Public's Perception of Flex Viewer Vs. IMS

[AaronLattin]

Hello,

First, a little background information concerning this post. About one year ago, I was hired to update our older county IMS website to Flex 3.0. It successfully included every layer and function that the previous IMS site contained (thanks a great deal to Robert's awesome widgets). There were really no special modifications to the new site, just a basic flex viewer template. After all, this was intended to be a basic parcel information site. Upon release, everything worked just as intended. However, the public's response was fast and very critical. Mostly with complaints of: "IMS was better!", "There's too much clicking!", "This is too complicated!", "What's a widget!", "This site is terrible, it needs to be redesigned now!", "I don't know where the search is! (even though it's opened upon entering)".

Fast forward to now and we still get the same complaints from time to time. And time and again it's usually the older generation who have extreme trouble navigating. According to our Google Analytics we average between 350-500 users per day. In a given week we may have 10-15 people call in to gripe about something. It gets extremely aggravating to have to explain as to why we upgraded and that people still don't understand the issue. They believe that we should cater to their every opinion. So my question I present in this discussion is: "How much push-back or complaints from public have you experienced moving forward to Flex versus some other tech?"


Thank you,
Aaron

[GISDev1]

Non-tech people will commonly have input on new technology that they aren't familiar with. They are under the impression that tech. should never change after they figure it out. These are the same people that see no reason to update from their flip-phone. That is fine and dandy, but don't let it influence your development decisions in terms of upgrading to newer, better functionality, and more stable tech. like going from ArcIMS to ArcGIS Server 10.x and a Flexviewer 3.x.

My philosophy is to provide the best and easiest to use features possible and make the app. as user friendly as possible, while keeping each app. very focused on a particular task.


Can you link us to this flexviewer and tell us the common user complaints and maybe we can provide some better input?

[AaronLattin]

Sure, I'll provide the link below for viewing. Nothing really special in terms of uniqueness. Just a simple viewer with search widget, but overall different layout to IMS. And the public's reaction to this change wasn't the greatest. The biggest gripe they seem to have is navigation and searching. I find it funny that they complain so much about clicking, that they don't realize how much they have to click to get around the web or desktop.

http://maps.co.benton.ar.us/parcels/index.html

Thanks,
Aaron

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Aaron,

   I feel you pain. We had IMS, then the .net Web ADF, then Sample Flex Viewer 1.x then ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 3.x. I had so many complaints form our older generation users when I took down the ADF.net site due to ArcGIS Server not supporting it any more that I took the time and recreated it (the whole look and feel) in Flex. So you will see that my landing page for my counties GIS has three choices (flavors) of our viewer. http://gis.calhouncounty.org I only add new features and tools to the "New Site", but all three use the most current data from our ArcGIS Servers. When you work for the public you do have to listen to their feedback but over time they will get use to it.

[GeorgeHaskett]

Funny how you mentioned one of your biggest complaints had to do with the number of 'Clicks'.

One of the projects I'm currently working on is a web app for our human geocoders.  After the location of policies have been automatically geocoded using esri services, our human geocoders go through and manually relocate the feature points so that they have rooftop precision and collect additional attribute data, etc.

Currently they are using a spreadsheet to manage their data.  This spreadsheet has current attributes data including Lat/Long, policy holder, address, etc.  The process they go through includes copying address data from the spreadsheet and pasting it into a real estate database to find the exact parcel location.  They then reference either Bing or Google to obtain a rooftop lat/long value for each bldg. in question and go back to their spreadsheet to paste the new lat/long values into 2 columns, etc....

I put together a web app using Viewer for Flex 3.5, with all the available bells and whistles.  I use the layerlist widget to break the features down into their own layers for each geocoder, both the Identify widget and popups so that they can have policy photos at their finger tips, attribute table and related tables to give them additional data they previously did not have easy access to, Google StreetView widget at their finger tips, eSearch widget for advanced searches, eLocate for help looking up coordinates and addresses, linklist widget so all their bookmarks are in one location allowing them to access the parcel viewers for each county in the state along with other key links, PLSS layers with search capabilities, and the Edit widget so all they have to do is click on the feature - move it to the correct location and fill out a small form using drop down menus, etc.

Wow, the first complaint was the number of clicks they had to do.  The second complaint was the amount of scrolling....

I even rearranged the widget container so that they didn't have to click so much, yet it wasn't enough.  Some of them actually preferred to stick with their spreadsheet and multiple websites instead of try to learn something new.  The new work flow was like lightning compared to what they were originally doing, yet too much clicking.  I don't think they realized how much clicking copying and pasting data into 3 or more websites and one spreadsheet they actually did.

Long story short, during my second beta testing we had some new geocoders.  They were not use to the old ways and seem to be eager to learn the new web app...

By the way, I really like your video help widget.  Is that a custom widget you are using?  Any chance you are willing to share the code?

As for IMS, all I remember from that was how slow it could be and how bad the icon graphics were at the time.  I for one am happy I don't have to deal with it anymore!

Haskett

[AaronLattin]

I have to agree that newer users who aren't familiar with the older stuff tend to be more accepting with Flex. In training classes that we provided to the public upon release, many people were amazed at the power they had to retrieve information. However, once alone you would have thought they were sitting in front of computer on the space shuttle.


geohaskett,
That Video Help Widget that is on the flex viewer was very simple to create. I don't have access to the code right now, but I can point you for right now in the direction so to speak. When I get back to the office next week I can post the code.

Really the easiest way I found to load the video was through the SWF Loader in Flash Builder. Here's some of the code of the top of my head. Also you might want to look at Youtube's domain policy. Can't remember the exact url that worked, maybe, "http://www.youtube.com/v/". I believe the "http://www.youtube.com/embed/" didn't work.

If anyone else has any more information on the swfLoader. Please feel free to comment.

private function ddlVideo_clickHandler(event:IndexChangeEvent):void
{
        loadSWF(ddlVideo.selectedItem);
}

private function loadSWF(videoLink:String):void
{
       //Build Link From Selected Item or ConfigXML
       //Just depends on how you want build it.
       //Then pass your builtLink string to the load

       swfLoader.load(builtLink);
}

[GeorgeHaskett]

Thanks Aaron,

It looks like you built it via the API?
At some point I need to dive into that.  Currently I am simply modifying config files with compiled widgets.

[RayCrew]

I worked as an GIS extension agent for about ten years in USA state of Pennsylvania. Most of my work was with small local govs. As expected, any new system or change had a small percentage of detractors and critics, however, unlike systems for large govs or commercial apps, the detractors are harder to ignore. In small township with just 500 people, a single person can have a lot of influence on elected officials who in turn pressure you to meet the request regardless of how everyone else likes the system as is. 

My favorite memory; I was told the color scheme of a ArcIMS 3.1 viewer proved we were being paid by the Netherlands Army poised to invade Pennsylvania and install the Amish as overlords.

My advice, make sure to listen to the critics and note their requests, however, do not try to meet them all. If you do, there will be a new round of critics who want those changes reversed.

[AaronLattin]

RayCrew,

Lol. I don't think I have ever received a comment such as the one you described. The county that I work for here has a population of 200,000+. However, there is still pressure put on the department when respected surveyors or general public call directly to those in higher positions. Then they start to ask questions, but we always have to explain every time why we had to move on to newer technology. Just gets annoying after awhile. It's a balancing act with the public. It's somewhat of the same here. We try to listen and improve the site the best way we can. But each time, the public basically wants us to change the flex viewer to a IMS replica.

By the way, we had a phone call from a surveyor last week, that demanded his list of changes be seen in order to improve the website. Seems everyone is a critic in some way. Didn't know surveyors were Web/GIS developers as well. There could be a few out there somewhere.

--------------------
geohaskett,

I've uploaded the code for the Video widget I was using in that Parcel website. Not the greatest thing in the world, I only spent an hour writing it the first time. If anyone else needs it....have at it.


Aaron

[Anonymous User]

Whenever I remove an older version: IMS, Freeaunce, .Net, Flexviewer. I receive plenty of complaints.  Computers would be great without people.  I had to simplify the clicks in the flexviewer interface - even more.  I reduced flexviewer to two buttons(I want to and Layers) - but, kept most of the functionality with tutorials.  But I still get the questions "How do I do this, now?".  I think I've finally modified the flexviewer interface enough - for most people to trudge through with fewer complaints.

gis.macombgov.org/flexviewer2