Archive users have noticed a new look at the
JTF.org archives.
Let me first state that
- all the shows are still there
- any link you had elsewhere to a particular show mp3 still works
- the archive will continue to be automatically updated
What's changed is that the site now has a different layout. This was done for several reasons.
First,
Search Engine Optimization: Previously, the site really only had two pages – he main page and the FAQ. The problem with this is that a search engine would look at this site and say “it’s small”. Even though there are hundreds of shows and gigabytes of material, it still looks “small” to a search engine because there’s only two pages. By splitting each day off to a separate page, we now have hundreds of pages and look like a much larger site. This boosts our search engine ratings. Although the archive is not as important as the main JTF site, anything that increases the likelihood of a JTF-referring page showing up in someone's search is a good thing.
Second,
Ease of Administration: There are literally hundreds of WordPress plugins that can now be used. Many are invisible to the end-user but they help in keeping the site running. The old site required me to login and edit the HTML files directly. This is not always possible as I'm often behind a corporate firewall. Now I can administer the site from anywhere over the web for the most part.
Finally,
Better Ad Placement: The ads are there to provide revenue for the site. Previously they were jammed awkwardly into the pages, but using this theme, I can make them appear in more logical places so the overall flow of the page isn’t disrupted.
Really, the main motivation was the first bullet point: to have more pages on the site so it would look better to a search engine.
I will blog any further developments at the site's new blog:
http://www.jtfarchive.org/category/site-newsIt's not really my intention to blog much but I'll put any site announcements there. You are welcome to contact me there, here by PM (or thread), or via email.