The new website is officially in place. We have been working on the development since before July, and it feels good to finally have it come to fruition. But like anything brand new, it comes with its own set of bugs and issues. Most of them are known, but some are surprises.
Now, you are probably asking me, “Why bother if there are already issues?” Well, most of the issues will happen regardless of which website platform we use, and since the old one, while okay for what it was, didn’t fit the bill for the expansion we have in store. So we knew we were making a change and would have to face some of these challenges regardless.
Existing Users:
One issue is that your credentials don’t pass from one platform to the other. So, if you are an existing user, you need to reset your password. This happens because passwords are stored encrypted, and we do not even have the ability to decrypt them, nor do we want to. That is your private password; you should control that information, not us. So you, as a user, have to reset it. You can do this when you visit the login page or via the “forgot password” section of the interface. There is a prompt to change your password, so if you still need to do so, please do.
Auto-Renewal Users:
Some of you choose the auto-renewal system to process your monthly or annual subscriptions. This is a great way to ensure your subscription doesn’t expire. However, the previous website was connected to PayPal, which is limited in its functionality. So, with switching to new website platforms, we also switched to a different payment processor. This allows for a much easier workflow, but it comes with the challenge that anyone who used auto-renewal on the old site no longer has that in place. So, in order to hop back on auto-renewal, you have to log in to your account and then upgrade your subscription status from the “legacy” subscription to either a monthly or annual subscription.
Print Only Users:
If you are one of our subscribers who has only had print, whether by design or not, you now have an online or digital subscription as well. This will require you to have an email on file, so if you are one of those who fit this bill, don’t worry. You aren’t required to use your online subscription, but just add an email the next time you renew your subscription via mail. Or you can call us ahead of time. If you don’t have an email, that is fine too; we can use your cell number instead.
Odd Balls and Other Errors:
Now, some of you have had random errors, either usernames or emails not working or no emails at all; just some random situations that either came from the transition or were left over from the old system. This, in all honesty, is partially why we made the switch, which I will discuss later. There isn’t a solution for those situations other than calling us so we can handle each one individually. I know it’s a pain, especially when breaking news happens, and now you want to log in to read the story and can’t, and it’s 8 p.m., and the office isn’t open. This is why I implore you to get ahead of that situation and get your account squared away. Try changing your password, and make sure you can log in; if not, call us so we can get you situated and back in the game.
Okay, now that the negative stuff is out of the way, it’s time for the positive. Part of the reason for the switch is to bring our subscriber database 100% online. The current subscriber system is essentially the same system that was in place back when Scott and Miriam took over. That isn’t to say it was terrible, but it has its limitations. So, by bringing it all online, it makes it accessible to staff at any point. That means if you have an issue at 8 p.m. and you happen to send a message on Facebook or an email in, if one of us sees your issue, we can solve the problem quickly. We no longer have to be in the office to manage your subscription. The other benefit to this is user control. Let’s say you spend half of the year in Arizona but want to change your address. No problem, log in and change it. Super simple, super easy. Now, you can still call us to change it as well, but now you have the option to control it yourself if you want.
The biggest positive about this system is the added value we have planned for the future. I have talked about archives already, which are partially in the production stage and partially in the planning stage. We have it broken up into multiple phases split by actual newspaper archives and then photo archives. Photo archives are in production; we have acquired most of the hardware required to scan in mass; now, it’s just a few smaller pieces and the time. But without going off on a tangent, the new site can expand at any rate. This means we can add things like archives without too much of an issue. We have more additions planned, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises we have in store. So for now, just know it wasn’t possible before, and now it is, and it’s on its way.
One of the other things you might notice while checking out the new website is the subscription price change. I didn’t want to do this, but I knew it would have to happen at some point. It’s not a real mystery as to why, inflation eventually hits all markets. Printing is no exception. By upgrading some of the systems in the office, we have actually cut some monthly expenses, but not enough to truly make a dent. I was sent a letter over two months ago stating that our printing costs are going up, effective immediately. We had already squeezed the lemon dry at that point, so we weren’t left with any option other than to raise rates. On the flip side, we have simplified them by combining print and digital, and there is no longer a higher rate for snowbirds and those outside Linn County. I don’t know what happened with shipping rates, but the cost difference at this point is so negligible that it didn’t make sense to develop a completely different system.
I told you when I first took over that I strive for ultimate transparency, and that is what I will continue to go after. The new website opens a lot of doors for us and you. We can finally do some of the things I think are a big part of the modern-day media. I’ve written it before: we have to reach people where they are, and this new site allows us to do that. I do apologize for the inconvenience of it all; I know it’s new, and the transition isn’t super clean, but it couldn’t ever really be, so we just ripped the bandaid off, and now we can move forward and start expanding our value to you as a reader. Provide you with more information and resources in an efficient and timely manner.