Sidmouth 2011

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:48 PM

Only appalling? That's quite mild.

I don't really do artwork. I do content. Boring I know.

Was the room rotating when my webpage became a blur?

I've never had that complaint before.

I hope lots of people just decide to come whatever the cost.

It would make the financial planning and marketing so much easier!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: GUEST,dave eyre
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:20 PM

Steve it is probably a mistake/error.

I didn't realise they had to be perfect. Doesn't really matter.

I looked at your all in one page and it became a blur and things became indistinguishable. Much prefer the Sidmouth site itself.

I doubt people look at their budget and decide what to buy.

IMHO people decide whether they want to go for a week/day/weekend/camping etc.

Then they see how much that will cost them. By totting up on a piece of paper. Or in my case - mentally and approximately. Then they make adjustments.

Then they go to each part of the website.

I happen to think the "design" of your website is appalling. But I am far too polite to say so.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:53 AM

I've just noticed something.

If you look at my one page guide to ticket prices, the Early Bird wording is applied to every age group on weekly tickets (second image on page) but only to the Adults line of the All-In-One (first image on page). It seems to be missing elsewhere too, in other of the images - is this intentional?

I guess you only notice these things when they are all on the one page.....

Also, is there any reason why the Early Bird wording is used against children's tickets when these are free anyway?

exceedingly helpful summary of tickets page

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 08:43 AM

I don't hate it at all. It's quite pretty. But the one last year was OK too.

But the 2011 site suffers(suffered?) from the basic flaw of so many bank and building society sites.

It has been improved already!

I've sent the organisers an explanation - I'll do a precis here later.

If I should live that long......

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 08:28 AM

Not actually going to Sidmouth this year, but can't see the problem.

There are some really, REALLY bad websites and online ordering systems knocking around t'Internet in general and the UK folk scene in particular, but I've taken a look at the Sidmouth site and it isn't one of them.

But, as my wise old granny says, there's nowt so good that someone on Mudcat won't hate it ...

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: GUEST,Dave Eyre
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:54 AM

I went to the website clicked on tickets. Looked at the various choices all on one page did a bit of totting up on a piece of paper and then bought them.

Seemed simple to me. We talking about the same website?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Old Vermin
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:42 AM

I'm beginning to suspect that there is no one right way of doing Sidmouth.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:14 AM

It is simple enough if you know in advance exactly what you want.

If you have a budget and need to investigate various options, it's an awful design. But I'm sure they'll improve it very soon.

Glad it worked for you!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:51 AM

just used the website to buy tickets. Seemed simple to me.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:18 AM

I have suggested some improvements to the official website - at the moment you need about 25 clicks to find and compare all the prices.

Here you need one click: I was wrong on one point. I said this could be done in ten minutes. It took me half an hour.

all ticket prices on one page!

The usual and predictable comments above can safely be disregarded in view of the use so many people find for my website!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 10:01 AM

It's Steve's usual half cocked, somewhat snide, and (as usual) less than well informed critique of the organisation of Sidmouth Folk Week.

He's been doing it since God knows when, and in spite of all that practice he still can't get it right.

One to ignore Tam.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 08:26 AM

What exactly is the aim of this thread?

To provide useful information or to .... what?

If it is meant to be a mere axe grind then I think the title of the thread is deceptive and unfair to anyone seeking information and guidance about the upcoming festival.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 05:36 AM

I've found quite a few cached pages from yesterday. If you really can't wait until tomorrow - here is a snapshot of the box office page (as was). No prices were displayed until you clicked on each one of these links: this made working out various options quite tedious.

all you need to know about tomorrow....

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 04:58 AM

They were using something like aqua blue on white yesterday. They've still got a difficult to read green on the home page: this (shown below) is an exact copy from the official site. Look at the effort banking websites have made over the last few years to be user friendly - and with all their customers in mind. Gone are the pastel shades and the small font sizes - and for a reason.

My major concern remains the way the ticket prices were hidden away until you got to the individual ordering pages: it is to be hoped this will be corrected today.

Just wanted to congratulate you on a brilliant Sidmouth which must rank as one of the best festivals I've ever been to and will stay long in the memory …

Colin Irwin

Whether your thing is music or dance: whether you spectate or participate; Sidmouth offers a freedom of choice that is rarely encountered elsewhere. Everyone is free to create a festival experience that is truly unique to them.

eFestivals

The oldest and most enduring event in the British folk calendar, Sidmouth Festival has always reflected, and frequently led, the ever-changing folk music scene.

Spiral Earth

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: GUEST,mattkeen
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 03:55 AM

But still better than the aqua blue you were using yesterday

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:45 PM

That explains the naff colours - we were not even meant to see the links........silly of me!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:33 PM

We are currently working on the website. Links with the new on-line ticketing system are being established. The final version, with tickets, terms and conditions and lots of other useful information launches on Tuesday morning.

Please bear with us until then, and take any comments by casual visitors, Mr Wozniak included, with a grain of salt until that time, as we are simply testing links and the integration of the new website with the new box office system.

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:30 PM

Yes, I'm not dreaming. It's all been taken down and there are no links now. The Spiral Earth quote on the home page was very difficult to read - now it's a good colour!!

All I remember was the All-in-One at £226 and the week season at £158.

I was toying with the idea of doing a powerpoint presentation of how difficult it was to work the website - maybe someone read my mind.

Scary stuff, all this thought transfer through the ether.

Now where did I file all the screen shots..............

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:13 PM

Somewhere buried in amongst the many pages you have to visit to get an overall picture of the ticket prices !!!

Seriously, it's on the tickets page somewhere and called CAMPING PASSPORT - which you buy for £25 and it 'validates' any subsequent camping tickets you buy, even if you don't buy event tickets.

Caused some confusion last year with people not being clear they could not (officially) join the Supporters Club when they arrived on the campsite!

I just checked again - seems the official website has been partially disabled and the links I found are no longer showing. Some of the colours on the home page seem to have changed too.

Maybe it was something I said......

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 05:23 PM

Where's the stuff about the "Supporters' Club" or "Camping Passport"?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 03:42 PM

Apologies, I forgot the link:

Read all about it!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 03:39 PM

TICKET PRICES are now available but how much more difficult could it be made to compare every option when the only way you can get to see all the prices at once is to click madly back and forwards and write all the numbers down on a piece of paper??

Why not a SINGLE easy-to-study webpage giving a list of all the prices before you get to the ordering pages?

As for renaming the 'Supporters Club' the 'Camping Passport' (same £25 to get camping if you don't buy festival event tickets)....

I'll send a few ideas for improvements to the organisers!

I love the deep grey links - they are indistinguishable from the associated black text unless you look closely, so you can have fun playing 'hunt the link' while you are engrossed in the game of 'compare the prices'.

The All-in-One tickets are said to exclude pre-festival events, except in one place where it says they will include a discount - but of how much?

Some of the light coloured text is quite difficult to read on the white background too.

It would be better surely if the organisers sent a draft website to some potential users and asked for comments before it went live?

Apart from that, not at all bad!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 10:46 AM

Deeelightful

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 04:55 AM

Here's a little Christmas Cracker from all of us at SFW to all of you:



The Fosbrooks at Christmas in August, Sidmouth 2010


Happy Christmas!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 2011
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 02:51 AM

I don't care if they call me a steward or volunteer. A rose by any other name.... so long as they select me for duty.

I also don't care about the all inclusive ticket as a volunteer, because I got almost as much enjoyment from volunteer duties as I did as a punter.

I quickly figured out the new website... no problem.

When I received the newsletter in my email in box, my winter blues lifted instantly with looking forward to Sidmouth Folk Week.

Just saying.

Subject: Sidmouth 2011
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 07:08 PM

If I was a betting man I might open a book - will stewards in 2011 get one of the new All In One tickets or just an ordinary weekly ticket? New for 2011!


And now you can read the letter about social dance that Derek Schofield declined to print in EDS - the magazine of the EFDSS.

Read all about it!

The new official website is certainly a makeover - but the old one was clear, fast to load and functional, so why change it?