What WeatherSA could have done right

OK, so I'm not a 'known' programmer, but I LOVE this new site. Fast, storm monitoring, lightning maps, amazing rainfall and fog maps that show you all you need to see, auto-login (at last!), homepage thingy ('view' button or something), much improved tables (wasn't good at start of last week though), and a few things I forget now.

It looks like a technical marvel to me. I was heavily involved with a Steve Jobs project 10 years ago that involved a backend graphics system for creating maps like this - I suspect that most of their attention has been focused there.

The programmer(s) interact with users (metzone menu item) very very fast, and have made a load of changes in the last week. I've NEVER seen that before (and I'm a 40yo programmer! With some large sites under my belt.) Personally I doubt very much that this is an "internal" project - or they have hired new blood.

I was surprised at the lack of .NET, but each to his own, and they have got down to a tight script (around 80kb per page load incl map: they claimed, I checked).

This is clearly designed for users, and clearly intended to improve their image (nee Weer Bureau). OK, so they've had to make some changes in usability, but so what? How many of us so-called professionals got it right first time? And how many of us made changes when users asked?

I wish they would publish some stats on users as I suspect that most of SA uses the site, but only a handful have complained - despite being auto-logged in to the php forum (hey, I use php for my clients! It's strong, and saves them money). I did once see that the old site was SA's second-highest trafficed site after News24 (counting SA sites only - ie not google). But that was some time back.

Assuming the tone of your blog is actually supportive, here's my 2c:

Things they still need to fix (and they say they are working on them):
- screen estate use (I have a huge screen)
- better mobile phone support (works on my HTC Touch nicely)
- data is still inconsistent (they claim to be switching systems)

Let's hear some more positive comments! Why do we SA's have to tear EVERYTHING down? Then we conveniently forget our original positions when things all work out later (Selebi's disgrace, Mbeki's ousting, forex control, road infrastructure failure, to name but a recent few).

You may be interested to note that this act exists: South African Weather Services Act, No.8 of 2001

It impacts quite heavily on your second point for improvement, relating to the free distribution of the data SAWS collects. See Section 26 of the act. The way I read it, you'd need the Chief Director's written permission for every RSS feed published.

We at http://www.weather.co.za currently use the data from weathersa.co.za and try to give a much more pleasant (read:easier) to use user experience. As we're stuggling with their data feed (VERY unreliable) we're thinking of switching sides to another data supplier... We'll see if we succeed in doing so but we hope that many users will switch over to weather.co.za ;)

I have sent the following letter to SA weather:

I cannot believe that you have created a site where you have to supply a manual on how to work it!!!!

This is terrible!

This NOT how one designs a webiste!! It is supposed to be EASY and IMMEDIATE and INTUITIVE to navigate - WITHOUT long written instructions. This is ANTI-webdesign. It is oxwagon stuff, pretending to be "modern".

If you have to accompany your site with a letter where you already have to pre-empt the user's hate - then you are living in a designer's delusion.

I hate EVERYTHING about this site.

The type in pertinent places is small and unclear - white type over a busy, pale background. It has too many spells and bells - which, to top it all, YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN in a letter that I have to print out to match the puzzles!

As a consultant I was once requested to evaluate such a site - it was the old www.kalahari.net - which no-one ever saw, thank goodness. My evaluation was to scrap the ENTIRE thing and to get another team and a totally different design. Don’t even try to patch it up!They did it, and look where's kalahari.net today."

Please, simply bring back the old site. I just want to see if it is going to rain - I am going to get an epileptic fit amidst all of those flickers.

It is impossible to figure out - or put it this way, why must I read a letter explaining me where to put my marker, sounding like this: "when u have opened the 7th page you'll see in the left hand corner a little spade, not the red one, the green one, dig for the weather report, click again, get the can opener in the middle, then a little man from mars will arrive in the right hand corner, but don't click on that, try 7 D, well 7d stands for..."

Are they mad? how must you follow these instructions?

Print the letter out and sit with it next to your screen and try to fit the puzzles?

It like a two year old's toy that rings and crows and barks and flashes and gives you everything but the weather report. It is totally useles for the information we are trying to get.

I loved the old site - good clear fast info!

ANNELIE

Jeepers - I used the old weathersa site a lot - I go to the new site and after 10 seconds close my browser in frustration!! And, I'm a patient person.

Web design aside, not everyone is comfortable reading maps - for instance, what about a simple list of places with a summary of current and forecasted weather data. simple.

OK, they tried, the cocked it up and now we should give them pointers to get it right. The original post was accurate in many respects. As a programmer, I can see many cool things there, but man, does it get in the way of my needs, like proper storm and cloud tracking. The current "cloud shadowing" is pathetic and so inaccurate. The storm tracking is a joke, just revert to the old radar map and overlay the radar data on the new map - then it will work, etc.
But nou ja, this is SA, expect to see the mediocrity to creep into our lives every day/

As a profesional programmer, i did correspond to them about the 'new' website, and to be fair, the did reply. I gave then a little lecture about GUI that need to be consistent with current internet user expectations/usage, about not re-inventing the wheel, about emulating existing weather sites all over the world, about spending more effort on data integrity, etc. etc. None of my recommendations were implemeted, though.

Change your favorites on your explorer to the old site by changing the link to http://www.weathersa.co.za/index2.jsp

I can see where they are going with the site, but they are giving the ordinary layman the run around.

I find the gimmicks that they are trying to use a little irritating.

What I want is something that interacts both online as well as on my desktop and also a mobile application that gives current and 3/4 day forecasts with decent weather alerts.

I can't seem to make it past the first two pages and I'm also already frustrated. I wonder if anyone else who uses it has a rocket science degree. As I find the site has potential but needs a rehash of thoughts and new ideas all together.

Have a look at the site southafricanweather.co.za, they seem to have got it all right for me. I am just an ordinary non-technical computer user and i just want to see the weather forecast for the coming weekends, especially a coastal conditions report. The weather sa site seems so complex. Perhaps the info is on the site but i just cant find it becuase i feel frustrated just looking at it. What i want from this site is easy access to information on a list - thats all. They have got it so wrong.

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Hey nice post.
Thanx for sharing.

Gregor S.

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