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They do tend to move the test site around, don’t they!
I remember for the last BBC News redesign, they used the URL
www.live.bbc.co.uk , prior to that there was a whole BBC website test prefix with the URL
beta.bbc.co.uk , and that included most BBC services (iPlayer, the homepage, weather, sport).
The other addresses seem to have been retired now, for quite a while they used to still be up but just show the production website. I suppose the BBC have been tidying up their DNS entries.
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Presumably, that is to stop normal humans like ourselves from finding these things.
A weird one is the Programme Index née Genome, which has always been at a funny URL - genome.ch.bbc.co.uk
ch.bbc.co.uk just goes to a default Apache installation page now, at one time it had this secret message from a disgruntled employee:
web.archive.org
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(01-02-2024, 03:54 PM)VMPhil Wrote: Presumably, that is to stop normal humans like ourselves from finding these things.
Yes, but what’s the point in that really.
They are completely open about having an iPlayer Beta option on Smart TVs (and also the beta view of the BBC News app), for example, but take deliberate obfuscation measures with their test websites. Obviously, if they were just design mockups or very early stage, they’d only be accessible internally anyway - but these are pages on the public internet, updated by the same main publishing system as the normal website, so you have to assume they’ll be found anyway and it’s not like they are totally unfit for use. All the normal articles are there.
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(01-02-2024, 04:04 PM)interestednovice Wrote: Yes, but what’s the point in that really.
They are completely open about having an iPlayer Beta option on Smart TVs (and also the beta view of the BBC News app), for example, but take deliberate obfuscation measures with their test websites. Obviously, if they were just design mockups or very early stage, they’d only be accessible internally anyway - but these are pages on the public internet, updated by the same main publishing system as the normal website, so you have to assume they’ll be found anyway and it’s not like they are totally unfit for use. All the normal articles are there.
This might have been the case yesterday, but it looks like they don’t update the beta site homepage at the same frequency they update the live one; beyond the top story as of right now all the other headlines are yesterday’s news.
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That’s true, I just had a look again and see the same stories. Whereas it was totally current yesterday, no new stories seem to have been added since.
There must be a manual element to layout which they are still experimenting with.
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(01-02-2024, 03:54 PM)VMPhil Wrote: Presumably, that is to stop normal humans like ourselves from finding these things.
A weird one is the Programme Index née Genome, which has always been at a funny URL - genome.ch.bbc.co.uk
ch.bbc.co.uk just goes to a default Apache installation page now, at one time it had this secret message from a disgruntled employee: web.archive.org
I think the CH in the hostname refers to Centre House, formerly BBC R&D's London base, on the other side of Wood Lane from TV Centre. It's the building where they'd stick a camera for beauty shots of TVC on Children in Need nights - but has recently been demolished to make way for flats.
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The international version of the website looks nice.
Much more consistent moving the BBC logo to the middle.
Would be cool if the page opened with an animation of the blocks and on the news page, the word 'news' moving to the bottom though. Doesn't look right top left any more.
Still bugs me that i-Player is the only app to open with the animation that the promo ad showed all the apps starting with.
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It appears the new website may have started making its way through Europe.
Here's a screencap from a friend in Finland:
up.metropol247.co.uk
At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed...
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It's now available in the Republic of Ireland as well.
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The new look website is now live in Australia
![[Image: 1592580878_1869298444.svg]](https://up.metropol247.co.uk/062020/1592580878_1869298444.svg)
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