An implementation that may not be a big deal to you has proved to be both challenging and exciting.
Websites can be fickle. Change one line of code and nine other seemingly unrelated things may begin malfunctioning. As part of the transition to the Shopify community, ClinicalPosters recently shut down the ClinicalPosters.net archive and redirected multiple domains here, to ClinicalPosters.com. During this process, it was discovered that some domains were not displaying the proper page. This has been corrected.
Documentation of under-the-hood modifications establishes milestones. During 2018, ClinicalPosters blogs were formatted to offer separate content for casual visitors and registered users. Initially, this required a short and long version of each Health article with pretty sophisticated page swapping behind the scenes. Three primary caveats prompted a new approach:
- Twice the number of pages complicates blog management—particularly when edits are necessary.
- Displaying two versions within local site search results confused some visitors about which to click.
- External links to Health articles could not account for whether or not visitors are logged in.
- Blog comments from two versions could not be merged so commenting was only available when logged in—where most full articles are.
Solving each issue, the new method adds additional content to a single page for each article when subscribers log in and subtracts content when logging out. Blogs are easier to manage and more responsive, in part due to the consolidation of server firewalls and the removal of outdated scripts.
Why Two Versions
Major Reasons
It is fair to ask, “Why require login at all?” Though not every health site does it (Medscape login), ClinicalPosters has good reasons. Logging in is an event that can trigger actions. Information on a web page can be customized to speak to you by name. Content more appropriate for medical professionals may be separated from general consumers. Portions of pages can be truncated, locked, copy-protected or displayed based on screen size. Image resolution can be reduced or blurred based on whether users are logged in or not. Browsing options can be set within a personal account portal. In short, login allows more flexible information delivery.
Content value. Identifying users allows the site to feature appropriate pages based on user interest. Abbreviated articles provide an incentive to enjoy the enhanced browsing experience. Nevertheless, all site News articles and about 30 percent of the Health articles are publicly accessible without login.
Website responsiveness. The majority of Internet users skim articles, spending less than half a minute per page. Page-load times are improved by reducing the amount of content for most visitors. Serious content consumers simply log in to access more information.
Minor Reasons
Though the ClinicalPosters’ target audience comprises adult medical professionals and patients, social media sites are popular among youths. Linked content originating from this site can be found on several social media platforms. Most require a minimum age of 13 to create accounts.
Varying by state, laws govern advertising to minors. California’s Privacy Rights for California Minors in the Digital World Act prohibits marketing or advertising certain products based on personal information specific to a minor or knowingly using, disclosing, compiling, or allowing a third party to do so. (Calif. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 22580-22582)
Barrier to mature content. There is a difference between mature content and legally obscene. This site does not have any obscene materials. The Supreme Court declared in 1973, with the case Miller v. California, that the First Amendment does not protect obscene material, and further set the standard for judicial review of obscenity.
Protecting Minors
ClinicalPosters errs on the side of caution here. Some educational materials used by medical professionals include non-vulgar anatomical nudity. This may be objectionable to some adults and minors alike. Implementing protections for minors while providing access to the medical community is an ongoing work in progress. ClinicalPosters may blur mature content whether logged in or not and are considering other options.
Legally, visitors must be at least the age of majority to use this website. The specific age varies geographically. Logging in establishes user accountability. The required Terms of Service and privacy policy are linked within the footer of every site page. Usage terms are further emphasized on pages with content considered mature by some standards. A visitor who logs in signifies compliance with such terms.
Children are becoming Internet savvy at younger ages, as parents hand smartphones and digital tablets to toddlers. A 14-month-old child was observed making repeated swiping gestures to unlock her parent’s phone. When she brought up the contact list, the father was alerted.
The ClinicalPosters goal is to provide a safe browsing experience for all visitors with minimal hassle. The recent programming for blog articles helps accomplish this and hopefully provides a foundation for customizing future newsletters.
