New Look Manx Radio Website

[joeyconcrete]

I've just took 5 minutes to write an RSS wrapper for the optically busy Manx Radio website. It's a quick knock up but it's tested to work in Firefox for now. Shows local and business news.

 

The actual feed is;

http://www.onchanafc.com/manxradio.asp

 

Proof of concept, Its in ASP, but I'll knock one up in PHP so Manx Forums could always host it instead. You can view the feed as there's a basic XSL there too.

 

 

EDIT - To explain its actually RSS

[Nitro]

I works in FF but in IE it says "Cannot view XML input using XSL style sheet. Please correct the error and then click the Refresh button, or try again later."

[joeyconcrete]

Fixed

[lisner]

Well speaking as just a person on the street and a non too much techie type I would say the homepage is cluttered. And all those subject box things? Why do they have a big black arrow at the top? You don't click on the arrow to go to the link (as I automatically thought) you click the bottom of the box or somewhere else.

 

I actually like the old sight. Simple, straightforward and easy to navigate about. It was far better.

 

And it seems that some of the old links are now broken

 

So all in all - could do better.

 

4/10

[Slim]

where's the xml you're using conc?

[joeyconcrete]

Just a ripper in ASP. If they change the site structure, it'll probably break.

ManxRadio.txt

mr2.xsl.txt

[Albert Tatlock]

 

Damn! Lost again - a bar and two melons!

[Nitro]

Yep works in both FF and IE now, thanks

[TomTucker]

wikkid, great stuff there.

 

any chance you can put the summary text in <description></description> tags?

 

			<title>News : Lewis jailed</title>			
		<link>http://www.manxradio.com/readItem.aspx?ID=7667&cate=General</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.manxradio.com/readItem.aspx?ID=7667&cate=General</guid>
<description>A man who caused death by dangerous driving has been jailed by Deemster Doyle for a total of four....<description>

[Cheese]

Also Webcams not updating. Same image been on for 10 mins or so.

 

Original D.O.T cameras here if you want to compare.

[ans]

Proof of concept, Its in ASP, but I'll knock one up in PHP so Manx Forums could always host it instead. You can view the feed as there's a basic XSL there too.

 

I may look to see if there's a way of getting automatic thread creation based on RSS feeds. I know Thi had it on the DOI but that was running Snitz. Pretty sure we could fudge something, even if it has to be client side on a machine here.

[manxchatterbox]

what actually does the "new look" site do that the old one didn't???

 

I seem to recall there was also a different looking site 2/3 years ago, then it changed and the access to all the archived stories was lost - whats the point of building an archive if it can't be accessed???

[Albert Tatlock]

whats the point of building an archive if it can't be accessed???

It's so none of remember what the island was like 5 to 20 years ago - before this generation of politicians started to really cock things up.

[simon]

I seem to recall there was also a different looking site 2/3 years ago, then it changed and the access to all the archived stories was lost - whats the point of building an archive if it can't be accessed???

 

It's still all there if you use your brain. The really ancient site.

[ans]

I may look to see if there's a way of getting automatic thread creation based on RSS feeds. I know Thi had it on the DOI but that was running Snitz. Pretty sure we could fudge something, even if it has to be client side on a machine here.

 

I found it's actually a built in module, which is nice. I'll play with it later and put up a test forum so people can see how it would look.