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Topic: Site Design (Read 5283 times) previous topic - next topic
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Site Design

You should put the breadcrumb under the "Portal, Forums..." table. That is all.

Site Design

Reply #1
Hey, come on now, this is a valid design idea. The way it is now makes the site look like crap at 800 x 600, or when I don't wanna use up all my screen realistate for my browser. Oh well. 

Site Design

Reply #2
Breadcrumb? 

Site Design

Reply #3
I have never heard of such a tag...

Lossy, who used to get paid to make websites.
r3mix zealot.

Site Design

Reply #4
A breadcrumb:

Hydrogen Audio -> Hydrogen Audio Discussion -> Site Related Discussion

It's the "trail" you use to follow your way back through the hierarchy. Like a trail of breadcrumbs, you know?

Site Design

Reply #5
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You should put the breadcrumb under the "Portal, Forums..." table. That is all.

If we do that, many people will complain that there's a too big margin from the top of the page to the start of the actual forum table.
Juha Laaksonheimo

Site Design

Reply #6
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If we do that, many people will complain that there's a too big margin from the top of the page to the start of the actual forum table.

There's already too big a margin!  J/K

Why not put to use some of that space to the right of the Hydrogen Audio logo? The Login/Log out and My Controls/My Assistant info could probably be plunked on top of each other and tucked away nicely in the top-right corner, and things would still fit on 800x600 screens. Then replace the light-blue bar (that those two components currently reside in) with the Portal/Forums/Active Topics/... navbar, to keep the "underline" look under the title (which, although acting as a visual separator, really creates a stronger bond between header and content).

I did a 30-second Photoshop mock-up, and it didn't look bad at all (to my eyes). As a bonus, you can unwrap the "breadcrumb" text so it's on one line, and actually shrink the margin compared to its current size. Personally, I think the right-aligned navbar placement isn't the best; my eyes feel like they're hunting for the navbar, which is traditionally left-justified. Also, if the login name is physically closer to the My Controls/My Assistant (by stacking one on the other, rather than shoving the two to opposite ends of the screen), that will bring the two concepts mentally closer together as well, and strengthen the feeling that My Controls and My Assistant are... well, mine.

Don't get me wrong, the layout's already quite nice, but there's always something for a smart-aleck like me to complain about. Just making my daily two cent donation.

Site Design

Reply #7
And while I've got the eyes of the admins...

How about "prev" and "next" links at the top/bottom of the forum table, in addition to the page numbering? I probably waste a good ten seconds a day trying to line up my mouse cursor with the tiny numeral for the next page in multi-page threads.

[span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'](snipped even more nitpicking)[/span]

I know the admins have much more important matters to attend to on the site, and not nearly enough free time to tinker with such trivial things. Really, I'm not sure why I even brought up these insignificant issues. My time would be better spent contributing to the newbie FAQ that's been in development for the last six months. Where do I sign up for that?

Site Design

Reply #8
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My time would be better spent contributing to the newbie FAQ that's been in development for the last six months. Where do I sign up for that?

Nowhere yet.
We will let everybody know when things are ready for contributors.

Site Design

Reply #9
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My time would be better spent contributing to the newbie FAQ that's been in development for the last six months. Where do I sign up for that?

Nowhere yet.
We will let everybody know when things are ready for contributors.

In the meantime, isn't there some sort of WIKI available? I thought I remembered an announcement a while back... maybe I was thinking of the Audiocoding WIKI, which doesn't seem to have a newbie section. Why not open up a HydrogenAudio Newbie WIKI and let people have at it, for the time being? I've been hearing "any day now" for a long time. I understand that there can be setbacks, and that Real Life needs to take priority for the site admins, and that there are probably goings-on behind the scenes that I can't even imagine. But from my perspective, the uninformed regular-Joe forum member, not much seems to be happening.

A WIKI might be a stopgap solution, but it's better than what we have now. If nothing else, it will get some content generated that can later be folded into the real newbie FAQ.
I'm not trying to be rude, or step on anyone's toes. I'm just thinking of the newbies.

Site Design

Reply #10
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Quote
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My time would be better spent contributing to the newbie FAQ that's been in development for the last six months. Where do I sign up for that?

Nowhere yet.
We will let everybody know when things are ready for contributors.

In the meantime, isn't there some sort of WIKI available? I thought I remembered an announcement a while back... maybe I was thinking of the Audiocoding WIKI, which doesn't seem to have a newbie section. Why not open up a HydrogenAudio Newbie WIKI and let people have at it, for the time being? I've been hearing "any day now" for a long time. I understand that there can be setbacks, and that Real Life needs to take priority for the site admins, and that there are probably goings-on behind the scenes that I can't even imagine. But from my perspective, the uninformed regular-Joe forum member, not much seems to be happening.

A WIKI might be a stopgap solution, but it's better than what we have now. If nothing else, it will get some content generated that can later be folded into the real newbie FAQ.
I'm not trying to be rude, or step on anyone's toes. I'm just thinking of the newbies.

Please wait. It will probably not be any day soon. There is a lot of content written a long time ago but we still haven't found the solution we are looking for.
We are working on a solution to our problems so please be patient.

Site Design

Reply #11
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You should put the breadcrumb under the "Portal, Forums..." table. That is all.

If we do that, many people will complain that there's a too big margin from the top of the page to the start of the actual forum table.

It wouldn't bump anything down. Put it in to the left of the forum jump. Then the board would start directly below the forum jump and the breadcrumb.


Site Design

Reply #13
lol @ breadcrumb

[edit] well, it was funny, until I realized that the term actually made sense. 

Site Design

Reply #14
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In the meantime, isn't there some sort of WIKI available? I thought I remembered an announcement a while back... maybe I was thinking of the Audiocoding WIKI, which doesn't seem to have a newbie section.

Are you thinking of a newbie section like in "Recommended command line settings for xyz" or rather like in "How does this Wiki thing work"?

There is a link on the front page to "Simple Technical Information" that gives an introduction to audio compression with MP3 and AAC in general and points to the full article of Karlheinz Brandenburg. The problem with any introduction is of course where you want to start, so the whole PDF file might be too "special" already. The typical "recommended settings" questions are answered on the "PsyTEL" page now, so hopefully some people will read it and maybe follow the internal links in these pages.

There's a "Sandbox" on the bottom of the first page, too, where everyone can test the Wiki and try out how these "Formatting rules" work.
ZZee ya, Hans-Jürgen
BLUEZZ BASTARDZZ - "That lil' ol' ZZ Top cover band from Hamburg..."
INDIGO ROCKS - "Down home rockin' blues. Tasty as strudel."

Site Design

Reply #15
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In the meantime, isn't there some sort of WIKI available? I thought I remembered an announcement a while back... maybe I was thinking of the Audiocoding WIKI, which doesn't seem to have a newbie section.

Are you thinking of a newbie section like in "Recommended command line settings for xyz" or rather like in "How does this Wiki thing work"?

[...]

There's a "Sandbox" on the bottom of the first page, too, where everyone can test the Wiki and try out how these "Formatting rules" work.

I meant a newbie section for the topic (audio compression), not for the actual Wiki. But I should definitely mess around in the sandbox a bit, thanks for the heads-up.

I'm thinking about something much more comprehensive than a "Recommended settings"... something like a complete database of audio compression information that's still really accessible and easy to jump into. Something with sections for audio compression how-tos, CD ripping, and information about each audio format. And each section would be short, accessible (easy to read and understand, even for newbies), and practical, but with additional information linked for further study.

Every time I think about the usefulness of a comprehensive audio compression FAQ, I wonder why I haven't yet discovered one that's already been made. I mean, this isn't exactly a revolutionary idea I've just come up with.  I could probably throw one together in a couple weeks, so someone else must have already done such a thing, right?

Just for laughts: a Google search for MP3 FAQ turns up some abysmal hits. And I couldn't come up with a search returning Hydrogen Audio whose search string that didn't have "hydrogen audio" in it. It makes me wonder how reliable Google is for all my other searches... 

Site Design

Reply #16
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Something with sections for audio compression how-tos, CD ripping, and information about each audio format. And each section would be short, accessible (easy to read and understand, even for newbies), and practical, but with additional information linked for further study.

Right, go ahead...    For example the "Hardware Audio Recorders" page was empty for months, so I could only insert two links to CD ripping sites, because I don't know anything about this. Of course there should be other sub-categories like portable DAT recorders, too, but no one seems to know enough about them to write or at least quote something.

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Every time I think about the usefulness of a comprehensive audio compression FAQ, I wonder why I haven't yet discovered one that's already been made. I mean, this isn't exactly a revolutionary idea I've just come up with.  I could probably throw one together in a couple weeks, so someone else must have already done such a thing, right?


I don't know, maybe they hide it from the public.    There certainly are enough pre-written FAQs somewhere, so I think it's OK to link to them in a Wiki rather than writing the same stuff again (like I did with the FAQs from the MPEG Audio Subgroup), because that's what the "global village" is all about, isn't it? Of course you're also correct in demanding a short and easy-to-read compilation, but don't ask this from a german... 

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And I couldn't come up with a search returning Hydrogen Audio whose search string that didn't have "hydrogen audio" in it. It makes me wonder how reliable Google is for all my other searches...  <_<


That's a special problem with all PHP based sites on the web, because they use question marks and other parts in an URL (e.g. session IDs like HA) that the Google search robot cannot read, so it can't spider the content of these pages. As far as I know, this is also the same for the Audiocoding.com Wiki and the forum, e.g. its Phorum software needs a hack with a hidden index page to overcome this, too. So if I write something in the Wiki or the forum about "Hydrogen Audio", it won't be found by Google.

And sometimes site owners/admins don't know that they have to submit their URL to every search engine, before any search robot will come to index their pages. But that's of course another problem...
ZZee ya, Hans-Jürgen
BLUEZZ BASTARDZZ - "That lil' ol' ZZ Top cover band from Hamburg..."
INDIGO ROCKS - "Down home rockin' blues. Tasty as strudel."