Preload your images

PSNYPER — Mon, 05 Feb 2001 05:14:20 +0000

When you 'roll' your mouse over the roll over images they seem a little slow. I'm not sure if you preloaded the images that come when you roll over the origonal image, so it would be a good idea if you did that. It will make the roll over images react faster. If you did preload them... well... my bad.

Webkid16 — Sun, 04 Feb 2001 22:18:13 +0000

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The banner that I have up there isn't the one that I'm going to really use. I just put that up there so that I can have an idea of how it would look with the banner there. I still haven't made the banner yet. Can't think of anything good. When I get it up though I'll let you guys know.

p.s. Also, this is just my "test" URL. I don't have the URL of the real site yet, I'm thinking of registering one when I'm done.

http://marinedog.hypermart.net/home.html

Webkid16 — Sun, 04 Feb 2001 22:01:40 +0000

I haven't really been on the computer for a while but I just updated the site, unfortunately before I read these last few replies. Check up on the site and tell me what you think about the update. I still have some links that aren't up because he still hasn't given me the information that he wants in them. Let me know what you think of the update. I think it's more browser friendly now since it looks good in most browsers. If there's something that you see that you think I should change or put or should've never done in the site, please let me know. I'm still learning. Thanks for all your help you guys have taught me a lot about webmastering, thanks.

A few thoughts on the design

Linda — Fri, 26 Jan 2001 17:39:12 +0000

I know you don't want it to be too "plain", but too cluttered and busy is worse. Err on the side of elegance.

You've done a great thing by clearly labeling the links. A way to improve further on that is to have one set of them in actual text (not a graphic), so that people who use screenreaders can "hear" what they say. (Like you have on the secondary pages - do that on the main page as well.)

Be sure to use the keywords and description meta tags to help search engines find his site. Also have text (not graphics) on the first page that inlcudes the basic information that you want to get across ("musical instrument repair, custom painting...", for instance) since some search engines rely on that more than the keywords.

The things you have on the site now are cool, but they don't work together. Try to decide 2-3 colors and stick with them. Maybe gray and blue, with red highlights? You can use lighter/darker shades of those colors to liven things up.

Use the same edge treatment (if any) on all the photos. What I'm seeing today (1/26) is one with a bevel and one plain.

Do something graphically to make each page look like it belongs to the same site - like put the same banner across the top of every page.

Put an example of, or mention, his vehicle painting work on the main page. Until I went to the gallery page I thought he just did cool painting on musical instruments.

Here are a couple I've done that illustrate those points:
http://www.thefield.com/
http://www.uptospeed.net/cobblestone/
There's *nothing* technically amazing about either one, but they are clean and clear, and get the job done.

Have fun!
Linda Eskin
http://www.granitehillsdesign.com

Me

PSNYPER — Sat, 13 Jan 2001 22:14:02 +0000

Hey guys I mean all this age stuff... I'm only 14.

An Idea

PSNYPER — Sat, 13 Jan 2001 22:11:07 +0000

If you put a non-repeating background image it sometimes gives a page a nice look (in my oppinion). You also might try using Tables to position the text and graphics the way you want.

exbabylon — Mon, 08 Jan 2001 14:43:34 +0000

i'm planning on staying in school..

keeping my 4.0 up!

no offense was taken, Alex!

Suzanne — Mon, 08 Jan 2001 09:53:38 +0000

No, no, no! No offense was taken.

I agree with you -- there are many many people who haven't even gotten through high school yet who are extremely talented and gifted and knowledgable!

No doubt about it.

And having a degree doesn't make you somebody, everyone is a somebody. Having a degree is simply a prerequisite, a way to measure the all around aptitude of a potential employee. Many people without degrees are employed in various high level positions, but they are the shining stars, the brilliant ones.

For anyone less than number one (and face it, you can be superb and not the best, but miles above the rabble) -- having a degree can be the step up you need to get ahead of the pack.

And now I am going to stop rambling and sounding like an after-school special (Stay in School!)

All the best,

Suzanne

exbabylon — Mon, 08 Jan 2001 01:21:00 +0000

Suzanne,

I am sorry.... you are right on that. What I meant to say and come accross is that many of the sites on the web are built by teenagers (13-20 years). I know the big companies do not hire "experienced" teenagers. They hire people that have a degree, who are somebody. I only meant to say that there are many people, many young and unprofessional, that have built the sites that you and I surf daily.

Again sorry to offend, do not need to get into an arguing match.

respectfully,

Alex

PS... I'll attempt to edit!

Re: 16??

Suzanne — Mon, 08 Jan 2001 01:05:29 +0000

Quote:
And Suzanne:

I think that the stats would really suprise you. "The huge professional web development scene" is not as big as you might think. There are many people my age that build "professional" sites. Only difference is I'm not making $120,000 a year, and don't wear a suit and tie (At least not to the computer!).

Alex, all due respect, but the professional web development companies aren't the little guys. The firms out here don't hire teenagers, they hire professionals with university degrees in computer science and graphic design. They hire people who have MBAs. Not a lot of teenagers have that kind of practical business training. Period.

I think it's great that kids are getting into this field, and I have no issues with the talent that is widely apparent on this and many other boards. But the median age for this industry is not 16. No matter how many people you know that work in the field.

Oh, and I can pretty well guarantee that people working on the front end aren't making $120G either! Back-end professional computer programmers, yes. But not HTML/CSS/JavaScript folks.

Suzanne

P.S. Would you please edit your code so it doesn't make this thread scroll so damn much? Thanks!