This summer the staff of the Commuter tackled a big project: a complete overhaul of the Commuter’s website.
One of the major goals of the Commuter’s new web presence was to encourage reader participation. Staff writer Lacey Jarrell said of the upgrade, “The coolest thing about the new site is reader interaction. By linking to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and blogs, we’ve opened channels that we can [use to] directly interact with students and faculty, and through that, give our paper a real opportunity to become a forum for the school community. It’s truly amazing!”
The Commuter’s new website introduces a flood of features for readers to enjoy, like:
- Improved interaction with our readers: Social media compatibility makes it easier than ever to interact with the Commuter through Facebook and Twitter. Our new toolbar at the bottom of the page allows readers to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages without leaving our site. Readers can even comment to our Facebook and tweet with us from the toolbar. There’s also a shiny new live chat feature!
- Social Media Connect: Readers can connect their favorite social media accounts to the Commuter’s new site, allowing you to log in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google, or OpenID accounts. You can leave registered comments more easily this way. Readers can also register an account with us, if you don’t want to connect with your social media platform, or just leave good, old-fashioned, anonymous comments. (Whichever our readers choose, we love hearing your opinions on our articles!)
- Wibiya toolbar: Besides the Facebook, Twitter, and chat features, the Wibiya toolbar also allows readers to check out our Youtube videos and Flickr photo galleries right on our site. The toolbar allows visitors to search our site or the web, check out our headlines, subscribe to our RSS feed, and share our articles across multiple social media platforms. With just a couple of clicks, you can share an article that features you or your friends to your Facebook page! The News Flash section of the toolbar will link to breaking news, important articles, and special features.
- Subscription options: Readers can now subscribe to the Commuter, either in their favorite RSS reader, or by email. You can subscribe to the whole site, or just to those sections you’re interested in. You can also follow us at Facebook or Twitter to get your LBCC news fix.
- Events Calendar: Our new Events Calendar is powered by Google, and we’re working hard to make sure it includes club meetings and sports events, guest speakers, theatre productions, and more. (If you’d like to see your events listed there, contact us to find out how to add them!)
- Campus Club Listings: If you’re looking for some extra-curricular activities to add to your schedule, this page is a great place to start. If you want to get involved in the school community, or meet new friends with similar interests, these listings will be a valuable resource.
- Headlines: We’re offering constantly-updating national and world news links via NPR, in our sidebar. For the first time, the Commuter is able to provide you with more than just local news.
- Games: Readers who are desperate for a way to kill a little time between classes can visit us to play Sudoku, a crossword and try out our giant menu of browser-based flash games!
“Updating the Commuter’s website is an exciting change,” said Rob Priewe, the Commuter’s faculty adviser and Linn-Benton Community College’s journalism instructor. “Not only will the site be easier for staffers to maintain and update, but it also encourages more participation by the Commuter’s readers. It’s more flexible, and it’s fun!”
In the months to come, the Commuter looks forward to adding even more features to better serve our readership. We’re planning for more videos, reader-submitted photos from school events, and up-to-date news, alerts, and bulletins. The Commuter intends to be a more interactive and valuable resource to the LBCC community than ever before.