many people go to political party websites looking for these things?

By: Mouse

Mouse — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:46:28 +0000

Well a revamp was overdue, but frankly, this attempt isn’t very good. Try for instance finding the PPC for your area
by scrolling though 4 at a time in alpabetical order. The policy stuff goes from brief to tedious with no middle ground (as others have noted) The volunteering/supporter section is too long winded.

I am beginning to think that the party is incapable of producing a clear, concise explanation of what we stand for, as certain key people don’t seem to know.

Is it just me or are photos misisng for some MEPs ?

By: Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:29:06 +0000

Er, no. I found that information because I have:
(a) A copy of every Conference Report and Policy Paper for the past 15 years.
(b) No life.

By: Dave Page

Dave Page — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:23:52 +0000

Paul, did you find that information from Spring Conference 2003 by looking on the new site? And if so, how?

By: Jo Anglezarke

Jo Anglezarke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:15:07 +0000

Last time the content was rubbish but the colour was ok now the content and layout is better but the style and colour sucks – no coordination at all

By: Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:03:32 +0000

Herbert Brown:
Like me, you probably are getting old, but that’s no excuse for low-contrast web typography. Darker text, please, Mr Loxton.

Dave Page:
OT: I can’t find anything relevant in 2005, but Spring Conference 2003 debated Policy Paper 54 “Making IT Work” which included only a passing reference to software patents. The accompanying policy motion was even more oblique: “Conference in particular welcomes the Paper’s proposals to … reconcile the interests of the digital producer and the digital consumer while maintaining a commitment to a well-regulated free market by … supporting continued widespread innovation by resisting the wider application of patents in this area.”

By: Dave Page

Dave Page — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:36:20 +0000

rantersparadise, I’m not sure how you go from I’m not convinced that the new site is an improvement on the old to assuming I liked the old one.

I’m sure not all users think like me. But one of the claimed improvements of the new site is to make it easier for people to learn what the Lib Dems stand for – I’ve given a couple of examples where it’s no easier on the new site than on the old, based on Lib Dem policy I’ve actually been asked about by voters.

By: rantersparadise

rantersparadise — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:32:03 +0000

@ Dave Page

It’s an improvement FULLSTOP. But of course, more can be done!

But you liked the old one?

Ooo-kay. But do all users look and think like you?