Changes, changes | Publisher's Note

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying that “the only constant is change.” The same holds true with the Federal Way Mirror.

In the next few weeks we will be unveiling three new changes that affect this newspaper and its digital presence.

First, our web presence is tired and antiquated. While it has served us well to this point, it’s locked in a time when the majority of our traffic was desktop-oriented. Our mobile presence for cell phones and some tablets display a stripped-down version of the site that is nothing like the desktop version. At one point we even had an app that further complicated the issue.

But our traffic has shifted significantly since then. Today, 57 percent of the traffic to our site is from a mobile device and only 43 percent is from a traditional desktop browser. Starting Monday, when you log on to federalwaymirror.com, you’ll see a clean, fresh application that’s indifferent to the platform it’s being viewed on. The Mirror’s site will display exactly the same whether it’s viewed from a tablet, a desktop or a mobile phone. It will introduce pages that are displayed in their entirety without needing to browse back and forth; it will feature a simpler, more cohesive advertising platform that is less intrusive to the reader; and it will introduce a menu system that’s consistent with today’s web browsing.

The site will also include a new audience-participation platform for the comments section. Using a program called Civil Comments will allow the Mirror to have peer-reviewed comments, which will hopefully result in a more refined comments section.

The website will not be updated during the Oct. 28-30 changeover to the new site, but make sure to check out www.federalwaymirror.com this Monday, Oct. 31. You will be treated to a sleeker, modern Mirror website, and I think you’ll really like what you see.

Second, we will be launching a new weekly feature: Athlete of the Week. Each week, the Mirror will pick a male and female athlete for this award by utilizing a criteria-based system that rewards athletes on their current week’s performance as well as their leadership, sportsmanship, teamwork and attitude. The winner, who must play in a varsity letter-accredited sport (as defined by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association), will be picked from the four public Federal Way high schools and a private school, Christian Faith. Each winner will be announced in the Mirror, awarded a certificate and given gifts from area merchants.

Lastly, we will be starting a weekly Game Zone page that a number of readers have requested. This page will feature a crossword puzzle, Sudoku and a word search. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of hot coffee and enjoy your award-winning local news and now some games.