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February 01, 2005
Actuarial News Just Got A Little Bit Better
Actuarial News is officially launching the new site with all new bells and whistles. The first thing you might notice is the new layout. Yes, Einstein is gone, but not forgotten. Those who were here in the beginning, will remember the good ol’ days with Super Einstein. All old articles have been stored in the new site, and can still be accessed through the search feature in the right column of the page or in the archives section.
New features include
- Actuarial Wiki - For taking and leaving exam notes
- Actuarial Radio - Listen to classical music while you work
- Submit Articles - Take part with informing the actuarial community
So, what might inspire someone to completely remodel the entire site, you ask? Well that question can be answered in three words: faster, better, and better. Actuarial News is now on a newer and faster server that will allow you, the reader, a better experience and access more tools and toys for you to play with.
The largest addition to the new site is the Actuarial News Wiki. A wiki (pronounced "wicky", "weekee", or "veekee”) is a website that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content. A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Pages can easily be reverted back to their past state if a user abuses the editing privilege and their ip address can be blocked.
The main purpose of the wiki is for leaving notes and asking questions about actuarial exams. So far, the wiki has a very basic layout, and will be growing all of the time. Please take a few minutes to contribute any knowledge you may have from Bay’s Theorem to how options are priced in financial markets. Go to http://www.actuarialnews.org/wiki and see what all the fuss is all about.
You will notice that there are two options at the top of this page that are inactive, “radio” and “submit article.” The radio will be an online radio station that can be listened to through any internet connection. When there is nothing in the actuarial interest to broadcast, the station will play nonstop classical music from all of your favorite composers. In the future we hope to be able to broadcast actuarial seminars and conferences with the permission of whoever is conducting the event. Times will be posted as these events unfold, and the expected first broadcast will be within the week.
The last issue is the "submit article" section. Do you sit at work and Google yourself, with no avail? Wouldn’t you like it if for just once, you actually had something worthwhile show up with your name on it? Well here’s your chance! If you have an event or idea that would be interesting to other actuaries, we want to hear about it. Your story can be anything from, your view point on a topic you heard discussed at a recent actuarial convention or even what happened at the company picnic. All authors that submit articles will be given full credit for their work (as one might expect), however all articles are subject to review.
We hope you enjoy the new website’s design. Please explore around the site and wiki, and take the time to understand where we are going. Check back soon, as the site will be changing in the coming weeks with the first broadcast of Actuarial News Radio in a week, and your opportunity to publish your own articles within a few days. Contribute your ideas, knowledge and time, and make Actuarial News a better resource and a better community.
Thanks,
P.S. Check back soon as we move into full swing.
Posted by Tom Troceen