[richard]

I recently noticed on the BBC's weather site advice that the site was to be closed later in the year and to go to the 'new' link. Desk top loads it but any thing less than Colussus struggles and in the Notebooks case gives up and advises 'too much script.'

http://www.metoffice...nificantWeather

They asked for feed back on the new site so having appraised them of the situation received the following very nice reply.

Dear Richard

Thank you for your feedback in which you have described various areas of our web site which you say are slow to load or in some case, hardly loading at all.

From feedback we have become aware of this issue and are very sorry for any frustrations this is causing. We are currently going through a complex process of "refreshing" our web output and the new web pages are quite "graphics heavy" which we believe, in some areas of the UK, are proving slow to load.


I hope its reassuring to know that our developers are working very hard in the background to do everything they can to resolve this issue to ensure a service improvement.
In the meantime, we know how important it is for the general public to be able to tap into reliable weather information, and hope you can bear with us during this "early days" cycle of our web refresh programme.

All feedback is forwarded to senior managers across the Met Office which provides them with an opportunity to know what the public are telling us. From that we can refine our products. Your feedback will be included in that process and we are grateful to you for taking the time to get in touch about this issue.

Yours sincerely

Sara-jane

Weather Desk Advisor


So it wasn't just me and it looks like the geeks have been writing hugely busy busy graphics etc that unless your PC has a zillion MEG won't download!

Course we could have......
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tKmx9QcjGR4

[green angel]

Sara-jane. have you two got some going on we should know about Richard?

[Trotters]

richard, on 15 May 2012 - 13:07 PM, said:

I recently noticed on the BBC's weather site advice that the site was to be closed later in the year and to go to the 'new' link. Desk top loads it but any thing less than Colussus struggles and in the Notebooks case gives up and advises 'too much script.'

http://www.metoffice...nificantWeather

They asked for feed back on the new site so having appraised them of the situation received the following very nice reply.


So it wasn't just me and it looks like the geeks have been writing hugely busy busy graphics etc that unless your PC has a zillion MEG won't download!

Course we could have......
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tKmx9QcjGR4

Runs OK here on my laptop, nice graphics, looks better than the current met office site which I have as my default forecaster on igoogle. Will try it on my Netbook later, I suppose that my supersonic, ultra cheap, userfriendly, customer first BT Broadband puts me at a bit of an advantage

[PaulOckenden]

I find the map really slow, but *love* the new timeline feature. Brilliant bit of user interface design.

P.

[richard]

PaulOckenden, on 15 May 2012 - 16:05 PM, said:

I find the map really slow, but *love* the new timeline feature. Brilliant bit of user interface design.

P.

Yep it's the map that fails to load on the Notebook but agree much better navigation and a much better 'looking' site.

[richard]

Trotters, on 15 May 2012 - 15:51 PM, said:

........ I suppose that my supersonic, ultra cheap, userfriendly, customer first BT Broadband puts me at a bit of an advantage

Nothing to do with you being able to lean over the wall at the end of your garden and wind up the wick in the exchange then?

[Trotters]

richard, on 15 May 2012 - 13:07 PM, said:

I recently noticed on the BBC's weather site advice that the site was to be closed later in the year and to go to the 'new' link. Desk top loads it but any thing less than Colussus struggles and in the Notebooks case gives up and advises 'too much script.'

So it wasn't just me and it looks like the geeks have been writing hugely busy busy graphics etc that unless your PC has a zillion MEG won't download!

Course we could have......
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tKmx9QcjGR4

Just been back on the site (still on laptop) and noting some times, when clicking on your link it takes about 6-7 seconds to load the first screen which is the map view. Then clicking on each tab new pages load in 1 second, time line and temp take about 2 seconds.

[richard]

Trotters, on 15 May 2012 - 17:15 PM, said:

Just been back on the site (still on laptop) and noting some times, when clicking on your link it takes about 6-7 seconds to load the first screen which is the map view. Then clicking on each tab new pages load in 1 second, time line and temp take about 2 seconds.

Well well. It's playing ball on the Notebook now. Link takes 9 seconds to load 3 seconds to a new page! Wonder if they have done something already?

[ShoreRam]

The met office site is garbage - Sometimes, I'm not sure the owners of some sites bother testing them - If they did, they might realise that navigating round it is a nightmare. One day I can find the 6-15 day forecast, the next I can't. arse.

[Trotters]

ShoreRam, on 23 May 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

The met office site is garbage - Sometimes, I'm not sure the owners of some sites bother testing them - If they did, they might realise that navigating round it is a nightmare. One day I can find the 6-15 day forecast, the next I can't. arse.

Not sure that I understand your complaint about the New Met Office site, all seems quite clear and easy to follow. Perhaps this is all down to the current good weather forecasts and that everything will become confused and muddled as the weather deteriorates. Are things a little foggy in your part of Shoreham?

[ShoreRam]

Trotters, on 24 May 2012 - 00:41 AM, said:

Not sure that I understand your complaint about the New Met Office site, all seems quite clear and easy to follow. Perhaps this is all down to the current good weather forecasts and that everything will become confused and muddled as the weather deteriorates. Are things a little foggy in your part of Shoreham?

Sorry, I'm displaying classic end user inability to articulate the issue, let me try again:-

It's crap.

[Crypto]

ShoreRam, on 23 May 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

The met office site is garbage - Sometimes, I'm not sure the owners of some sites bother testing them - If they did, they might realise that navigating round it is a nightmare. One day I can find the 6-15 day forecast, the next I can't. arse.

Just tried it myself, seems easy enough, very clear graphics.

6-15 day forecast is a tab under the text forecast tab, ie 2 clicks away.

[Trotters]

ShoreRam, on 24 May 2012 - 07:53 AM, said:

Sorry, I'm displaying classic end user inability to articulate the issue, let me try again:-

It's crap.

Perhaps we could all benefit from your understanding of “good” weather forecast sites so please, offer us some alternatives.

[ShoreRam]

Crypto, on 24 May 2012 - 07:59 AM, said:

Just tried it myself, seems easy enough, very clear graphics.

6-15 day forecast is a tab under the text forecast tab, ie 2 clicks away.

1 too many!

[ShoreRam]

Trotters, on 24 May 2012 - 08:58 AM, said:

Perhaps we could all benefit from your understanding of “good” weather forecast sites so please, offer us some alternatives.

The old one. Seriously, I do (did) prefer the old one - I'm not generally upset by change, but I'm not convinced that it has improved. Likewise, some of the changes made to the BBC site are baffling. It's not always obvious to me why (especially non-commercial) sites insist on putting bloody (Adobe) Flash stuff everywhere rather than concentrating on getting the basics like navigation right.

Just my opinion obviously.

[Doug Attrell]

Trotters, on 24 May 2012 - 08:58 AM, said:

Perhaps we could all benefit from your understanding of “good” weather forecast sites so please, offer us some alternatives.

I also find the Met Office website confusing. What I want is an accurate forecast, not all these gimmicks & so-called "improvements". From personal experience the BBC local weather forecast is often inaccurate & sometimes completely wrong. Presuming they're all based on the same information I could never figure out why forecasts from different sources should vary so much.

I find this one is the most reliable & definitely easier to navigate than most ---> The Weather Channel

[johnjohn]

What really annoys me is when they put out a load of rubbish called 'The long range forcast'
This nonsense is based on statists and its about time that the forcasters realise that the weather in the U.K. does not often play ball with their long term prognostications....I guess they must be under pressure to produce this junk.....remember the 'Barbeque Summer'

[green angel]

My mum would tap the barometer and feel the sea weed and make a prediction, can't remember if she was ever right.

[itsme]

I always use the met office website (or phone app), it seems to be by far the most accurate.