Copper's Website Comments

Sam Seiber wrote:

Chester Bullock wrote:

Patrick
at Loveland still hasn't gotten over the 'gee-whiz' factor of various
things, and definitely doesn't subscribe to the 'less-is-more' theory of
design.


While there are some design problems with Lovelands site, I have to
hand it to them, the answers are there (as long as you use a browser
that will render their menu bar). Their snowmaking updates early
season get me thinking about getting up on their hill for some
smile turns. They kept their web cam running all summer. It is
something I monitor at work, cuz I can!

This is because he uses FrontPage and its associated IE only plugins.

--
Chester Bullock,
Ethical, custom website hosting, design and programming
Tenxible Solutions, http://www.tenxible.com
Web Based Autoresponder and DRIP system, http://www.toolsre.com
AIM: tenxible YahooIM: ccb247

[snip]

While there are some design problems with Lovelands site, I have to
hand it to them, the answers are there (as long as you use a browser
that will render their menu bar). Their snowmaking updates early
season get me thinking about getting up on their hill for some
smile turns. They kept their web cam running all summer. It is
something I monitor at work, cuz I can!

[snip]

I think my very favorite thing about Loveland's site is this bit of
information included on the "buy a four pack page":

"Please note that while your 4-pak tickets are valid any day of the
season, ticket prices will drop to late season rates on April 20, 2004.
Your 4-Pack tickets are best used before that date."

It is so refreshingly and strikingly candid! I was waffling until I
read that. When I did, I thought again "this is a place that's fun to
ski at."

I think Chester is on to something but I perceive the problem a bit
differently. I expect to see a bunch of marketing stuff - puffier than
reality - on a company's website. I take it with a grain of salt. Yet,
when a place actually tells you the truth - like the Loveland blurb
above - you feel as if you are being treated fairly, and you trust the
place more. Letting down the defenses makes the experience more fun.

I love the mountain at Copper. I just wish the Loveland folks were
running it. Nothing against the people at Copper who, in my experience,
are uniformly helpful and friendly - perhaps Jen Hartley is the first
exception?. It's just the way the place is run.

On the other hand, I acknowledge that I am not really the kind of person
Copper wants. I pretty much just take up space and don't buy stuff. We
brown bag it and almost never buy even a coffee. I bring a bunch of
kids who take up space but definitely don't have any money. I park in
the free lot.

Varanasi Benares wrote:

I think my very favorite thing about Loveland's site is this bit of
information included on the "buy a four pack page":

"Please note that while your 4-pak tickets are valid any day of the
season, ticket prices will drop to late season rates on April 20, 2004.
Your 4-Pack tickets are best used before that date."

It is so refreshingly and strikingly candid! I was waffling until I
read that. When I did, I thought again "this is a place that's fun to
ski at."

Their 4-pack is also a pack of 4 actual tickets, not a card that you can
only use on 4 separate days like the other places do. Smart business if
you ask me.

I think Chester is on to something but I perceive the problem a bit
differently. I expect to see a bunch of marketing stuff - puffier than
reality - on a company's website. I take it with a grain of salt. Yet,
when a place actually tells you the truth - like the Loveland blurb
above - you feel as if you are being treated fairly, and you trust the
place more. Letting down the defenses makes the experience more fun.

I agree.

I love the mountain at Copper. I just wish the Loveland folks were
running it. Nothing against the people at Copper who, in my experience,
are uniformly helpful and friendly - perhaps Jen Hartley is the first
exception?. It's just the way the place is run.

Jen is actually a helpful person (when she was in HR in the 90's anyway
she was helpful), I think that she has orrders from above.

On the other hand, I acknowledge that I am not really the kind of person
Copper wants. I pretty much just take up space and don't buy stuff. We
brown bag it and almost never buy even a coffee. I bring a bunch of
kids who take up space but definitely don't have any money. I park in
the free lot.

Same here.

--
Chester Bullock,
Ethical, custom website hosting, design and programming
Tenxible Solutions, http://www.tenxible.com
Web Based Autoresponder and DRIP system, http://www.toolsre.com
AIM: tenxible YahooIM: ccb247

Chester,

I should mention that I have really used your mountain cam page. You
know how your hits jumped by 10,000 last month? I am sorry to report
that those were all just me waiting for the season to begin!

Varanasi Benares wrote:

Chester,

I should mention that I have really used your mountain cam page. You
know how your hits jumped by 10,000 last month? I am sorry to report
that those were all just me waiting for the season to begin!


Works for me, that's why it's there. I don't think hits to my black
diamond site jumped by quite that much though...

--
Chester Bullock,
Ethical, custom website hosting, design and programming
Tenxible Solutions, http://www.tenxible.com
Web Based Autoresponder and DRIP system, http://www.toolsre.com
AIM: tenxible YahooIM: ccb247

"Monique Y. Herman" wrote in message .. .
On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 at 16:39 GMT, snoig penned:
As long as we're on the website subject, what do you think of one I
have been working on. http://www.christysports.com


Without having looked too closely, or examined how you're doing your
layout, it looks pretty good. I personally think that you should ditch
anything that moves, which means changing the buttons on the left.
Also, the slightly-3d with a little shine on one corner thing makes the
site look outdated, as those were popular a few years ago. I like the
T-Shirts, Hats, and Accessories button best -- flat, easy to read.
Just make it stop moving =)

My 2 cents.

Hmmm. Guess what, that's the part of the site the marketing guys have control of.

snoig

On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 at 23:53 GMT, snoig penned:
"Monique Y. Herman" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 at 16:39 GMT, snoig penned:
As long as we're on the website subject, what do you think of one I
have been working on. http://www.christysports.com


Without having looked too closely, or examined how you're doing your
layout, it looks pretty good. I personally think that you should
ditch anything that moves, which means changing the buttons on the
left. Also, the slightly-3d with a little shine on one corner thing
makes the site look outdated, as those were popular a few years ago.
I like the T-Shirts, Hats, and Accessories button best -- flat, easy
to read. Just make it stop moving =)

My 2 cents.

Hmmm. Guess what, that's the part of the site the marketing guys have
control of.

snoig


You have my permission to forward my comments, if you think they'll
help.


--
monique
PLEASE don't CC me. Please. Pretty please with sugar on top.
Whatever it takes, just don't CC me! I'm already subscribed!!

AstroPax wrote:

On Mon, 3 Nov 2003 14:24:27 CST, "Monique Y. Herman"
wrote:


It's unusable. Make it conform to reasonable, basic web
standards, or at least give me that *option*.

Indeed. For example, a link to a non-flash version, or a text-only
version, or a version with limited graphics.



Aargh. I've emailed ski web sites including Snowbird (my fav), with the
suckiest web site, Blue Knob, and others including FirstTracksOnline.com
about how bloated with slow loading graphics their sites are.

I have to thank First Tracks
First Tracks was the only one (Yeah, Yeah) to work on fixing this problem.
They came up with a GREAT text based menu (with a comment it's for impaired
Macs). My 2 Windows PC's also suffered this "impairment"

Aspen's site's Slooow.

RSN snow reports are now unuseable. Several years a go you could print
an entire states snow reports on one page. Then with "improvements" they
print in about 5 pages for large states. Now you have to click each and
every ski area seperately.

John Webb wrote:


RSN snow reports are now unuseable. Several years a go you could print
an entire states snow reports on one page. Then with "improvements" they
print in about 5 pages for large states. Now you have to click each and
every ski area seperately.

I am SLOWLY working on a solution to this. Probably not for this
season, but hopefully for next...



--
Chester Bullock,
Ethical, custom website hosting, design and programming
Tenxible Solutions, http://www.tenxible.com
Web Based Autoresponder and DRIP system, http://www.toolsre.com
AIM: tenxible YahooIM: ccb247

Chester Bullock wrote:

[snip]

Jen is actually a helpful person (when she was in HR in the 90's anyway
she was helpful), I think that she has orrders from above.

[snip]

Apparently she has climbed the ladder quite a bit - she now sounds like
a typical flak.