For those of you that use the chat page (http://www.thebackalleys.com/index.php?p=chat), your client has just been upgraded. Instead of the clunky Java applet, I've replaced it with a web-based client called Mibbit.
Mibbit looks better, runs better, and has more functionality. You can now:
- select a nickname before you join
- preview pictures and Youtube Videos
- exchange files
- create pastebin links
- create short URL's
- use smilies and colors
- PM, ignore and whois people from the userlist
chat now! (http://www.thebackalleys.com/index.php?p=chat)++
Here's a picture of mibbit in action:
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fok%2Fpublic%2F536Je8_mibbit_tba.PNG&hash=a61e2b590dc021895fe128c5e5920ed66028904a)
enjoy! Hope to see some of you that haven't chatted with us in the past or in a long time. It's like the forum, but ten times as wacky, and half as gay!
keep up on changes with the new layout here (http://tutorials.thebackalleys.com/). this site will be changing a lot as i design it
I really like the new layout. It's nice to look at, the only thing that is bothering me is what you wrote in the newspost wtf!
i think it's chinese
new layout looks meh
I like it
I think it has more personality than the one you have now, and looks less...generic
You better read those messages
Quote from: Wasimnew layout looks meh
if you don't like it, it's
really helpful if you explain why or how it could be better. saying "meh" doesn't help me at all
i would really appreciate everybody's input
That's a pretty cool looking layout there, do you have any other colour schemes in mind? How about being able to switch between certain colour themes?
Quote from: AshingtonHow about being able to switch between certain colour themes?
yes, i want to at the very least let you be able to switch between light and dark. someday i'd even like for people to be able to make their own so i could add them. it would be cookie-based so your browser would remember which layout you wanted. but the default would be dark
we need an oekakajjdsahfaug
and the most recent okeksisiua drawings should be were da recent art thing is
also 200 tutorials what da fuk
Quote from: SHADOWFOX2I like it
I think it has more personality than the one you have now, and looks less...generic
You better read those messages
you think the concept looks LESS generic? ahahahHAHAHAHAh ho ho ho
personally i think it looks flat and boring but i am a fag
i think the site looks quite nice as it is, it just needs redesigns of some of the forum buttons, etc, which look very dated
i'm going to be redesigning the site either way. what about it is boring? what would make it more interesting?
the huge font, the huge buttons, flat pastel colors, it all seems very simplistic. I really like the current site header, and the color scheme and general look are pretty nice imo, and in comparison this redesign and the other draft you posted look really boring
I wouldn't mind having the wallpaper gallery re-uploaded (stupid request), and seeing an option to reskin the forums (having more options than the 'freetown silver' look). Streamed audio via flash or preinstalled apps that embed on a webpage (Quicktime, Windows Media Player, etc) would also be cool (maybe I'm asking for too much...).
The preview of the new site looks cool!
Quote from: anselthe huge font, the huge buttons, flat pastel colors, it all seems very simplistic. I really like the current site header, and the color scheme and general look are pretty nice imo, and in comparison this redesign and the other draft you posted look really boring
what if i replaced some of the colors with graphics?
Quote from: zNelson24I wouldn't mind having the wallpaper gallery re-uploaded (stupid request), and seeing an option to reskin the forums (having more options than the 'freetown silver' look). Streamed audio via flash or preinstalled apps that embed on a webpage (Quicktime, Windows Media Player, etc) would also be cool (maybe I'm asking for too much...).
The preview of the new site looks cool!
art stuff is @ rmcartoons.com now, although i haven't put wallpapers up there yet. extra skins is on my to-do list, won't come until much later though. streamed audio, dunno about that, but i will want to add a functionality to the uploader so you can play the audio files on the page as well as download.
I will hold TBA music podcasts every Saturday
Just kidding, but the thought ran through my head during anigen's short podcasting period that it might be a fun idea
There may be pizza
Quote from: rtili think it's chinese
lmfao
but yeah big things are so bad web 2.0 fUCK THAT SHIT
bring back that old theme that psi or whoever added and use that
I think the draft could use something on the Left and the Right. You have all that dead gray space there. I think if the users could customize that dead space with some sort of pattern either a violent red to hot pink pattern, cool blue to electric blue pattern or maybe even forest green to Kawasaki green pattern it could make the page so much more. Something, anything, to kill the dead space. Another idea, allow the user to upload their pic or select one from the TBA library to set as the background image. Then hat could be pasted on the sides.
I'm sure being a new poster and all this will be highly taken into consideration. I will wait with bated breath.
customization is not my #1 concern right now, i'm really focusing on the backend and the content. but i figure i might as well code it with a new layout in mind. i think what i will do is cut the dead space by simply removing it and making the page the width of the browser like i've always done.
and if anyone is concerned about the size of the fonts, don't worry. most of them will be smaller. i got a little lazy with the photoshop text tool
the image preview sucks when linking to dynamic pages or shit thats banned from the client or pretty much anything youd like to SEE the link to
also its gay
The new layout looks pretty good, but looks a little flat, maybe add some dimension by adding some shadows and soft gradient. Maybe?
Quote from: dvvebbbsiuothe image preview sucks when linking to dynamic pages or shit thats banned from the client or pretty much anything youd like to SEE the link to
i can't change that, sorry
It looks like "Chat" and "Forum" will be in the Community pulldown now? If you're going that way, I hope I don't have to click it to open the pulldown so I can highlight it to then click it again....it's a little faster if like my mouse can hover over community and options appear to click just once. Idk haha is that lazy?? I guess I just liked the ability to go straight to chat button on the top, but oh wait it's still there as a tiny blue one on the bottom I guess...
The font on "the backalleys" top part is a little boring and so crammed the "t" is hanging off the edge. I'd think you'd have a neat "pixel" font or "futuristic" font for the main logo name and a graphic that depicts the backalleys so a new person can get a sense of why the site is called that. These are all just suggestions; I don't have any real complaints.
i'm still not sure what to do with the menu yet. i want to code it with javascript (sigh) so you don't have to click the buttons. there may not even be a menu. depends on how many buttons i can fit there.
the header has completeley changed from the original pic. you guys can check out http://tutorials.thebackalleys.com (http://tutorials.thebackalleys.com) to check on how the new layout is coming along. so far i have the header done, and i'm partway there on the buttons. feel free to comment on it. i'm more interested in functionality tips than design at this point though
personally i think theres too much going on in the new layout. much like the current layout. too much text gives me a headache just looking at it. as some wise faggot said "less is more".
is there really a need for all the forum specifics and stats all over the place?
definitely should stick to small sized fonts too. big large text doesn't mean that it's going to attract people to read it. consistency with text and styles is pretty much key in web design.
honestly feels like i would be visiting a stock and shares website, it has way too much statistics. IMO.
hope any of this helped.
i thought moving some of the recent stats to the bottom of the page would help with the clutter, as well as removing the left sidebar entirely. i feel like the stuff on the right bar is important, because the focus of this site is going to be on the forum & the tutorial database.
the fonts in the design are generally going to be smaller than the image preview, as photoshop tends to bulk up fonts and i can't specify exact pixel sizes they were larger than what i'd normally use. http://tutorials.thebackalleys.com/ (http://tutorials.thebackalleys.com/) is where you can keep up with how the new layout is coming along.
i understand the concepts of web design, and i don't see how the new design is inconsistent - besides using century gothic and arial, which i don't see a problem with as they're both sans serif.
a lot of the new website will be "stock and share" anyway. a file database will be an essential part of the tutorials section
The Magic Conch Shell
psss. Rtil can you change my nick to '' Mad Meat '' please.
and don't worry i will stay with the same signature if you want ..
http://www.thebackalleys.com/news/ (http://www.thebackalleys.com/news/) news page done
this is phase 1 of the 9 pages that need to be remade
Cool. I like the Bottom toolbar. But, I say you should make the popular topic text smaller, so "what's you're favorite fighting game?" doesn't look like "what's your favorite fight" But on top of that, the user interface is bit better. PROGRESS!
<J_Seed> heres the snowman rape
Quote from: J_Seed<J_Seed> heres the snowman rape
well isn't that
LOVELY
Quote from: rtilhttp://www.thebackalleys.com/news/ (http://www.thebackalleys.com/news/) news page done
this is phase 1 of the 9 pages that need to be remade
i actually really like the color scheme you used for this
the only think i dont like is the header. the cityscape looks good in that blue hue, but not the girl. she looks kinda out of place
i really like the current header. maybe you should just make it bluer
Quote from: LordZeebmorkbring back that old theme that psi or whoever added and use that
sadly that one is broken, so if you'd try to use that theme you'd get an error message, and some admin (rtil i guess!) would have to reset your account's theme choice.
Anyways, I really like the new layout for the news page. The only thing that looks kind of weird is that "<author" etc stuff on the right of a newspost. I don't know how you can change that to make it look better, maybe make the background of that little box a little bit darker so it doesn't blend in with the long box below it, or just remove the line.
you probably have no idea what i mean, i can make a small screenshot if you want me to.
no i know what you're talking about. i am gonna change that, and probably some other small things.
psi, remember i gave you all the stuff to make a new doremi layout if you wanted
Quote from: rtilpsi, remember i gave you all the stuff to make a new doremi layout if you wanted
ohhh, yeah. Awesome forum layout coming right up after a small break
probably in a few weeks cause
wait no vacation starts in 2 weeks so that's when I will finish it (probably!)
Quote from: rtilhttp://www.thebackalleys.com/news/ (http://www.thebackalleys.com/news/) news page done
this is phase 1 of the 9 pages that need to be remade
waywaywaywaywwayway waaaaaay too much going on
how so? isn't it at least less cluttered than the current front page?
when i first opened it i got confused because there's small text all over the place and that bar on the bottom is distracting
the sidebar is distracting, which is a shame since that's a very nice header you designed...um. i think maybe if you move it a little closer together it'll look better.
i'm definitely no expert on graphic design but my opinion is that your layouts tend to be too spread out.
also, i don't understand the use of "popular topics" or anything pertaining to updating us on it. this forum isn't mega active..i do see the use of "now chatting" but i guess you should ask some IRC whores if it's in a practical place. imo, i don't think it is because i didn't even notice it until i scrolled.
i\\\'ll just delete the bottom bar then. i made it for fun and i thought it was cool, i use the popular topics thing a lot but it\\\'s not a big deal. this forum might not be "mega active" now but when this site actually serves a purpose i hope that will change. i can\\\'t do anything about the layout being too "spread out", i\\\'m really against fixed width layouts and if it\\\'s too wide then just shrink the size of your browser window.
unless if you guys like fixed width layouts, e.g. newgrounds or youtube, where the page width doesn\\\'t change
sorry i just realized i said "too spread out"...i actually didn't mean that to be a criticism it was more of a general opinion. this one isn't too bad, really. i just think the sidebar could be moved lil closer so all the graphics come together more
i would, i'm just afraid of people with smaller monitors. i don't want the main content to be too squished
Yeah I can't see much as it is with my Acer Eee PC
is it 1024x768?
sadly, i don't think that i would give the shit about the chat anymore
DickSeed saw me, and he banned me....
Quote from: Mad Meatsadly, i don't think that i would give the shit about the chat anymore
DickSeed saw me, and he banned me....
lmfao
http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials/ind...d=22&t=8038 (http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials/index.php?v=tut&id=22&t=8038)
here you can see the beginning of development for what a tutorial might look like. i will be testing features on this demo tutorial, and as you can see i started with a codebox, a custom tag i made today.
because of the difficulty involved in parsing bbcode tutorials will be written with html instead. you guys will be able to use markup like bold, italic and underline, images, links, youtube, vimeo, tables and probably a few other things. the codebox will be <codebox> </codebox> to follow the syntax
if you guys think of any features i should add let me know. i still have to implement quite a few things, including: comment system, rating system, post creator/editor, personal file database, better navigation on the tutorial main page ( http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials (http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials) )
http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials/ind...d=22&t=8038 (http://www.thebackalleys.com/tutorials/index.php?v=tut&id=22&t=8038)
comment + rating system in. there's also a tutorial editor, but you guys can't test it right now obviously. you can, however, rate the tutorials and leave comments now. give it a try and see if it works for you