About MDN

Starting today you will notice changes on the MDN website. A new “look and feel” for the site. The overall architecture remains the same–same menu items, same layout of where stories are located, etc. The fonts and colors and use of white space has changed, hopefully making it easier to read on your computer screen. Please note there are likely a few issues with the new site. As much as we test and review, it seems like something always slips through the cracks. So we want your feedback. Have a look around, and tell us what you like/don’t like about the new look. And if you find any problems/issues, please alert us right away. Send your comments to: jim@marcellusdrilling.com.

Also note that this is not the end, but just the beginning. We promise to “go slow,” but there will be more changes coming in the months ahead as we work to drag the MDN website into the 21st Century. Any recommendations you have for adding new features or changes, send those to Jim as well. Thanks for your patience as we work to improve the MDN-reading experience.

Jim Willis, Founder & Editor

MDN is about to get a face lift–long overdue and badly needed. When you click on a headline in the daily email to visit the site to read full stories today, you will notice the font styles have changed. That’s a temporary change. Fonts, colors and more will be changed starting next week. We have selected a new, cleaner (more modern) “theme” for the site, that will launch sometime next week.

Why the change? A variety of reasons–the biggest being that we haven’t changed the look and feel of the website since it began in 2009. MDN looks like an eight-year-old website! A lot has changed since then, most noticeably, half or more of our readers now read MDN on a smart phone (or tablet, or other non-computer device). The site needs to automatically change and respond to whatever device is being used to read it–something called “responsive design” in the business.

What will change? The overall structure will, for now, not change. We hate it when we arrive at a favorite/familiar website to see everything is rearranged, with no prior warning. That won’t happen with MDN. The same overall architecture remains, with stories on the left of the page, links to various things on the right. Same drop-down menus along the top. Basically what we are doing is giving the site a new coat of paint. The fonts will change, and the font colors will change (a darker font, to make it easier to read). Better use of white space. The date of a post, which has always been part of the post (but hard to find at the bottom) will be moved to the top, much easier to spot. Little things, basically, will be tweaked and changed to make reading full articles a more pleasant experience. At least, that’s what we hope!

We will alert you when the changes roll out. As always, we appreciate your feedback and ideas on how to make it a better site. Stay tuned for what’s coming next week!

It doesn’t happen often, but MDN editor Jim Willis will take a day off on Friday, Aug. 25, to enjoy a quick getaway with his lovely bride. Heading to beautiful Lancaster County, PA. MDN will be back on Monday bringing you all the non-fake news about the Marcellus/Utica that’s fit to electronically print.

It’s time for a quick getaway to the beach for MDN editor Jim Willis and his lovely bride. MDN will not be published on Friday, but will return on Monday, July 17. Jim is heading to the Jersey shore to “beach” himself, like Chris Christie, enjoying the ocean view. However, Jim won’t be privately lounging in a closed state park, like a certain governor recently did (and then lied about).

As we have in previous years, MDN will not publish tomorrow (Friday) in observance of Good Friday and the Easter holiday. We hope you enjoy this blessed time of year! We’ll be back on Monday to catch you up on any stories breaking on Friday.

– Jim Willis, Editor

Dear MDN Reader:

Since it is a stock exchange holiday, and to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., MDN is taking today off, Monday, Jan. 16. We are sending along an updated calendar of events relevant to the Marcellus/Utica for the next 90 days. Full strength MDN will return Tuesday!

Jim Willis, Editor

Each weekday Marcellus Drilling News locates and shares news from the Marcellus and Utica Shale. Over 50,000 people read MDN each month. Here is a summary of the top 10 most-read stories on MDN for all of 2016. We hope this will give you insight into what stories captured the interest of those in the industry, and landowners as well. Let’s do this David Letterman Top 10 style…
Read More “Top 10 MDN Stories for 2016 – Can You Guess Most Popular Topics? [Free]”

MDN editor Jim Willis wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We expect most folks will take off next Monday as a holiday. In a rarity, MDN will not publish next week and will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Don’t worry! If any earth-shattering news hits, we’ll return to cover it. Just taking a few days of R&R and thinking about a few changes coming to MDN for 2017. Stay tuned, you won’t be disappointed!

Jim Willis

Marcellus Drilling News typically takes Thanksgiving and the day after off. This year we will add Wednesday to the mix, so no daily MDN this Wednesday through Friday. We will be sure to keep an eye on the news and if there is anything earth-shattering, we will bring you that news. Otherwise, we’ll see you next Monday. Have a great Thanksgiving! – Jim Willis, editor