Just to let you all know of some of the updates that I've been making to the site over the last few days.
Blog Search
This morning I've added a new feature to the site which allows you to very easily search the section that you are currently in. This is currently in Beta on the Homepage only before I roll it out across other sections of the site. Please let me know of any bugs.
To use, you simply enter in your search item and hit Enter or click the Search Button . Your results are then returned on the page as shown below. To close the search results click on the "X" symbol at the top-right hand side. You can also click on the "Web" tab to view full Google Search results across the web.
Recent Posts/Comments
I've updated and tidied the Recent Post/Comments boxes that appear at the end of each post/page. These should load quicker and consume less space. They allow you to easily see the recent comments/posts for the section that you are on regardless of where you are on the site.
Site Overview
I've also added a much requested feature (that is currently in Beta) that shows all the recent posts across some of the more popular areas of the site. This allows you to quickly see if there have been any new posts that might interest you, rather than having to examine each section one by one.
Improved Loading Time
I've tried to optimise all the HTML/CSS/Javascript code as much as possible to reduce page loading times. I've also reduced the number of posts per page to 10-15 on the busier parts of the site. This has improved loading by 25% in most cases.
Remember at the bottom of each page you will see the following Icon which will then load up the next 10-15 posts for the section that you are on.
Reduced Ads
Over the last few months I've tried to remove some advertisements from the site to help improve load time and design. Advertisements for the site are important as they pay for my ISP which hosts the Javascript and CSS files, Flickr Pro account, Google Pro Account for all the Images etc as well as my new computer that replaced my old one which blew up very recently :(
Improved Search EngineThe main search engine that can be accessed via the top level navigation button has been improved to include more sites. This is the google of Lost and will only search Lost related web sites. If you run a website and want your site indexed please visit the search page and follow the instructions.
Note: This is different from the new Blog Search which only searches the blog section that you are currently on.
Browser Compatibility
From now on only Firefox 2+, Opera 9+ and IE 7+ will be fully tested on the site. Users of IE 6 are STRONGLY advised to upgrade to IE 7 or better still switch over to the faster and more secure Firefox 2+. You can download the latest Firefox from the large button in the right hand side bar.
