Fergie's Tech Blog

Users Tripped Up by Revamped DHS Website

Alice Lipowicz writes on GCN.com:

The Homeland Security Department debuted a new Web site this week, and discarded most of its old Web addresses, to mixed reactions by users.

While the new Web site is being praised for its slick appearance, complaints are flowing about the elimination of many former DHS Web pages.

A Web surfer trying to link to a former DHS Web site through a bookmarked address now will arrive at a blank page with an error message, rather than being automatically directed to a new DHS address. Hundreds of former DHS page links are now invalid.

"The new site has already caused significant problems for people trying to find information," Michael Hampton, editor in chief and publisher of a blog called Homeland Stupidity, wrote Thursday. "Once you’re used to the new layout, things may well be easier to find. But when I first ran across the site, it wasn’t the site I saw, but a nasty 404 error page telling me they’d redesigned the site and — you guessed it — failed to preserve all the old URLs. This is one of many things that indicates poor site design, as URLs are supposed to be valid forever."

posted by Fergie @ 10/23/2006 01:08:00 PM