Megan — Fri, 30 May 2003 14:13:00 +0000

Hey, I just realized that I haven't reviewed this yet. I haven't read all the comments in this thread, so forgive me if I'm repeating anything. I understand the look and feel that you're trying to accomplish here, but I think you could use some refinements.

Firstly, your graphics could use some work. The left sidebar would look a lot better if all of the text was done in the same font size and style ("site map" and "what's new" are slightly smaller, right? It's not just me?). For the page header, try looking for a different font. Something in an old english style would be appropriate, and would add interest to the site. Also make the text a bit smaller, and try doing something different with the edges of that graphic. Another idea would be to have that graphic stretch all the way across the page (not sure what would be the best way to do this, but it would provide a more solid foundation for the rest of the layout).

On the "stacks" page, the text is really hard to read against those blue books - those should be lightened up in some way so it's moe readable.

I am encountering a lot of horizontal scrolling here, and I'm also finding myself getting lost and confused quite often. Something needs to be done about all these ad banners and such. Remove anything that's not absolutely necessary and/or content specific.

MrBaldwin — Fri, 30 May 2003 09:13:07 +0000

At one time the entire site was blue with white text, which, for me was easier on my eyes than a white screen (I get up very early in the wee dark hours of the morning to work on lesson plans and grad school work, check my e-mail first thing, and the brightness of many white sites is blinding), but others complained that they could not read it.
Alas, it seems that there is no way to please everyone!

ROB — Fri, 30 May 2003 03:30:03 +0000

this logo is WAAAAAAAAAY TOO BIG! I thnk this one looks much nicer anyway, and i love blue. I think you should use the blue logo and incorporate the blue into your navigation.

MrBaldwin — Fri, 30 May 2003 02:20:45 +0000

Actually, the nav bars are photos of books from my own collection. I think they are hard to recognize in that size, now, but, I had larger books, vertically oriented and received comments that it was unwieldy, taking up too much space.
The logo is from another photo from the same collection and the background is intended to represent parchment or old paper, too.
the wood is an interesting concept to which I will have to give more thought.
thanks

tony

How about a wood finish

cader — Thu, 29 May 2003 18:37:35 +0000

If you need a library effect how about a wood finish on the web Site .
or a book effect..

the site has to be more profecianal and jazzy pictures

Shareek

JustLurkin — Thu, 29 May 2003 00:11:25 +0000

One of the best ways to deal with rendering differences in various browsers is to validate your HTML: http://validator.w3.org/. Browsers definitely have a few quirks when rendering valid markup, but it is nearly impossible to predict how your page will be displayed when different error handlers come into play. One browser might guess right, another might not.

I’ll bet that most visitors would prefer a line length and font similar to those on your What’s New page; its much, much more readable than your home page. Please lose the adds below your top banners; they pull eye focus away from your content text.

MrBaldwin — Wed, 28 May 2003 22:10:12 +0000

The What's new page is a Tripod blog, over which I have little control. It works to post a what's new column.
You must be viewing at 800x600 or something.
All of the pages that have been updated are consistent, now. The stacks await next weekend, likely, to be completely updated to reflect the changes on the others. They have the blue logo (the site was once all blue with white text), still, but that will change soon.

Thanks for the advice about tables, I have had some troubles manipulating them, most of which I seem to have overcome, but, what the heck. Mostly issues with different rendering in differen browsers. I write my pages in code and mostly use Mozilla or Netscrape myself, then find that they look silly in IE.
I've seen some very complex layouts with many tables within tables that I would never attempt to write in code. those folks seem to be using templates and css. I need to learn css, I think.

Anyway, you gotta admit, teh site is getting better. And, I am but an English teacher who has only owned a computer for about two and a half years.
I'll get there!

Thanks,

tony

disaster-master — Wed, 28 May 2003 03:12:43 +0000

In IE and Opera there is about a 170 pixel horizontal scroll. Looks like the email login box at the top right may be causing most of that. What you could do is move the email login below your nav on the left. I would also move the edubanner down below the main content but that is just my preference. I dislike banners when they get in the way of content.

On the contact page, the image and text are not visible unless you scroll to the right. About a 340 pixel horizontal scroll there. Teachers page has this huge scroll too.As a matter of fact, all of the pages have varrying degrees of horizontal scrolls.

On the what's new page, the background has a break in it.

If you are having trouble with tables, find one of Busys posts and follow the link to his EZHTML site. He has some good tutorials there.

I noticed on some pages, the logo banner has a blue tint to it instead of the brown color. You should try and make all of your pages consistent (including the navigation- it should be the same on every page)

Keep tweeking.

MrBaldwin — Wed, 28 May 2003 02:07:35 +0000

Okay,
I made a template with a navbar down the left, pretty typical, and I have been replacing pages. the entire tech-tools (software) section has been redone and other major pages. I have not redone the 7 stacks pages, but they are likely to get done this weekend or next week. It looks very typical, very standard, now. I have removed a lot of clutter, as mentioned above, as well.
I have also checked it out in all major browsers, except Opera (I have konqueror, galeon, mozilla, and netscape on my Linux boxes and Safari, Netscape and Internet Exploiter on my Mac).
Personally, I think it looks good, if not trite.
I don't think any of the previous complaints should now apply, but stop in and let me know what you think, please.

Tony

MrBaldwin — Mon, 26 May 2003 04:01:22 +0000

Oh,
I wanted to address an earlier comment.
My site has a nostalgic look and fee becuase that is what I wanted it to have.
I do feel that it reflects a "library atmosphere".
I suppose some people would rather have flashy colors and bells and whistles, but my site is for academicians and tech admins, like myself, who are less interested in flashy looks and more interested in information.
I make no apologies for various aspects that some seem to find less than perfectly aesthetic. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.
I like the way my site looks.

I did hear your comments on navigation issues and page layouts. The clutter had to go, for sure, but as far as the look and feel: it stays.

tony