Thoughts on new US FIRST splash page?

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Chris27

Akamai acts as a CDN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akamai_Technologies

I'm pretty sure they had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of the splash page. They just deliver the content to your browser faster than FIRST's servers could.

Akamai sponsored some teams attending the Boston Regional a few years ago. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to give the company leadership a tour.
They were very engaging folks and amazed at what was happening at the event, especially in the pits.

ps. I do kinda miss the photo of the president on the home page. It is a great photo.

[DCA Fan]

Ugh I just threw up a little. If this is the direction they want to go to promote FIRST, I'm sorry to say I will not be backing it.

[Triapod]

There is nothing wrong with: http://usfirst.org/default.aspx I mean it even has a link to the splash page on the bottom left. More impressive are the pictures of the teams with robot and also the president

I'd rather a video of the real action with the bustling of the pits and the cheering in the seating areas over this any day. How about featuring the video about the origin of the first logo instead?
Also nice black theme when going to white website.

[Ian Curtis]

You know what that video is missing? The old FIRST theme songs!

1st Theme One
2nd Theme Two

I actually like the video clips they use... I think they do a good job of visually showing many different kinds of FIRST competitions. The audio is bad though, and the splash page is worse. I think it would be much nicer if they just had that box down in the lower corner, so people could view it if they wanted.

[pfreivald]

Erm, in response to a private message I received, I would like to clarify something:

When I used the term "black rage" earlier, all I meant was "really, really mad" (to put it politely). The term as I used it had nothing whatsoever to do with race.

In thinking about where the term came from, I realize that I borrowed it from a game -- and in searching around for usage I've found that there is often a racial connotation with the phrase that I was completely unaware of (and is not present in the game).

I apologize if anyone was offended. I won't be using the term from now on.

[KC1AJT]

I've been watching this thread all day so ill throw in a little bit:
-I was completely lost when i wanted to get the mission statement so we could post a similar one on our site
-it took me 5 minutes to get over the idiocy in the design
-they aren't following their our website quidelines
-why a musician? musicians usually aren't great role models, lets get people like the mythbusters or the guys from "howe and howe tech" they would be able to relate much closer to our experiences in this program
-i messaged my lead mentor when i saw it and this is what he said:
"WillIAm says FIRST IS COOL!
HOLY COW
I WANT TO BE COOL, TOO
I'M GOING TO JOIN FIRST!
then people will like me"
Isn't this the image we are avoiding in FIRST?

[EricH]

I've seen the page.

I. Don't. Like. It.

The default page is much more manageable and better for finding things.

The "Read" link for more information goes to the "About Us" page... which makes sense, except for somebody who's looking for something specific like, oh, I don't know, the nearest competition to them so they can see what's being hyped. Or someone wanting to look at the rules. Or something of that nature.

Looks: Decent, I suppose. Content management, I haven't seen the videos, but the rest would probably get about a 3 out of 10.

[Boydean]

I don't like the new page. At all. But...

After looking at it from a point view of someone who doesn't know anything about FIRST, but just heard of it through will.i.am this might actually be a good splash page for them. Granted not the design, but the content. Its a "I heard it from will.i.am, and now he is greeting me on this site" kind of thing.

With that being said FIRST might be preparing for a massive volume of traffic from will.i.am....super ball anyone? That would also make since why Akamai is hosting it -- a company that specializes in large amounts of web load.

just trying to justify why FIRST would make such a radical change to their front web page

[Akash Rastogi]

Agreed with the whole "I don't like it" "unprofessional" posts.

But what annoys me the most is the Will.I.Am quote that was picked is SO corny and it makes it seem like they're trying to tell people that kids in FIRST aren't losers or something.

"YOU GUYS ARE COOL!" Is this really needed? Sounds like something you'd say when you're reassuring a little kid about something.

Not exactly sure how to put in words why it bugs me so much though, but here goes...

It's like when the big nerd at school gets a hi five from a random jock, but then the nerd becomes obsessed with the jock and thinks they're best pals now. Turns out the nerd was perceived as an average kid by the jock anyway.

External perception will always reflect internal perception. If FIRST still views itself as an oasis for nerds...then I don't know what they're accomplishing with this page.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Not exactly sure how to put in words why it bugs me so much though.

False praise. Young people, including small children, hate false praise.

It could be helpful to put entertainers through a type of boot camp with some teams. Not just a show and tell demo but a boot camp. The appreciation would grow as well the understanding/comprehension. Doing the math is a little different than having someone else do the math for you.

Jane

[Grim Tuesday]

FIRST doesnt seem to realize that, as a nerd, I care nothing about Will.I.Am, or what he says.

[Boydean]

I would also add to my previous post that this new page has large amounts of meta data in the site's source code related to the super ball. Meta data being keywords that search engines can relate a website to.

Meta Data

STEM,

middle school and high school robotics,

science & technology,

robotics competition,

will.i.am science,

will.i.am Dean Kamen,

will.i.am robot,

will.i.am arm band,

will.i.am armband,

will.i.am logo,

will.i.am superbowl,

will.i.am super bowl,

will.i.am technology,

will.i.am charity,

will.i.am non-profit,

Circle triangle Square,

Black eyed peas arm band,

Black eyed peas armband,

Black eyed peas cause,

Black eyed peas super bowl,

Black eyed peas superbowl,

Black eyed peas halftime

[Grim Tuesday]

Originally Posted by Boydean

I would also add to my previous post that this new page has large amounts of meta data related to the super ball. Meta data being keywords that search engines can relate a website to.

Meta Data
<snip>

Took a bit of reading to realize what you were getting at.

Interesting, though. Couldn't they have added that to the old page? And isnt it a bit depressing that there are more keywords about will.i.am than about robotics?

[KC1AJT]

Originally Posted by Boydean

I would also add to my previous post that this new page has large amounts of meta data related to the super ball. Meta data being keywords that search engines can relate a website to.

Meta Data

STEM,
 
middle school and high school robotics,
 
science & technology,
 
robotics competition,
 
will.i.am science,
 
will.i.am Dean Kamen,
 
will.i.am robot,
 
will.i.am arm band,
 
will.i.am armband,
 
will.i.am logo,
 
will.i.am superbowl,
 
will.i.am super bowl,
 
will.i.am technology,
 
will.i.am charity,
 
will.i.am non-profit,
 
Circle triangle Square,
 
Black eyed peas arm band,
 
Black eyed peas armband,
 
Black eyed peas cause,
 
Black eyed peas super bowl,
 
Black eyed peas superbowl,
 
Black eyed peas halftime

I think just paying a few million to get a superbowl ad would be much more effective and have a wider exceptance with FIRST members and volunteers

[sanddrag]

I've noticed another thing that no one mentioned. The frame from the video that shows before you play has really nothing to due with anything.

If I was some member of the community, and someone told me to go to this website to check out the competition that their team participates in, and I went home and did, I'd think "What the heck is this? Did I type it in wrong?"