Regular readers of australianpolitics.com will have noticed that the site has a completely new design and structure.

So, what’s happened?

The Site Is Now A Blog

australianpolitics.com has been moved to the WordPress blog system. This means that instead of “flat” files that I have to code individually and upload to the server, the site will now be stored in a database.

Why Has This Happened?

There are a number of administrative and organisational reasons for the change. The most important reason for me is the flexibility I now have in maintaining and updating the site. Amongst other things, I can easily post new material from any computer with an internet connection. I can schedule posts to appear at set times.

The site also has a more professional look and will be easier to customise.

But the most important advantages are for readers:

1. A database-driven site allows for improved searching by CATEGORIES and KEY WORDS (tags). The old site had an excellent Google search facility but the indexes were not optimised. For those interested, this is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

2. Visitors can now register and comment on every page. Interactivity has arrived.

3. If you like a particular page, you can click on the SHARE THIS link and go straight to Facebook,digg del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Technorati, reddit, Propeller, blinklist, Mixx, or newsvine.
   

Has Any Material Disappeared?

Definitely not! All of the thousands of pages from the old site are still available from the link on the top navigation bar: ACCESS THE OLD SITE HERE.

The pages will appear in a pop-up window. The old header and menus have been removed but the content is unchanged.

Each category link (they’re the ones in RED) also has a link to the old site.

In time, these links will disappear as all the pages are migrated to the new system. Anyone trying to connect to an old page will be automatically redirected to the new location.

How Long Will The Transfer Take?

I don’t know! I’m hoping everything will be finished in a couple of months.

What Are The Site Updates All About?

You can now subscribe to an automatic update service which will keep you informed of additions to the site:

1. RSS - Really Simple Syndication

   If you use an RSS reader such as Google Reader, you can be automatically notified of updates to blogs and websites. My RSS feed is provided by Feedburner. It is a spam-free, reliable service.

2. Email

   If you’re not comfortable with RSS, you can simply sign up for an email subscription. Just look for the FREE SITE UPDATES box at the top right-hand corner of every page.