New look for Park Service Website

[johnhens]

I was on the Park Service site this AM, it is sporting a new look.
http://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm

[hooky]

I like the new skin, but searches aren't working. Both the find a park link and search nps.gov just sit and spin for me.

[johnhens]

I know they are working out some of the kinks still.

[Rafiki]

Lol I went to it earlier today before I heard you speak of this matter and was unsure if I initially went to their offical site at first

[Capt Don]

I find it particularly interesting that virtually an entire page was devoted to the Ranger complete with links and complete info on the "Getting to the island wilderness" page and all the other transportation options are shoved to the right margin with tiny pictures, no links, no contact info, nothing, and not even a mention of the Sea Hunter. I never dreamed I would be in a business competing with the US Government and they get to make the rules. Seems if the visitors best interest was truly at heart they would make a better effort to inform them of something as important as transportation to Isle Royale.

[Rafiki]

I still think your the coolest person in the world Capt. Don and I haven't even meet you yet. I did have the pleasure of speaking with you about my July trip for this year today though. But ya, you are correct, you think they would be a little bit more imformative on everything

[fonixmunkee]

Seems if the visitors best interest was truly at heart they would make a better effort to inform them of something as important as transportation to Isle Royale.

This is interesting, and quite frankly, alarming. To the first-timer trying to plan and reading this page, they've essentially removed 50% of the transportation options, ultimately limiting peoples' options to get out to the island and maybe dissuading them from even trying.

Capt Don, would you be adverse to me contacting the NPS ISRO web master on behalf of the forums and request that they link back to your website?

[Ingo]

Hopefully they will put the links back in, and add the Sea Hunter. Hard to believe there's NO contact info whatsoever. Makes me wonder if there's a new NPS policy of not providing contact info to private companies on their site--which may make sense for some parks, but is absurd for I.R. since just getting there is dependent on private enterprise for many/most. I've generally found the NPS pages for any park to be limited, but if this is anything more than an oversight, it's definitely going backwards.

Some good news, Capt Don, when I did a couple different web searches on "Voyageur II" you came up first. "Sea Hunter" alone buries you, but "Sea Hunter Isle Royale" brings you to the top. Similarly for the Queen.

[Capt Don]

Coolest person in the world? Thanks but I think at least 99.999% percent of the earths' population would have to take issue with that statement. Richard, I did submit a message and was contacted by the park, thanks though.
John, you're right, all of the service providers come up pretty well and have relatively good exposure.

[Ingo]

OK, DON'T PANIC! (it's technical)

I emailed the park service and got a quick reply. Bottom line is that it's all supposed to be there, and will be worked out. At the moment the I.R. staff cannot edit or update their own site. Apparently getting the new site up (across all parks) is not going as smoothly as it might and it may be a week or 2 before it's all settled.

In part:
"It was a goal of mine to make it easier to find the transportation services and the Rock Harbor
Lodge - links were created at the bottom of the home page and links were
created on the Transportation Page to direct the visitor to each ferry
service's website. This was working fine last week and for some reason
when the new format went on-line the Sea Hunter was lost and all the links
to the companies websites were omitted."

[Capt Don]

No panic, just irritated, not at the folks at I.R. though, rather the government web people after the park level.
I received a call from the park regarding this and it was indeed technical as you indicated, they explained, appologised, and are contacting the other providers as well. It will help the visitors to some degree to at least have the links back on the page. I am happy that it will be updated.

[Ingo]

No panic, just irritated...

Understood and sympathize.

[LeftOvers]

They're definitely working out the kinks. I followed one link at got HTML. I don't speak HTML. I'm sure they're working on it.

[johnhens]

The NPS has done kind of a cross the board chnge in the look of the Parksites web page. The problems that showed up on the IR NPS site were not unique to IR and the problems are being addressed. It sounds like it is not a local issue rather a Washington issue.
Ingo already covered this, thanks John!!!

[johnhens]

Apparently, all the bugs are not worked out yet. The NPS was not aware the 2012 Greenstone was not showing up as well as other issues that were fixed.