• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Simple Critique...

J

JPS

Golden Member
I have just finished converting the majority of my site over to xhtml and css. I am no longer using any tables - period. Anyway, I have tried to account for the differences in rendering engines between the various flavors of IE, NS, Opera, and Moz/FB. If you have a newer (post v4.0) browser you should see the xhtml/css. If you are still old school, you should simply see basic pages.

Go see the site and post your results/comments here.

What I would like to know is what browser you used and how the page(s) rendered. Also, feel free to chime in with design praise/critiques.

Here is one page on the site Bulletproof Freeware

Thanks!
 
It works, but it looks funny. The menus haging off the edges of the main content box look like the page has a lopsided haircut or something. All the stuff on the right is just played out old internet crap, anyway.
 
The links looks exactly the same as ordinary text. It would be nice to be able to differentiate them.
 
Electric Amish

They are links to the various sections of freeware on that page.

notfred

Thanks for the feedback. Links on the right are simply place holders for design testing. The lopsided haircut comment has me thinking - maybe I will redeux again...

spartan

If you are seeing the xhtml/css, when you mouse over those links they should change color to green. But I see what you are saying, maybe a different color to start with or type-style emphasis.

Thanks for the comments...
 
Originally posted by: notfred
It works, but it looks funny. The menus haging off the edges of the main content box look like the page has a lopsided haircut or something. All the stuff on the right is just played out old internet crap, anyway.
Click to expand...

I agree about the menus. Maybe you can condense the menus into one menu on the left-hand side and just expand the main text box over so that it covers the space taken up by the right-hand menu. Other than that, the front page looks good. Very clean and simple. 😀
 
I like the site a lot, and I only have a few things to say:

If possible, it would be nice if the width of the site corresponded with the size of the window. It otherwise feels like there is a lot of empty space.

The slash on the links kinda bothers me.

Finally, I would put those right-hand links under the links page, and not bother having them on the main site.

Very good job, though. 😀
 
Rallispec
I get the same thing when I first laoded in IE6 - a quick refresh takes care of that. I am trying to work out kinks in the css - doen't jive right between NS/Moz and IE (so much for standards). Tell we one other thing, are the two W3C boxes outlined in blue in your IE6?

Encryptic
Thanks for the compliments. I will play with a different layout over the next few days and repost when I have a sample up. Would appreciate your feedback again when the time comes.

ClueLis
Thanks for the tips. My goal is for the site width to remain fixed. I am having some problems getting it to do so w/ 3 columns in css (never a problem with tables!). I want fixed width because uses different resolutions. Right now, at 720px, I think I have a happy medium. The other stylistic points you mentioned annoy me too - I will try something different in the next few days.

Thanks again everyone!

 
GtPrOjEcTX
Thanks for the suggestions. Honestly, I am looking for the cleanest and leanest layout I can get. I know many of my visitors are still on dialup so I am leaning away from any unnecessary graphics. My goals for this reduex of the site:

1) Ease of maintenance via xhtml and css
2) Speed of page loads
 
Rallispec
Dang it - I cannot figure out how to prevent that in IE. It is not a problem in NS/Moz or Firebird.
 
I preferred seeing the menu on the left side. There's no real reason for the preference, except that I'm more used having it on the left than the right.

Oh, as a Firebird user, and I would like to thank you for putting so much effort into making your site fully compatible for all browsers and your hosting of the Athalon builds. Did anyone find an optimization outside of making the -O1 build, or is that still the only known way to improve performence on Athalons?
 
the only thing tha tbothers me is the color blue when you do the menu rollover. Consider changing the hue or placing a different color all together cuz that blue jsut isnt working.
 
ClueLis
I am not sure if right side navigation will stay. I am playing with it and like it for the moment. Honestly, the main reason why I did it that way is that if someone with a older browser hist the page, it will degrade (i.e., no css) and they will see the content first and the navigation second. Again, a small nod towards interoperability, but a valid one at that.

As for the FB opt flags. I am not familiar enough to know one way or the other. I am pulling mine from the Mozillazine forms at the moment and DamianMoran's builds seem to be the most stable. I should have the Firebird section of the site up later today.
 
Electric Amish

They are links to the various sections of freeware on that page.
Click to expand...

No, not the links at the top. The titles of the sections where the links at the top go to. Those titles roll (at least in Firebird) and have no link info associated with them.
 
Electric Amish
I see what you mean. I have internal names/ids on the section headings so that you can click on one of the links at the top of the page and be taken down to the correct section. I can fix the link info, but the rollover will be difficult - even though they are simply anchors, they use <a> tags which are affected by any rollover stuff. Annoying for now.

[EDIT]
Electric Amish - I fixed the annoying hover think. Simple brainfart on my end about where to put my IDs! Thanks again for catching the error.
 
ALL
Thanks for the comments all.

This is the design I am going with (for now)- http://copperdog.org

I have chosen it for the following reasons:

1) It is visually appealing w/ minimal eye candy - yes I am a minimalist who hates excessive graphics and eye candy. Though I might work on a side logo for the top bar.
2) It is simple to navigate - the nav column is on the right for a reason (graceful degradation for older browsers that don't handle CSS).
3) It is easy to maintain - everything is modularized.
4) FWIW: Both columns are dynamic - they will expand vertically as more content is added. Making them fixed lengths is difficult as I don't know what will ultimately fill up either.

Now I just need to take the next few days and convert all of the articles and guides from the old site into a format for the new one layout!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top