Yep, Tbird's At It Again. New Home Page For 2011

[Tbird]

This is a work in progress. So if you notice some links don't work right, please post them in this thread so I can check them. Looking forward to your input.

New Home Page For HadIt.com 2011

[broncovet]

Tbird if I humbly may make a suggestion on the new home page:

IMHO there are two classes of people who would visit the hadit home page.

First, there are the seasoned hadit members, many of whom are skilled at knowing exactly where to go to find out what they need to know.

The second category is the new or first time visitors who lack basic skills such as knowing where/how to find a VSO, how to find the address of the Regional Office, (or even what a Regional Office is) how to apply for benefits etc. You know..very simple basic stuff that seasoned hadit members know.

My suggestion is that a link "Where to go if you are new" be included, where things like links to the va website, my ebenefits, locations of VSO, locations of RO's be found.

While most regular hadit readers well know, for example, well know how/where to contact their RO, I recall when I was new and had no idea of where my regional office was. I also remember my county VSO, and not knowing what a "Veterans Service Officer" was. I had no idea of knowing if my VSO was doing a good job or not. I didnt even know the VA had their own website.

I think it should be clearly on the home page where homeless Vets can go to get help...these guys may only have one or two chances to visit the library where they may be desperately seeking help..and not knowing where to turn. They may only have a half hour on the library computer, and desperately need to know where the nearest VA hospital/VSO is located...fast. They may not have time to go over pages and pages of hadit posts. They could freeze to death if they cant find help TONITE.

How do I know this? Because I was one of them...foreclosure notice in hand, and desperate to find help, not knowing where to turn. As we well know, the VA hospitals are famous for letting homeless vets slip through the cracks. Yea..maybe we could get help if we knew where to go..but we dont..and all VA hospital employees dont know either.

[tinkerertn]

Mater full job, I found it very pleasant to read and easy to access. I don't suggest things to go on anyone else's wall, but would offer to share my photobucket should you like to use any of these some serious and some funny things.

http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/dj_notimpossible/

These are all collected by me and as far as i know none are copy righted. Feel free to use anything any time. later Dave

[Tbird]

This is some excellent feedback and you are so right, I was one of those veterans also. If you could type up the questions and post them in here and have other folks add to them I can hook the questions with the answers and away we can go.

So far from your post I gather right at top of the page we should have something that says:

New Here? What To Do.

Homeless veterans or close to it where to go and what to do.

Suicidal There is help go here or call this number.

How to find a VSO and what is a VSO and why do I need one.

Where is my VA Regional Office?

What do I need to contact the VA Regional Office about.

Apply for Benefits Now, Here's How.

The VA Website and what you can find there.

and so on. Is that what you are thinking. These are just off the top of my head based on your posts. Please everyone add to this list.

Tbird if I humbly may make a suggestion on the new home page:

IMHO there are two classes of people who would visit the hadit home page.

First, there are the seasoned hadit members, many of whom are skilled at knowing exactly where to go to find out what they need to know.

The second category is the new or first time visitors who lack basic skills such as knowing where/how to find a VSO, how to find the address of the Regional Office, (or even what a Regional Office is) how to apply for benefits etc. You know..very simple basic stuff that seasoned hadit members know.

My suggestion is that a link "Where to go if you are new" be included, where things like links to the va website, my ebenefits, locations of VSO, locations of RO's be found.

While most regular hadit readers well know, for example, well know how/where to contact their RO, I recall when I was new and had no idea of where my regional office was. I also remember my county VSO, and not knowing what a "Veterans Service Officer" was. I had no idea of knowing if my VSO was doing a good job or not. I didnt even know the VA had their own website.

I think it should be clearly on the home page where homeless Vets can go to get help...these guys may only have one or two chances to visit the library where they may be desperately seeking help..and not knowing where to turn. They may only have a half hour on the library computer, and desperately need to know where the nearest VA hospital/VSO is located...fast. They may not have time to go over pages and pages of hadit posts. They could freeze to death if they cant find help TONITE.

How do I know this? Because I was one of them...foreclosure notice in hand, and desperate to find help, not knowing where to turn. As we well know, the VA hospitals are famous for letting homeless vets slip through the cracks. Yea..maybe we could get help if we knew where to go..but we dont..and all VA hospital employees dont know either.

[fanaticbooks]

Tbird,

Don't forget about the VA Hospital or a clinic. If they need to find one, where are they?

Maybe also something about understanding abbreviations....not necessarily at the top, but in there somewhere. Many will not be conversant with what RO or VSO or other terms we use regularly.

I believe you have something mentioned on the page, but when someone isn't feeling good and is new, it might help to have that easy to find also.

[stillhere]

looks great to me TBird and I don't like changes at all!9most of the time)Must be my PTSD!?

[broncovet]

Yes, Tbird,Thanks.Thats what I had in mind. In a nutshell, If I were a homeless Vet, and went to the library computer (where you only have a half hour) and went to the hadit website, I would want to be able to quickly find:

-Where to find shelter for tonite? (That is a link, possibly with a map, that shows where the VA hospitals are located)

-Where is the local VSO, or at least a phone number?

-Suicide hotline phone number

etc, etc..for new people to hadit, again, most of the seasoned pro's dont need this info...