Well, the reason I'm smiling is that I'm finally able to welcome you to DrDobbs.com....make that the "new and improved" DrDobbs.com. If you're a long-time reader of Dr. Dobb's, you probably think that the "new and improved" part is like the library books stacked up in the corner of my office -- overdue. And you'd be right. Which is why I'm especially pleased to usher in this redesigned Dr. Dobb's website.
Photos of yours truly aside, the "improved" stuff is easy to spot: brighter colors, smoother layouts, and a design that makes finding actual articles possible. In other words, the kind of UI that enhances the user experience you'd expect from DrDobbs.com.
Improved UIs are one thing, but "new" features is where the fun begins -- and we've loaded up DrDobbs.com with new features, including:
- A spotlight on the Dr. Dobb's Guru Bloggers, that merry band of experts (well, for the most part; there are a couple of grumpy ones in the mix) stay on top of what's happening in the world of software development
- New search functionality that helps you find what you want faster and more accurately
- Improved community experience thanks to new commenting functionality allows deeper user interaction and engagement.
- Social network integration with deeper embedding of social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
- Taxonomy refresh with streamlined "channel" navigation across key developer topics
- Blog site integration that merges DobbsCodeTalk.com into DrDobbs.com for a seamless user experience
- Single-sign-on membership that gives users simple access to not only DrDobbs.com, but to other leading IT sites such as InformationWeek.com, NetworkComputing.com, DarkReading.com, WallStreetandTech.com, and TechWeb.com
That's some, but not all, of the changes you'll start seeing as you begin poking around in the site. What hasn't changed, however, is Dr. Dobb's commitment to excellence in technical information. What? You don't believe me? Okay, that's fair. I'm admittedly biased when it comes to Dr. Dobb's, so will you believe your peers?
In a recent survey, Evans Data, the leading marketing intelligence company for the software development space, asked developers to identify and rate the websites they visit on a regular basis. I'm happy to report that DrDobbs.com came out as #1 in a number of categories, including quality of technical articles, usefulness of technical articles, blogs, unbiased product coverage, and overall credibility.
We're honored that the software development community has recognized DrDobbs.com in this regard, and I'd like to personally say thanks for the kind words and support.
I also hope that you'll find DrDobbs.com is both new and improved. At the same time, I look forward to hearing your suggestions and recommendations for improving the website even more, whether it is an article you'd like to write or an application you've already written. We can do the "new," but it's you who brings the "improved."
