MGoBlue.com Frequently Asked Questions
11/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
The redesigned MGoBlue.com was launched Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007. Following are answers to several frequently asked questions about the new site.
I liked the old MGoBlue.com. Why did you change it
The old site had the same basic look since the fall of 1998, so it was overdue for a facelift and functionality upgrade. The site was redesigned to provide a fresh, new look with added features such as an embedded video player, increased use of photos, fan poll, and nicer interfaces for the multimedia and photo collections. The goal of the redesign was to maintain usability while reducing clutter and shortening the length of the home page and sport pages so that information is more easily accessible.
Why did you change the site's navigation setup
Getting used to a new site will take some time as users figure out how to find what they want, but people familiar with the old MGoBlue.com's navigation will notice some similarities and improvements in the way the navigation is set up. One significant upgrade is that "global" department links have been moved to the top and are now accessible on every page of the site. The navigation specific to a sport or area appears on the left side of the page.
What happened to the audio and live stats
Links to live audio and live stats are now in the Upcoming Games tab on the front page of the site and on each sport's front page. Due to the current layout of this section, sometimes the links are pushed far to the right and out of view, so one may need to use the scroll bar at the bottom of the section to make them visible. This problem will be corrected.
What is your multimedia setup this year
All audio and video on MGoBlue.com will be offered free of charge for the 2007-08 season. We plan to offer live video of select events (as television contracts allow), highlights, features, interviews and special presentations across all 25 sports. We are no longer using CSTV's All-Access platform for audio and video content.
Where did some of the older content such as past rosters and stories go
Some of the data from past seasons is in the system now, but a lot of it is not. The current focus is migrating all the 2007-08 academic year content. Once that is completed we will concentrate on bringing in data from past seasons. We intend to move as much content from the previous site as possible.
Why are TV and/or scores not listed on the schedule/results page
It has come to our attention that for some people the TV column and/or the score column on the schedule/results page is not displaying for certain sports (e.g., men's basketball). The feedback received so far indicates that it is happening in Internet Explorer 7 on PCs running Windows XP. If you are experiencing the problem in another computer setup, please e-mail mgoblue.mail@umich.edu and let us know whether you are on a PC or Mac and what browser and version (e.g., Internet Explorer 6.0) and operating system you are using.
How can I find related event content such as boxscores, notes and quotes
The central location for links to event content is that event's recap. These links were generated automatically before, but that feature is not in place on the new site, so the links will be added manually until the automation is complete. Older content will not have the related content links. Eventually boxscores may also be found in the statistics archive, and links will be added to the left navigation for other related content.
I have an MGoBlue e-mail account. How can I access it
A link to the e-mail will be added. Until then you can use webmail.mgoblue.com.
Why did you incorporate more ad positions in the redesigned site
Additional advertisement locations assist us in recognizing our corporate partners, including presenting sponsor AT&T, whose contributions help us to offer and maintain all of our website content free of charge to the user. We also have spots that may be sold a la carte to advertisers who are interested in exposure on one of the nation's most-visited college athletics sites. And the additional inventory gives us locations to run in-house material regarding special events, promotions, etc.
What are your plans for the future
Working with our website partners, Host Communications and Epic Cycle, and drawing from talent and resources in the department and on campus puts us in position to expand the site's offerings. One immediate priority is a streamlined site for access on mobile devices.
Other Questions/Comments
If you have other comments or questions not answered above, please e-mail us at mgoblue.mail@umich.edu. Go Blue!
