Format changes at Barbados Free Press as island internet supplier “throttles” BFP

Change is good!

Hi folks!

We’ve made some changes in the way we visually present articles at Barbados Free Press and we’d appreciate some input from our readers about the new format – and as we continue to make other adjustments in the next few weeks.

One of our goals is to make the website load more quickly because we understand that, once again, an internet supplier on the island is “throttling” Barbados Free Press to make the website load very slowly. As to why that tactic is happening again, we can only speculate.

Just like the last time, we’ve done some tests on and off the island comparing the times to load various Barbados blogs and websites and there is no doubt that BFP is loading far more slowly than it should when accessed from Barbados. Interesting, isn’t it?

To counter this throttling, and also just to shake things up around here, you’ll see a few new happenings in the coming weeks. This is what we’ve done so far…

First, we’ve reduced the number of stories on the first page to our 20 latest articles. You can still just page back if you want to see previous articles, or find them through the search box or in our archives as listed month by month.

The second change we’ve made is to have only the first paragraph or two visible for each story. This saves loading the whole story every time and will allow you to quickly scroll down the list of articles to find what you want sooner. If you want to read more on any story, just click the “Keep reading” link or the title and you’ll be taken to the full article all on one page, along with a comment box so you can share your words of wisdom with the world.

The third change is that we will reduce the size of the first photo in each new article – once again to make our front page load faster.

There might be some other visual and presentation changes on the way, but it might take a few meetings and a bottle a rum or three to decide. Shona simply LOVES the layout and look of Planet Barbados, but we’re not sure what our limitations are because we’re hosted by WordPress.com while Jane at Planet Barbados is on her own server and has options we don’t.

Barbados Free Press in our fifth year

Thanks to our readers Barbados Free Press is now well into completing our fifth year of demanding the changes that our country needs. Will we ever see ITAL (Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Legislation)? Will Barbados ever have an Environmental Protection Act, modern anti-drunk driving laws, breathalizer laws, Ministerial codes of conduct and one set of laws for everybody – no matter their connections, economic or social standing? Will the political elites stop feeding at the public trough and start working for the good of all?

We don’t know the answers to any of those questions… but like all Bajans we sense that there is a growing sense of dismay at the failure of the current DLP government to honour the commitments and promises made during the 2007 election campaign. Bajans are fed up with the DLP, fed up with the BLP and are searching for something new.

More and more it looks like the answer for the next election might be a natural movement to elect independent candidates who have no affiliation with any party.

Everybody has been waiting for the emergence of a third political party in Barbados, but it might be that such a party already exists: it’s called fed-up Bajans who will vote for independent candidates.