Take a poke at Pondscaper

[==[)/\\/()==]

I would like some fresh-eye input. I recently tested my site on a dial-up and it took forever. I found a few images that I forgot to optimize and fixed them. There is also a holiday anim playing (20 secs then gone) now that normally would not be there.

It should fully come up in about 60 seconds now (still want it faster)

Note: There is kind of a lot going on at the opening page. Random content on every load include...

Top title logo, main logo message, website update background, window title, and post-it note message.

Press F5 to reload and see randomness if you like.

This is a framed site, but I am trying to implement them as pleasantly as I can for all.

http://www.pondscaper.com

[Skunkboy]

I must agree... your site takes quite some time to load on dial-up... gotta show some mercy on those of us who still dial-up through tin cans and dental floss.

I do lke the idea of chaning the look but as a dial-up user, having too many varieties can keep a slow user from coming back as the files won't be in cache.

Good to see that I didn't have to scroll all over the place to read the site.

Good use of rollovers (unlike my site oops... my bad).

If I were you, I may consider increasing font size in the menu on the left.

Nice to see links to main frame menu at both ends of text.


In your FAQ's, you may want to tighten them up a little bit. I understand a desire for space but too much white space will prevent a person from scrolling down.

Also on the FAQ... you may want to code the "back" buttoms to go to the top of the faq instead of back to the main page.

About web site - Connectivity - Good bait there :)

Intro Page... I would consider either a different font color for the website update window or different background... one not so busy... as it is, with a narrow font, its like looking through seaweed to read.

You've got sounds associated with the menu on the left but not in the main frame window? Its a simple sound... add it to the others so we know the user is still breathing.

I see the use of diagrams and drawings on pages... anything that can be used as a visual is great.

Overall... nice site. I've got a friend who has owned a house with a private pond for over 30 years... he's got it pretty much perfected but I'm sending him a link to your site.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.

[==[)/\\/()==]

Skunkboy,

thanks for the long reply.

Some quick feedback:

The FAQ back(fish) buttons should be taking you back up to the menu (I will have to look into that) and I will remove all that white space between answers. (I was actauilly trying to encourage folks to use the back button after each to return to the menu). There is mno real need for it.

I think if I lighten the update iframe background the text will be easier to read. You are right, depending on the bkg displayed the text is hard to read.


Btw all: the site route you to an IE6+ version or one for everyone else.

[talktokids]

Just wanted to let you know that your site loaded fine in IE 6 and Mozilla 0.7, but.... the left frame nav buttons didn't appear at all in Opera 7.21

[==[)/\\/()==]

Thanks for the heads up.

You were correct. I believe that is now fixed. I rerouted Opera to the simpler NS menu.

Note: I think the red menu hilite text needs changed to a more pleasant color :^)

[Croc Hunter]

Hey Davo, I love your pond.. it's huge!! Remember me telling you about my Mum building one?.. well it's done. We have two dams, but will the dog swim in them, No!, he keeps jumping into the fish ponds. Stoooopid dog.

Dunno why it's still a bit slow.. 49secs on dial-up and about 10sec on cable for me. Most surfers will only wait 15sec or so. The random titles script is pretty large. Try dropping some or all of these: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

[==[)/\\/()==]

That's a good idea. I'll do it. (edit: ok it's done)

I just never think about plain old text really slowing a page down. Compared to graphics and audio.

The holiday anim is a bit of a bog but it is just there for the xmas week for the fun of it (like the altered logo)

(feel free to send me pics of the pond :^)

[(jj)]

Quite the change :) and for the better too.

The site loaded pretty well for me (dialup), it was under a minute to totally load, but there was enough loaded before then to keep me there waiting.

Most ponders are used to having to wait anyway :D

[XJnick]

Overall the site looks great!

The one thing that looks odd to me is the text alignment on the home page (especially around the embedded text box). Also, the randomly changing picture on the home page sometimes seems to show a picture just big enough that the shadow is hitting the other text & bullets.

This is with Mozilla Firebird 0.7 in Linux

Keep up the good work :D

[==[)/\\/()==]

I have yet to view anything on firebird.

I will dl it today and start testing with it as well.

[YvetteKuhns]

My six year old enjoyed the little fishy and the sound effects. The contents are nice and the layout is nice, but I hate frames. (I saw the explanation, but I still don't like them. Messy for search engines.) I like the overall site and the pictures, but there are a few things to change.

The back button with the golden fishy snack is cute, but you may have a problem with Pepperidge Farms who owns the copyright on that product image. And the inclusion of Kermit the frog's image and audio can also be a problem, since Jim Henson sold the copyrights to Disney before his death.

This doesn't look like a commercial site, but simply an information site. But you can still get into trouble for using copyrighted materials without permission. Disney is not known for generously sharing copyrighted materials. That one should get pulled asap.

Your Resources link is where your "related" links should be. You have links to unrelated sites. Maybe you can make a separate link for unrelated resources if you insist on including them. But unrelated links will interfere with your related contents when search engines determine your ranking. But you have alot of related contents and this is not a business site, so this is entirely up to you.

The suggested books could have Amazon affiliate links and you can get some money for referring these books. Try it. Another thing I missed is your copyright info. There are people who sell pond products and may want to "borrow" your contents for their sites. Please place copyright info at the bottom of every page for your protection. Someone may even accuse you of stealing from them! I've had people copy entire web pages from my site and I archive older versions of my website. Protect yourself.

I still like the site and will recommend it for a link exchange with my client's site www.fountainsdecorandmore.com . Nice job. :)

[==[)/\\/()==]

Yvette,

great input.


Frames...like I have said here and on my 'About Site' section, if I could find a real practical layout replacement method I would change it. I just like the visual look of the menu/title staying on screen. I have added scripts to all pages that display a message pointing to the 'framed' entrance for those that get an orphaned page off a search engine.

I have tried to do things to avoid being missed out on by the engines while still using frames.

I am listed #2 (or at least first page) on Google with any general "how to build a backyard pond" type search so something is going right.....but could change in the future :^(


Copyrighting:

I have never really thought about folks stealing MY content. A copyright posting would be a good idea.

I do list material I have 'borrowed' from other sites or sources like the Pepperidge Farm cracker in my 'Credits' page. I know I am on dicey ground with some of this and am concious of it. I eventually want to have 100% original content right down to every photoraph. I am replacing content as I go with my own work.

This dilema is the main reason I have not opted for ANY form of advertising or revenue generation on the site to date. That would not be right if I am using other peoples copyrighted material on site, no matter how little.

I also use several cartoon audio clips here and there like simpsons bits which I am sure would not fly.

I really like your amazon idea! For some reason that never even occured to me :^) Although as stated above I would not feel right doing that with some of my current content present, even though it is just silly fluff thrown in for a grin here and there.


Thanks again

[XJnick]

Originally posted by ==[)/\\/()==
I have added scripts to all pages that display a message pointing to the 'framed' entrance for those that get an orphaned page off a search engine.

They don't work. I can load your pages outside of their frameset with no error message or automatic redirect taking place. There are scripts that will automatically redirect you back into the frameset, if you choose to use them.

Once again, this is Mozilla Firebird on Linux.

-Nick

[XJnick]

The following is a script I used to use:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
ok_urls = new Array();
ok_urls[1] = "http://www.mysite.com/";
ok_urls[2] = "http://mysite.com/";
// Enter all the possible web addresses that your site's frameset
// page can be accessed online, such as with and without the 'www'
function reportError(msg, url, line) {
if (url == window.location.href) {
msg = "This webpage is attempting to load from an outside source and without its navigation frames. Now loading the main site" +
"Thanks for your patience!";

alert(msg);
top.location.href = ok_urls[1];
return true;
}
}

window.onerror = reportError;

url_found = 0;
for (var i = 1; i <= ok_urls.length && !url_found; i++) {
url_found = (parent.location.href.indexOf(ok_urls[i]) == -1);
}
if (!url_found || (window == top))
top.location.href = ok_urls[1];
</script>

Hope that helps :D

[==[)/\\/()==]

This must be a Firebird issue (I dl-ed it but have yet to test with it)
So far this has worked on sytems I've tested.


For example, if I go to the link below which is directly to an internal page, the message down below is automatically printed at the top of the page. But not if it's inside the proper frameset.
the word HOME is linked to the pondscaper index page

http://www.pondscaper.com/introaboutsite.html



NOTE: this page belongs inside the website Pondscaper.com
To access it and the rest of the site click ===>HOME

[(jj)]

I use Mozilla Firebird (0.7 on Windows) and the link above did return the correct redirect back to your frameset.

[YvetteKuhns]

See how frames can cause problems? I know your contents will get you ranking, but the search engines will show the link to the main contents and some users are too lazy, stupid or in a hurry to backtrack (truncate) the url to your domain name to get to the index page. Navigation is important and frames do crazy things, though they make editing simpler.

You can try designing one page without frames, then copy and paste the contents of another page into it and resave the page. Test these pages on other browsers and how they link.

As for copyright issues, remove stuff that is not yours and show the copyright info to protect your stuff! A commercial site would love to steal your info and increase their ranking.

Amazon links for the books or possibly Barnes and Noble would possibly generate income. And you may be able to get into the Google Adsense program. Place the ad code above your pages and related products will be advertised. This may also help you.

I am itching to complete our pond(s). We may make an upper pond that runs into the big pond. We hope to put catfish in it for my dad and my son to go fishing. I also have a fountain to spray water. We had a drought one year and a flood the next, so we never completed this project. But your pictures are driving me crazy. Hopefully, we will get around to it.

[XJnick]

Hmmm... now I see it.

Maybe a little pop-up alert or some form of auto redirect would be better, as then the user must return to the frameset so they get the full benefit of the site.

Lots of people would probably miss or ignore that, and then they don't get the full experience :D

[Wyndra]

Your site is too fun! Really.
Great pics, great sense of humour, and I love the frog sounds, very educational. Can't wait to visit again.

[==[)/\\/()==]

Well thank you Wyndra :^)

That is just the experience I am shooting for! If I fail to inflict a grin or two I concider my work a failure :^)

Ya just gotta laugh some in life.