The spirit is willing but the Web site is not quite ready.
So we've decided to move our launch from Monday to a week from today.
AnnArbor.com will now debut on Friday, July 24.
Matt Kraner, our CEO, announced the change this afternoon, saying we need four additional days to finish testing of the site to make sure it can handle the volume of traffic we expect when we launch.
So far, the testing has identified bugs that need to be fixed, and we've run out of time to make those fixes and complete additional testing in time to launch Monday.
"As we were moving towards launch day and were going through all the various site testing protocols, we uncovered a problem that could cause some readers to have an experience that in my mind is unacceptable. I decided that in order to provide the people of Ann Arbor with the best user experience on launch, the site would need a few extra days of refinement," Kraner said in a statement released today. "I realize that this change will inconvenience readers and marketing partners who were looking forward to the site's launch on Monday, and for that I apologize. While we don't expect perfection on day one, there is a minimum standard that our readers and marketing partners deserve."
He added that we remain excited and optimistic about our launch next week.
Our staffing is in place, we have a substantial number of advertisers on board, and our reporters are already out working on stories in anticipation of the site's debut. We also have more than 75 people in the community who will be contributing content on topics ranging from food and books to neighborhood concerns and parenting.
AnnArbor.com also will publish a newspaper twice a week, on Thursdays and Sunday. The first print edition will be on Sunday, July 26.
You only get one chance to be brand-new! If you're not quite ready, you're making the right decision!
All best wishes.
I noticed that in your protocol for Thursdays and Sundays, you do not list "Nation and World" news. Is this just an oversight? Seems to me in the AANews a few weeks back, that Nation and World news was listed for one of the 2 "print"days.
Ann Arbor is important, but it is not the center of the Universe, right?
Our Sunday newspaper, which comes out for the first time next weekend, will include a six-page Nation/World section. Our priority is to be a source for local news, but the Sunday paper will be large, and allow ample space for both a good local report and national and world news.
I am a long time Ann Arborite (since1925) residing in Florida.
Can I subscrib to the print editions?
Erwin Salisbury
Looking forward to the first edition of Ann Arbor.com. Good things come to those that wait! Many wishes for a profitable venture!
I eagerly checked the site just minutes ago to see if it was live, but was a tad bit disappointed. What the heck, another 4 days is worth the wait. Best wishes for July 24!
Friday is never a good idea for a web launch, unless you want to deal with crap over the weekend.
Tuesday works, and avoids the Monday spike.
I hope you guys have done a closed beta to start?
Good luck, I'm looking forward to seeing the new site...
Dug, thanks for the encouraging words. We're a little beyond being able to pick an ideal day to debut. We just need to launch the thing, and Friday is it. We're looking forward to it.
There are numerous sources for national and world news. There are very few good sources for local news and none that match the in-depth detail of The Ann Arbor News. Local/State should be the focus for Ann Arbor.com. Nation/World should take a back seat if it is even covered at all.
You want AnnArbor.com to be the one prime source Ann Arborites turn to for news, local or otherwise. If you give National/World news a back seat or not cover at all, like the previous correspondent says, you will lose a significant amount of readership.