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Redesign of BYOAC

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saint:
So . . . with the book essentially out of the way now, once I take a few weeks off to rediscover home and family, I intend to start work on the replacement web site for BYOAC.

Now seems a good time to see if anyone wants to chime in with design ideas, likes, dislikes, etc.

Nothing formal here, just a free-flow of ideas to help steer the direction of the reborn web site.

Couple of thoughts I have, in no partticular order, and certainly not comprehensive. I'm free-associating here . . .

1. Little to no java or javascript. Too many browser dependant issues.

2. No heavy reliance on flash or other such web design methods. Fun and flashy, impressive, but slow and browser dependant issues once more.

3. Think trim and lean, without sacrificing eye appeal. Not sure if they are mutually exclusive ideas. The site will remain graphic heavy, so I want to be trim and lean as much as I can otherwise.

4. Probably mysql/php based, using CSS and dynamic html. Currently reading "HTML For The World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS" by Elizabeth Castro...

5. Iffy on the resolution to design for. I think it's hard to get it all in on anything less than 1024 x 768. However, I know that you're supposed to design for 800 x 600. Thoughts?

6. I insist on sticking to standards wherever possible, for cross-browser-platform compatility. No proprietary Internet Explorer crud. I want the site to look good in Mozilla, Netscape, IE, Opera, Konqueror, etc...

7. Toying with the idea of the news page being portable device friendly (WAP?)...

8. Looking for advice on color schemes. I'd like something that smacks somewhat of the environment we're after... blacklight carpet, flashy arcade machines, etc... while not being hard or painful on the eyes. I kind of like the Downloads page scheme for instance, but don't know that it's particularly easy on the eyes to read...

9. I want to have to do very little manual page editing. Pages built from mysql databases on the fly that can be updated online instead of with a HTML design tool or manual editing (I do a lot of that!) would be great.

10. I think frames are going to go unless someone wants to convince me otherwise.

Guess that's enough for now, let's see if this generates any feedback :)

--- saint

SirPeale:
5) Design for any resolution.  It's not hard.  My site uses tables.

8) I like the color scheme on the boards.  A similar scheme would blend well.

9) I know a package I think would work well, PM me and we'll talk about it.

10) Good!  Frames suck.

rampy:
I too know of a package that will work =)

and no it isn't http://www.postnuke.org   (although there is some merit to using that -- as witnessed on randomdrivel.com and byopvr.com )

BUT I've recently found another open source php/mysql package that is more CMS than "portal" that we are using in projects at work...  mambo

Saint, I'm not so hot on the design side ... but if you want php/mysql help customizing postnuke or Mambo I'd make my services available to you without hesitation... to pitch in and help byoac.

let me know if you'd like to some sort of tour or recommendation or ??? *Shrug*

rampy

DrewKaree:
I don't know JACK about coding a board, so this may all sound like "you effin' idiot" speak to you, but here:

Using buttons for the links to different forums.  I've seen it at other boards, seems to take up less space and give a tidier appearance to the top of the board, also, in the reply/reply w/quote area, it would standardize text size.  

If there is ANY POSSIBLE WAY to make any posted images adhere to browser resolution so that there isn't the mega-browser window I have to scroll side-to-side as well as up and down to view?

I'm not sure if this would be just butt-ugly, but a black background w/grey text isn't overly obnoxious, I've found, but as long as it isn't black on yellow, I probably won't mind whatever you decide.

Lastly, a sticky to start off the new board...re: descriptive subject lines so as to help someone help the poster.  It'd also help (IMO) eliminate SOME of the multiple-posted questions because someone didn't realize their question was asked a day/week/month ago.  I may be guilty of this myself (I haven't checked) but I've read 200+ pages on this current board and DL'd a year's worth of the archives and sifted through them and there's tons of stuff to wade through that makes me ignore the "problems: please help QUICK!!!" post and search for something relative to my problem or something I feel capable to answer to help another.

Let my flogging commence.

SirPeale:
They're not coding the board, just the arcadecontrols.com site.

As to buttons/text labels, text take up far less to transmit than buttons ever would.  It's a bandwidth thing.

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