Some opinions needed

[selenay]

I've been doing some fiddling around with the layout on The Haven. The full thing hasn't gone live, but I have put up an experimental version of one of the main fiction indexes to give an idea of what I'm doing. It can be found here and looks fairly good on my machine. Not sure what anyone else things, which is where the f-list may come in. Would anyone care to take a look and give me a bit of feedback? All the links work, linking back to the original pages, except for the link to "Dinner at Eight" - that fic has been updated with the new styles, too.

So if anyone would care to take a look, tell me what you think and also whether there are any problems (stuff not displaying, funky things) that would be marvellous. I've played with lots of CSS for this and I'd be interested to know whether it works for people using a different set-up from me - I've tested with Windows XP running IE6 and Firefox, but that's the limit of my testing options.

Squeeage on 'Sanctuary' will follow at the weekend. Yes, Rodney, you really aren't jealous *snicker*

Comments

[alphekka-alpha.livejournal.com]

I preferred the index02 ( the 'go back to' index) to exp_index01. This is because I don't have 20:20 vision. I find large blocks of italic script a bit of a strain on 'medium' text size because the diagonal lines are stepped. It's okay on 'larger' though. I also prefer the left justification because I only have a large white open space on one side. On both sides, it's like having snow-blindness. {g}

Hope that's helpful? Eek.

On the plus side, I read 'Just Because He Could' and 'Not Such a Bad Day', both of which I enjoyed. They leave the reader with a nice warm feeling inside. {beam}

[selenay]

That was helpful :-) It gave me some things to consider for the final design, particularly regarding fonts, and that's important. The left justification on the old index probably can't stay - I've been trying to find a way to improve the navigation and putting in a left-hand sidebar is the best solution I've found. Putting in a right-hand navbar just...er...didn't work. On the techy side, anyway. And keeping the navigation at the bottom of the page makes it difficult for anyone to find it.

I may see whether I can put in alternate style sheets with a different background colour. Unfortunately, Microcrap doesn't support those. Darn it. Firefox does, but Internet Explorer is what the majority of people still use. Bleh.

On the plus side, I read 'Just Because He Could' and 'Not Such a Bad Day', both of which I enjoyed. They leave the reader with a nice warm feeling inside. {beam}

*g* Thank you :-) They left me with a nice fuzzy feeling inside when I wrote them, so I'm glad they worked for the reader too.

[paranoidangel]

I had a look at it in Opera and Netscape 6.2 (which is the most recent version that works on my computer) and it looks fine in all of them. The text is the right size, which is my big issue.

It was only when I opened it in the other browsers that I realised why some of the links on the left were light blue and some were dark blue - the light blue ones were the ones I've been to. I noticed you don't have Haven's Gate on that list - I was wondering where you were planning to put it when you're not on the Haven's Gate page?

I like that the links are bigger, actually. Those little ones at the bottom are quite fiddly (not that I use them much, mind you). The only thing I didn't like was the links going italic, as well as red. I can't tell you why though, I think it's purely a personal thing.

On an entirely other note, I do like your 404 page. And I do have more reviews for you, I just haven't managed to have time and brain at the same time yet.

[selenay]

I had a look at it in Opera and Netscape 6.2 (which is the most recent version that works on my computer) and it looks fine in all of them.

Yay! The techy stuff works!

The text is the right size, which is my big issue.

Mine too. Which is why, whether I go serif or non-serif on the fonts, it's staying at a reasonable size and re-sizable for those (like me) who run their browsers on larger settings.

I was wondering where you were planning to put it when you're not on the Haven's Gate page?

I'm still trying to make a decision there. It will either go above or below the fanfic reviews button and I'll probably put the link on the Haven's Gate page so that the navbar is consitent throughout the site. I'm just trying to work out whether I want the current fanfic to appear above or below the reviews - they're equally popular (the two most visited pages on the site after the home page) and it's down to how vain I want to be :-) The rest of the navbar is set in that format, a mixture of web conventions and popularity of sections.

Those little ones at the bottom are quite fiddly (not that I use them much, mind you).

That's one of the big things that I wanted to change on this upgrade :-) They've been tiny links at the bottom for years because I don't like frames, didn't want to put entire pages into tables and didn't know any other ways to create a sidebar. CSS is truly wonderful :-)

I can't tell you why though, I think it's purely a personal thing.

*g* So much of it is.

On an entirely other note, I do like your 404 page.

Thanks :-) I've been considering tampering with it slightly to make it more readable but I do like having a pretty picture there *g* Yet another thing to think about!

. And I do have more reviews for you, I just haven't managed to have time and brain at the same time yet.

Thanks, hon *g* I...er...haven't had time to write any reviews yet this month and the review update may be sacrificed to getting the site upgrade finalised. I'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll have a fic-reading frenzy this week and put up dozens of reviews next weekend...

[paranoidangel]

didn't know any other ways to create a sidebar.

Tables?

the review update may be sacrificed to getting the site upgrade finalised

That's good - no rush for me then.

Maybe I'll have a fic-reading frenzy this week and put up dozens of reviews next weekend

Not that I've read much recently, but it's not the fic reading that's the problem. I have a load sitting in a 'reviews' folder in my bookmarks. Annoyingly though, some of them have been there a while, so need re-reading.

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

It looks nice, hun. :-))) Can't wait to view the ep of Atlantis tonight(the second part to the Storm), but I'm dreading Gemini because of that shippy and stupid!Sam crap. :-( I'm wondering though...what's Sanctuary got that makes Rodney jealous? I'm a little out of the loop on Atl, sadly.

Re: Gemini

[alphekka-alpha.livejournal.com]

.
I feel a rant coming on.

Prolly at least a 9 on the Richter scale...
--

Re: Gemini

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

Rant on my part(done) or yours? Hmmm. ;-)
::goes to read Alph's page::

[selenay]

It looks nice, hun. :-)))

Thank you :-)

Can't wait to view the ep of Atlantis tonight(the second part to the Storm)

So, how was it? *g*

but I'm dreading Gemini because of that shippy and stupid!Sam crap

I'm still trying to make up my mind. Having an entire ep focused around Sam (two Sams!) was good. Unfortunately, the SG talent for writing Sam came to the fore :-( Damn them.

I'm wondering though...what's Sanctuary got that makes Rodney jealous? I'm a little out of the loop on Atl, sadly.

Are you sure that you wanna be spoiled? *eg*

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

So, how was it? *g*

I didn't look, but I think it was called The Eye? Anyway, I liked it. The guy who played the leader of the J'nai(or however you spell it) terrorist group...damn my brain, I can't remember his name or his character's name...used to play a good guy on a show here called Profiler. It was the only time I'd seen the actor play a good guy. I miss that. Anyway, Rodney cracked me up, being just *Rodney* and Shep was cool. I loved Teyla. She's so v. cool. I kept wondering just how fed up the actors, David H. and Torri H., got having to put up with all that water. Would've drove me nuts. *g* The men were probably wishing it was Teyla instead of Weir, but then they'd've been denied that creative knife fight. ;-p Overall, I really don't have a lot to say about the ep other than I liked it. I don't know why some folks don't like Atlantis. I'm finding it more interesting every day. Too bad I don't have caps :-( or I'd add Atlantis to my site and make wallpapers. Ah well. Maybe next year. ;-)


And Sam...I agree. I liked having an ep about her -- and two of her ;-) -- but the writing of Sam, not Replicator Sam, was so lame it made my teeth hurt grinding them. At least she was written to know she'd screwed up.


Are you sure that you wanna be spoiled? *eg*


I'm not one who minds being spoiled, hun. ;-) I suppose I can always go read about the ep but reviews don't really tell me anything, esp. when most are ship-oriented. Blech.