www.carbonize.co.uk/Test

carbonize · #1 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 02:32 AM

Ok I've almost finished writing the new layout for my site and converting the content to XHTML 1.1 so I am offering it up for criticism. All links should work except the C++ tutorial. I know there is an XHTML error with the stats but that is because they are pulled from SQL and formatted for the old layout, that will be fixed before the site goes live.

www.carbonize.co.uk/Test.

Thank you for your time ahead of insulting my work :D

nickc · #2 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 11:47 AM

Tested in IE6 56k modem 800x600. Loads nice and fast. Not sure what the Sex Glossary and Phobias pages are doing on the site. Needs a bit more content. Otherwise, a very nice design. Good luck with it.

Nick

EarthFire · #3 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 02:12 PM

Hi Carbonize,

Thought your website was really good - clean, crisp, and organised layout. The only 2 things I can possibly mention is that there doesn't seem to be any way of contacting you (besides the guestbook) and also the font may be a little bit hard to read for some visitors. Not sure I'd like to read lots of text in that font - but, hey! that's a personal opinion.

Good work!

Would you mind taking a peek at my site for a review?

Cheers,

Heather

voodooboy · #4 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 03:09 PM

Clean site carbonize. One question though:

Wouldn't it be better to have one link to the tutorials instead of three or four?

Just a thought.

Best of luck.

carbonize · #5 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 03:32 PM

ghstdrgnsIt would but the C and C++ tutorials are so vast they really needed a section of their own. I included them in Tutorials section just for padding as the page looked a little bare. I try to keep with the rule of thumb that any page should be accessible within two clicks.

nickc variety is the spice of life. My site has been made over the course of a couple of years and consists of whatever crossed my mind at the time. I'm glad it loaded fast on dial up as I was after a speedier site.

EarthFire eventually I will have a contact me link at the bottom of the page as I currently have on the current layout. I may also add the contact me link onto the main menu. As for the too much text comment I will try and break up pages where the text is vast by using different colours and fonts.

My thanks for your feedback. It has all been taken on board.

EJRS.COM · #6 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 03:54 PM

Please correct the error here: Advertisment > Advertisement

I like the colors you have on yr site. Is cool. Best wishes on your project.

carbonize · #7 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 04:00 PM

Whoops silly mistake. Fixed.

The colours came from the banner which in turn came from the skin I use for my forum. Best advice I was ever given is to find a picture you like and take the colours from it.

dax · #8 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 04:16 PM

You need to set your font colour - I'm getting my default garish pink which look quite nice on the homepage but when I hit the forum page...OUCH! My poor ol' eyes! ;)

Dax

carbonize · #9 (**permalink**) 01-28-2004, 05:50 PM

Hmm now there's an idea, pink text. Whats the RGB for it so I can test it myself :>. Anyways I've set a default colour in my css file now. I'll check the forums css database at a later date as it's stored in SQL.

paulhiles · #10 (**permalink**) 01-29-2004, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

The colours came from the banner which in turn came from the skin I use for my forum. Best advice I was ever given is to find a picture you like and take the colours from it.

Love that picture in the banner! Very seductive.. you could even blend it further into the page content.
I really like the new look.. agree with the others on the text, it is a bit harsh, try using #333333 for your body text color.

Looking forward to seeing further additions to the tutorials section. The CSS section could be extended to show more samples.. how about a live input box that users could play around with and preview style settings? I'm sure that's all possible in PHP.

The text on the Linux shell tutorial is partly in Courier font and extended out of the normal page width.. is that an imported text file? Just wondering that's all! Also your site's favicon is a bit strange looking.. like three fuzzy blobs.. and vaguely molecular.. who would use an image like that!? LOL!! :o)

All in all, great work Carbonize!

carbonize · #11 (**permalink**) 01-29-2004, 05:40 AM

I think the parts of the Linux tutorial you are refering to are probably <pre> parts and sour Linux browser, Konqueror?, must use courier for it. I'll set a different font face for the pre'sor set a font size. Weird that it goes out of the area though. I'll have a play with that colour as a lot of people have commented on my site being harsh.

Hmmmm more CSS examples. Like how to hide your keyword spamming by using display: none; lol. Better than a load of text at the bottom of the page.

carbonize · #12 (**permalink**) 01-29-2004, 06:19 AM

oh and the favicon is a carbon atom.

EarthFire · #13 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 12:56 PM

Hi Carbonize,

Quote:

Originally Posted by "carbonize[b

EarthFire[/b] As for the too much text comment I will try and break up pages where the text is vast by using different colours and fonts.

My thanks for your feedback. It has all been taken
on board.

I just wanted to say that I wasn't referring to the length of text, just the font. Don't mind reading text that I'm interested in but, as a personal choice, the font may grate a little!

Cheers.

carbonize · #14 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 01:23 PM

The font face or the colour?

I'll try adding a bit of variety to break it up.

paulhiles · #15 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 01:38 PM

Yeah.. I agree that the font could be tweaked a little.. I had a quick play with Firebird. I tried substituting Verdana (rather than Arial) as your main font, reduced its font-size and increased the line-height.. looked really nice! :o)

Paul

EarthFire · #16 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

The font face or the colour?

I'll try adding a bit of variety to break it up.

Font face, how it looks - colour is fine. Really like it.

Cheers.

voodooboy · #17 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 01:55 PM

Hey Carb, I can call you Carb, can't I? :o)

I jumped back to check out the changes and noticed that the "Intro to PHP" link on the right side jumps to the guestbook. The C++ Tutorial link bounces me to the old sites "latest news" page.

Under web design, your htaccess paragraph has an "e" at the end of "wonderful".

Other than that, it's lookin' real good.

carbonize · #18 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 02:05 PM

The C++ tutorial section is stil waiting conversion to the new layout.

The spelling mistake is fixed.

Introduction to PHP removed from index menu.

Font colour of content section changed to #888888;, font face changed to Verdana and size changed from 14px to 12px.

Opinions?

paulhiles · #19 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

Font colour of content section changed to #888888;

color was fine at #333333; now it looks too pale! :-(

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

font face changed to Verdana and size changed from 14px to 12px.

font looks better, how about that line-height? try 15 or 16px?

Paul

carbonize · #20 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 02:58 PM

OK compromised. Font colour is now #555555; and line height is 15px.

paulhiles · #21 (**permalink**) 01-30-2004, 03:09 PM

Hmmm.. still reckon #333333 was fine, not to worry..

what about "sidetitle" font... courier? yack! :o)

Paul

Najoba · #22 (**permalink**) 01-31-2004, 02:42 AM

I think your site is well-done, easy to navigate and very appropriate for the subject. One questions though.....I see no contact link. Is that what you want?

carbonize · #23 (**permalink**) 01-31-2004, 09:35 AM

Contact me link wil be added to footer and main page sub menu when I get round to it. Not that anybody ever wants to talk to me :'(

I may do a submenu on the side for contact me and include an mailto link as well as all four messenger (ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, AIM) oh five as I use jabber as well.

carbonize · #24 (**permalink**) 01-31-2004, 12:35 PM

OK contact me link has been added to main sub menu and the footer.

I just had a friend send me a screen shot of the new layout in Netscape4. Damn scary, total mess. Oh well I have put a nice message at the top of my page and hid it from older browsers.