CHESMAYNE 16,000+

Information packed site you have Ray.

but its very difficult to read with the scrolling background and v loud colours..I'd bet that if you toned it down...you would have a lot more repeat and longer visits.....just my 2 cents

Hi,
Thanks to everybody for your replies. It's nice to get feedback from readers. Apologies to 56k internet users - I use broadband. I have been editing my web page for about the last 12 years! When a 'file' gets too big I split it into two or more sections. The Moon file is an example. I will split it at some point. Most words in the A to Z index are quite short. NOTE: on most pages there is also a midi music file [at the top of the page]. Just click on it and the midi will download and play automatically. Don't forget to sign the guestbook on my page if you can? I found that with a web page you have to make it entertaining - presentation, coloured text files, a larger font, hyperlinks, music etc so that people re-visit. My site has 41,000+ files! It is in fact the largest on-line chess dictionary in the world - a resource, a reference for chess players in an easily accessible A to Z format. I used to belong to Astronomy Ireland about ten years ago but now I do astronomy on my own. I'm thinking of selling my 16-inch Newtonian reflector - if anybody is intersted, please let me know? I don't use it as often as I should and am thinking of trading up to an APO 5 or 6-inch refractor [Takahashi, Astro-Physics or, TMB]. I live in Dublin at the present time and the light-pollution doesn't allow the proper use of a 16-inch scope to its max - it would be better in acountry dark site location. It is an equatorial mounted telescope, 96% coatings on the mirrors, 11-inch Dec wheel, 12-inch RA wheel, Dob-Driver 2000, NGF-1 motorized focuser, laser collimator, the whole of the inside tube is felt lined [jet black - no bouncing light], Nagler 9mm and 16mm plus 2-inch coma corrector, 240V extractor fan to cool the mirror, planetary filters, nebula filters etc. The whole telescope is on rubber wheels which makes it easy to roll-out for use. This is really a serious machine - f/4 - the tube is 64-inches long, 19-inches in diameter, 200 pounds in weight - the light baffle is 24 x 19-inches in size! It stands about 9-feet in height and is completely black - you can't see it at twenty feet in the dark - stealth technology! Even in Dublin it pulls in stars anywhere that it is pointed in the sky. I may sell it if I got a decent offer. I originally bought it in England about 15 years ago and have made various improvements to it over the years. I'll put up some pictures of it during the year [I have
a digital camera]. Would ideally suit a club or a serious amateur astronomer. When I had it in the Phoenix Park some years ago at the Astronomy Ireland venue it attracted crowds of 20 to 30 in line waiting to get a look through it! I'll add more to this post later.......

Yours,

RR.

:shock: I've added an IRISH section with 'links' to all the Irish astronomy web sites I could find. If you know of any others please let me know and I will add them in.

I found that with a web page you have to make it entertaining - presentation, coloured text files, a larger font, hyperlinks, music etc so that people re-visit.

Hi Raymond,

Trust me. Music on web pages is not a good way to get people to re-visit.

With a web page, you have to make it informative, easy to read, and easy to navigate. Content is what matters.

If the navigation is not obvious, or if people hate the font/colours (and just because the designer likes 24-point pink on black text doesn't mean everyone else will) then they won't go back.

16,000+ visitors for Feb '05 can't be wrong! Tell me where your web page is and I'll have a look at a good example? I estimate that by the summer it will reach 40,000+ visits. My web page is mostly about chess - I added the astronomy section to give it balance. You can't satisfy everybody with a web page - whatever you do will not be right for everybody - everybody's mileage varies. Chess is normally as dry-as-a-bone subject for a lot of people - so, I decided to perk it up a little - ya see.

16,000+ visitors for Feb '05 can't be wrong! Tell me where your web page is and I'll have a look at a good example?

Here are a few I put together;

www.irishastronomy.com
www.ru21.ie
www.silveronion.com (7422 visits / 112656 hits in Feb 05)
www.payback.ie

I have traffic stats for the others as well, but wasn't sure if you were measuring hits or visitors. Either way, I was just giving free advice based on my experience, you can take it or leave it...

I'm not saying my websites are right, and yours are wrong. It's just the music thing I picked up on.... That really doesn't work. Especially embedded MIDI files that play automatically UGH! Although I think your music is 'optional' - Look at the stats for your music files, I bet nobody is clicking on them.

I estimate that by the summer it will reach 40,000+ visits. My web page is mostly about chess - I added the astronomy section to give it balance. You can't satisfy everybody with a web page - whatever you do will not be right for everybody - everybody's mileage varies. Chess is normally as dry-as-a-bone subject for a lot of people - so, I decided to perk it up a little - ya see.

And the other thing is; if it ain't broke don't fix it! - If you're happy with your stats and your site, then don't go changing just because I said so!