BBC News site - pages very slow to load

[dlorde]

Is it just me, or are others finding that the BBC News website (you know, with the new horrible layout) pages can be very slow to load?

I'm finding that some pages take 30 secs or more to appear. Once they appear, they display as quickly as other sites, it's just resolving the URL that seems to be the problem. No other web sites I use seem to suffer from this.

[Rik]

About 0.5 seconds.

[dlorde]

OK, maybe it is just me. I'll try it through HideMyAss and see if that's faster...

[Steve]

As an aside they really have dumbed down the content with the new look

[Rik]

A response to Murdoch, I wonder?

[zappaDPJ]

I don't know about 30 seconds but I've found pages that contain videos that auto-run are really slow to load and many pages don't load at all or are missing a style sheet.

I found it interesting that the recent survey I did for the site focused a lot on whether I liked the new layout and if it worked properly for me. I'm guessing they might realise it doesn't work too well and it's not well liked.

[DorsetBoy]

Oddly I have found lately that the BBC pages have all been resolving very much faster than they use to do.

[Baz]

About 0.5 seconds.

thats quick.

Im on about 3 seconds 

[dlorde]

I found it interesting that the recent survey I did for the site focused a lot on whether I liked the new layout and if it worked properly for me. I'm guessing they might realise it doesn't work too well and it's not well liked.

The comments posted immediately after the change were overwhelmingly extremely negative, and in such volume that the Beeb actually put out a statement saying that despite the criticism, they weren't going back.

There are some good ideas - but the layout and appearance seemed to upset nearly everyone.




Quote fixed - Simon.

[pctech]

Just remember this is all thanks to the unique way the BBC is funded.

[Rik]

Isn't it. Auntie knows best.

[pctech]

Only thing the beeb produces itself that is any good is Top Gear and even that is likely to run out of road soon.

[Rik]

I wouldn't even include that...

[zappaDPJ]

Just remember this is all thanks to the unique way the BBC is funded.

Isn't it more to do with the decisions taken by the website managers rather than financial accountability?

It seems to me that their vision was not necessarily in keeping with their audience's preferences. I'm sure the technical issues will be fixed but it's the style that's the real problem. I think they went ahead and implemented a vastly changed style without enough user consultation. Nobody in general likes change when it's something they are familiar with but most people adjust to it in time if it's change for the better. I think in this case it's just highly debatable whether the change is for the better.

[pctech]

Was joking Zap.

[zappaDPJ]

Was joking Zap.

Damn, I spent ten minutes of my life crafting that carefully worded reply 

[Rik]

I wasn't. As long as the BBC is funded as it is, it's effectively unaccountable.

[pctech]

Just look at this

http://support.bbc.co.uk/support/network/

Why do they need connections in Frankfurt and Amsterdam?

[Rik]

Because they can?

[Glenn]

For the troops that were stationed in Germany, and along the Dutch boarder?

[Rik]

Possible, though have they been there in great numbers since the advent of BB?

[Glenn]

Was it just used for BB or could it have been used to pipe the TV?

[Rik]

We should ask Auntie.

[pctech]

Was it just used for BB or could it have been used to pipe the TV?

You cant use iPlayer in Frankfurt or Amsterdam (well not legallly) and you can connect to pretty much every network from LINX anyway.

[Glenn]

How old is the network though?

Another thought, Seimens world HQ is in Germany.