Slow going on Food Network website
What is it with Food Network's website? Is it just MY computer or is it a super-slow loading site? I don't even get on it anymore because it takes forever to pull anything up. It all started when they changed their website about a year or so ago. Before that, it was fine, I visited it every day and it loaded and pulled up recipes normally. But with their newer site, it has been a test of my patience every time! I don't have this problem with other sites. Any ideas on what the problem might be? And, by the way, I liked their old format MUCH better--it was lots more navigable IMHO.
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36 Comments:
I agree, new site horribly slow, loading way too much base content that is NEVER used. I will wade in for specific recipes, but generic food browsing I head to other sites.
LWPeterson at 2:05AM on 03/17/09
I'm particularly annoyed by the videos that play automatically. And they've managed to make everything harder to find.
dbcurrie at 2:15AM on 03/17/09
I get the schedule from the local listings in the online paper. I get the gossip from Food Network Addict and Charm City's blog. I get discussion topics on Serious Eats Talk. I've got a recipe bookmark list a mile long.
I haven't spent enough time lately on Food Network's site to even find out why it's so offputting.
My TV is usually set on Food Network. My computer never is.
Nursie at 3:00AM on 03/17/09
Ditto dbcurrie! The frustation is usually not worth it anymore for me.
Karencooks at 4:02AM on 03/17/09
I will not pull it up anymore because when they changed it everything went slow with me too.
pjracz10 at 7:04AM on 03/17/09
I thought it was just my computer. Very frustrating, very un-user-friendly. Haven't you noticed, though, that most of the time when a site "updates" or "improves" it becomes slolwer and more frustrating to use. Doesn't anybody check these things out before they unleash them?
Bhdancegirl at 7:15AM on 03/17/09
Same here! I never use it anymore.
nosillak at 8:10AM on 03/17/09
I was actually experiencing this same frustration last night. I was looking up recipes for blondies and snickerdoodle blondies (thanks to another topic from this site!!), and I thought I was going to lose my ever loving mind waiting for that stinkin' site to load all of its useless junk. However, I noticed similar issues with allrecipes, so I guess I'll soon be starting the hunt for more obscure recipe websites!
mollykate678 at 8:37AM on 03/17/09
I never bother with their site anymore because I can't stand the slow loading. It's as if their site converts your internet connection back to dial-up. Very frustrating and amateurish.
laurelie at 8:59AM on 03/17/09
Ditto 100% with everything everyone else has posted. (I'm happy to hear that it's not just my computer.) I even emailed the Network with all these complaints and the only response I got was to thank me for contacting them and to say they would forward my message to the proper dept. Big deal - like THAT'S going to matter. How I wish we still had their old website. Why do so many things have to be "new and improved" so many times? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
carol1a at 9:28AM on 03/17/09
Whew! I'm glad it's not just MY computer! Thanks for letting me know, guys. That really sucks that they don't even seems to care or even get it. I, too, had emailed them about it (and I'm guessing scores of other people have too) and got the same email you got Carol1a. What a load! It just really frustrates me, because their site used to be REALLY good. I agree with Bhdancegirl about when sites are "updated" they frequently are slower loading and filled with useless stuff you don't want. I'm thinking advertising revenues . . .
gourmetgal at 10:03AM on 03/17/09
Do you know what's worse than the FN website on your computer? Trying to get it on your blackberry! Ugh. With the old website, I could find the recipe on my bb in the grocery store to figure out what I might be missing. Now, the search tool for a handheld device is so specific, it won't ever give me the recipe I'm looking for. Example: Last week, Giada made Italian donuts using pate a choux. Later that day, I wasn't home and I couldn't remember what they were called exactly, so I searched various things mixing "pate a choux" with "donuts" or "giada" or "lemon". I got nothing! It was horrible. I get so pissed off that I google the recipe and find it quicker.
meem21 at 11:30AM on 03/17/09
I hate searching for anything there anymore. Now I only use it to find a specific recipe if I see one that I think I might like on a show. I've also noticed in the last week that the box that pops up when I save a recipe doesn't let me pick which folder to put the recipe in. Very frustrating. I don't like the re-design at all. It needs to be more user-friendly. But I am glad they don't have pop-outs to coupons for specific ingredients like some other sites do. I'd rather have slow than annoying pop-outs. I usually plug in the recipe I want, hit search and go do something else while the site slogs through the mud.
CooksForOne at 12:03PM on 03/17/09
I agree with all of you, I can't stand the site anymore.
I like browsing through recipes to get meal ideas and their pages take way too long it's not worth the frustration. There's way too much going on, if you do a fairly specific search you still end up with recipes that aren't relevant, it's not good.
bobcatsteph3 at 12:23PM on 03/17/09
The new FN website is TERRIBLE- I agree. To the point that I avoid it at all costs. It's so bad that it never loads on one of my computers- just freezes the system everytime so that I have to reboot. I'm not sure what FN is trying to accomplish, but someone should tell them that they need to cut back on the superfluous content.
jammin83 at 12:35PM on 03/17/09
Theres really only one recipe site for me and loads quickly everytime and you know I have noticed there are recipes on this site that I have seen on Emril and other various FN shows which just tells me my site is best if there going there for recipes. it is called .................drumroll.....................
http://fooddownunder.com/
they have it all including every country on earth
Manaeguy at 1:07PM on 03/17/09
I don't even bother with it anymore, it's not worth the trouble....
chilimama at 1:30PM on 03/17/09
There is a FN add on this page as I type. It is prompting me to click on what appears to be a big vitamin in the hand of Ellie Krieger. She's dying to tell me which fruit will help me lose the most weight. Too funny.
I thought the old site was horribly frustrating. I've only been on the new one once or twice and wasn't impressed by it. I rarely go there for information just because of my experiences with the old site.
AuntJone at 1:33PM on 03/17/09
Okay, so I'm watching the network right now and laughing to myself after having seen a spot highlighting their "award winning website," or some other positive description. I can't even believe that!!!
mollykate678 at 3:49PM on 03/17/09
i think the videos definitely ruin everything -- people with slow connections are stalled by the auto-playing videos, and people with fast connections are just annoyed by them. it's incredibly frustrating to try and quickly sift through recipes when you have to stop a video from playing every time you switch pages.
megannesta at 3:55PM on 03/17/09
Ya, that site is uber, maddeningly slow. I used it alot when they had the "now showing" feature on the home page. Somebody cooking something really great the show? Print the recipe right then for future use. Now, you have to search through several screens to find a show you are watching. AND you could get to the site by just typing food.com. They've sold off that name recently and I have to type the whole darn site name. FN webmasters: are you listening???
lambowner at 6:11PM on 03/17/09
I agree with everything above...the new site is slow and terribly designed in many ways. I have sent FN feedback on what I don't like about the site in hopes that they will make some changes and fast. I suggest you all do the same (http://www.foodnetwork.com/contact-us/package/index.html)
I have been involved with some popular, high traffic, websites in my career and in my experience consistent and negative feedback is a good way to expedite change.
GrimChef at 6:46PM on 03/17/09
Geez - I can understand the response time loading issues. That could be everything from the server hosting the site, to bandwidth issues or even how the site was designed and engineered. Even though I understand the issue doesn't mean I tolerate it. These are very manageable issues and website performance load testing is a standard practice.
I've also found the new site to be way too complicated to navigate. You shouldn't have to stare at a site for more than a few seconds to find the links you need to navigate.
So maybe they should have a little competition 'The Next Food Network CIO' .
Ribster at 9:24PM on 03/17/09
I feel that sometimes people see someone like Alice Waters and they are outraged by what they themselves are currently unable to do. Yes this is a terrible time for people. However, people are not making the connection between the huge corporation greed and bad food. They are not making the connection between preservatives and chemicals that are put into the foods and then wide spread illness like diabetes, cancer, and obesity. They are unable to see that everyday they make "easy" food and shopping decisions that help to feed huge corporations who then poison them . That seems extreme, but I'm sure that some of these people who are complaining here about Alice's philosophy would rather shop at walmart or, target, or some fast food franchise than shop at a local farmer market. Well Alice makes it look glamourous, but shopping at walmart is a glamorous easy experience that is bringing america to its knees. Local farming is not glamorous, shopping at the market is not glamorous. Digging into your yard with some seeds that turn into food is important and actually you will save lots of money. As for time, turn off the television and make the time to do something smart, important and rewarding. Stop eating sh.. and feeding it to your families. That is what she is saying. Go to the market and buy things that are in season. Its cheaper.
tweety at 10:41AM on 03/18/09
I have a very fast connection, and I still find that site to be impossibly slow to load, and the constant videos for everything are very annoying. I also don't bother with it any more. Anything I would find there I can find easier somewhere else.
deetroitMI at 10:55AM on 03/18/09
@ tweety...WTF
GrimChef at 12:37PM on 03/18/09
I seem to think, beyond the slowness, that they may have changed the software that runs their search engines. It's not nearly as effective, and it ever more frustrating because the first few recipes that inevitably pop up are barely related 'ad' recipes that are sponsored by some processed food schilling web site.
blarghity blargh blargh.
BananaMonkey at 3:20PM on 03/18/09
Ditto to: 'CooksForOne', about the box that pops up when you're trying to, Save a Recipe, to a particular folder!! I thought the forever slow downloading was my computer too. Then I read posts on FN's own web site about the same problem I was having, so thought it was just Progress on FN's site........hah! I resent being unable to save my recipes to a specific folder. I have not experienced the slowness with AllRecipes.com site though? yet....
dixiesue
dixiesue at 4:13PM on 03/18/09
@tweety -- did you get on the wrong post?
gourmetgal at 12:06AM on 03/19/09
The FN search engine seems to have gotten worse as well, and have pretty much abandonned looking up recipes on FN unless I know it was a certain chef (and I say chef, not talking head). And that seems to be the best way to make it work, search by tv show host, not recipe or ingredient. Stupid, but reinforcing their mission that its all about the host and not about the cooking. There are so many better resources now online anyway...why bother?
spiceweasel at 9:24AM on 03/19/09
Dread going there...used their old site all the time. Just like new and improved everything it sadly lacks.
bessfour at 5:09PM on 03/19/09
It is revoltingly slow! Not only that it's not that interesting. I do use it for recipe searches occasionally. I don't loathe it nearly as much as I loathe, say that Paula woman, or that Ingrid person or that Ellie person or even that Flay guy come to think of it....
Pointy at 5:22PM on 03/19/09
You know, maybe it's just my mood today, its all making me sad. I used to love watching the Food Network, it was a little bright spot in my evenings, loved seeing my favorite shows and trying out new stuff in my kitchen on weekends. I see what I write here and what other people are saying and now FN is just something to make fun of. Food Network is killing my love of cooking. There. I said it.
spiceweasel at 11:06AM on 03/20/09
TVFN has applied the same technique to their website as they did their network - they ruined it.
therealchiffonade at 10:02PM on 03/21/09
I have felt much disappointment since they switched to this "new website format"....hate it. Clicking onto any of the morning/daytime/evening/prime time is exasperating as heck. Prime time is there when you log in but try to bring up any of the other choices, forget it. Takes forever and ever.
It seems sending them comments on it does no good at all. When they first changed to this format I sent a complaint, that was a months ago, just sent another today. Then I found the serious eats site and realized I was not alone in my frustrations.
wayjo at 11:04AM on 04/05/09
Thank you to all of the above. I too thought it was my computer and I just got a new one for school. I agree with those video's, they are very annoying.
chardonnay at 11:17AM on 04/05/09