LinearIs This Site Dieing On The Vine? (General)
by Don Lester 
, Saturday, July 09, 2005, 05:43 (7225 days ago)
As I reflected on my previous question about the July exercises mysteriously disappearing I couldn't help but also start thinking of all the other things that seem to just keep going wrong. This site started with quite a bit of fanfare, lots of prompt attention, and lots of apologies for the 'startup pains' it was enduring.
But, here we are, several months later, and you are not only plagued by basic schedule problems (ie, delivering content in a timely manner), but the site itself has broken links all over the place. The most amusing was the FAQ that does not work, but that users are strongly encouraged to read because it is being 'constantly updated' with new information.
I took the liberty of running a quick scan of the www.improveyourchess.com and members.improveyourchess.com (I didn't even try the old hyphenated domain name that seems to have disappeared).
I found 74 broken links on this site, and this site just isn't very big (only 585 URLs found). That is 12.6% of the web site is links that just don't work. It took a whopping 15 seconds or so to find them using a free web site testing utility called Xenu, something which could be routinely run after changes are made to make sure nothing is broken by the changes.
This venture may well end up being relegated to the bin where poorly managed great ideas go. It really pains me in many ways since the concept is so good, and the potential is so obvious, yet all the chess knowledge in the world is not going to get it past the lack of a functional and coordinated implementation. None of the problems are communicated to the user base so nobody knows if management even perceives them as problems or if they are even being worked on.
If anyone is reading this, or even cares to know (management never seems to post here no matter what the question is), the broken parts of the site (and some other information) are as follows:
Ran Into 5000 character limit so putting info here...
by Don Lester , Saturday, July 09, 2005, 05:44 (7225 days ago) @ Don Lester
http://chessx2cms.com/neversaydie.html
error code: 12007 (no such host), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessscoringanswer.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessanswer.html
http://members.improveyourchess.com/actionbookawesome.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://members.improveyourchess.com/
http://members.improveyourchess.com/index.php
http://members.improveyourchess.com/personalcoaching.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://members.improveyourchess.com/
http://members.improveyourchess.com/index.php
http://www.improveyourchess.com/awesomerepertoire.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/isolaniscream.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=100
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchesstruth.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessregalopts.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchesssmirking.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=31
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessrelativevalues.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=37
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/thephilidordraw.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=41
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/ourdetails.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=43
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/whatyouneedtoknow.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=69
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/isolanichesskasparov.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/isolanibadhabits.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/isolanichesssport.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=71
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstips5.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=77
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstips5.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=85
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstips5.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=87
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessregalopts.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/content.php?categoryId=99
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstips5.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/itop
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/middlegames4g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/openingsg.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/gow4g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames9g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/instructiveg.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/instructive3g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgamesg.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/openings6g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips6g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/openings3g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips2g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips9g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames2g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips11g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/openings4g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames3g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips4g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tipsg.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/middlegames3g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/middlegamesg.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames4g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips8g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames5g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/middlegames2g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips3g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips10g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips5g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/openings2g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames8g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/endgames6g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/instructive2g.htm
http://www.improveyourchess.com/files/tips7g.htm
Ran Into 5000 character limit so putting info here...
by Don Lester , Saturday, July 09, 2005, 05:45 (7225 days ago) @ Don Lester
http://www.improveyourchess.com/firebreathingdragon.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/openingsfirstthings.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/openingskingcastle.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/guranteedsuccess.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessrelativevalues.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchesscanyouscore.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessregalopts.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstipsislands.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstipsprohylaxis.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstipsdoublepawn.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/chesstipskarpovrule.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/images/kosten_book_2.jpg
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/actionbookendgame.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/images/regal_diagram.jpg
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessregalopts.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/lefttotheirfate.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/gameoftheweek.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/gameoftheweek12steps.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/gameoftheweek3.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/gameoftheweekmaelstrom.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/rooksrule.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/endingslucena.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/endingsphilidordraw.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchess.html
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchesstruth.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchesssmirking.html
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessneversaydie.htmlhtml
error code: 404 (not found), linked from page(s):
http://www.improveyourchess.com/startingchessneversaydie.html
74 broken link(s) reported
Statistics for managers
Correct internal URLs, by MIME type:
text/html 182 URLs 2018546 Bytes (1971 KB) 56.17%
image/jpeg 68 URLs 501624 Bytes (489 KB) 20.99%
image/gif 70 URLs 97668 Bytes (95 KB) 21.60%
text/css 3 URLs 15067 Bytes (14 KB) 0.93%
application/x-javascript 1 URLs 9153 Bytes (8 KB) 0.31%
Total 324 URLs 2642058 Bytes (2580 KB) 100.00%
All pages, by result type:
ok 352 URLs 60.17%
not found 23 URLs 3.93%
skip type 209 URLs 35.73%
no such host 1 URLs 0.17%
Total 585 URLs 100.00%
Addendum
by Don Lester , Saturday, July 09, 2005, 05:48 (7225 days ago) @ Don Lester
? I found 74 broken links on this site, and this site just isn't very big
? (only 585 URLs found). That is 12.6% of the web site is links that just
? don't work.
It isn't 12.6% of the web site since the utility was counting the broken link everywhere it appeared and many of the broken links appeared multiple times. It is still a lot of bad links.
Is This Site Dieing On The Vine?
by Nathan Goldberg , Monday, July 11, 2005, 14:43 (7222 days ago) @ Don Lester
Hi Don
? As I reflected on my previous question about the July exercises
? mysteriously disappearing I couldn't help but also start thinking of all
? the other things that seem to just keep going wrong. This site started
? with quite a bit of fanfare, lots of prompt attention, and lots of
? apologies for the 'startup pains' it was enduring.
?
? But, here we are, several months later, and you are not only plagued by
? basic schedule problems (ie, delivering content in a timely manner), but
? the site itself has broken links all over the place. The most amusing was
? the FAQ that does not work, but that users are strongly encouraged to read
? because it is being 'constantly updated' with new information.
?
? I took the liberty of running a quick scan of the www.improveyourchess.com
? and members.improveyourchess.com (I didn't even try the old hyphenated
? domain name that seems to have disappeared).
?
? I found 74 broken links on this site, and this site just isn't very big
? (only 585 URLs found). That is 12.6% of the web site is links that just
? don't work. It took a whopping 15 seconds or so to find them using a free
? web site testing utility called Xenu, something which could be routinely
? run after changes are made to make sure nothing is broken by the changes.
?
? This venture may well end up being relegated to the bin where poorly
? managed great ideas go. It really pains me in many ways since the concept
? is so good, and the potential is so obvious, yet all the chess knowledge in
? the world is not going to get it past the lack of a functional and
? coordinated implementation. None of the problems are communicated to the
? user base so nobody knows if management even perceives them as problems or
? if they are even being worked on.
?
? If anyone is reading this, or even cares to know (management never seems
? to post here no matter what the question is), the broken parts of the site
? (and some other information) are as follows:
Is This Site Dieing On The Vine?
by Nathan Goldberg , Monday, July 11, 2005, 15:11 (7222 days ago) @ Nathan Goldberg
? Hi Don
Sorry I got interrupted there.
Just to say, thanks for the heads up about the links, but could you also please let us know directly in future, that way something gets done. Otherwise it sounds like...well, you know...
Just to mark your card, you?re right, we don?t visit the form that often, I always think those things are for members only without corporate muscling in. We assume any serious problems will be communicated to us directly as we have asked for time and gain.
Silly me, so I?ve confined myself to forum duty at least once a week from now on.
By the way we've sorted the disappearing July exercises, it was a cock-up.
And yes, you're right, Don, we've had teething problems over the first couple of months, that's because we've been moving fast to improve the site, perhaps too fast.
But we're proud of what we've achieved, not just being patronised as a concept but as an actuality of the best chess training programme anywhere on the web.
As for dieing (your spelling is as bad as mine) on the vine, don't think so Don, and I'm sure you for one you would hate that to happen.
Best wishes
Nathan Goldberg
Your Obedient Publisher
?
? ? As I reflected on my previous question about the July exercises
? ? mysteriously disappearing I couldn't help but also start thinking of
? all
? ? the other things that seem to just keep going wrong. This site started
? ? with quite a bit of fanfare, lots of prompt attention, and lots of
? ? apologies for the 'startup pains' it was enduring.
? ?
? ? But, here we are, several months later, and you are not only plagued by
? ? basic schedule problems (ie, delivering content in a timely manner),
? but
? ? the site itself has broken links all over the place. The most amusing
? was
? ? the FAQ that does not work, but that users are strongly encouraged to
? read
? ? because it is being 'constantly updated' with new information.
? ?
? ? I took the liberty of running a quick scan of the
? www.improveyourchess.com
? ? and members.improveyourchess.com (I didn't even try the old hyphenated
? ? domain name that seems to have disappeared).
? ?
? ? I found 74 broken links on this site, and this site just isn't very big
? ? (only 585 URLs found). That is 12.6% of the web site is links that
? just
? ? don't work. It took a whopping 15 seconds or so to find them using a
? free
? ? web site testing utility called Xenu, something which could be
? routinely
? ? run after changes are made to make sure nothing is broken by the
? changes.
? ?
? ? This venture may well end up being relegated to the bin where poorly
? ? managed great ideas go. It really pains me in many ways since the
? concept
? ? is so good, and the potential is so obvious, yet all the chess knowledge
? in
? ? the world is not going to get it past the lack of a functional and
? ? coordinated implementation. None of the problems are communicated to
? the
? ? user base so nobody knows if management even perceives them as problems
? or
? ? if they are even being worked on.
? ?
? ? If anyone is reading this, or even cares to know (management never
? seems
? ? to post here no matter what the question is), the broken parts of the
? site
? ? (and some other information) are as follows:
Is This Site Dieing On The Vine?
by malcolm , Monday, July 25, 2005, 20:59 (7208 days ago) @ Nathan Goldberg
Nathan,
Perhaps one reason people don't email you directly about problems is that they assume somebody else has already reported them. It would be much easier for all, if you had a forum specifically for reporting problems. That way if we find a problem, we know if someone has already reported it, and don't need to waste our time telling you about something you already know. And you don't need to read about the same problem reported multiple times. Or alteratively you could post a list of known problems somewhere ?
It would be a shame if the sites good content is spoiled by a few quality control problems. I have also noticed instances of the excercises not accepting the correct answer, and there was a diagram wrong in one of Glen Flear's quiz's. Have you considered giving a few people free / discounted access to act as testers before new versions of the site go live ?
Malcolm.
? ? Hi Don
?
? Sorry I got interrupted there.
?
? Just to say, thanks for the heads up about the links, but could you also
? please let us know directly in future, that way something gets done.
? Otherwise it sounds like...well, you know...
?
? Just to mark your card, you?re right, we don?t visit the form that often,
? I always think those things are for members only without corporate
? muscling in. We assume any serious problems will be communicated to us
? directly as we have asked for time and gain.
?
? Silly me, so I?ve confined myself to forum duty at least once a week from
? now on.
?
? By the way we've sorted the disappearing July exercises, it was a
? cock-up.
?
? And yes, you're right, Don, we've had teething problems over the first
? couple of months, that's because we've been moving fast to improve the
? site, perhaps too fast.
?
? But we're proud of what we've achieved, not just being patronised as a
? concept but as an actuality of the best chess training programme anywhere
? on the web.
?
? As for dieing (your spelling is as bad as mine) on the vine, don't think
? so Don, and I'm sure you for one you would hate that to happen.
?
? Best wishes
?
? Nathan Goldberg
?
? Your Obedient Publisher
?
? ?
? ? ? As I reflected on my previous question about the July exercises
? ? ? mysteriously disappearing I couldn't help but also start thinking of
? ? all
? ? ? the other things that seem to just keep going wrong. This site
? started
? ? ? with quite a bit of fanfare, lots of prompt attention, and lots of
? ? ? apologies for the 'startup pains' it was enduring.
? ? ?
? ? ? But, here we are, several months later, and you are not only plagued
? by
? ? ? basic schedule problems (ie, delivering content in a timely manner),
? ? but
? ? ? the site itself has broken links all over the place. The most
? amusing
? ? was
? ? ? the FAQ that does not work, but that users are strongly encouraged to
? ? read
? ? ? because it is being 'constantly updated' with new information.
? ? ?
? ? ? I took the liberty of running a quick scan of the
? ? www.improveyourchess.com
? ? ? and members.improveyourchess.com (I didn't even try the old
? hyphenated
? ? ? domain name that seems to have disappeared).
? ? ?
? ? ? I found 74 broken links on this site, and this site just isn't very
? big
? ? ? (only 585 URLs found). That is 12.6% of the web site is links that
? ? just
? ? ? don't work. It took a whopping 15 seconds or so to find them using a
? ? free
? ? ? web site testing utility called Xenu, something which could be
? ? routinely
? ? ? run after changes are made to make sure nothing is broken by the
? ? changes.
? ? ?
? ? ? This venture may well end up being relegated to the bin where poorly
? ? ? managed great ideas go. It really pains me in many ways since the
? ? concept
? ? ? is so good, and the potential is so obvious, yet all the chess
? knowledge
? ? in
? ? ? the world is not going to get it past the lack of a functional and
? ? ? coordinated implementation. None of the problems are communicated to
? ? the
? ? ? user base so nobody knows if management even perceives them as
? problems
? ? or
? ? ? if they are even being worked on.
? ? ?
? ? ? If anyone is reading this, or even cares to know (management never
? ? seems
? ? ? to post here no matter what the question is), the broken parts of the
? ? site
? ? ? (and some other information) are as follows:
Is This Site Dieing On The Vine?
by Davar , Monday, August 15, 2005, 22:39 (7187 days ago) @ malcolm
Probably the site is getting a lot of new users who get excited about it as I did. But retention levels are going to be low causing the site to die if it can not keep repeat revenue coming in next year. Wonder how many on the site have found the promise to match the result? Noticed that I paid my dues, got excited about what I read for a couple of times, but lost interest after numerous site problems and no real return on time invested here. Deecided to come back one last time.
Not sure if other users feel the same, but well, the money for the use of the site so far is a waste. Rather to have put the money into more systematic Chess training software, but with all the hoopla and greatly packaged advertising on this site, I really thought it was going to be better use of my limited training time.
I read all about the "action book" opening repertoire and the advertisement sounds grand, but after my experience with the site so far, I am not falling for the same trick twice 
! Planning to put my training time into other opening repertoire software now, but I might make it back a couple of more times to see if anything ever comes of the money back guarantee of the failed system and meanwhile go back to my www.convekta.com tactical exercises software which have proven a lot more useful than the failed tactical site here thus far.
