Congrats for getting your website in Yahoo! Internet Life.

My personal website Deaf Millennium Network (www.deafmillennium.net) is hosted at HostMatters and now it has been rated #1 best deaf community site just published in Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine for Septemeber 2000 issue and if you have it, look for page 150 and I suppose that means I am the best? :)

Now, how I can get target more traffic than this? Does Press Release helps? Adverisments? Any ideas? I want to keep the site strong and grow for my community.

Thanks for your all input, suggestions and ideas !!!

Originally posted by SarasotaWeb:
My personal website Deaf Millennium Network (www.deafmillennium.net) is hosted at HostMatters and now it has been rated #1 best deaf community site just published in Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine for Septemeber 2000 issue and if you have it, look for page 150 and I suppose that means I am the best? :)

Now, how I can get target more traffic than this? Does Press Release helps? Adverisments? Any ideas? I want to keep the site strong and grow for my community.

Thanks for your all input, suggestions and ideas !!!

I would send a "press release" to as many deaf org's on and off line as you can. My sister in law is deaf..so I know how strong and tight knit the deaf community is I thnk if you do that word would spread quickly.

Congratulations. However, don't let it go to your head. Frankly, I've seen many such awards and they mean nothing. Most don't even reveal their rating criteria. Judging by subjects I know quite well, most of the ratings I've seen are not reliable as an indication of quality. They seem to favor technological use over content. Because of that, i have declined to participate in sites like Encyclopedia Britannica, Suite101.com, and others.

What you can do is contact other sites for people with disabilities, particularly the deaf, and ask for an exchange of links. Look for especially popular sites, perhaps the one for American Sign Language and others.

Other than that, continue to add content that benefits the deaf. I took a quick look at your site and saw mostly links to other sites. It was a quick look so I could have missed a lot, but I didn't see any original content. There's a lot you could add.

Use your imagination and think of things from their perspective, how they go through daily life, the technologies they need to adapt, how the Internet can help them, etc.

One small example is Papa John's Pizza. People can now order pizza online, bypassing the problems for the deaf.

Some sites for the disabled try to change the world rather than tell the disabled how to increase accessibility. A couple of years ago, I came across a site for the visually impaired and blind. Rather than tell them about simple things they could do for greater access, they chose to try to get web site designers to change their sites to accommodate the visually impaired, a futile task.

Since their own vision was severely limited, I created my own page towards that end http://diverlink.com/files/visionimpaired.htm It has a greater chance of helping the visually impaired than the organization that purports to help them.

Tips and technology can do more than all the ADA laws. At least the deaf are not as limited as the blind. They can still see web sites and other things.

The more you have on your site that helps the deaf, the better it will be, regardless of how anyone rates it.

It's how popular and good your site is to the deaf that counts, for it's they you serve. Carry on.

Thanks for the compliment!

It took me 3 years to get my site almost everywhere and it finally paid it's off! My website now is linking to over 800 websites all over the world and it's still growing and it's very strong site right now, I am in the stage re-design the website but I couldn't think of a site as yet, maybe you anyone can help me will be appericated.

Long time ago, I was contaced by ZDTV to air a live show but never did and I thought I felt it was like a joke... Right now, I am target a big DeafExpo will be held in CA in November which brings 800,000 deaf people around the world for 3 day event and already reserved a booth with other company so I'll get more visitors to see my organzation. Yet, I m building a deaf store where they buy stuff like t-shirts, mugs, mousepads with our logo on it so they can realized it's us! It's a alot of work....

Duster, I have to agree with you, do not keep my hopes high otherwise I will lose my luck ain't I? :)

Yet, my site has strong information about deaf community and what most interesting they are coming to my site mostly are for Closed Captioned and ADA Laws even Deaf Links.... Then last month or two, I bough a new domain called myDeafCities.com which is a new online free community for homepages, email etc for deaf community and I though it will help give the deaf community get better and keep us alive.

I am working to add more new information but I am not sure which one but I am working to add something new... I'll keep you posted but I am waiting for HostMatters give me mailing list so I can use cuz the basic plan doesnt have it :)

Again, thank guys and I'll keep the good work as well!

Originally posted by SarasotaWeb:
[B]I am waiting for HostMatters give me mailing list so I can use cuz the basic plan doesnt have it :)

[B]

you could also use http://www.egroups.com and its free

No, I rather at my domain, more stable, I like it becuase I used it before, kits Digest system based... I want it, I dont like egroups, ads in email.

I want clean mailing list so I m waiting for HostMatters !

Originally posted by SarasotaWeb:
No, I rather at my domain, more stable, I like it becuase I used it before, kits Digest system based... I want it, I dont like egroups, ads in email.

I want clean mailing list so I m waiting for HostMatters !

ok it was only an idea :)

Sarasota,

Something else you can do is add a discussion forum to your site. It can really help to build a sense of community. Many people have met in real life from mine, people from all around the world dive together, dine together, and just share good time. Even a few romances have been sparked by it.

For casual conversation, I would suggest a threaded board rather than a linear one like this one. You can read about the differences on my server site, along with how to build an online community. Look on the right side menu at http://techcellence.net

Content and communication (forums) are two of the things that make sites popular. With no advertising, and few links, my scuba site has the second most active forum on the web and is one of the most popular sites, eclipsing even some of the magazines. It has content not found anywhere else, including the truth (not found anywhere else) about many issues, and people have come to respect it and look to it for reliable information.

You seem headed the same way with your site. Good work.

If you left an e-mail address in your registration, I'll e-mail you with several more ideas.

Duster,

I already have Search, Communities and E-Mail but everyone.net is messing up and Annette couldn't fix and don't know why as yet.

So I'm kindda of stuck :(

Hello,

I have been done alot of thinking for my site, what I want to know hear your feedbacks.

1) Should I redesign my site with some fancy graphics maybe Flash4?

2) Should I have search engine on my site? They are unuseful though

3) I have a new vBulliten that can be seen at http://www.deafmillennium.net/forum/ (I have host baord there)

4) Duster, I havent got yer email yet but maybe you were busy? :)

5) Anyone know the best News script allows to do live news feed after I post them? I use eNews but they suck, if I have 50 news, it ll show on 1 page, I like to try to find a news script can do page break like 1-10 then 11-15 .. ya know?

Thanks and appericate if you will tell your opinion !

Cheers!

[Edited by SarasotaWeb on 08-30-2000 at 08:18 AM]

Originally posted by SarasotaWeb
Hello,

I have been done alot of thinking for my site, what I want to know hear your feedbacks.

1) Should I redesign my site with some fancy graphics maybe Flash4?



Unless there's a real reason for it (or you're going to incorporate useful images describing your site or about deafness), I suggest there really isn't.


2) Should I have search engine on my site? They are unuseful though


Usually you should, but if the search engine is hopeless, then it's about as useful as having nothing. It's probably easier to have clearly defined sections and links so as to enable easy access.


Just some thoughts ;)