Opinions....

[dakar]

Okay I've just about got vB looking the way I want (still waiting on my graphic artist for the header graphics). But if ya'll would be so kind take a run through CaptiveReefing (http://www.captivereefing.com) and let me know what you think... what could/should be changed, the coloring scheme is a tradition of sorts and my members really demand them in that scheme.

But your thoughts would be greatly appreciated, from an aethetics and SEO point of view.

Thanks
Dave

[Noppid]

I think the teal and the new darker blues work well. However, the vB .tcat and .thead stock table top images ruin it. You need to customize those two elements as well. It looks half baked right now. But you are going in a very good direction overall I think.

I'm submitting a pet site to your directory. Thanks

P.S. your coop php file is out of date and not working in the directory.

[Peggy]

I think the teal and the new darker blues work well. However, the vB .tcat and .thead stock table top images ruin it. You need to customize those two elements as well. It looks half baked right now. But you are going in a very good direction overall I think.

I'm submitting a pet site to your directory. Thanks

P.S. your coop php file is out of date and not working in the directory.

I love the colors and the banner! This is very unique and trendy. Nice.

HOWEVER.... Sorry but I do not like the blue that is on the category and forum header tables. The colors there do not match with your overall color scheme at all, in fact they throw it off.
The banner up at the top is way over to the left of the edge of the forums... makes the whole page look out of whack to me.

JMO ;)

[el fuego]

Being that I'm a visually stimulated guy... I went right to the galleries.

First thing I noticed is that when you click a picture it opens a new window (or in my case a new Tab - Using FireFox) and resizes it to a skinny (pre-determined?) dimension. Opening a new window/tab is fine, but having it resize the window in my opinion is bad.
Especially since, in FireFox it resizes the whole Browser since the new tab is part of the current window.

Most inconvenient.

I also agree with the above post... the image at the very top, being Left Justified makes the whole site look off.
Again, being a visual guy... I appreciate symetry in a Forum.

Other than that... I really like the look so far. Looks like you have spent a good deal of time on the site, and it shows!

Just my 0.02¢

[Noppid]

Being that I'm a visually stimulated guy... I went right to the galleries.

First thing I noticed is that when you click a picture it opens a new window (or in my case a new Tab - Using FireFox) and resizes it to a skinny (pre-determined?) dimension. Opening a new window/tab is fine, but having it resize the window in my opinion is bad.
Especially since, in FireFox it resizes the whole Browser since the new tab is part of the current window.

Most inconvenient.

I also agree with the above post... the image at the very top, being Left Justified makes the whole site look off.
Again, being a visual guy... I appreciate symetry in a Forum.

Other than that... I really like the look so far. Looks like you have spent a good deal of time on the site, and it shows!

Just my 0.02¢


***Warning: Thread hijacking in progress. (well, almost.)

Ok, that gallery popup is my doing. It has never been a problem for me because I coded it for how "I" use my browsers. But, it seems I'm not the norm. You are not the first to point out that anomoly in the popup pics.

Interestingly enough, I have been coding an update to the vBPicGallery (http://www.cpurigs.com/) photo gallery for vBulletin, however, I am stuck staring at that template trying to come up with the best way to display the full size image the user uploaded.

Currently the view gallery shows a random image from the gallery and it is dynamically resized by the browser. Clicking on a thumbnail invokes a new browser window and the resizing of it resulting in the exact complaint you have made.

So, I need suggestions folks. I'm stale and my brain is blocked for ideas.

So let's kill two birds with one stone, fix his colors and layout with the benefits flowing down to all vBPicGallery users.

Thanks

[Peggy]

*sits and waits since I have NOOOO idea what the hell y'all are talking about*

[dakar]

I think the teal and the new darker blues work well. However, the vB .tcat and .thead stock table top images ruin it. You need to customize those two elements as well. It looks half baked right now. But you are going in a very good direction overall I think..

Can you elaborate just a touch on the .tcat and .thead elements? Not sure what they are... Guess that shows my newbness to vB a bit.



I'm submitting a pet site to your directory. Thanks


Thanks!!



P.S. your coop php file is out of date and not working in the directory.
[/QUOTE]

Rats!!! it *was* working okay, guess Shawn updated the max again of the scripts again. I'll get on that tonight.... each release I hvae to hack the ads.php to use CURL to pull new ads....long story.

I'll wait on the new updated vbPicGallery or a better way to view images to be released.

I hate the top portion/banner as well... but as I'm relatively graphically challenged I'm waiting on my graphic artist to get his magic done.

Ohiosweetheart - I'll look at those colors again tonight and see if I can find somethig a bit more balanced.

Thanks and always willing to except more constructive criticisms.

[Peggy]

Can you elaborate just a touch on the .tcat and .thead elements? Not sure what they are... Guess that shows my newbness to vB a bit.



Thanks!!



if you look at this forum, note the various sections...vBulletin FAQ Information (http://www.vbulletin-faq.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3), General Discussions Forums, Customizing your VBulletin, etc. Those are categories, that separate the sections of the forums, the strip going across the top of each section is the .tcat, or what I call the "category strips".

Now just above the vBulletin FAQ Information section, see the strip going across that has headings that read Forum, Last Post, Threads, Post... that's the .thead, or what I call the "header strip". You'll find .thead in various places around your forum, most noteably (sp?) across the top of each individual post, like this one you're reading now, where you see the date (today) and time on the left and the post # on the right. That strip across is the .thead as well.

Hope that helps ;)

[Noppid]

Rats!!! it *was* working okay, guess Shawn updated the max again of the scripts again. I'll get on that tonight.... each release I hvae to hack the ads.php to use CURL to pull new ads....long story.



I posted the code to use curl at DP. I prefer it as well. But I run my server and can easily get stuff like that added if needed.

I like curl and pear libs. ;)

[dakar]

OHS - Thanks! now that makes sense! See what you did, now I went and screwed up the whole day by learning something.

Noppid - You sure did... saved my bacon by posting that for me quite some time ago... rest well knowing the code is still being put to good use! Now to see what's changed in the new version of the ads.php

[Peggy]

OHS - Thanks! now that makes sense! See what you did, now I went and screwed up the whole day by learning something.


LOL.. you're welcome!

[dakar]

***Warning: Thread hijacking in progress. (well, almost.)

Ok, that gallery popup is my doing. ....

So, I need suggestions folks. I'm stale and my brain is blocked for ideas.

So let's kill two birds with one stone, fix his colors and layout with the benefits flowing down to all vBPicGallery users.

Thanks

Here's on suggestion for ya, can the watermark be easily moved, so to the lower corners other than the center? I wrote a couple of image resizing scripts for my members, the lower right hand corner is my preffered placement... but if they used the resizer (which brands images as well) the gallery plugs another watermark in the center as well... looks kind of odd.

[Noppid]

Here's on suggestion for ya, can the watermark be easily moved, so to the lower corners other than the center? I wrote a couple of image resizing scripts for my members, the lower right hand corner is my preffered placement... but if they used the resizer (which brands images as well) the gallery plugs another watermark in the center as well... looks kind of odd.

I can probably code the watermark to be anywhere we want. I just didn't feel like writing the code for 6 possible placements at the time. But I guess it wouldn't kill me.

[dakar]

I guess I it wouldn't kill me to actually dig through the code and try and locate it myself to move it over either.

But you DID ask for suggestions :)

[Noppid]

Well I'm in that code already. We're talking 2 more phrases and 1 ACP setting here and moving the watermark controls to the admin cp out of vbpgconfig.php. So it will be a well recieved addition I would guess.

I have to work out the math for the 4 new corner positions though as well. Shouldn't be too much work. Then it will be in there for everyone and you won't have to hack it.

[sarahk]

My suggestions come from a different perspective. Your site's meta information is set in the control panel but is currently the default. It's OK to not have it, but it's not OK to have it wrong :)

I'd also remove the link vault links from your index page - it's great to have on internal pages but not on your home page. Or am I just green with envy at those sites who managed to secure your home page? :rolleyes:

FWIW I've added you to my directory: http://www.top100vbulletin.com/newbies.html Let me know if you want any changes made.

[dakar]

My suggestions come from a different perspective. Your site's meta information is set in the control panel but is currently the default. It's OK to not have it, but it's not OK to have it wrong :)

Nice catch, must have been neglected at setup.


I'd also remove the link vault links from your index page - it's great to have on internal pages but not on your home page. Or am I just green with envy at those sites who managed to secure your home page? :rolleyes:

Not linkvault, drop me a PM if you want more info.


FWIW I've added you to my directory: http://www.top100vbulletin.com/newbies.html Let me know if you want any changes made.

Thanks! I can use all the links I can get :) When time permits I will recipricate, my directory is such a mess and so far behind right now, another 'one of these days' projects.

Dave