Where to start.  The new design of Stewartstown.com has been a long time coming, and actually is not yet complete.  There are still some things we will be doing for the next little while to get where we want to be.  So...where do we stand?

First of all we’ve implemented the basic underlying content management system.  Now all of the content on the site is stored in a database on our server.  The data is completely separate from the the page layout and other site appearance elements.  As a matter of fact we’ve taken advantage of that fact by putting off serious work on the site appearance to focus on functionality.

Now it is possible for registered site visitors to submit articles and events directly on line.  The advantage of this goes beyond the obvious benefit of making it easier to submit articles.  It means that new articles and other information can be posted on Stewartstown.com without any additional development.  We can write, edit, and post articles from any web browser connected to the Internet.  This will drastically improve our ability to keep content up-to-date and fresh.

Another new feature that we expect to use quite a bit is surveys.  There must be dozens of good questions that can be posed.  Should be fun!

There are some things we have not yet done that will happen soon.  The community forums will soon be replaced with new ones that will be integrated into our site.  By registering at the site you’ll also automatically be able to post on the new forums.

The calendar is the same one we’ve had in the past, but it will also be replaced by one that is fully integrated into the site.  You may even be able to directly submit items for the calendar.

We’ve lost a couple of things.  There is no longer a classified advertising and we’re considering how to bring that back.  We may add an “unclassified ads” area to the new community forums, but we’re considering several options.

There’s still some work to do in the area directory so that we can include information in the listings for those that don’t have websites.  And many little improvements.  Come back often to see what’s new!