Where's my ... ???

Posted by Jennifer Sizemore on Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:01 PM PT
This is the first installment of "Where's my ...??" It's Sunday and we're still under construction, but in the meantime we thought we should point you to some things you've been looking for.
 
Question: Where is my Sudoku/crossword/comics/puzzle?
 
Answer: Ouch! That was an unexpected outage. All of those are now fixed. You can find them as you always have. There are links in several places: On the home page at the bottom of the news menu, there are shortcuts that take you right there. Also in the left-hand news menu of the home page, if you click on Entertainment you will find links. You can also click to the Entertainment front and find them in the news menu there. Soon, on the Entertainment section front there will be a "Games" tab where you'll also be able to find all of this in one place.
 
Question: Where is the Peculiar Postings section?
 
Answer: The short answer is that it's now called "Weird news," and as always, can be found in the U.S. news section. We have revamped the organization of the site to make it more logical. Part of that effort is to name news categories simply what they are, rather than feel the need to come up with cute names. "Call it what it is," has been our mantra, and in the process we have changed the names of a few of our sections. It's an effort to be as clear as possible, to help all of our readers find the kind of content they're most interested in. Also, it's important that msnbc.com content be accessible by our own site search, as well as other search engines, and this helps in that area too.
 
Question: Where is my personalized local news and weather? What about my stocks? Where are my sports scores?
 
Answer: We know how important this customized information is to you. And in the new design, it will be more prominent, easier to access and even more flexible. And if you've already input your settings, don't worry -- we didn't forget you. You won't have to do it again. All of these personalized features went offline just for the weekend, and we hate that we've made you wait. We expect them up and running by the time you wake up Monday morning.

Comments

I think its GREAT !!

Steve White, Louisville, Ky. (Sunday, November 11, 2007 3:12 PM)

WOW, I like it althought i was just getting used to the old page!!..

Aritha Moore , Newport , KY (Sunday, November 11, 2007 3:39 PM)

The new Browse:Photos is great but has some issues when loading. The big, in-your-face, ad on the right as well as the tabbed container overlap until the entire page finishes loading.  Messy.

Please restore a shortcut on the home page to the Week-in-Pictures.  One of your best features.

The Space photo content is beautiful.

I appreciate your keeping the photo content separate from the video / film.  Photos have their own quality / beauty.

I also appreciate the improved support for other OS and browsers.  Given your conflict of interest partnering with MS, there are many of us, and our numbers are growing, that have Firefox, Safari, Mac OS, Ubuntu or other flavors of Unix / Linux.  I quit defaulting to MSNBC and made ABC my news home until the support got better.  It has somewhat, please continue that direction.

Tim

Tim Boise, ID (Sunday, November 11, 2007 3:52 PM)

For me I can only see this "improvement" as an excuse for MSNBC.msn.com to slap advertisements  into our faces, as soon as we visit the site, rather than a litle bit lower in the page. I hope I am wrong, otherwise this is a good time to change my home page.

Kate (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:05 PM)

I have not been able to find the streaming broadcast of the nightly news yet.  Working nights and not having cable, this is my morning news on the computer.

Frank, Bladwin, WI (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:13 PM)

Redesign looks attractive and well organized. Lots of information easily available.

Elliott Root (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:26 PM)

Where are the news quizzes?
And why can't I view any MSNBC video on Safari?

Ruth MacAlister, Lewisburg, PA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:30 PM)

It is so nice to see the new page. Not only are the stories easier to find and the page more user-friendly in navigating, the use of the NBC Peacock's colors really looks sharp and makes you smile...even if the news isn't what you'd want to read about.

Kudos!

Patty Fazioli (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:34 PM)

thank you

Josh NYC (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:53 PM)

Wow!!!!! I am surprised with the new designs. You guys ROCK.

Thai P, Seattle, Washington (Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:56 PM)

where is the I predict pages?

Tim Joyce (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:05 PM)

Hope the new format includes spell check.

Bert, So. Cal. (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:05 PM)

Where is my 'week in pictures'?

Also-looking forward to getting the weather input up to speed.

C.Sell, VA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:10 PM)

Please put the stocks back on the front page......PLEASE

Todd Eastman, Toms River, NJ (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:28 PM)

Hey

I'm reading your feedback in the column above this box, and most of the comments are pretty positive.  Nothing like the real feedback I read yesterday that was 90% unfavorable.  I guess you report what suits your needs, just like with the news.

Rick - Medford, Oregon (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:34 PM)

hey where's the link to my hotmail that was on top of the old page?

Stacie Hatfield, St. Clair, MO (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:39 PM)

Will there be answers to our questions? For instance someone wrote asking why they could not watch MSNBC videos on SAFARI. No answer. I have the same problem. Is there an answer?

Sylla Phillips ME (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:47 PM)

Love it!  Very much 21st-Century.  Looking forward to my personalized section.  I sense a whole lot of work went into this redesign.

Tonya Watkins, Seattle, WA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:57 PM)

Excellent redesign.  Crisp, visually easy, intuitive, more elegant than its predecessor.  I'm still exploring, but my first and second impressions are very good, indeed.

Jaygee (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:11 PM)

Stacie, the links to Hotmail that have been on the top of the page are now just "Mail" due, in part, to the launch of Windows Live Mail to my knowledge.

Chris, Righland, Wash. (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:29 PM)

First, what happened to 'Drawn Conclusions', the (usually) weekly collection of political cartoons?

Second, if you offered the old layout as an alternative, I'd use it.

The first screen of the new layout is cluttered and lacks focus.

The new layout wrongly assumes that viewers are looking at the page full-screen at 1024x768 (or higher).  This, then, requires scrolling left and right when the browser is windowed or the screen resolution is less than 1024x768.  That's bad design.

On the plus side, the moveable and variable-size section blocks are a nice addition.

H.S. Noble (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:39 PM)

I'd like to see the stock information on the front page rather than have to click on it.

Pat Smith (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:43 PM)

I hate it! Why is it so wide? You think you could put a few more ads on the page?

Tracey Davis, OK (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:44 PM)

I'me having a heck of a time finding everything! It used to be so nicely laid out on one page and now I have to hunt for everything, just like cnn! I hate it  :(

calif (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:49 PM)

Where are my blogs? Countdown, Clicked, etc.? Where are the political comics of the week?
I don't mind change, but I look forward to quickly accessing certain features.

C. Maken, Huntington Beach, CA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:51 PM)

I am too old to tolerate changes which I deem unnecessary.

Jeff McCabe Truckee CA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 6:52 PM)

Why don't you get rid of that stupid airplane zooming across the screen ?  Put the stocks and weather back on the front page.  This format only shows more ads & less info on the front page.

Ron Smith, Cincinnati, OH (Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:03 PM)

You have changed the site several times recently. I liked the old format better. I am not against change if it is for the better. Seems like you want it to look snazzy, but most of us just want the information and don't want or need the extra ads. KISS keep it simple .....

Bill Cannon, Anchorage AK (Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:18 PM)

IMPROVEMENT? HA!! ANOTHER LAZY EXCUSE TO GIVE YOU LESS INFO FOR MORE OF YOUR MONEY. THIS REDESIGN IS HARDER TO "SCAN", HAS MORE ADS, AND OF COURSE, SOMETHING POSITIVE LIKE "WONDERFUL WORLD" IS NOW GONE! I CANCELLED MY NEWSPAPER FOR REASONS LIKE THIS!!

GE SCHWALM SUGAR LAND TX (Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:31 PM)

where's clicked?

Fitchburg,MA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:41 PM)

I'm reading your feedback in the column above this box, and most of the comments are pretty positive.  Nothing like the real feedback I read yesterday that was 90% unfavorable.  I guess you report what suits your needs, just like with the news.

This quote is for sure right on. I always thought of msnbc as the "total and fair" news source, I am not too sure that is right any more. This new site is trying to fix something that was not broke. Now, it is broke. It seems that msnbc is moving toward only bringing out what thay want to, there are at least two side to an issue. I see less of "impartial" reporting.


JLH Winnebago MN (Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:59 PM)

Please fix it to work with Mozilla, you would have a lot more subscribers if you did. It is almost unusable in Firefox. Swallow your pride, get more viewers.

Susan Heller (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:00 PM)

What does "pinned" mean? Even has an icon that does nothing.

James Daken Warren, Aurora IL (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:07 PM)

I LOVE this new look and feel - EXCELLENT JOB!!!!!!

Erin C. Harris (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:08 PM)

Idon't like scrolling past a ton of ads to get to the news.....bad move with putting advertisers in such hot spots in which your loyal readers come to depend on...I see an ad and don't even read it because it's in perfect position for "real" material.  Sorry advertisers....go to the bottom!

Honor, McPherson, KS (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:17 PM)

Stocks and Weather on the Frontpage, no extra clicks.
This is non-negotiable if you want this homepage to keep loading on my computers.

Frank (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:24 PM)

ONE very important feature that brought me to your site was news & MY TOP 10 QUOTES from the market... IF YOU DON"T HAVE THEM (I CAN'T FIND A "CUSTOMIZE" option anywhere) THEN I WON'T BE BACK!

Ed, Stuart, FL (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:26 PM)

I like the new design and layout! I'm surprised at so much negative feedback, but then, it's impossible to make everyone happy. I liked the site before, but I also understand the need to stay "cuting-edge" in the everchanging tech environment we live in now. I've done web design myself, and I know how important it is to keep a site as fresh as possible. I am a little frustrated that I am having to scroll horizontally, but I also know from experience that you have to design with such a wide variety of viewer's monitors in mind. More and more people will have wider screens as they buy new monitors or laptops and the new design will work great. One layout does not fit all monitors, so someone is not going to be happy. It can't be helped. Kudos to you! Also, people, try to be patient! There's always a lot of "tweaking" to be done. I'm sure it will all work out given a little time.

Linnea, Springfield, MO (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:31 PM)

News quiz?

MC, TN (Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:35 PM)

I just made this my home page today and the ads just slap me in the face.  They are worse than pop ups.  Since I am new and its not done, I will hang around for a while but if the ads stay like they are I will go back to Excite.  Used them for years, just was looking for a change.

Melanie Edwards Anchorage Alaska (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:04 PM)

The people that are complaining on this site probably complain about everything in their lives. Get a life.

If you don't like change then stop using the internet.

John, St. Louis, MO (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:36 PM)

The reason I had MSNBC as my home page was because I could put my stocks, sports teams, and weather all on the front page without clicking anything.

Looks like they've done away with that one of a kind awesome service and fell victim to some developers idea of what "good' is.

If I can't have that display on the front page, I'm changing home pages.  Oh well, after 8 years it was a good run.

UsedToBe@hotmail.com (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:41 PM)

In the famous words of Borat, "I like!"

Lisa B, Highland, CA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:43 PM)

The old design had much better "readability". I could scan down the list of all stories quickly on a single page. Now, there's so much "design" and "improvement" taking up room that you now have to navigate to find all the material that was previously together. Hate it. Pretty, but hate it.

Don Smith, Dallas, TX (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:44 PM)

I think the new design is confusing. The headline area is busy and confusing. Though I do like the seperaters for each of the topics. Overall, I would say this is not really an improvement.

Greg, Kirkland, WA (Sunday, November 11, 2007 9:57 PM)

Please restore the old design.  This is not only too complicated, but I detest being bombarded with all the advertisements right up at the top of the pages.  At least before you had to scroll down a ways before having to look at them.

Michele, Eaton, Ohio (Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:09 PM)

I enjoy the new layout and understand that it is a work in process.

1. Those complaining about advertisements - we are a capitalist society, and nothing is FREE, so I understand that adding the advertisements to the site are a necessary evil to justify the huge dollars spent to maintain, update, and enhance the site.
2. I truly hope the local information along with stocks will be back ASAP. One reason I really like MSNBC.com
3. Week in pictures, week in drawn conclusions, are a MUST KEEP.
4. I have seen fellow associates at work using the lower resolutions on their monitors and they are therefore unable to see the entire screen (work cannot accomodate all users preferences). I agree with those that indicate it is "impossible" to please all, and those needing to scroll, need to consider the higher resolutions, or a larger flat screen. Sorry.

Mike, Charlotte, NC (Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:14 PM)

While the new format is visually pleasing, it is much harder to use than the original menus.  I've used MSNBC as my default web page for years, but I'm starting to look at other options tonight.  I simply can't find stuff like sports standings as easily as I could under the old site.  This is a huge step backwards.

Dave Glazier (Sunday, November 11, 2007 11:18 PM)

It looks to be a fresher site but now MSNBC won't fully load onto my computer.  Is it due to all of the pop-ups and is my browser blocking the content?  My videos don't work either, I have to go to MSN to watch video content.

Gary, Cleveland, Ohio (Sunday, November 11, 2007 11:19 PM)

Stock Market info should be on the main page, don't make us drill down to find it.

I like reading my horoscope too, don't believe in it, and it's not worth my time to click 3 pages out to find it and then find that 1/2 the text is covered up with ads and other headlines.

Steve, Phoenix AZ (Sunday, November 11, 2007 11:22 PM)

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