We’re looking sharp out there in the metaverse
In case you haven’t heard, there are a lot of changes going on in the cyber universe. There is a tremendous increase in the amount of people whose online presence is bigger than ever thanks to a virus called COVID. For all of the cursing and pessimism about the internet, it has become a blessing in many ways when people feel isolated and lonely in their homes.
At the Boca Beacon, we had been contemplating changing our web site for a very long time and we are proud to announce that, while we continue to work out some bugs, we can finally announce that the transition is complete.
The new site is easy to navigate; in fact, it might even be a bit simpler than before. If you have an e-edition subscription you can access it from the home page. You can purchase subscriptions, find the search engine and look at the news by category if you choose. Many other components are more user friendly than ever before, and our calendar of events and classified ads will be posted there as well. You will also now be able to read the columns that appear in our newspaper every week, which is a new option for viewers.
There are several other components we continue to work on. For instance, when you click on “photos” at the top of the page it will take you to our Smugmug page, where we have been compiling large archives of photos from island events. Those archives are still being updated daily, and older photo collections are being added as well. Now you can find tarpon fishing and tournament photos that go back to 1998, as well as other popular events that took place years ago. You can access that site directly at bocabeacon.smugmug.com. You’re all set to be able to purchase photos for yourself, or to send them to others.
You now also have the ability to upload your very own photos for others to see. Stay tuned for photo contests and for photos of the day that are hightlighted.
We are working on getting the Park Avenue webcam back to the web site. You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult to have a live stream set up in this day and age. So don’t give up hope yet, we’re doing our best to get that camera back up to speed.
Lastly, we will be able to provide content on our web site that may or may not make it into the newspaper. So, please check it frequently to make sure that you’re all up to date on any breaking news and what’s going on.
In the very near future we will be introducing a paywall into the mix. We will keep the pricing as reasonable as possible, and we will do our best to make it worth every penny. We hope you understand.
For now, we want you to enjoy the service without being charged, so go to bocabeacon.com and have a look around.
As we all know, local journalism is crucial for a vibrant community, and we do our very best to provide top-notch service for you, our readers.
If you have any ideas that you think would make it more interesting or newsworthy, please let me know at mshortuse@bocabeacon.com. We are always looking for new ideas and new ways to educate and entertain our readers, so please help us out if you can.
Thank you all for being loyal to our little periodical. We love our island, we love our people, we love our history and we love what we do. Never forget that we are here for you, each and every one.
Marcy Shortuse is the editor of the Boca Beacon. She can be reached at mshortuse@bocabeacon.com
