What's wrong with the new FIRST website - a running list

[sanddrag]

It's clear that many of us aren't thrilled with the new FIRST website, but I'm sure in time it will grow on us. I wanted to start a thread not to point out our own opinions on the design or style of the site, but but rather to bring attention issues of functionality and usability such as broken links, content that is missing, etc. I'm hoping by listing our issues with the new www.firstinspires.org in this thread, we can help FIRST improve the site for everyone. Things that were on the old site that are no longer on the new site should be included on this list.

I'll start:

Regional event pages do not include dates of the event. Example: http://www.firstinspires.org/team-ev...event?id=17507

[Thad House]

Working links to all the old game stuff are not working. Sometimes I go look at old KOP information to try and find instructions for some of the old boards we have, or just to know what came in an old KOP. First took them off the website, however you used to be able to google for the old links. However now those old links don't work, and you can't find the old KOP information at all.

[Ari423]

FRC calendar still hasn't been ported.

[Christopher149]

On the team-event search, switching between Team and Event resets to selecting all programs. It would be nice if it didn't unset my filter (to just FRC for example). Also, I can no longer type in a state code like I used to, and now have to scroll down the page to "MI". It might also be nice if some distinction was shown between inactive and current teams.

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/ also recently updated.

It's issues:

• No information on past years' challenges

[Rachel Lim]

Event search:
- I'm not sure if this is broken or intentional, but when I first go to the page it's sorted for events within a 100mi radius of my zipcode, yet when I reset fields it goes to all events between the current date and a year from that date
- The "state" field for international teams often lists numbers--not sure if this what they filled in or if it's being randomly added

Archived Game Documentation:
- The "Game Summaries" link is broken
- Match/awards footage aren't linked to
- Regional/champs results aren't linked to

Footer:
- This might be something to do with facebook and not the website, but the links in the recent tweets are hyperlinks, while the one under facebook is just text (the facebook post does have a hyperlink)

[cbale2000]

It's worth noting that much (but not all) of the old site's content is still available here:

http://archive.firstinspires.org/

[codedr]

There's no RSS feed to get updates from when the site changes.
They expect everybody to read the site everyday and exhaustively search for changes.

[solopilot]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

It's worth noting that much (but not all) of the old site's content is still available here:

http://archive.firstinspires.org/

Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ebarker]

The event search just plain useless compared to the old website.. The event list on the old website is a billion times better.

You cannot see all events.

You cannot even see all the events within a district.

To an outsider looking at the event list, what was one of the worlds largest competitions just became tiny.

And when you look at an event, you can see the team list, but you can no longer go to their website.......

need to put this on the site somewhere https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso

arrrrgh, this is frustrating beyond words......

[rich2202]

Originally Posted by ebarker

The event search just plain useless compared to the old website.. The event list on the old website is a billion times better.

You cannot see all events.

You cannot even see all the events within a district.

To an outsider looking at the event list, what was one of the worlds largest competitions just became tiny.

And when you look at an event, you can see the team list, but you can no longer go to their website.......

need to put this on the site somewhere https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso

arrrrgh, this is frustrating beyond words......

Amen. The old site for this was much better.
http://archive.firstinspires.org/rob...egional-events

I liked the ability to see all events sorted by week.

Why the 100 mile limit? We do an overnight trip to a 2nd regional, and are willing to go 500+ miles if it is the right week. Also, being in the Midwest, a 100 miles as the crow flies could be 200+ miles as the car drives around one of the Great Lakes.

[XaulZan11]

Very surprised to see there is no link to the webcast or mention of the kickoff on the home page of the FIRST webpage.

[Omar]

There is not a clear starting point for rookie teams or those new to FRC to find information about the control system.

Under "Game and Season" there needs to be a "Start Here" or "What to do First"

I visited 3 rookie teams and one 2nd year veteran team in my area this past week after the kickoff and not one person at these teams knew about the "Getting Started with the 2016 Control System" from WPI. There is no mentioning of it at a high level. You must already know its name to be able to search for and find it.

You try it! Pretend you are a rookie and try to find help on what you should do, step by step, to set up your control system starting at
http://www.firstinspires.org/robotic...ame-and-season

It is not under “Manuals / Game Q & A”
It is not under “Kit of Parts” (This is where it was located on the OLD usfirst.org web site)
It is not under "Technical Resources"
You can find it under “Resource Library”. But down 3 pages pass all the Position Summary for the volunteer jobs at the competition.

Some of the team member said they had looked at Resource Library but “there are too many documents”

Remember we were all a rookie once.

We need something that the rookie teams can find very easy that gets them started without them having to already know about it.

[Michael Hill]

"Download latest copy of Q&A" link doesn't work.

https://frc-qa.firstinspires.org/Questions.php

[D.gimon]

Originally Posted by solopilot

Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I try to use the archived site exclusively. Way more intuitive and easy to navigate than the new site, not just because I'm used to it. It's just laid out in a more efficient manner (IMO).

Do we really need a "Drive in" movie (for you older folks like me) playing in the background?

Better download and personally archive as much as possible now before it disappears or is ridiculously difficult to find. I tried to do that last year with all of the documentation for the previous control system. Looks like it paid off.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Dan

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by D.gimon

I try to use the archived site exclusively. Way more intuitive and easy to navigate than the new site, not just because I'm used to it. It's just laid out in a more efficient manner (IMO).

Do we really need a "Drive in" movie (for you older folks like me) playing in the background?

Better download and personally archive as much as possible now before it disappears or is ridiculously difficult to find. I tried to do that last year with all of the documentation for the previous control system. Looks like it paid off.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Dan

Yes indeed, I'm downloading and archiving stuff, plus I put some links on our team website just to make it easier to get to, especially the event/team lookup. http://www.kellrobotics.org/article/...nce-technology under the "FIRST Website Resources" section.

I'm beginning to wonder it we will have to rely on alternate websites to get to information.

At the old website when you look up team you can click on the link for the website, but not at the new site.

If you go to the Blue Alliance, you can click on some website links, but not all. I'm not sure what that is about.

I hope they keep up the old site until the new one gets fixed.