New features, new coding, new content

Matt Haughey, October 4th, 2003

Today we’ve flipped the switch on the newly revamped Creative Commons website. There are a few new features, a lot of updated content, and a general reorganization of the site.

Our newest feature is the Artists Corners section of the site, linked right off the front page. Until now, much of the site’s content has remained general, but based on feedback from writers, recording artists, photographers, educators, and filmmakers, we realized each group had specific needs. We’ve created a page for each audience, with advice, examples, and instructions especially for them.

We’ve updated our technology section, including a re-write of our documentation. If you are a developer and are curious how to integrate Creative Commons into your applications, check out our new developer’s guide. If you’d like to help Creative Commons out, we’ve got a list of tech challenges we could use a hand with (think of it as the lazyweb in action).

The front page of our site has seen a redesign and slight change of layout. We’ve added a quick way to get to our three most popular sections, right at the top and center of the page. Below the weblog on the lower left, we’ve added feeds of recent updates to both Common Content (which is a directory of Creative Commons licensed works) and Internet Archive (which will host audio and video you have created and licensed, free of charge). We’ve also linked to their respective RSS feeds if you’d like to follow along in your news aggregator. If you’ve recently licensed your works, feel free to get them listed at Common Content or hosted at Internet Archive.

Sitewide changes are subtle but numerous. We’ve reorganized our navigation, in order to be clearer and to highlight the “Get Content” page that lists directories and repositories of licensed works. We’ve taken the font-size down slightly based on feedback, and we’ve recoded the site from the ground up. While the site has been coded as valid XHTML and CSS since we launched in December of 2002, under the hood the new site’s code is cleaner, rich in semantics, and accessible for all browsers and users. If you ever get a chance to use the new site in a text browser, you’ll see the difference.

While we’ve changed a great deal of the site and moved things around, we’re always open to additional feedback and welcome any errors you might find. Leave a comment if you see anything out of place or have any questions.

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Charrette Center

Matt Haughey, October 3rd, 2003

This week’s featured content is the portal of community-based urban design at CharretteCenter.net. The site includes resources and articles, all carrying Creative Commons licenses, to help the planning and construction of future urban areas.

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