Xubuntu Fansite

[User3k]

I have a Xubuntu Fansite in my signature below. I am still adding some things. But I would love to hear feed back on what content/links I can add to make it a better website. I have never done a Fansite for any Operating System before. So I am winging this, lol.

It is a Xubuntu Fansite but I do have other Linux and Linux Related links there.

[FlyingIsFun1217]

Gahhh! 90's style design!

FlyingIsFun1217

[User3k]

lol, old is not necessarily bad :)

[Sporkman]

http://usa-hosting.net/xubuntu/xlogo.gif


:shock::shock::shock:

[smartboyathome]

http://usa-hosting.net/xubuntu/xlogo.gif


:shock::shock::shock:

:-& [-( =; :(

[User3k]

I agree with the banner. But for now, until I get something else up, it is a little better then plain text. I will be getting a flash banner up probably. Unless something better pops up.

[-grubby]

I agree with the banner. But for now, until I get something else up, it is a little better then plain text. I will be getting a flash banner up probably. Unless something better pops up.

Flash is evil. And your site does look very.. 90s. Try not to use a table based layout. Also, try to use a plain white background.

[User3k]

I love tables. It is a hard habit to break, :lolflag: I thought about white as a background but that is such a standard color now a days. If it was a business website, or a forum like this, then yes white and tables like I have there would make it look like crap. But I want to be a little artistic if I can, or at least try to be, and not have it looking like everyone else's.

However. The more I thought about it after I made the above reply, the more I thought flash would be way to annoying. Mainly because all the ads I see are flash based and it has left a bad taste in my mouth. But, I did throw something together with GIMP for now. I may keep it, I am not sure, just tired from a long day. But the flame one was a temporary one. Now that did remind me off something outdated and over used, lol.

(Also, I don't mind constructive criticism at all. If I did I wouldn't have posted it at this forum. So keep it coming, whether I agree or not ;) )

[ghindo]

The graphic on the banner is pretty...hrm.

[User3k]

Ok. I decided to listen to some advice here, a little anyways ;) lol.

The more I looked at it, the more I didn't like the images I was using for backgrounds. It did seem a bit messy. So I changed the html background to black and the table one to white, took out the borders to.

I will look at it again tomorrow and see what I want to do with it. I don't want it plain but I don't want it crowded either. The top where the banner is looks empty, but I am viewing it on a 1440x900 monitor, so I need to keep that in mind.

(By the way. I have been working on the computer so much today with several different things, every time I go to leave a reply here I hit crtl+s..........)

[ghindo]

By the way, the "Other Useful Links" sections seems a bit jumbled and full.

[User3k]

By the way, the "Other Useful Links" sections seems a bit jumbled and full.

I know. I wanted it on the bottom and I keep trying different things. I can't seem to make it fit right. I have some ideas I will try out tomorrow. I have to, I will be adding a lot more links and it just won't look right where it is no matter what I do to it.


Edit: After thinking about it. I am just going to have to put those links on a separate page.

Edit II: Just found a Java applet I may like. It will get those links sorted and I won't need to have them lined up the way I currently do. Still has to be on a separate page though.

[Sporkman]

I love tables.

Me too. They'll never peer-pressure me into giving them up!

[andrek]

Perhaps setting a Wordpress blog-alike would be a better solution?

[Sealbhach]

Thanks, I've just put Xubuntu on another partition so I'll find your site useful to help me get to know it better.


.

[Sand & Mercury]

Me too. They'll never peer-pressure me into giving them up!
I used to use them by reflex until lately, when I started forcing myself to use divs instead, and style sheets... and wow, what a difference it makes! Seriously, there's a reason the industry encourages use of divs over tables, but you have to make yourself use them to really understand why.

[Barrucadu]

Well, because I wan't to
Want doesn't have an apostrophe ;)

Also, Div Pride! They'll never make me use tables! Never!

[miggols99]

I hate tables! Every time I see them it makes me think "Get in the times!" I'm too young to have used tables...I only started doing web design (as a hobby) around 2/3 years ago. And through all that time I never used tables for layout! Only use them for data.

Suggestions:

Choose a Sans-serif font. Serif fonts are harder to read on a screen.
Ditch the tables!
Don't use <center> or <font>!! They are deprecated.
Make it valid! Use <br /> instead of <br>
Don't use &nbsp; for padding. Use CSS!
Update the header!
Use <em> instead of <i>
Use <strong> instead of <b>
Make it easier for yourself by using PHP or a CMS (you don't need to update sidebars for each page)

Yes, I know I'm very picky :)

[FlyingIsFun1217]

Or, if your hell-bent on truly hand-coding it (you know PHP? Might be something to look into), check out some CC-licensed CSS templates. That's what I usually start with on my sites, then I move to the backend with PHP.

FlyingIsFun1217

[User3k]

Thanks, I've just put Xubuntu on another partition so I'll find your site useful to help me get to know it better.


.

Your welcome. I am glad the website can help.

[User3k]

Want doesn't have an apostrophe ;)

Also, Div Pride! They'll never make me use tables! Never!

Sure it can, "wan'''t" or "wan'''''t'" LOL. I love my typos, their.... no wait... there.... no wait..... they're so much fun, lol

[User3k]

I have thought about using php. But I wanted something more simple then that.

Building a website from the ground up, starting simple and then adding, is like building an old, classic car. Sometimes the classics are better then the new. It is one of the reasons why I love to work on, when I can actually find them, old computers like 8086, 8088, Commodore 64, Old Texas Instrument computers, etc. It is just fun.

Now with all of that said. If this was a business website then I would not use the design I have, I may use some tables but it would be for other things. A personal website, well anything goes. But a business one has certain standards it must go by in order to look professional and to be taken seriously. Many times I would recommend some kind of CMS, but again that depends on what type of business it is and what type of CMS is needed, etc, etc, etc.

This is a website that is for fun. If it is personal I think people should do what ever they want with it, as long as they enjoy doing it. Being as creative as one wants or not being creative at all. Keeps the variety going.

Now I will be adding some php scripts for the photo album and user links section, once I resolves some issues I am having with my webhost. I think the php version being used is out of date. I have found a Java applet I like for the bottom links on the main page. I want to try and add that later. If it works out the way it is suppose to, and I want it to, it will get those links on order. I may also use it for other links as well, which indirectly will change the layout and design of the website.

I will always love tables. Simple and so much can be done with them. I personally think for a website like this that the front page should not be to loaded and to flashy (another reason why I am keeping flash off it. And why I am not using animated gifs.)

I hate going to a website looking specifically for something and it has so much information, to messy with pictures, ads, etc and to many links all on the main page and most of it not even relevant to what I am looking for. That is why you will hear me and see me make changes when I see my website going in that direction, and right now with the links it is. I want to keep the main page simple and if I want to add anything flashy, I can do that on other pages and give the person browsing the option of wanting to go there or not while still having the option to go to the main page for what ever links or information there they find useful or helpful.

There is one thing I hate more then ever and it keeps me away from some websites. Actually two things. Those annoying ads that pop up and float around when I am trying to click on a link or read something. And those damn flash banners, for ex. the one with the smilies that says "Hello" especially when it is louder then my music/video or any other one that starts talking.

[miggols99]

Well that's fine. But if you want visitors you'd better make it look decent. Ugly websites make me press the back button. Unfortunately many people do judge books by their covers, even me. And people don't like old style websites!

[billgoldberg]

I agree with the banner. But for now, until I get something else up, it is a little better then plain text. I will be getting a flash banner up probably. Unless something better pops up.

Do yourself a favour and visit this website http://wordpress.org and see the light.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I had a website for years and constantly learned new things about making it look better. I also had to move it several times from hosting services, and learned from those experiences as well. So, I'm not going to comment on the design of the site. You will learn that over time.

You may want a link to "Why Linux is Better" at http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Another source of ideas could be "Ubuntu Linux Resources" at http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

You may want to add separate pages of your own content to the site. :)

[cardinals_fan]

You may want a link to "Why Linux is Better" at http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/
What is the point of that site? Brainwashing?

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

What is the point of that site? Brainwashing?

I don't know what the original authors intentions were; however, this link explains his response to some questions: http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/faq.php

It appears that you think there is some "Brainwashing" on the authors part. Why?

[poofyhairguy]

If your links had a description they would be amazing.

I love Xubuntu too. Nothing else makes old hardware purr the same way.

[frup]

Resistance to tables is similar to saying Linux should be more like Windows or that because it does something different it is harder.

I for one will not visit your site if it is not valid (x)HTML. Normally I wouldn't care but since Linux struggles against proprietary standards and so many people struggle to get open web standards etc. supported I think having a Linux website and not following simple conventions is sort of like throwing dirt back in everyone else's face.

That is my opinion and not everyone else's... just thought I would let you know how I felt.

I also think you should really make your design look cleaner and less beginner like. If you are advertising Linux, people will equate the quality of your website to the quality of Linux. it's a serious problem that happens. I know many people who for a long time thought Linux was backwards and bad just because of the poor quality of so many Linux sites and graphics.

I wish you luck but consider asking for help if you can't do everything yourself, I realise you want to learn and making your own site is the best way to learn, maybe declaring that near the top would make people realise and people like me would not judge it so hard.

[cardinals_fan]

I don't know what the original authors intentions were; however, this link explains his response to some questions: http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/faq.php

It appears that you think there is some "Brainwashing" on the authors part. Why?
Some of the "facts" seem to have been arbitrarily created to convince people to use Linux. Here are a couple:

* Use MSN, AIM, ICQ, Jabber, with a single program: Give me a break. These programs are available for Windows too.
* Don't pay $300 for your operating system: Of course, you DO pay for preinstalled Windows. But, because it IS preinstalled, you've ALREADY paid for it. Switching to Linux doesn't remove that cost. And preinstalled Linux machines tend to be just as pricey as a Windows box. The situation is obviously different for those who build their own machines.
* Keep and eye on the weather.: I love this one. There are absolutely zero weather apps for Windows, right? And the panel applet is a major feature?

This site hypes Linux. In my opinion, Linux is great already. It doesn't need to be overhyped, and promising too much just leaves people disappointed. I will give the author some credit for including a "why you should stick with Windows" section.

[ghindo]

I for one will not visit your site if it is not valid (x)HTML.Wow...I take it that you refuse, on principle, to visit about 90% of the Internet?

[User3k]

Well that's fine. But if you want visitors you'd better make it look decent. Ugly websites make me press the back button. Unfortunately many people do judge books by their covers, even me. And people don't like old style websites!


Some people don't like it, some do and some it doesn't matter. If everyone liked the same thing then we would all have just one operating system. One type of computer. One Linux OS.

I have talked with people in the past that have said they hate hearing music when they visit a website, or sounds, or a lot of clutter, or animated gifs (which really have been over used and abused,) or flash, or..... The list goes on. I have also talked with people who like to see websites more compatible with command line browsers.

Here is a hypothetical situation. My x server crashes. gdm,xdm, kdm, wdm... nothings works. Rebooting doesn't help. Editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf doesn't help. I don't have my install cd or any live cd on me. But I do have internet access. Has anyone here ever used a command line web browser? The worst things is trying to get past all the clutter on a website and navigate to the links one wants, if you can access the website at all. Simple in that case does work better.

Now personally I always make sure I have a few live cd's with me. Unless there is some reasons that I can't or maybe I forgot. But sometimes things happen when you least expect them to.


As I said, this is a work in progress. But shiny objects and pretty lights isn't what sells Linux. It is because it is stable and a great OS and open source has a lot of great programs. Being cheaper to free compared other os's, well that is just a plus.

Linux in general doesn't need my help to make an impact, it does that fine on its own.

[User3k]

I had a website for years and constantly learned new things about making it look better. I also had to move it several times from hosting services, and learned from those experiences as well. So, I'm not going to comment on the design of the site. You will learn that over time.

You may want a link to "Why Linux is Better" at http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Another source of ideas could be "Ubuntu Linux Resources" at http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

You may want to add separate pages of your own content to the site. :)

Thanks for the tips.

[User3k]

I had a website for years and constantly learned new things about making it look better. I also had to move it several times from hosting services, and learned from those experiences as well. So, I'm not going to comment on the design of the site. You will learn that over time.

You may want a link to "Why Linux is Better" at http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Another source of ideas could be "Ubuntu Linux Resources" at http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

You may want to add separate pages of your own content to the site. :)

Thanks for the tips.

[User3k]

If your links had a description they would be amazing.

I love Xubuntu too. Nothing else makes old hardware purr the same way.

That is a good idea. When I get a few free minutes I will look into adding that.

[User3k]

Resistance to tables is similar to saying Linux should be more like Windows or that because it does something different it is harder.

I for one will not visit your site if it is not valid (x)HTML. Normally I wouldn't care but since Linux struggles against proprietary standards and so many people struggle to get open web standards etc. supported I think having a Linux website and not following simple conventions is sort of like throwing dirt back in everyone else's face.

That is my opinion and not everyone else's... just thought I would let you know how I felt.

I also think you should really make your design look cleaner and less beginner like. If you are advertising Linux, people will equate the quality of your website to the quality of Linux. it's a serious problem that happens. I know many people who for a long time thought Linux was backwards and bad just because of the poor quality of so many Linux sites and graphics.

I wish you luck but consider asking for help if you can't do everything yourself, I realise you want to learn and making your own site is the best way to learn, maybe declaring that near the top would make people realise and people like me would not judge it so hard.

Actually, I am not new to building websites. I am not and expert either but I am comfortable enough doing it. As I said in previous posts this is a work in progress and depending on what I am doing, depends on how I have it. This is not a business website. I don't expect a huge amount of traffic. What I will over is an uncluttered website for people, if they choose, to be able to navigate and learn what they want to learn as easy as possible with the least amount of confusion. I originally wanted ideas on what content to add, not really the design. The design itself will grow over time once I get the information in place.

I have done all flash websites before, various cms's, adding a wordpress like php script or other blog is easy enough to do. Phpmywebsite, site frames, etc. That is not what I want with this one. CMS's for everything is a bit outdated. Simple wiki layouts and even blogs are over used and a bit plain looking. I have more control do it this way and building on it.

I do want to thank you for bringing up xhtml. I want to check that out a bit more. But for me and many people I know, sometimes it isn't the type of code used or how pretty and flashy a website is. It is what the website has that matters and not being hit with advertisements constantly or at all. Which this website will never have.

Think LFS. Building Linux from the ground up. Then think of Ubuntu, all you need is there and it is easy. Some like easy, I do in part, obviously, since I use Xubuntu. Others would rather use LFS or Gentoo, which I like both, for that matter and take it slower and set it up the way they want.

Here is an old twisted saying, which I really hope it originated as a figure of speech and nothing more. "There is more then one way to skin a cat."


Edit: By the way, the website looks great with lynx.

[picpak]

I suggest you visit this site:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/livedesign/

It's a guide that goes through each step of a website design process. It should help you develop a modern-looking website. Good luck! :)