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05/06 SJ SITE UPDATES: Updates to Snow Japan for the new season (Updated 12th Jan)


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  • SnowJapan Admin

SNOW JAPAN PHOTOS (New!)

Until now users have been able to upload some photos to their Member Pages. It was a fairly limited system and so this year we have developed a completely new section to the site - Snow Japan Photos - that is not only easier to use and better laid out, but brings everyones photos together as well as linking them up to relevant Resort Data, Resort Reviews and Journals. In this new section all logged-in users can easily upload photos to Snow Japan, and in the process automatically create their own Photo Gallery.

 

Here's a summary of Photos features:

 

-- Up to 400 photos per user, each photo up to 150KB in size;

-- Easy to use - a few clicks and your photo is up there;

-- The main photo gallery is searchable - meaning that you can, for example, find photos posted by a particular user and/or from a particular resort or prefecture

-- Links with each Photo that Members Photo Gallery and Member Page

-- (If specified when the photo was uploaded), links to related Resort Reviews, Journals and Photos for the same resort are displayed with each photo.

 

>>> SNOW JAPAN PHOTOS MAIN PAGE

>>> MORE INFO ABOUT SNOW JAPAN PHOTOS

(Please note that you need to be logged in to Insider to post Photos)

 

 

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NOW! REPORTING (New!)

Our popular "Now!" Daily Reports have been completely redeveloped for this season. Apart from looking much better than before, more data from each report will be archived as will photos that are posted to the reports. We've also created some new "About" pages for each of the Now! regions that bring together links to resorts in the region (along with Reviews, Journals and Photos for those resorts), Places to Stay and other relevant town info. (We hope to be adding more info to these pages).

 

Here's a summary of new Now! page features:

 

-- More data will be archived from each report including weather conditions, new snowfall and snow depth;

-- An improved archiving system

-- A new "About" page bringing together information for the relevant towns/areas covered by the Now! reports

-- The ability for users to send in their photos for display on the Now! pages

>>> Now! Reports Central

>>> Niseko Now!

>>> Hakuba Now!

>>> Yuzawa Now!

>>> Nozawa Now!

>>> Shiga Kogen Now!

>>> Arai Now!

 

>>> About Niseko

>>> About Hakuba

>>> About Yuzawa

>>> About Nozawa

>>> About Shiga Kogen

>>> About Arai

 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

 

NOW! CALENDAR! (New!)

To accompany the "Now!" reports, we have introduced a completely new page called "Now! Calendar". Now! Calendar brings together all of the Now! reports from each region and displays them on a Calendar - click on a day to read any reports posted from the regions for that day. You can view all of the Now! reports uploaded to the site from 2002.

 

It's best just to go take a look......

>>> NOW! CALENDAR

 

 

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INSIDER MEMBER PAGES (Like New!)

We have once more redeveloped the Members Pages of the site. If a particular Member has posted any Reviews, Journals or Photos to the site, the latest will appear on their Members Page and there will be links to new pages where all of their Reviews, Journals and Photos are displayed together. It is now also possible to add a link to your Profile on the Snow Japan Forums on your Members page.

 

Take a look at the following sample page to get an idea of how it all works

>>> SAMPLE INSIDER MEMBER PAGE (Toque)

>>> MORE INFO ABOUT SNOW JAPAN INSIDER MEMBERS SECTION

 

Click here to see a larger version that shows you what is going where. Any Reviews, Photos or Journals are linked to from your member page automatically when you post them. You specify the other parts of the page (intro, favorite resorts, link to your Profile on the Forums) from your main Edit Members Page link in your control panel.

 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

 

MAIN SITE MENUS (Changed!)

The left hand side menu buttons of the main site (as well as the rollover links) are new, as are all of the links at the bottom of each page of the site. We think the new linking means that people find it easier to get to their favorite pages - and new users will find it to the most popular parts of the site quicker.

 

bottommenu.gif

 

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OTHER STUFF

If you take a look around the site you will notice quite a few other small changes that make the site easier to use and naviate. Here are just a few examples of some of the changes:

 

READER REVIEWS:

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/voice/review.php

Now there are links below each Review to other Reviews, Journals and Photos for that Resort.

review.gif

 

 

 

RESORT LISTINGS:

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resortdetail.php?resid=1

On each Resort page, you will find links to any Reviews, Journals and Photos that have been posted for that resort

resortpage.gif

 

 

 

UPDATES TO INSIDER & MEMBER PAGES:

Example: http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/personalpage_list_test.php

members.gif

 

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STILL TO COME

 

So most of the new functionality for the season is now up and running, but there are still other things to come including:

 

- a complete update of our Resorts database with info for the 2005/6 season. Look out for that to be done by early November;

- various updates and 'cleaning up' of some other pages of the site.

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  • SnowJapan Admin

(We have put all the updates into one thread now to tidy things up - very sorry for having to delete all of the comments in the previous threads.... we have them saved here safely).

 

The original news threads can be found in this section:

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/forum/9.html?

 

Thanks.

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Where would you want that counter toque - actually on each member page? That can go in the to do pile - we might be able to do it, but we'll have to wait to look into that until we've got some other things done:

 

a) update the resort listing pages with current data;

B) and when that's done, take a rest!

 

\:\)

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  • SnowJapan Admin

I was just taking a look at some stats for you.

 

Not sure about your individual page toque, but since the site was updated 18 days ago, there has been an average of over 350 page views (of all the basic member pages - this does not include any of the Journals, Reviews, Photos etc associated with any member) per day. That number is increasing pretty much on a daily basis - and expect it to probably be many times that come season start and when things start happening.

 

We are of course hoping that with the new look and ease of use of the member pages, lots more people will be encouraged to use them and update all sorts of stuff come season start. (People who have an active member page more likely to win a giveaway....... just kidding!)

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  • SnowJapan Moderator

On our Resort listings pages, like the one below, we have added some useful links on the right hand side of the pages.

 

The majority of listings now have a link directly to a course map for the resort (over 400) and also a link to an online area map showing the location of the resorts.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resortdetail.php?resid=1

 

links.gif

 

Please note - we will gradually be trying to replace some of the course maps with English versions where they exist. (If you know of any please email us at our editor@snowjapan.com email address). We know the maps are in Japanese, but thought that it would be more help having them than not!

 

Our resort database will be getting updated over the coming weeks with information for the 2005/6 season.

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Are you getting lots more site-access since you added the new functionality? I find myself browsing the photo-section much more, would think others are doing the same.

 

Btw, I was going through some old old posts and it was interesting to see the different directions the forum has taken. Lots of names no longer here, lots of new people in their place, topics that come up only once, topics that come up again and again. Where do you see the forums evolving from here??

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  • SnowJapan Admin
 Quote:
Are you getting lots more site-access since you added the new functionality?
In short, yes (he says taking a worrying glance at the bandwidth numbers). Of course as well as the new stuff on the site, we are starting to get a lot of people 'coming back for the winter' and lots of new people checking us out etc.

The photo section is getting a lot of attention, and of course when the season begins probably much much more than now. We are hoping that people will take advantage of the new easy-to-use system, upload their pics up there and over time people will be able to choose a resort on snowjapan and get a visual idea of what it's like as well as being able to read reviews and journals etc. This year we really wanted to tie everything up (resort pages, journals, reviews, photos, member pages) and make finding the info easier, etc. Hope you like the way it has developed.

If people take part, that new photo section should really develop into a useful resource. So remember to take pics and upload them everyone!

 Quote:
Where do you see the forums evolving from here??
Well that's going to depend on you lot! \:\)

One of the thing that comes with the site/forums becoming more popular is that unfortunately you get more clowns turning up. The arrival of these clowns has meant that we've gone from being open to anyone (a few years back) through a few stages each making it more diffiult for them to get through. Now new members need to be approved before they can post on the forums (and of course that is no guarantee either).

Another sad thing is having to put up with sometimes rather nasty abuse from people when you've deleted their "free private parts enlargement" or whatever inappropriate messages without telling them why (duh!), and having to post more and more "disclaimers" on the site. But that's all part of running a popular site/forum where people can post messages I suppose! \:\)

These are behind the scenes things though, we'll just continue to do our best to keep the forums free from this kind of thing.
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  • SnowJapan Moderator

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/index.php

 

We have done a bit of re-arranging of the main page of the website. As well as quite a few changes, there's also some new links on there which will hopefully bring people to the places they want to go to quicker. The "latest photo" to be added to SJ Photos is also displayed on the page.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/index.php

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thanks, the "photo" icon makes it easier to find at a glance.

 

I think the only way you could add more info to the top page would be to add more pixels to the width. anyway, information design is hard (that's why I leave it to someone else!).

 

still a mystery how you guys are making money from the site.

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Thanks montoya. Yes, that page is very complex (display/coding wise) and it's a really big job every year deciding what goes on there and how to present it all in what we think is the best way we can.

 

One thing to point out - the weather/snow depth info is due to start towards the end of November (so that is why at the moment the snow depth charts are empty and showing the last update as June).

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Sweet.

 

I didn't make a members page last year, but thought I'd take the plunge this time it seemed a bit complex. I really like the way they look now and it was real easy to get a page going. Here's what I made.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/sjmember.php?uid=naganodave

 

I'll be sure to keep that updated and get some more pics and stuff up there. Cheers for the site, it seriously rocks.

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  • SnowJapan Moderator

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

We won't be making any changes to the new system immediately... apart from being really busy with a few other things right now, we want to take a look at how things go with the new section over the coming weeks/months and collect ideas on how to possibly improve it in the future.

 

Please feel free to mail us ideas - about the Photo section or other parts of the site - at editor@snowjapan.com.

 

Thanks.

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The new photo section rocks. Didn't make use of the member page stuff last year but this is a big improvement. Well done! clap.gif

 

I've uploaded a few Kandatsu pics that basically give everyone an idea of what the place looks like-

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/photo.php?userid=janjan

 

It will be really great if lots of people do the same for other resorts in Japan so that I can visualise them all.

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 Quote:


It will be really great if lots of people do the same for other resorts in Japan so that I can visualise them all.
We think so too janjan and apart from letting everyone easily create their own photo galleries, that was one of the main things we were hoping for when we were developing that new section.

It's looking good so far I think, keep them coming everyone \:\)

Nice pics of Kandatsu!
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  • SnowJapan Moderator

Not that anyone apart from YuzawaNow is near their limit yet, but we would just like to let you know that we have increased each member account maximum number of photos you can post from 200 to 400. Enjoy!

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  • SnowJapan Admin

JOURNALS

 

Until now, anyone could register to the site and post a Journal that was instantly displayed on the site.

 

Well, recently we have had a few cases where people have either posted things that are totally unsuitable for our Journals section or (for some strange reason) apparently trying to cause trouble.

 

Anyway, we have made a few adjustments to the Journals system to try and prevent these things happening. The main one being that all Journals now need to be approved by us (ie. SJ admin) before they go online - just like how the Resort Reviews have always worked.

 

So what this means is that when you post a new Journal, it won't instantly go up online like it would have before now. We're usually really quick on these things though so you shouldn't have to wait too long before it gets posted.

 

Please note that this is in no way a change in policy, ie. we're not going to suddenly be stricter about things.... we just need to be able to have a bit more control over what goes on the index page of our website.

 

Thanks for your understanding. We're looking forward to reading about your adventures this season

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