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[AugustWest]

Would some of you kind and knowledgable Ache-board denizens kindly take a look at my new enterprise?  It's the Kentucky Construction Watch.  Before you get too snarky, I'lll let you know that it was designed and implemented by someone we all know and love -- his name rhymes with...   uh... Well, I don't know what his name rhymes with.  (wait, it rhymes with "El Guapo"...)That is, Jough designed and is hosting the site.  

Thus far I have been well pleased with Jough's services and would recommend him to anyone.  But I'm sure we'd both like your honest opinion.

[side_show]

I looked at this as someone whose been dealing with builders, contractors, inspectors, etc. a lot lately, and imagining that I lived in your area.  Granted I have a hyper critical eye, and I'm addressing site content, not the aesthetic stuff.  

A few points I found that were not so clear:  

Exactly what am I getting for my subscription? It's not clear what I would be subscribing to: an email newsletter, a print newsletter or access to a searchable web-site that can answer my questions, or any or all of the above?  This definitly needs to be made clear.  (I kind of thought from the main page that this would be an on-line reference site, but then your About Us section seems to imply that my subsciption would be towards some type of journal.)

How often is the journal published/distributed?  I'd want to know exactly how many "issues" I'd be getting for my subscription.

Would you be sending out daily/weekly email updates of need-to-know type information and/or press releases?  If so, I think this would be a major selling feature, and something you would want to clearly inform site visitors of.

Under the "Latest Posts" section on the main page it would be great if you could have the headline/title of the article, as you do now, followed by a lead in, first sentence or quote from the article as a means of enticement and clairification as to why your site visitors would want to read the posts.  This would make it much clearer to me, as a potential customer, why and how the information you provide applies to me.

Hope this is helpful.

[St_Zartan]

"Jough" is, apparently, pronounced as though through a cough.

Also, is the beardlessness just a summertime adaptation? Because your beard, if I may say so, was distinguished. Seriously, it suited the hell out of you, man.

Also, constuction, front and center, index page. Independant, first sentence, about page. I hate pointing shit like this out, honestly, but I want you to do well with this venture and I reckon that people prone to dropping 250 bones on a specialist insider info newsletter / synthesis just might be the attention-to-detail type.

I really know very little as re: the focus of your site. "People don't realize how decisions made [by state government] change their lives and businesses." - true, that. The site looks great, though -it's solid and professional; you don't have a lot of fancy-##### web toys / gimmicks (well, any that I can see) and that is great - I think it suggests that the site is more about hard info. Smells' questions re: the content are pretty dead on; you answer Who, What, and Why, but not so much How. Is this site "live" (I guess by which I mean are potential customers already checking it out etc) yet? I'd be curious to know who's looking into / at KCW and how they found out about it.

[V-Adore]

Yeah, I would like to know about the nuts and bolts of the service. What precisely does one get for one's subscription? What's the deal?

I'm not entirely sure I like the column layout, but that may just be my taste; I would almost prefer something horizontal, but again, that might be me. I really don't think the "Who" should be as prominent as the "What" and "Why," since (with all due respect, August) your identity is probably not going to sell the service and thus probably shouldn't have the same weight as other things. The relevant information about your qualifications can probably be worked into "What."

Overall, though, this is a very clean and professional-looking website layout. This looks like a business that knows what it's talking about, and that's good. Way too many commercial websites look like they were put together by kids, but this one gives me some confidence in the product.

[St_Zartan]

I really don't think the "Who" should be as prominent as the "What" and "Why," since (with all due respect, August) your identity is probably not going to sell the service and thus probably shouldn't have the same weight as other things.

It's funny you'd mention that specifically, as I noticed that too - but feel exactly the opposite is true. Especially since the service is just getting started, the dude behind it is exactly the reason potential subscribers may or may not feel that said service will deliver on its promises. AW's identity is laid out - rightly - as a Dude Who Knows The Ropes. His experience within the system and knowledge of its workings and effects on public and private dealings are pretty much essential to the basic idea of the service.

Well, that's just like, my opinion, man.

[V-Adore]

I really don't think the "Who" should be as prominent as the "What" and "Why," since (with all due respect, August) your identity is probably not going to sell the service and thus probably shouldn't have the same weight as other things.

It's funny you'd mention that specifically, as I noticed that too - but feel exactly the opposite is true. Especially since the service is just getting started, the dude behind it is exactly the reason potential subscribers may or may not feel that said service will deliver on its promises. AW's identity is laid out - rightly - as a Dude Who Knows The Ropes. His experience within the system and knowledge of its workings and effects on public and private dealings are pretty much essential to the basic idea of the service.

Well, that's just like, my opinion, man.

Hm, that's possible. I don't really know the target audience; if they're people who will be sold based on the expertise of the individual supplying the news, then you're entirely right. If they're not, I think it's an incorrect space allocation. But who knows?

[AugustWest]

To answer a few of the questions that have been raised:

The target audience is construction industry business owners and managers.  Mid to large sized contractors, plumbers, electricians, engineers and architects.  Building officials.  People whose livelihoods are likely to be affected by changes in this area.  It isn't meant for the public or to be a long term reference.  More like a heads up that hey, you're going to have to use 22 gauge brick ties now instead of 28 gauge, so bid your jobs accordingly.

In terms of what the $$ buys -- access to the content for 12 months.  The content is updated irregularly -- as it happens.  I anticipate updates happening several times per week.  That's also a selling point.  Some of this information already gets disseminated, but it's weeks or months after the fact.

Re: the typos -- GAAAAAAAAHHH!!!  Jough must have fixed them already because they're no longer there.  I can't believe I missed that.

The site is live as of today.  I sent out a bunch of e-mails to contacts and I'm going to start a direct mail campaign tomorrow.

[AugustWest]

Also, is the beardlessness just a summertime adaptation? Because your beard, if I may say so, was distinguished. Seriously, it suited the hell out of you, man.

Well thanks!  

Actually I shaved it off when I started working for Republicans.  Now that they've fired me I guess I could grow it back.  I've enjoyed being smooth faced more than I expected, though.  Less maintenance, which I'm all about when it comes to hair.

[jough]

Yeah, my bad for not spell checking.  I'm a cut and paste kinda guy, although I did give the text a cursory grammar checking.

I like to use TextPad for web development, because it's tight and no-frills and does syntax highlighting and auto tabbing and stuff, but its spell check is SO STOOPID that it will constantly ask you if you want to correct "i>Things" in tags that I tend not to use it.

On a spelling note, the new Google Toolbar extension for Firefox has an auto spelling checker for form fields.  I have been looking for something like this since like, for evar (dang, the spell check didn't knock down "evar").

[pmcd9]

Why are Mom and Pop's superior to Large Corporations?  Because You know Mom and Pop and the Large corporations are faceless entities.  In this case August you are the product.  I'm just surprised that you didn't mention winning on Jeopardy.

~Paul

[arkabee]

i hate websites.  i have to have them, but i hate them.  something always pisses me off about them.

this is a good website.  good job jough.

1- the kentucky contruction watch banner at the top, that links back to the main site.  it's the only link i've found on the site that, when hovered upon by  the cursor, does not display the link location/direction/address in firefox 1.0.4  or IE 6's status bar.  i like knowing where i'm clicking, and it seems more professional when sites show where i'm clicking.

2- i think it would be classy to have the login via https.

3- i appreciate the explicit "who is" section.  you are asking professionals to give you money about things they are professional over.  why should they give KCW money?  because an extraordinary individual has become incensed with the desire and motivation and skill to illuminate the dark recesses of hidden snags to their profession.  

4- the steel background thing.  i want to hate it.  i very much want to hate it.  it works, though, and i can not hate it.

5- it is sleek and it is fighting trim, this web site.

[AugustWest]

We had hell of discussions over the steel diamond thing, but we were both real happy with how it came out.  I appreciate everyone's feedback, it's given me some ideas about tweaks and adjustments.