Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 21

Thread: MJ website Hall of Shame

  1. #1
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Hastings
    Posts
    4,386
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    10

    MJ website Hall of Shame

    Just been looking on various MJ websites. Anyone else notice how bad they are in general?

    Hideous.

    Anyone else seen any worth a look at?

    Two from the Hastings area to get you started


    http://www.klubjive.co.uk/

    Lovely use of Yellow, Red and grey that manages to give you a headache as soon as the screen pops up. Add scrolling Text and 'Comical' moving clip art and you are sure of a migrane before you even find out where the classes are held.

    www. HotshotsDanceLeroc.co.uk

    No one told the owner that hotshots also dance Ceroc, Salsa and now (apparently) WCS!!!

    Use of every colour going in the text, A picture gallarey that has uncompressed pictures yet you cant expand them to see detail. Links with some boarders others without and a page that does not fit on the screen!!

  2. #2
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    SE London
    Posts
    4,204
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Ceroc London - particularly the diary - has one of the most hideous websites I've ever seen (sorry folks!). It's enough to give you a migraine just looking at it, and it always takes some concentration to figure out what is actually on.

    Personally, I like clean and simple websites - design that's easy on the eye.

  3. #3
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Hastings
    Posts
    4,386
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Ceroc London - particularly the diary - has one of the most hideous websites I've ever seen (sorry folks!). It's enough to give you a migraine just looking at it, and it always takes some concentration to figure out what is actually on.

    Personally, I like clean and simple websites - design that's easy on the eye.


    oooooooo thats horrible. how many times do you need to know the diary is 2007? Is it just me or does the escape animation not only slow down your browser but also have a hypnotic effect?

    Another case of using as many colours as poss?

  4. #4
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Norf Lundin
    Posts
    17,001
    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Personally, I like clean and simple websites - design that's easy on the eye.
    Everyone does. Except for some of the people "designing" the sites, who often seem to have the Information Architecture skills of a 5-year-old. Actually, that's a bit harsh on 5-year-olds.

    It's been said before, but for an organisation that prides itself on standardisation, Ceroc seems pretty poor at providing standardisation for franchisee websites. At the least, you'd expect to see some consistency in navigation and colour schemes.

    It's an obvious area where Ceroc could have a real competitive advantage, but they seem content to let all their sites look like different types of junk.

    Although the ceroc.com site itself is pretty abysmal, you need three clickthroughs to get anywhere

    As for good examples - in my view both the Utopia site and the Jive Nation site are pretty good.

    Neither are perfect - the Utopia site has a pointless "click here to enter" page, and the JN site is too busy - but they're at least consistent and have relatively easy navigation.

    I guess one can only assume that Ceroc HQ doesn't seem to think the Web is very important. Hell, it's probably a fad, it'll die away in a years' time anyway.

  5. #5
    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    9,918
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Question.. what's the point of getting to the home page of a website, then being asked to 'click here' to enter?

    sometimes they also have Sub sections, where you click on a link and your presented with yet another page with 'click here' to enter again?

    there must be a reason for it, I just can't think of one
    MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
    "If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine

  6. #6
    Commercial Operator onkar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    178
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Question.. what's the point of getting to the home page of a website, then being asked to 'click here' to enter?

    sometimes they also have Sub sections, where you click on a link and your presented with yet another page with 'click here' to enter again?

    there must be a reason for it, I just can't think of one

    Yes, bad design!

    Onkar

  7. #7
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    SE London
    Posts
    4,204
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    oooooooo thats horrible. how many times do you need to know the diary is 2007? Is it just me or does the escape animation not only slow down your browser but also have a hypnotic effect?

    Another case of using as many colours as poss?
    And on a black background too - suspect if you made that white or a pale colour, it wouldn't look half as bad.

    The other problem with that website is out-of-date and often inaccurate information. They recently changed the Clapham Grand to Jongleurs on a Monday night, and apart from a weird set of links, it said that it launched at Jongleurs on Monday 4th June, but when you looked further down, it said that classes were on Wednesdays, and taught by George Rundle... when infact they are taught by Ruth I think that's been changed now - I e-mailed them to clarify (and was told that the Wednesday night was moving too).

    And it's not the first time it's happened either.

  8. #8
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Hastings
    Posts
    4,386
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    To balance, One that seem to have got it right(ish)

    GingerJive

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    6,312
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    To balance, One that seem to have got it right(ish)

    GingerJive


    That is an excellent site, clear, concise, entertaining, informative and easy to use

  10. #10
    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    10,015
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    To balance, One that seem to have got it right(ish)

    GingerJive
    No!!!

    Web sites that make any sound without me asking for it first and then don't provide an obvious way to shut it up should be nuked from high orbit. (It's the only way to be sure.)
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

  11. #11
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Hastings
    Posts
    4,386
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    No!!!

    Web sites that make any sound without me asking for it first and then don't provide an obvious way to shut it up should be nuked from high orbit. (It's the only way to be sure.)

    I agree. At work with sound off so didn't notice. Visually it looks OK though.

    Any other really bad ones?

  12. #12
    Registered User killingtime's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    2,406
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    It's been said before, but for an organisation that prides itself on standardisation, Ceroc seems pretty poor at providing standardisation for franchisee websites. At the least, you'd expect to see some consistency in navigation and colour schemes.
    Yup, the ceroc.css stylesheet and logo pack. That would be a good (though not great) start.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Although the ceroc.com site itself is pretty abysmal, you need three clickthroughs to get anywhere
    More importantly they've got links to (the US Ceroc for example) that are dead on their front page. That's a great way to stop potential customers!

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Neither are perfect - the Utopia site has a pointless "click here to enter" page
    Yes and the Home button takes you back to that splash (rather than a second index).

  13. #13
    Registered User killingtime's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    2,406
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Question.. what's the point of getting to the home page of a website, then being asked to 'click here' to enter?

    sometimes they also have Sub sections, where you click on a link and your presented with yet another page with 'click here' to enter again?
    They sometimes put disclaimers on those front pages, some computer game sites (and others I'm sure) state you've got to be old enough to be aware of the fact that WWII: The World War II Shooter Part 19 might contain pictures of virtual soldiers being shot and youn' uns shouldn't click here in some very flimsy attempt to not be sued by angry parents. I suppose language selection (though that should be able to be done automatically). It smacks of poor design though.

  14. #14
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Norf Lundin
    Posts
    17,001
    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Question.. what's the point of getting to the home page of a website, then being asked to 'click here' to enter?
    I'm struggliing to think of a good reason myself - there's no "disclaimer" or other "I accept" function. Perhaps it's a warning? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here?

    But as I said, ceroc.com has (effectively) two "click to enter" pages, which is clearly Evil.

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    Any other really bad ones?
    There's a thread about this:
    http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/l...-websites.html

    Pretty much all franchisee sites are poor-to-abysmal. The only decent ones are the directory ones - modernjive.com, jivoholic, lyndaslist, etc. - because they have a clear purpose.

  15. #15
    Registered User Ghost's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Astral
    Posts
    3,209
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Question.. what's the point of getting to the home page of a website, then being asked to 'click here' to enter?
    In theory it gives you a page where you can put up a big advert and pretty much nothing else except "Click here" . Useful for getting across information to people eg the next weekender.

    In practice............... I particularly like the websites that cunningly hide the "click here" so you have to spend ages moving the cursor randomly round the screen to get in

    Although to be fair to website designers it's often the client's fault. I know a guy who's private website is sooooooo easy to navigate and gets wound up when a client wants everything in pink and green, with Flash, oh and what about.........

  16. #16
    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    9,918
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about

    There's no over 18 warning, I don't have to agree to any terms etc. and it doesn't say 'WARNING, enter at you peril!

    Utopia Dance - Home
    MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
    "If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine

  17. #17
    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    10,015
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    The problem with "front door" pages on web sites is that when you search for the web site via Google, you tend to find a more useful page that's behind the front door. Or if you bookmark the site, you'll bookmark a more useful page.

    Thus any useful purpose the front door page has is lost.

    Although they look nice, like the cover of a book. In use, they just annoy people.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

  18. #18
    Papa Smurf
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Planet Scathe
    Posts
    12,528
    Blog Entries
    6
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    Thus any useful purpose the front door page has is lost.
    Lets make this clear - there is NO useful purpose to a "front door" page. Its like buying a newspaper that has nothing on the front page except for the title and "Please turn the page for the news" in bold. Totally daft.

  19. #19
    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    10,015
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    Lets make this clear - there is NO useful purpose to a "front door" page. Its like buying a newspaper that has nothing on the front page except for the title and "Please turn the page for the news" in bold. Totally daft.
    Well, there are some reasonable uses mentioned above – like a content warning, or to put particularly important notices – but as I said, people tend to skip the front page, making it a lot less useful...
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

  20. #20
    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Hove Actually
    Posts
    7,924
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: MJ website Hall of Shame

    The Jive Aces site is really good - music at the start, but you can turn if off straight away if you want to.


    --ooOoo--
    Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
    Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)

    Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
    That date is recognized as her official birthday.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. MJ Hall of Fame - The Barkers
    By Minnie M in forum Hall of Fame
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 25th-February-2005, 02:07 PM
  2. MJ Hall of Fame - Roger Chin
    By Ste in forum Hall of Fame
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 22nd-February-2005, 01:32 AM
  3. MJ Hall of Fame - Andy McGregor
    By Minnie M in forum Hall of Fame
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 16th-February-2005, 06:33 PM
  4. MJ Hall of Fame - Franck Pauly
    By Lynn in forum Hall of Fame
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 1st-February-2005, 02:15 PM
  5. MJ Hall of Fame - Christine Keeble
    By Andy McGregor in forum Hall of Fame
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 1st-February-2005, 11:28 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •