posted on May 16, 2003 05:19:13 AM new
Well, I published the homepage to my website. It looks fine on my computer, but when I view it in Netscape the color wheel doesn't show up, and when I view it on my husbands computer the words are offcenter from the wheel.
It should fade in, the wheel spins for a few seconds, and then stops. The links should be clickable, but they don't lead to anything right now. Can you look at it and let me know what you see in your browsers? I use IE 6.0
Thanks!
posted on May 16, 2003 05:34:50 AM new
Thanks - any constructive critisism is more than welcome too! I will work on the font letters, or try to lighten the circle...not sure which will be easier. This is a learn as I go project.
posted on May 16, 2003 05:44:31 AM new
I use IE 6 also and at 1024x768 I coudn't see all of the Tiki" thing listed, so maybe just a bit bigger wheel?
Also the Black Letters on the Dark Blue background were really hard to see.
posted on May 16, 2003 06:22:31 AM new
When I view your page, only 2 of the words are on the wheel (tiki ware) is not total on the wheel. The golfing and that other are just lost in the blue background. I use IE. I also think the background is too dark. Good Luck.
posted on May 16, 2003 06:32:04 AM new
I got all the action, with the lettering but about after 15 seconds the wheel stops. I guess if it was me I wouldn't have the wheel as I don't like moving things on the computer. It also seems dark and I think some people would have a problem reading that.
posted on May 16, 2003 06:51:57 AM new
Congratulations iHula! I've been following your posts requesting help on setting up a site. Glad to see you are making progress!
I'm not at my computer so I can't try any fine tuning to help center everything up, but I did look at your source code. I see you have used a special font called Storybook, but it doesn't show up on my browser since I don't have the font installed. It will revert to my default browser font instead (arial). If you want to use a non-standard font, you should make your click words into a .gif file picture to click on. Now, that may be a little more involved than what you want right now.
Now to move the wheel, I would first try to change this setting:
Like I said, I'm not at a computer with an editor so I can't see what the result would be, but I am guessing that if you change the "left: 245" to a higher number it would move it to the right in small increments.
posted on May 16, 2003 08:17:40 AM new
I think my problem may be with Microsoft Front Page. There is a section where you check off what browsers you want the webpage to be viewable in, so I checked Netscape and Microsoft and chose intermediate version levels thinking it would also work on later ones. Maybe I should have just left it as the default. I'll play with it this afternoon and change the backround color while I'm at it. I think to change the browser part I have to start over, but that won't be a big deal since I have everything saved on the hard drive.
My husband liked the spinning wheel - I thought it was a nightmare because it was difficult to center the links over it (had to put the circle as a backround picture and then I just used the space key to center the links - there was probably an easier way to do that) Even Front Page for Dummies was difficult reading at times
My original idea was to have the wheel "fly in", land in the upper left corner, circle a bit and then stop. The links would be seperate on the left side of the screen. It would have been easier to set up that way, but hubby wanted to integrate the wheel with the deals.
posted on May 16, 2003 08:19:11 AM new
I did not see a wheel (I used netscape) but I suggest you use a much lighter background image, it is too dark. I think lighter ones are more pleasant to look at.
posted on May 16, 2003 11:13:31 AM new
The page fades in, the wheel spins, but is stationary. When I click on the links, I don't get error messages, they just take me to a blank white page. I looked at it with both IE6 and my AuctionTamer browser; both looked identical. Nice job! I need to work on mine more, too!
posted on May 16, 2003 01:04:31 PM new
Hi
I was a webmaster for a small TV station, so I can give you some ideas that will help you considerably.
I would lose the dark background. Choose something solid, or clean.
Try to teach yourself tables so that you can truly control where the text and the wheel are located on the page.
Go to google and look up "browser emulation" or something like that to test how your page loads and looks in other browsers. While not a popular browser, Opera is the benchmark for how your html is holding up, it is most unforgiving of errors. You can now get a free version with banner adds, worth it's weight in pixels.
The catagories are a little too small and hard to click, left or right nav is popular for a reason, it's easy for people to get to, even top or bottom is fine. It's almost subliminal these days!
I used Macromedia Dreamweaver, but I also know html, but I don' t know front page. You may want to search for a user group, or support page etc, there are lots of people using FP out there.
I love theme based ideas, and like the wheel a lot, you may be able to find something static and eye pleasing that can easily load onto each page, small sized graphix are your friend!
I notice on my mac that when I leave the home page for another, not built yet, then come back, the wheel is not moving.
Tarot symbols are cool, and you can find some not so overt ones, too. Animation definitely has a place, some folks love it, others hate it, and not everyone has the bandwidth to appreciate it.
The only other thing I would add is that you need a easy nav back to the home page etc.
Here is a great site to learn html:
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/lessons.html
Also, if you have the money, buy Dreamweaver, I know two people who bought it, sans html experience, and put together some NICE sites.
And, last but not least, have fun, I do my auctions and my own outreach page, and I really enjoy the personal flavor I can add to them.
Still there is lots to master, and there are folks who can do things I have yet to figure out.
Please don't take offense at any of my suggestions, just trying to give you some help!
Japerton
posted on May 16, 2003 01:07:06 PM new
Wanted to add...the flying wheel, now you are talking Macromedia Flash, fun, but there is definitely a learning curve!
If you can do flash, well, babe, you can freelance!
Japerton
posted on May 16, 2003 01:10:45 PM new
Thanks so much for the information and suggestions. I am in the process of fixing some things, and will let you know when I have it up and running. I did the wheel in an animated gif program that I downloaded off the internet. I muted out the colors a little now, and chose a light blue backround (although it's still textured, hubby thought plain was too plain). I will definately have to learn the tables to get everything lined up properly. I'll work on that now. I also redid the font since storybook didn't show up well for everyone. I know a little html, but not much - only enough to get by in my ebay auctions . Hopefully I'll be able to post an updated version by tonight.
posted on May 16, 2003 01:13:24 PM new
Oh, and the flying wheel was something that Front Page has built into it. I can have it bounce across the page and land in a corner, "wave" across the page, fade from top to bottom and a few other nifty things. on my updated one that I'm working on now I can't get the page to fade in again - I don't know how I did that the first time - I can't duplicate it anymore. I know the html code for it, but not sure how to put it in front page - I think I will figure it out.
posted on May 16, 2003 03:53:52 PM new
Well, I have the updated one on there. For some reason I still can't get the wheel viewable in Netscape, and in earlier Netscape versions the wheel actually covers the links (obviously not a good thing). I just wanted to put it up to get the coloring back to subdued. Feel free to critique
http://www.thedealwheel.com/
I guess a wife of one of my husbands friends does some website stuff, so we may just have to invite them over for dinner next week
posted on May 16, 2003 06:24:33 PM new
Your links were slightly offset to the left when I viewed it with IE 5.0. It looked right on the money with Opera 6.01.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on May 16, 2003 06:43:42 PM new
If you are using Front Page, definately learn tables. Front Page is not (what I call) WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get - an old term I used when using old DOS programs). The tables will help you keep things in line. The background is an improvement, but I would go with a finer texture and more toward the pastel side. The wheel is cool, but after a couple of seconds it bothered my eyes. I'm a new bifocal wearer and peering at it through the bifocals made me a bit dizzy. LOL.
This site might help with Front Page and some extras:
Building a web site is fun, but can be a challenge. I've discovered software by www.godaddy.com that's great. (their web hosting is cheap, too). It assists in adding flash. Makes it a snap. Also comes with shopping cart software. I've heard Dreamweaver is great also, but I've never used it. Hang in there. The only way to learn is from your mistakes and the advice of those who have been there and done that.
posted on May 16, 2003 08:32:18 PM new
Hi, I use both Netscape 7.0 and Opera 6.1
While looking at your page in Netscape, the background looks dark. I can see the wheel just fine, the colors are vivid and the wheel spins, but the wheel is off center and obstructs the "Welcome" text and any other text you might have that I can't see on the left of the page.
The clickable links that I can see are : dvd, golf, and video and they load as a solid white page.
In Opera, it looks really good! The background is a nice medium tone blue, the wheel is centered and spins and all of the clickable links are present, but still the pages are just white, no content.
posted on May 17, 2003 05:14:29 AM new
You know, this time I put the links in a table, and then I put the circle in a table and layered the two tables. You would think it would look the same. I did read in the Front Page help section something about layering tables (I'm sure they had another word for it) doesn't work well in Front Page and looks different in other browsers. I found a seller on ebay who is selling Dreamweaver Studio Mix for $199.00. Says it contains: Includes Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, Freehand MX, Fireworks MX and Cold Fusion Developer edition (Windows Only).
It's the academic version only, so I'm not sure what that means. He says he requires some proof after the auction ends that you meet his criteria for the academic version, but I'm a nurse in a hospital, so I think I qualify.
Any of computer knowledgeable people think I should get it or will it just confuse me? After I'm done with this website my husband still has the dream of developing his record company website (which we also have a domain name for already), so I'm thinking I will be doing this again...and again....and again....
posted on May 17, 2003 08:59:28 AM new
To be honest we were going to add the first 2 lines of the Blood Sweat and Tears Song - Spinning Wheel. "What goes up...Must come down...Spinning Wheel...Gotta go Round".
posted on May 17, 2003 09:12:52 AM new
I don't know if it possible with the animated GIF but if it could have a layer on it that didn't move then you could just put the words right on it. Then have the seperate parts of the picture the links. I don't know how to do it but if you could then it would show properly in any browser.
I think what capotasto is saying that tons of animation with music on top of it is annoying to most web site viewers. When I go to a web site, especially to buy something, I could care less about the animation (especially annoying are the things that follow your mouse around) and would rather not hear music. I regularly play a CD in my computer and have my own music I'm listening to.
When I did my first web site, it was animation city. Now, there is no animation except on our company's newsletter page. You live and learn. A splash intro page would be fine. Why not do that with your wheel? There are loads of free sites out there that will help you create a splash page.
I don't think you can put animation into a table and still have it work. I could be wrong, though. You need to create your wheel in a picture publishing program. Put your words into the wheel and add hot spots to create links. Then, set it in motion. By doing it this way, it should be just fine in all browsers and your words will be just where you want them to be. A bit tedious, yes. But, the results will be what you want. Play around with it. Like everything good, it takes time.
It took me almost three weeks to create my first site and now I can complete a 4 page site in a matter of hours.
posted on May 17, 2003 01:30:12 PM new
LOL capotasto! ihula, if I go to any page that has music....I IMMEDIATELY EXIT that page. It's not just that I find the music annoying, but most of the time there is a long waiting period when the music is loading.....I won't wait...and I have high speed cable ....sorry
[ edited by inot on May 17, 2003 01:32 PM ]
posted on May 17, 2003 01:32:05 PM new
inot, I know what you mean. I have high speed cable, too. What bothers me even more than the wait is that the music is usually some bad computerized rendition of a song I happen to like. Ruins it for me each and every time.
posted on May 17, 2003 01:35:48 PM new
Ok - we started over and we'll scratch the music. I really appreciate everyone's help. Can you view the newly revised, updated version and see what you think? My son helped me out and I think it doesn't look professional enough, but he really liked it.
posted on May 17, 2003 01:37:23 PM new
Yeah Cheryl! I'll NEVER forget the first time I heard Iggy Pop on Muzak in an elevator!!! Oooooo...it's sacrilegious! I think I cried..heehee.
