Site Changes In Detail

MSE_Martin

There have been a host of changes to the site

i. Categorised Articles: The articles section has been divided into categories to make things easier to find.

ii. The Green Bar There is a new navigation bar on the front of the site, which links to the categorised articles.

iii. Chat Forum has menu bar the Chat Forum now has the main site menu bar at the left hand of the page. This is to aid navigation to the main site. Currently it is a little too wide and leads too big a margin, in the next stage that will be tweaked.

iv. Page width The Home page and Chat Forum pages are now 'stretchy' which means if you expand the window you are looking at the site on, you will be able to get more text.

v. More front page articles: The behind the scene tool which controls the front page has been changed, so i may now add many more articles in the latest articles section.

vi. Return of the quick drop menu At the top of every page there is now (again) a quick drop menu to help you speedily zip from section to section.

vii. Site Search Improved If you choose to search the main site, you can now use phrases in speech marks for a more accurate search. Further improvements to the search are planned for the next stage.


Things to come include
i. Chat Forum Reorganisation: Changing round some of the boards, so it makes more sense
ii. E-mail sign up page. A page to sign up for the email that can be linked too, plus an FAQ on what to do if you're not getting the email
iii. Navigation to each page. A smaller version of the green bar will be added to every page of the site to help people move around more quickly
iv. FIlling in the margin. Once the left hand margin in chat has been shrunk, it will be filled in with relevant links and design to be more aethetically pleasing
v. The Stamp: A 'free to use, free of advertising stamp' will be added to the front page.

And lots more.....

Any feedback on current changes or suggestions for new improvements welcome.



Let me know what you think

martin

tru

Page width The Home page and Chat Forum pages are now 'stretchy' which means if you expand the window you are looking at the site on, you will be able to get more text.

???  Do you mean maximise the page from the top left of IE?

MARTIN ANSWERING WITHIN POST: Yes.  If you maximise the size of the window so it fills the whole screen you will see more.  It also means those with big monitors will be able to see lots of text in one go.

TROO ANSWERING WITHIN POST AS WELL ;D OK thanks, I already do that. Time to buy a 17" monitor, I was going to get one soon anyway, good excuse to buy one now ;D

Tony_H_3

Current change iii the new menu bar within the chat forum, have you considered using encapsulated java to make this floating so that it slides down the page as you are reading the replies. If a visitor needs to use the menu system it will always be directly to thier left as apposed to being fixed at the top of the page?

Tony_H_3

I've just carried out a quick test using a script from "Dynamic Drive" and it would take just a few minutes to alter the code to fit in with the sites proportions and sizings, look's quite nice actually. I will upload an example later if you would like to see this in action.

Tony_H_3

I have uploaded an example to my server and it can be viewed here: Click Here To View The Sliding Menu Example.

MSE_Martin

It's a bit strange but quite cute. What do others think. I will send brendan a copy for when he returns from hols

tru

I like it

Tony, I've PMed you.

Tony_H_3

Thank-you for that Troo, what a true buddy you are ::)

trafalgar_2

Like the idea a lot but only if it doesn't jerk.................presumably that's because it's only an example :-/

Because if it jerled when you scroll up and down fast it would drive you nuts ;D

Tony_H_3

That an interesting comment, I have seen these used on several sites where there is a need and they all operate in the same "Jerky" way It's just how the script works. I guess the theory behind it is to be functional, eg you wont be watching the menu as such, but it will just be there if you need to use it. Macromedia Flash would create a smooth menu, but it would consume too many resources.

Glad

I love it tony

I've already used the menu more because it is on the page, this would just make it easier ;D