These errors should be vanishing from national park websites as the Park Service staff works on implementing changes in advance of the agency's centennial.
While the 100th birthday of the National Park Service won't officially arrive until August 25, 2016, it's not too early to work on improving the agency's many park websites. And the agency's webmeisters are doing just that.
"As we prepare for the centennial, there will be several improvements made to NPS.gov," Park Service spokesman Jeff Olson said. "These improvements include a reorganization of content, responsive design for mobile devices, and a new look and feel for the site."
And while there are many times these days when you might run into a "Requested Page Not Found (404)," staff are trying to root all those out and present a more enjoyable web experience for visitors.
"Parks are taking the time leading up to the centennial to make content improvements. Web authors are being offered training on how to perform content inventories, evaluate online content, and create content strategies for their public websites," Mr. Olson said.
"There are minimum content requirements for park websites'and most provide far more than that minimum. The content strategies parks create in the coming months will help guide decisions about their online offerings and how they can best use limited resources to make improvements to those offerings by 2016."
Comments
It's amazin' with every thread, the troll, Eric Buck always twists it around to "what's the latest news from teabaggistan". Then the tread goes off on some tangent that makes little sense. First off, Scott Walker has zero influence on what is going to happen with the NPS websites. NONE. So, why is such moronic diversion being debated in this thread?
I agree, Alfred, that there is an overbalancing of admistrators to faculty, but this is as much a private as public university problem. (And you're right about the understaffing of the univeristy w/faculty--notice the National Adjunct Walkout Day the other day?) But I think you might be overstating (to an extent) a preoccupation with political correctness.
(Not sure what this has to do with the parks, though--I'm probably extending a digression here.)
And if you were paying attention Gary, you would know that it was Harryb, not me that brought up Scott Walker. But, in your fervor to launch a pornographic attack, you missed that important fact.
It never ceases to amaze the management here how all threads eventually seem to devolve down to politics and dollars.
Can we switch gears and look at the latest story about park websites -- changes are starting to appear -- and comment on the changes? Are they an improvement?
As just sent to Grand Teton National Park and spokesperson Ms. Jackie Skaggs: Not surprising Grand Teton National Park's HOME website pano image of the Teton Mountain range is not level and very amateaurist...of course what could we expect for millions and millions of wasted dollars...professionalism?
/2015/02/new-look-starting-appear-national-park-websites26337
I guess I'm not the only one...
I am sorry I ever brought up the subject of Scott Walker. He has nothing to do with the NPS or the poor quality of its many web sites. I would just like NPS management to show some competence and have a web presence worthy of the vast diversity and richness of park resources. That means no broken links, up to date material, images that work and are appropriate, and managers who have the courtesy to answer email that may come in from the visiting public. Many of our existing web sites are just not meeting this standard and would not be tolerated by any private business or other government agency. I believe that in this digital age NPS management is clueless about the power of electronic media. I hope that this will change soon.