[WEB4LIB] old web sites

[Elizabeth A Reiten]

Over the last year or so, I've been doing a fairly major 
redesign/realignment inside our website -- not redesigning the public 
side, mainly the file structure.  I've left a redirect page in place for 
all of our index.htm pages (every folder should have one) and for all 
pages indicated from an in-depth evaluation of our web statistics.  I then 
created an Excel spreadsheet with the directory/filename, redirect date, 
and date for removal.  I chose one year as a good length of time for the 
redirects to stay on the server, given the number of occasional users we 
know we have.  I've then put reminders in my calendar so my Visor beeps at 
me to check the Excel file when something can be removed from the server.

It may be a bit kludgy, but it has worked so far, and I've noticed a 
definite drop in the access stats for the redirects, so our users are 
changing their bookmarks... I hope!

Beth Reiten, Librarian
Digital Library Services
Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Phone: 405-744-9109
Email: reitene at okstate.edu




Ward Price <wprice at panam.edu>
Sent by: web4lib at webjunction.org
11/14/01 09:43 AM
Please respond to wprice

 
        To:     Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
        cc:     (bcc: Elizabeth A Reiten/lib/Okstate)
        Subject:        [WEB4LIB] old web sites


Web4libers,

When a web site has been redesigned, and has new URLs for its pages, how
long should the old site (with appropriate "this page has moved" messages)
be maintained?

We recently replaced our old site <http://www.lib.panam.edu/oldindex.html>
with a new one <http://www.lib.panam.edu/>.  (Unfortunately, the old site
does not yet indicate that a new site exists.)  Our Systems Administrator
wants to take the old files off our server.  I think the old site should
remain up, at least until I can make redirect messages for the pages, and
have them posted for awhile.  But for how long?

Thanks for your help.

Ward Price

C. Ward Price    Web Librarian
University of Texas-Pan American
http://www.lib.panam.edu/
wprice at panam.edu