How close did we get with the mini-redesign (which we are calling "the re-redesign") of newsobserver.com that we launched last week? Check some of the new features and tell us your thoughts.

UPDATED: We're going to do this on a Wednesday, but 3 weeks from now. Too many people in the newsroom are out for the holidays...

On Wednesday afternoon, 12/16, you'll be getting an early holiday present from us.

Over the past three months, we've been looking at reader feedback on the new newsobserver.com site. From both you and our editorial staff, the answer came loud and clear: you want your newspaper site to have MORE NEWS, higher up on the page, and less whitespace.

Well, we listened. And on Wednesday, you can look forward to the following changes:

• The big auto-rotating featured story area on the home page? GONE. Will be replaced by the major news stories of the day, with all of the related content right there, listed in an easy-to-read (and click) format.
• The big brown multimedia nav bar cutting across the entire page? GONE. Well, actually just reduced, and moved into a more manageable area in the right column.
• If you liked the featured story area, and/or the multimedia bar: we're introducing an "Editor's Picks" area where the bar used to be. It will promote special content and features, in a less eye-jarring format than the multi-bar.

We've already modified the site navigation so that you're presented with the easier to use mouseover effect, giving access to the subsections in all our major content areas.

Since a picture is still worth a thousand words, here's a link to a large-scale mockup of what our new homepage will look like. Major section fronts will get a similar treatment as well.

We hope this will go a long way towards making the site what you want. Let us know how far we have come, and/or how much further we have to go.

If you are using an older web browser, by now you have seen the little popup window (well, it's not REALLY a popup window, but why split hairs) encouraging you to upgrade to the latest version of it. 

Please, oh please, do.  Especially if you are using IE6.

Why?  Well, you would not believe the manpower we in Interactive Media expend trying to make our sites look the same no matter what web browser you use to visit them. Manpower we would RATHER spend making the site easier to use, fixing real bugs, and helping the writers tell the stories they want to tell on the web.

And it's not YOUR fault.  It's the fault of the companies that build and upgrade these browsers, who periodically change the way that the browser processes a web page before displaying it on your screen.  

So support your local tech-geeks - upgrade your browser today.  And enjoy the good karma that flows into you when you do.

You had a lot to say about the new site in the first 48 hours of its life.  Here we compile the feedback and give you some answers, and as always, ask for more questions.

And a glimpse into our grand advertising plan...