September 6th 2007

Upcoming Netscape changes

Posted by Tom Drapeau

› tags: Community, Netscape, Portal, Social News, SocialNews

To the Netscape Community...

There are some upcoming changes to the Netscape.com site that we hope will improve your experience. We'll be providing two different news options for you based on what you've told us over the past few months.

Visitors to Netscape.com will see a more traditional news experience very soon. Don't worry, the social news site isn't going away! We will keep you updated on where you will be able to find the social news site as we get closer to making the switch.

Why is this happening?

Many of you may remember that Netscape.com used to be much different than it is today. In fact, it used to contain more mainstream news before we shifted to the social news site you see now.

We received some feedback that people really do associate the Netscape brand with providing mainstream news that is editorially controlled. In fact, we specifically heard that our users do have a desire for a social news experience, but simply didn't expect to find it on Netscape.com.

The decision to redirect the current Netscape.com site is based on that feedback and our desire to better serve our community.

Now where can you go?

You have the power to decide!

Have you visited the new Netscape portal experience yet? It's already up and running. If you bookmarked the current Netscape.com site, this is where you'll land once we make the transition. We just launched it recently, so we'll be busy making improvements along the way.

From checking your mail to local weather updates to the latest news headlines to celebrity gossip, you'll find it here.

If the social news experience is more your style, rest assured that we'll be rolling out a site for you in the very near future. You may have read a bit about our plans for the social news site in the press already. We will be sure to communicate specific dates and additional information on the new social news destination in this blog, so stay tuned.

What does this mean for the Netscape browser?

Absolutely nothing will change. The only area that will be affected is Netscape.com. Anything else associated with the Netscape brand will remain the same.

How can you stay in the know about the upcoming social news site?

We want to keep you as up to date as possible as we work to provide the best news experience for you. Please be sure to check back on the Netscape blog frequently, as we'll be updating with new developments. Most importantly, we'll be providing you the new location for the social news site.

We, as a company, remain committed to delivering a compelling social news experience for our users. This move is an effort to make both the former portal experience and the social news experience accessible so that you can decide which you prefer--or, even better, that you want to participate in both.

We look forward to unveiling a new social news site as soon as possible. The ability to post, comment, rate and share the news that's most relevant to you is as important to us as it is to you. We will be maintaining an open dialogue with you, our users, so that you'll be the first to know as soon as we're ready to pull back the curtains.

related links ›

Comments

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10:29PMEmile Hons

I left Netscape as soon as the last "redesign" showed up. Hated it then hate it now. I rarely revisited the site, but today I did and found the good news. Depending on what the "redirection" turns out to be I will be back if it suits me like the old site did. Congradulations on seeing beyond ego and fixing this booboo sooner then later (although I'll assume income or lack of had something to do with it as well).

12:15PMBill

I was, and still am, one of the ones who is in favor of a more "news" format. The current "social news" system infects a great number of people with the simple idea that "if I see it on the internet, it must be true". Seeing blogs and other comments presented as if they were factual only perpetuates problems. Knowing that it's "social" by format sets the tone...take it with a grain of salt and believe the old adage, "believe one tenth of what you hear and one half of what you see."

3:16PMDon

TO JAMES MARCUS:
James I have used Netscape 7.2 for a lone time and like it very much. I have checked out 8.1 & .2 as well as 9.0 & I belive there was a 9.2, I have nothing good to say about either. I belive also that NETSCAPE has now 12.0, (am I not right). It was not much better. None of them have the E-mail features of 7.2 on the main page. I would like to see NETSCAPE use the mail features of 7.2 as well as the addres book on any new update to the Netscape Browser.

3:36PMBrandon

Interesting, will watch things here

4:38PMMike

You guys are completely clueless!!
Give us BACK our email that used to be available with version 7 and webmail that used to be available with version 8. Thats why I used netscape - cause it did both really really well and provided an all in one solution. We can get the BS news from anywhere. Heeeelllloooo - is anyone there?!?

1:12PMDavid

I dislike the new netscape.com, the current netscape.com, but love the old netscape.com. The way it was before AOL purchased netscape. It was my favorite portal. Clearly, it's gone forever. Just like my visits to it.

I completely agree and second everything Mike said at 9:57 PM.

1:26PMGretchen

Thank you thank you thank you. I have hated the "social news" page forever. It's full of garbage that people put up there as "news." It's a joke.

1:37PMMick

Hopefully the revised Nrtscape to improve the news will include Newscape Mail. I have been using 7.2 even though 8.0 & 9.0 are out I still like the format of the old netscape mail versus all others that are out there. When will this new netscape with mail be available?? Please advise

1:35PMRoy Carthage

The AOL/Netscape page is more like what Netscape used to be, different artwork, just enough of a change to keep a fresh look. This format is the most helpful it has been, you choose your area; world news, finance, travel, the hollywood corner. Choose what you want, ignore the rest. Occasionally freshen the artwork but keep the format. Keep a blog style format on a separate page, you never please everyone so have two sites.

11:45PMangelo

I am still using 7.1 I dont like using the webmail. that is the reason I have never upgraded

1:57PMTom Drapeau

Thanks for all of the feedback. A few items that I wanted to clarify, in no particular order:
- The social news site is not going away, it is finding a new home (more information soon). There will be links to the social news site from Netscape.com once the transition happens. The hope is that this will be the best of both worlds for members.
- The changes are related to netscape.com, the web site, not Netscape, the web browser.
- The changes are not related to email connectivity or a Netscape email client. There is a link on the Netscape Help page for a support page for email.

2:01PMHarry Brodock

Over the past 6 months, Netscape has increasingly dfeveloped difficulties. When I want to open a graphics intensive site, or one with a photo file of at lease 20% screen size, Netscape tells me that it cannot deal with it and shuts down. Having to restart Netscape repeatedly just to get my e-mail or read a news story is frustrating. It even happens on my dual-core 2GB RAM machine. Make your system strong enough to meet the demands of the users.

2:11PMPatty Thompson

Ever since AOL got hold of Netscape, it became increasingly difficult to use. The site navigation was difficult, and the content cluttered. I quit using it 6 years ago after the free e-mail became a nightmare. Now the site looks to be a replica of Yahoo!, so I'll just stay there thank you.

2:40PMBob

I enjoyed the social news part of Netscape. Removing it, or sending it to a new location is a terrible mistake. Too bad the decision makers are ruining what used to be a notable web experience.

2:54PMJoe Beaulaurier

Will Yahoo! get a royalty for providing the page layout design?

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