Less is More (November 21, 1998)

[ChrisReid]

The CIC has implemented a new menu bar style today. Yes, it might look a bit more plain than our old menu, but the positives significantly outweight the negatives.One, the new menu and its graphics load much faster than the previous sixty-six graphics that made up the bar (yes, there were sixty-six!). There are also fifteen kilobytes less javascript coordinating the menu. On a related note, the menu doesn't change from page to page, so caches should handle it better, further decreasing load times. This will allow people to feel more comfortable checking news more often and catching things that come up on short notice (such as yesterday's Chris Roberts Chat).Two, the more advanced SSI incorporated into the CIC's design adds increased flexibility and utility to the layout. We are now able to modify the menu much more quickly and with much greater ease. It might not look quite as flashy (actually, I think Hadrian's work looks sharp), but the CIC is based on content, not on looks. We hope you like it. Some of the new links on the menu do not work yet, we'll be filling those in on Sunday. If you encounter any linking errors or problems associated with the new design, please contact the CIC.

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Original update published on November 21, 1998