site upkeep

Btw, you may be noticing some subtle changes to the template here.  I am trying to improve the download performance of the site as well as make it more mobile friendly.  I was  bit surprised at how many mobile phones access the site and the iPad has only increased the mobile viewership.  I’ve eliminated the unnecessary header image that was one cause of higher load times.  I’d like to do away with the drop down menus at the top since those are less than ideal on touch interface devices but will take more work to the template.  In the meantime, those links are largely duplicated on the right sidebar.

The biggest change will be that I am going to start removing links to flash based websites, especially for listings.  I’ve always hated Flash based websites since they typically meant poorly designed interfaces and slow downloads.  Many virtual tours Flash (and Java) sites are a common and prime example.  Plus, who the eff creates websites that autoplay music and thinks that is a good idea?  Even MySpace is knocking that crap off.  Anyhow, rant aside, Flash and Java based sites don’t play well with mobile devices and since we here at ModernAustin are forward looking people, I am going to limit links to sites that don’t get their act together.

If you have any suggestions on how to make the site easier to use, please drop me a note.

Cheers.