Joseph Kieta: Modbee.com gets a major upgrade

Welcome to the new modbee.com, the digital home of The Modesto Bee.

Navigate around a bit and you’ll notice a completely new site that loads faster and is “responsive” – meaning it automatically fits any size screen, whether viewed on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. This is important because a large percentage of you are reading and interacting with us on the go. The new site allows us to improve how we deliver local news right to your pocket, as it happens.

You’ll also enjoy many other upgrades:

▪ Photos, video and multimedia are easy to find and are presented in a sleek new format. This is significant because we plan to offer more multimedia more often.

▪ Drop-down menus are simple and there’s less clutter. The time it takes to find content you’re looking for is shorter, and the search function is a snap.

▪ The Bee’s columnists are easily accessed under the “blogs” heading. All columns and blog entries will be found in the same space, with newer entries taking precedence.

▪ Typefaces are easier to read and more sophisticated.

▪ Story comments are accessed by a tab instead of below the story, making it simple to toggle between the two.

▪ Links to subscriber services, customer service, classified advertising and the e-edition are found at the top of the homepage.

▪ The sign-in for your Press+ account – which gives full access to all content – hasn’t changed. The “sign in” link is at the top left corner of the homepage.

You’ll be able to get the most out of the new site if you upgrade your browser to its latest version – Firefox 21 or higher, Internet Explorer 8 and above, Chrome 27 and above, and Safari 6.05 and above. The upgrades are free and easy to install.

The new site is another example of how The Bee is transforming how it reaches you, our cherished audience. We realize your lives have changed and that you consume news differently today than you did 10 years ago. We’ll continue to innovate and to find new ways to deliver trusted news and information that the community wants and needs.

And while we’re improving our digital offerings, we’re certainly not abandoning the printed newspaper. We’re working to make it even better, with changes afoot that will make it more relevant to your lives.

Thank you for reading The Bee and modbee.com and making us the region’s primary source of news and information. We want your feedback, so please do not be shy about letting us know what you think.

Click here to comment.

This story was originally published October 27, 2014 at 9:17 PM with the headline "Joseph Kieta: Modbee.com gets a major upgrade."