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Alt Text's new look

Some of the quiet around here lately can be attributed to the fact that I have been trying to launch this new design before I decide that I hate it. I usually hate a design about a month or two after I create it and since this one was created more than 3 or 4 months ago I was running that risk. Fortunately, I think I still kinda like it. There are still numerous things to do but it more or less validates to the Strict XHTML 1.0 spec unless I do something dumb and add a post that screws it up. I plan on adding a couple more RSS feeds, and a couple more ways to explore posts (including by tag but I think I will wait for an upgrade to my Movable Type install to 3.3 for that.)

The one thing that has been killing me for a week is the accordion navigation menu, at right (middle column) in IE. It should work. It is part of the Script.acul.us/Prototype javascript library stuff and I have pulled it apart and tried it every which way, including seemingly exactly as it is implemented elsewhere and I just can't figure it out. That is why I am calling on the collaborative powers (and fresh eyes) of the internet to help me out. If anyone can see what the problem is with that, please let me know. There's an "Alt Text Prize Pack"* in it for you.

If you see anything else acting strangely (especially on Mac) please let me know. Oh, and if you use IE, stop it.

* Contents of the prize pack have not yet been determined but there will at least be an Alt Text t-shirt and a few other things.

Further Discussion (8 comments so far. Add yours)

said...

On this page in Safari, if you roll over a link it disappears. Same with text fields! I had to add #commentBox to the url to even be able to reply. Only seems to happen on the post page itself, not the home page or any of those.

Otherwise it looks very nice, i like it. It's a little wide though don't you think? My browser has scroll bars. :/

...at 10:50 AM on July 30, 2006

said...

It's wide on my laptop (12" iBook) but just right on my desktop (eMac). But my own recent redesign does the same. I wouldn't worry about the width in this day and age.

The whole site looks just dandy to me using Camino. If there's anything I can nitpick about, it's only this: the bar at the bottom of the 'Media Consumption' section on the front page juts out to the right by about 10 pixels when there's more than one item in the list (in other words, when I click on 'tv' it's just right, but it's jutting out on all the other options).

...at 04:18 PM on July 30, 2006

said...

I'd worry about the width! Just because I have a browser that stretches 2560px doesn't mean I use it. I usually only have my browser at 900px or so. Besides, why force the width? It should be liquid. Let the user decide.

Also, another change, when I post a comment I think it would be nice to have it come back to the post page, and not whatever separate page it goes to now. Seems weird.

...at 04:37 PM on July 30, 2006

said...

It is designed for 1024 pixel wide viewing, and I don't think that is out of line considering what most people are using now. I would bet people with bigger monitors typically don't have their windows too much smaller than that. As far as liquid layouts go, they are problematic. I would consider a layout that contracts to a certain point (maybe 800 x 600) but then again I am not trying to support "corporate users" but rather, users like me who don't have small displays. The width issue is on the list now, thanks Brent, but there are too many other things to deal with now to care about that.

As far as the comment for goes. If there is an error it goes to a "weird page" but a successful post returns to this page (entry archive) with a message at the top.

...at 09:27 PM on July 30, 2006

said...

Nice work! I really like it. This new design makes it very easy to read. I particularly like the fact that the comments don't open up in a separate window. (at least I thought they used to do that.)

...at 09:58 AM on July 31, 2006

said...

Just because many people have screens that are 1024px wide doesn't mean every app is maximized to that width! I'm not sure where the concept of monitor size=browser size came from, but I can only assume it's from Windows users who think they're only allowed to view one app at a time.

...at 11:40 AM on July 31, 2006

said...

Just because many people have screens that are 1024px wide doesn't mean every app is maximized to that width! I'm not sure where the concept of monitor size=browser size came from, but I can only assume it's from Windows users who think they're only allowed to view one app at a time.

I never assume that monitors over 1024px wide would run all windows maximized but I am pretty confident tht you are the exception to the rule. People with truly only using a 1024x768 display, will run maximized. The other people who choose to run smaller than 1024 wide are going to be seeing scroll bars on a lot of site out there.

...at 12:39 PM on July 31, 2006

said...

By the way, I think I have a handle on the slow comment stuff and the comment template has now been fixed to use the right one.

Apparently there is a bug in Movable Type 3.2 that caused the slow comment rebuilding (because it was rebuilding more than just this page and not doing it in the background as it is supposed to). More info on that bug can be found on Brandon Fuller's blog.

...at 12:45 PM on July 31, 2006

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