Read Me First!
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A New Look |
The Esprit Fact File (EFF) has a new look. After so many years I decided it was time for a change. One of the comments I received most often about the previous look was that the color scheme made it hard to read. Hopefully this is now much improved. Most of the content in the web site is still the same as before. The major changes beyond the layout and organization are in the Troubleshooting and Component sections which can be found in the Support chapter. Material is being migrated from the old site as fast as possible, but there is a chance that a section you're looking for is not there yet. Patience! It will get there soon. I will also be incorporating new material as time permits, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy... |
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Attention Firefox Users |
I'm thinking there might be a bug with the Firefox browser code. Several people have reported that they are having problems with the collapsible menus of the left side of the Esprit Fact File. Apparently they click on them and nothing happens - i.e. they don't expand. I too have experienced this problem occasionally while testing. I have noticed that I can right-click on the collapsible menu then select "This Frame | Reload Frame" and then it seems to start working. Why would code sometimes work and sometimes not unless there is some kind of bug? Also, the spacing of the text in the collapsible menu does not align properly when viewed with Firefox. Yet another inconsistency between browsers I suppose. Since the overwhelming majority of the population still uses Internet Explorer as their browser, this is the target app that this site was designed for. Yes, you may argue about viruses, bugs, security issues, Micro-$haft, Bill Gates, or whatever, but until things change the Esprit Fact File recommends that you use Internet Explorer for viewing its content. |
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How the new EFF is organized |
The Esprit Fact File is now broken down into four main chapters: Home, Models, Support, and Gallery. Each one of these chapters has a series of topics that can be accessed via the menu on your left. Topics with a book icon can be clicked on to reveal more sub-topics. Make sure you check out all the chapters and topics to find what has been placed where. I encourage you to explore because there is a ton of data in here and I will add more in the near future ("future" being a relative term here). Here is a summary of what you will find in each chapter:
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Where did my Forum go? |
Revised: For several years, the PistonHeads discussion forum has been an integral part of the Esprit Fact File. However, in the past year, that site has become a bit too commercial. While I respect their decision to advertise and generate revenue, I find it an annoyance for me and my readership. I also question the effectiveness of these ads. Do the myriad of flashing, animated banner polluting your screen's real estate really want to make you click on them and purchase their products and services? Or do they simply distract you from reading the content of the site? I'm pleased with the fact that for almost ten years this site has been commercial-free! Based on this, some changes have been made. I am proud to announce that from this point on, the new Lotus Esprit Forum (LEF). will be the main forum for the Esprit Fact File. This forum is well laid out, has many nice features and I believe it promises to become the leading site for web-based Esprit discussion in the months and years to come. For those of you who refuse change, don't worry, your PistonHeads forum is still here too. In fact, the Esprit Fact File is now the portal to every single major Esprit discussion forum on the web. This means you can access all your favorite discussion groups from one convenient site. If you prefer the convenience of having forum messages emailed to you, I recommend that you sign up for the Turbo Esprit group in Yahoo. This is by far the most popular and largest collection of Esprit owners in any forum. Its only drawbacks are that the volume of emails can become overwhelming at times (not as much of a problem anymore) and the message search capabilities on Yahoo are absolutely dreadful. If you can overlook these two issues, this is a great place to hang out, lurk, and learn a lot about the Lotus Esprit. So where are these and all the other wonderful forums located in the new Esprit Fact File? Click on "Forum" chapter from the main navigation menu on the top of screen (below the Esprit picture). The Lotus Esprit Forum (LEF) appears by default. Additionally all other forums or discussion groups are listed on the menu to the left. Clicking on any one of them will take you directly to that forum. |
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The Esprit Fact File Sponsors |
The popularity of the Esprit Fact File has increased greatly as more and more Lotus enthusiasts get connected online. The number of visitors to this site has increased to well over 1700 hits per week, Not bad, especially when you consider there are approximately 10,000 Esprits in existence in the entire world. All this means that the Esprit Fact File needs to keep up with an increased demand. Luckily, Lotus parts vendor JAE has stepped up to the plate and volunteered to be my sponsor. From the audience perspective, you won't notice much change. For me, however, this means extra motivation to continue supporting this site. Please support the Esprit Fact File by using the great services of JAE with your Lotus parts needs. |