shyonline - my site

[Shy]

http://www.shyonline.net

Thats my page. It's a repository for articles I'm writing and songs I'm recording. It only launched a few weeks ago, so there isn't too much there yet, but I'm working on it.

I'd like to develop a web-based system to update my page remotely, but my perl/CGI/whatever skills are seriously lacking. Right now, all I have is a script to add updates to the frontpage, and since I usually spell things wrong anyways, I almost always have to ftp in later to change things.

But I'm learning. Eventually I'll have the page running the way I want it to.

Until then, comments on the layout/content?

-Shy

[SBGlasby]

You have a good eye for design... and as you say.... you're learning..... that's important.....

nice concept .... nav is clean.... clear......

as for CGI-s.... there's lost of free stuff out there.... so you can remotely admin... contents.... most only ask you leave a link to them on your page....

you're off an runnning now.....

Have Fun

[spiderwoman]

I have to agree with the others. The colors are very nice and the layout is logical and easy enough to follow. The only thing I could add would be to watch out for the table width. Keep in mind that a printer will print stuff that is only 535 pixels wide. Anything beyond that will be cut off. Even images...not just the text. Also, a table much wider than that will make the browser window need horizontal scrolling no matter what the resolution....at least for me. I have a 21inch monitor and I don't much care to have a browser window wider than about 600 pixels. The layout on your site was something like over 700.

Still...you are off to a doggone good start.

Later,

Spiderwoman:cool:

[Shy]

Interesting that you agree with the others, since I'm using a new layout since I originally posted about the site!

I believe the width on my site is set at 730, intentionally for those who use 800x600 or 1024x768 browsers in fullscreen. If you're running something other than that (as you are), I imagine you know your computer well enough to work around my layout. I have no desire to decrease the width/layout to work with a 640x480 screen.

I had no idea about the 535pixel wide printing rule. I've never tried to print my site, so I find this very interesting. I'll definately have to take that into consideration if I redesign again (which may happen soon to fix a small problem with rendering on netscape 4.x)

-Shy

[SBGlasby]

Unless you want people printing your site... or the contents therof..I wouldn't worryabout the layout thing... 'specially since it's a personal site....

It's not.... can't see the forest because of the trees.....

it's more like... can't see the rose bush... next to the tree... in the forest.....

neat color seelction.... and at least you site loads all at the same time....

Loads Quick... although I understand you don't havemuch content.....

here's a tip about tables that you AND others may keep in mind when designing.....

Tables lock everything into place, and keep contents from sliding around when the browser is resized.... it also helps with a uniform look even at different resolutions.... Don't create 1 HUGE table and lock everything into it...... becasue... everything... images text... have to be in memory before cell 1 can be seen on the screen.....

I know you've seen it.... and this is what you're aiming for.... where you go to a site, you know has a lot of content.... and you see the "LOGO & possibly banners", and some links load.... then everything else comes along a few seconds later....

that's because they use a SMALLER Table at the top of each page to hold the LOGO, BANNERS, TEXT, ect... and before the body of the site loads... the "HEADER" loads.... there area also scripts out there to FORCE... the browser to load certain parts of a frame first... if you're using frames....

Why Do this..... ? so your visitor doesn't sit there staring at blank pages until everything loads.... into let's say... cell 200, this is not the case with your site".... just something to remember

nice work so far.....

[Shy]

Yeah, I guess I really don't care about people printing the site. Maybe someday I'll add printer friendly versions of all my content, but I don't think its worth worrying about.

Since I definately fit into the category of "one huge table that locks everything into place", I'm thinking about doing small redesigns to take care of that. the problem is, I think my site can be broken down into only two tables, one for the logo up top and another for the sidebar/main area. I'm no design wiz, and though I've been working with HTML for years, I don't really know any of these tricks that people use when creating more professional looking sites.

writing scripts is definately out of my league for now, though. i never knew that some sites have scripts to force browsers to load a certain way. very interesting.

-shy

[xclicks]

Shy,

Your site looks great! What caught my eye most is
that it is very clean. I would suggest you try to keep
it that way since you are planning to add a lot more
content. It is easy to get carried away when you start
to add stuff.

Ken

[MsWicked]

Shy,
I liked your site alot. Its clean and clear and has unusual but pleasant colors. The only thing I would do is try to clean up the button graphic that you use as a title on your pages.

Did I say that right? Do you have any idea what I'm talking about? It appears that you have taken the graphic you used for a button, then stretched it out to then use as a title or banner image. Its a GREAT idea and look but the pixels show a choppy edge now.

Try going into your graphics program, increase the image size then smooth the edges.

If you need some help with this, give me a shout. I'll try to help you.

wickedwebs@ameritech.net
http://wickedwebsdesign.com