symmetry Web site: Progress and thoughts for the future Kevin Munday, Xeno Media

August 18, Approach – Home page Home page changes to reflect cover/TOC/color scheme of each new issue Limited TOC on home page Patterned on arts/literary journal sites rather than typical science mags

August 18, Approach - Articles Include as many graphic elements as possible Integrate as much as practical while maintaining HTML indexing

August 18, Approach – announcement Issue’s template Three features Entire TOC

August 18, Archives All past issues retained, with: Unique issue template Full PDFs and story-by-story PDFs 60 seconds archive

August 18, Search Keyword search with optional highlighted matches

August 18, Subscription Features seamless tie-in with database vendor

August 18, Approach - RSS Every issue’s TOC is fed via RSS “Subscribe” via RSS reader Firefox Live Bookmarks Safari

August 18, Production Process Xeno Media receives preview cover or for template creation (~2 weeks from rollout) Xeno Media presents template layouts/color schemes (~1.5 weeks from rollout) Xeno Media receives final files (~1.5 – 2 weeks from rollout) Xeno Media produces issue in beta and posts for review (~2 days prior to rollout) Rollout, distribution, RSS update on Wednesday of delivery

August 18, Usage 45,663 visits in July High of 70,053 in October, 2005 (/.) Steadily increasing

August 18, Where do our visitors come from? In July… Stumbleupon (over 55,000 “hits”) Various Google searches (over 4,000 hits) Fermilab home page (2,788 “hits”)

August 18,

August 18, Where from here? At this point, the symmetry Web site: Publishes all symmetry content Creates a searchable archive Publishes all PDFs for printing Adds symmetry to the Web’s collective memory

August 18, Where from here? The symmetry Web site does not: Provide much supplemental content Provide any other timely content (doesn’t require return or random trips) Use many of the media available for Web delivery Create many opportunities for dialogue with readership

August 18, Possibilities – Supplemental content What would help the story, but can’t be featured in the magazine? Are there supplemental images that we could use on the Web, but can’t get in the magazine? Is there an opportunity for audio? Is there an opportunity for video?

August 18, Possibilities - Utility Create archives of stories with a taxonomy useful to lobbyists, staffers etc. (tag by category) Archive more images in a “talk-ready” format (w/interactions.org?)

August 18, Possibilities - Timeliness Running commentary on PP news/events? Celebrity blogger? Supplemental content added/highlighted at random (or any other non-issue) interval?

August 18, Possibilities - Dialogue Blogs (allow feedback/discussion) Feedback forms vs. address Soliciting/publishing of reader feedback related to specific article. Forums

August 18, Possibilities – Fun/Viral Digital video contests Digital audio contests Brainteasers/challenges

August 18, Possibilities - Process Specifically ask authors to consider and note Web- specific ideas for their stories Have one Web centric symmetry meeting per issue to discuss possibilities Bring Web design earlier in the process and allow more time (design rather than production)

August 18, Questions How important is symmetry’s Web site to its overall mission? Are any additional resources available to consider Web projects/additions? Can the Web site take risks that the magazine cannot? What improvements would you like to see?