Balloon Chat
Uncategorized Boards => Balloon Chit Chat => Topic started by: G L Admin on August 14, 2008, 03:21:40 PM
Don't panic..........were just having a look at a couple of new styles for the forum.
It may take a little while to get everything up as we want so it may be flicking backwards & forwards between the two for a few hours/days/months/years
Graham Lee
Oh wow, lovely and colourful! Then I logged in and got the slightly more boring look! Love the 'Balloon Chat' made out of the brightly coloured balloons.
Liz
Ooooohhhhhhh...... Pwetty...
I like it - it may be my settings but it isn't using the full width of the screen?
all the colours can be changed within the pages of the template, so blue & cream could be pink/white, orange/yellow etc
Not too keen myself at the moment but working my way around.
If anyone wants to have a look at templates to see if they can find a nice one here is where I've been looking;
http://www.phpbbhacks.com/styles.php (http://www.phpbbhacks.com/styles.php)
Ian, That's the idea only to use the centre block of the screen as we are having a new front page built for news items & it seems important to the person building it that the forum is not full width. Not 100% sure myself but he has built my magic & balloon websites which I like very much so who am I to argue about things. ;)
sorry can't see any difference - how do I?
danny
Danny - top right of page - click 'user control panel' then 'board preferences' and select 'parrot' from the styles.
Ian
You may just need to refresh your web page, 2 green arrows next to where you type in web address
Ok Thanks - I'm there now! :oops:
Yes why not. The logo is fantabulous.
Perhaps if the text on the left could be up a font size - or maybe I need the opticians!
great Graham!
cheers
Danny
I like it :D
I like the new design except of using the center block, I think it's too narrow, especially for photos.
I love the title with balloons, it's great
Sorry to be negative but I hate this style. The text is too small and feint and most of my screen is wasted.
Full marks for trying something different. But for me - I'm keen to see the next one. :-)
Henry
There is a font size button at the top of the page, It has 3 different size settings.
Hi Graham,
the font size improves it.
It definately feels squished so I would suggest the right hand side blank, and elongate the page to the left.
still not sure of this design!
Danny 8-)
I'm afraid I am with those who feel this design is a little narrow.
I assume your web guy has designed it to fit on an 800 wide screen which is great but I don't think many people have such small screens anymore and when viewing this on a widescreen monitor (like my laptop has) it only takes up about half the width of my screen and looks silly. Perhaps even just widening it by 50 or 100 might make it look better?
I do, however, like the actual design though :D ;)
I'm getting used to it, my problem with it is that the pictures have to have the guide bar on them due I presume to the width issue. I think the other forums that he has designed were mainly text only where balloon chat is much more heavily into pictures.
The idea for the top header space & the columns down the side is so that we can sell advertising space to finance the on going costs of running the forum.
The plan is to never charge a subscription for balloon chat keeping it free to view, that is the plan but you never know what's around the corner :)
Sometimes life has a funny way of sneeking up on you.......
looks good
Its okay, but everything is so squahsed up in the middle of the screen. Personally, preferred the old layout, but with this colour scheme.
I've also tried it, but sorry to say I prefer the old style. The good thing is there's the opportunity to use which ever you prefer. :)
Yes at the moment you can edit in user control panel to have the forum in the old or new style. Will be seeing how we go over the weekend but I think we need to have another look through the forum templates.
There are so many it took me an hour to view tham all last time.
The font size button improves matters, but it resets all the time. You have to change the font size every time you go to a new page.
The main problem is that my screen is 38cm wide yet the text box is only 14cm wide. There is a lot of empty or wasted space.
Like I said, I'm keen to see the next style. :)
Henry
If you follow my post above you can edit the old style back. I want to give this one a chance so that I can see what the problems are so hopefully it will help when looking for the next style
Just found this template and at the top it has a width button with three different settings so that you can adjust to the width of your screen, can you have a play & tell me what you think :)
Thanks.
http://demo.phpbb3styles.net/royalBLUE (http://demo.phpbb3styles.net/royalBLUE)
Quote from: "Graham Lee"Just found this template and at the top it has a width button with three different settings so that you can adjust to the width of your screen, can you have a play & tell me what you think :)
Thanks.
http://demo.phpbb3styles.net/royalBLUE (http://demo.phpbb3styles.net/royalBLUE)
This template looks better, it seems larger, good for pics
Have added another template in the styles section if anyone fancies a play. It has 3 width settings that you can choose from.
Just noticed a few people have PM me on my admin login Graham Lee, which is typed in red. Sorry about not getting back in touch with you but I usually log in on the other account, you may spot it with the very heavy post count. So if you do PM me please try & use the second one, thanks
Graham Lee
Other than the buttons being very hard to read and the logo being squished this new one is my favourite so far. A fair bit wider and the colours are not too bright ;)
Have added 3 more templates with one more still to add on.
To view you need to go to user control panel, click on board preferences & then change the template in my board style.
The new styles to look at are;
Blue Silver
Sub Lite
Royal Blue
3myl-promenu
mainscott 3
dont worry about no logo on some of them, things are just temp at the moment, it's the look & feel of the forum that I'm interested in getting feedback from you about.
If you could say why you prefer one over another would be good as well rather than,
"no dont like that one"
It would be good to get some feedback for Monday as I need to make the decision as the web guy is waiting to start work on the new front page & wants it to have the same feel & look as the new forum.
Graham Lee
Hmmm - I'm torn now - I like the Royal Blue a lot but the colours may be a little strong for some - I've got Mainscott3 loaded at the moment and it looks very nice - not too garish - new posts easily identified I shall have to get used to it.
So far the Royal Blue has the edge for me
Smiggle you have just taken the words right out of my mouth. I like Royal Blue but the text on the buttons is so similar in colour that it is really hard to read but I currently have the Mainscott3 showing too. I really like it - it has enough colour not to be boring, all of the buttons are easy to read, it is not ott or garish and it is as wide as my screen which means I will be able to view photos without scrolling both ways. It certainly gets my vote :D
After having a play around with the look this afternoon I think 3myl-promenu & blue silver are both non starters as you have to scroll the pictures both up & down & sideways, the same as we had to on the parrott template & as pictures are the mainstay of a balloon forum this would drive us all up the wall.
So we are left with three to have a closer look at;
Sub Lite
Main Scott 3
Royal Blue
looking forward to your comments & views.
Graham Lee
Hi Graham,
I like the SubLite and Maniscott 3. I don't like the Royal blue, has a cold feel.
I hope that helps,
Danny
i really like the Macinscott 3 theme, but have noticed when i click User Control Panel, the first screen it loads is over-sized both page size and font size.
Anyone else get this?
Pete
Yes I spotted that as well. Hopefully there will be an amendment to verify the problem but if not I think it's one that can be lived with as we don't normally go into user control panel too often.
A plus for the macinscott 3 is the "back to top" after every post. I find that very useful.
Macinscot 3 gets my vote. Its the best of them all. Easy on the eye and very easy to read - many of the others are not too easy to read with old and tired eyes.
Henry
Hi Graham,
I see you've changed the forum again, I was still using the original style which I personally prefered, but now there isn't an option to choose that. Is it possible to leave the option there for us to choose.
I could put the options back on pro tem but when the new front page is built etc then this will be the only option available.
He is building it now so I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to start getting used to the look as only 5 people were looking at this template with over 200 still on the old & original site.
Graham Lee
Quote from: "Graham Lee"as only 5 people were looking at this template with over 200 still on the old & original site.
Graham Lee
Maybe that says most prefer the original template Graham?? ;) :)
No I dont think so ;)
At a guess I think your find that they didn't even realise they had a choice & were not even sure how to change it. They were just happy plodding along & smelling the flowers along the way.
The reason for the narrower look is so that we can put a news section on the front page & the columns have to be short & narrower so that it's easier for the eye to read, so if anyone has anything balloon related please send it over & I'll try & put it on the front news page. This page then gets longer & longer & is good for the google search engine & will also help your website ratings as well as long as you have them on your profile page
This looks very good, large enough for pictures. it's clear and spaced. Personnally, I like it, this is my favourite style
Having the new front page designed for balloon chat & we would like to put some balloon news on the front so if you have anything that may be of interest, conventions, balloon jams, you tube clips etc then please let us know & we can add it to the front page. Thanks.
Graham Lee
Nice to have the smiley face back.... he is so welcoming
Pam
I got rather attached to Mr Smiley, he welcomes & draws people into the site :)
Well I think so..........
Graham Lee
I like Mr Smiley too, but I would like to suggest that the yellow fades out quicker over the lettering to keep that stylish clean look of the letters.
And it would be good to see if the eyes could be looking at the text, they seem a little cross eyed at the moment!
Just my humble opinion.
Have you noticed the new logo at the top of the page :D
You may need to refresh your page, I thought it was time, it's only taken me six months to sort out, just call me speedy.......not!
Anyway have put a link through to my wholesale site as some people may not realise that I do sell these wonderful pieces of engineered latex that come all the way from Columbia.
Graham Lee
yer i like it tested it and it works
All things are changing, we now have a links button under the header with hopefully fingers crossed a news page going on tomorrow so if anyone has any balloon related news to put on the front page please email me & we will try & put it on next week when I get back from the convention.
Looking to swap links with people to help both of us to improve our google rankings, there are some links you can take from the links page :)
Graham Lee
The home page is now live :) If you click through via the home button underneath the logo.
This will eventually be the home page for the forum with all the news related to the world of latex, so if you know of any courses, jams, performances etc or anything balloon related. then please let us know & we can plug the event for you. More than happy to have links up as well for everyone as it's all about sharing & caring :D
Graham Lee
Looks good Graham!
The site has certainly come on a long way since Spring, well done and thanks!
danny 8-)
Could some of you tell me weather the balloon chat logo comes up when you look at the news page or is there a big blank white space next to the Sempertex balloons logo?
Graham Lee
big white space
The Logo comes up fine on the computers I use Graham
Graham I get a big blank white space :o
Roger
It seems to be yet another mystery of life why some get the logo & others including myself just get the big white space.
Looking into it & hopefully everyone will be able to see the header on the news page soon.
Graham Lee
Big white space onmine :o :(
I get the white spaces on both my computers too.
Twistina
it works now what you have done has worked :D
yes, Smiley Balloon chat heading is now visible! :P
Twistina
Yes it's visibal on mine as well, does anyone else have the big white space at the top of the news page?
It was blank for me a couple of days ago but is back again now.