Group website templates?

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Group website templates?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:38 pm

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I really like the work Anny has been doing on the various group websites.

Got me thinking. Wouldn't it be special if we had a zip file of a generic group website? Perhaps with the colour scheme from teh main site or these forums, a generic SSX banner, generic links to the forum (I'd start with a link to this general forum, for instance, then new webmasters can just change), link to the gamesite (start with, say, a link to gamespy or some other big game review site) and other placeholder links?

Just a simple template, already assembled with some working generic links, that a new group could use as a jumping off point.

Thoughts?
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:36 pm

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Anubis
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:) Ah praise. Time to sit back and enjoy.

You're cheque's in the mail Ed.
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:26 am

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M.Steiner
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Good idea, like what Reakktor has just done for people making Neocron fan sites.
They put up a zip file that has a default banner, images and a html template page - and all the person that wants to make the site has to do is edit the links.. type in his news etc.
It'd be good for a new group to have something like this that they can use to get themselves started, either until one of them can make a custom site for themselves or find someone who's willing to do the job for them. :)
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:22 am

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BladeX
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That would be cool. I was gonna try to make a Tribes website but am too lazy! The template would be nice.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:00 am

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BlackDove
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That was my suggestion :nervous:

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:25 am

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Anubis
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Ok, after my brief enjoyment of praise i'll turn to the issue.
I'm sure you've all noticed that those group sites that i have done (credit for the Neocron group site goes to Maester Seymour) have been along the same lines but each one has been unique. Though the banner being at the head of the page and features such as a member list have been present on each site the layout's have been different. We need to consider that if one template is used for each site then the uniqueness will be lost and the group sites will get repetetive.
I personally also like the idea of a colour scheme unique for each group site, thats why i used a different one for each. If the person using the template knows how to work out hexadecimal colours then changing the scheme to fit the site will we easy, but if not and the colour scheme is left alone things may, as above, get repetetive.
Next point, a generic banner. Once again the uniqueness comes into play. Up until now, thanks to Lighty, i have unique banners for each group site. A generic banner would, again, get repetetive.
Generic Links shouldn't be a problem really, as a link to the main site and the forum etc are usually included. On those that wouldn't be needed for another group (e.g a link to HLP wouldnt be needed on a Lore site) i could simply remove the address it links to and allow the person using the template to input addresses etc of their own into the link code.

The above points are mainly saying that if we do this things may get repetetive. Now i'm not on either side of this argument. I'm merely stating facts as a designer sees it. You may consider repetetivness a good thing, you may not. That's your choice. However there is one last point. I'm basing this point on the assumption that the template would be one of the sites i've made.

In my sites i do make use of CSS which is a little tricky to edit if you don't understand CSS itself. If people don't understand what to change i'd be willing to explain what needs changing and what i've left the same on each group site, but it's still a valid point.
Theres also the fact that some of my code, for example, the Lore site, would be horribly unsuitable for others to use. That's mainly due to shabby coding on my part. You see due to some error i made whilst writing the code for the Lore site i have to manually add line breaks to each page. It won't automatically do it. Therefore you'd have to go through the content add a < br > tag, save it, refresh the page, see where the next line break needs to be added and repeat. Trust me, it takes hours, and i can't fix the problem without taking everything apart to see what i missed out. This problem isn't true of the FS2 and DoW sites, but it is a valid point. Messy coding by me means a hard time for whoever is using the template.

Anyway as i've said i'm neither for nor against this. I'm just pointing out the facts for you to consider. I hope what i've written has been useful.
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:05 pm

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I think you misunderstand.

The template would not be the final site, just a place to start. Something generic till they were able to get their own going, or find someone to help them.

I expect many would employ your services to customize ;)
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:53 pm

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Anubis
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Ah, then yes i think i may have done. I thought you meant a template to use for the final site. My mistake. Seems like a waste of a long post really lol.
And of course i would be more than happy to help with sites as long as i'm not in the middle of a busy time at school at the time. Just ask and i'll be willing to help :)
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:48 pm

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perhaps in addition to templates, a web interface to set up these templates and throw them up ridiculously fast? cause then you have no excuse. :p

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:02 pm

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If i get some templates, I am pretty sure our resident genius types can incorporate them into the web manage as default files :)
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:14 am

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Anubis wrote:Up until now, thanks to Lighty, i have unique banners for each group site.
:) Ah praise. Time to sit back and enjoy.

Your cheque's in the mail Yah del Har'oloth.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:55 am

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Anubis
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Lightspeed wrote:
Anubis wrote:Up until now, thanks to Lighty, i have unique banners for each group site.
:) Ah praise. Time to sit back and enjoy.

Your cheque's in the mail Yah del Har'oloth.
:lol:
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

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