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Behind The Firm List Blog
Seriously Behind
Okay, I am soooo far behind in adding firms, etc. Even adding 84 firms the other day, I still
have about 100 in my queue. The large number is due not only to the tremendous publicity The Firm List has gotten this week
but also to the fact that 1) my wrists have been hurting and 2) I have been doing major upgrades to the site.
I already wrote about my wrists, so I'll let you in on the upgrades I have been working on. They aren't something most
of you will have noticed, which is fine, that wasn't the point of these changes.
Over the last year I have been learning PHP and slowly I've been getting better at it. Finally I found the right way to
transfer the site into a template system. I had always had various parts of the site draw from shared templates, but this
new system is a vast improvement. It will allow me to make UI changes in the future so much easier. It will make adding
tools/features much simpler.
It's always the case that you wish you knew now a year ago. Would have saved me so much time.
So those structural changes have been happening. When they are finished across the site you will likely see some
changes to the UI, design and functionality of the site.
I get quite a lot of valuable feedback and suggestions from people, and I try to respond to all of it. Many times my
response is that I have thought about it and it's just not been feasible. It doesn't mean I don't ever plan to make
those changes, it just means it might take a while. For example, some people pointed out that the listings were laid
out in a little bit confusing way, with the small text graphic saying "more info" not that apparent and obvious. I
have changed those little graphics now, in wording in some cases ("View Profile" instead of "More Info") and visually
as well. I hope it makes it a little more obvious what does what. It may still be a little confusing that the firm's
name (in html text) links to the firm's website and not their profile, but that's a problem I will have a harder time
finding a different solution to given the current set-up of the site.
So, I guess I should just end this entry and get back to catching up. I need to catch up before I go to the HOW Design
Conference in Orlando next month, so that I can fall behind all over again.