New Site Configuration

You are here: Home > Forum > General > Website / Forum > New Site Configuration

Page 1 of 1

New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 14:30 #510
postal
Avatar
5189 posts
Quite threw me the first time I went onto the site after the upload - no wasted space on the screen! Thanks to whoever has put the hours in.

There is one problem with viewing which I have found looking at the Wiki - and it is also happening on the page I am using while I am creating this new topic. Looking at http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73 and going to the User Track as the Wiki instance, the bar containing the message "xplike.plesk.reloaded Joomla Template supplied by Netshine Software Ltd, the Joomla Hosting Specialists" which normally appears at the foot of the page is appearing part way up the page and obscuring some of the text. It is happening on a 1280 x 800 resolution screen using Firefox 3.5.7. I think it may be a problem with how the browser is relating to the html as the same problem is occurring on my system in Opera, Google Chrome and Safari, but the bar appears in the correct location in IE8 - and I would rather not use IE8 (or the IETab add-on in Firefox) to look at the Wiki.

JG

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 14:30 #5682
postal
Avatar
5189 posts
Quite threw me the first time I went onto the site after the upload - no wasted space on the screen! Thanks to whoever has put the hours in.

There is one problem with viewing which I have found looking at the Wiki - and it is also happening on the page I am using while I am creating this new topic. Looking at http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73 and going to the User Track as the Wiki instance, the bar containing the message "xplike.plesk.reloaded Joomla Template supplied by Netshine Software Ltd, the Joomla Hosting Specialists" which normally appears at the foot of the page is appearing part way up the page and obscuring some of the text. It is happening on a 1280 x 800 resolution screen using Firefox 3.5.7. I think it may be a problem with how the browser is relating to the html as the same problem is occurring on my system in Opera, Google Chrome and Safari, but the bar appears in the correct location in IE8 - and I would rather not use IE8 (or the IETab add-on in Firefox) to look at the Wiki.

JG

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 15:32 #5688
Tallington
Avatar
254 posts
John,

Using FF 3.5.6 it is OK on full screen then the bottom line moves up if windowed. I've not downloaded the updated FF yet!
This is the bit of CSS in the 'template.css' that might improve things:

#xp-footer
{
background-position: bottom;
background-repeat: repeat-x;
text-align: center;
font-size: 0.9em;
position: bottom; <-- this is currently absolute
width: 100%;
z-index: 1000;
height: 21px;
top: 1000px;
}

The only other overlap is at the top of this forum where the latest news box is partly obscured by the advertising. Probably just wants disabling except on the Home Page

Otherwise this is far better. I had tried several versions of the original CSS but this is an obviously new completely fluid template.

Can we get the icon edits up soon and can i start a new logo/top image?

Ken

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 15:57 #5691
Tallington
Avatar
254 posts
I am sure a couple of tweaks will get this one sorted.

I've just edited my first post with what might be the cure for the first problem.

Just looking at the source for the second one. This one is just a sequence of overlapped modules from different templates interfering with each other.

This should do it - it is in the same template.css:

#xp-top .sensible_module
{
margin: 10px;
margin-top: 55px; <-- was 5px
}

Ken

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 19:20 #5699
Valiant15
Avatar
23 posts
I think the new layout is excellent. Thanks to those who have put the work in on it.
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 20:27 #5705
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
Excellent detective work Ken - I managed to reproduce John's issue, have made the two changes you suggested, and it appears to resolve both issues. Can the icon edits wait a day or three while I release some software to the developers?
SimSig Boss
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 22:59 #5710
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
Another issue is that the front page displays the latest newsflash (or perhaps not the latest it would appear), then two boxes of news titles, then the latest newsflash as a new item again. Could do without the two-column centre bit as well.
SimSig Boss
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 10/01/2010 at 23:18 #5712
postal
Avatar
5189 posts
Geoff

Agree with that. The Home Page is confusing at the moment. Looking at the root of the problem, should the Home Page be an intro to SimSig for people chancing on the web-site or should it be the place where existing users go for the latest news?

Speaking personally, I very rarely go to the Home Page as I have the Forum book-marked and normally go straight there. The addition of the Newsflash box at the top makes it even less likely that I will visit the Home Page. For my money, it would make more sense to make the main thrust of the Home Page the introduction bits, with maybe the Newsflash box at the top, but the other news updates further down the page after the intro.

JG

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 11/01/2010 at 07:38 #5715
Tallington
Avatar
254 posts
Geoff,

Tried everything I could to make the front page 2 columns wide but the 'rogue' Poll box on the top right was thought to be forcing an invisible 'padding-right;190px' somewhere in the top-box.

If that Poll form (which doesn't appear to be active) can be put in the Left area below the Main Menu then the whole screen MAY expand automatically. However, a simple edit near the top of the main Simsig-co-uk.htm can over-ride the problem:-

<body onload="set_footer();add_menu_event_handlers();">
<a name="top"></a>
<div id="xp-main-body-container" style="top:105px;">
<div id="xp-main-body" style="padding-right:0px;"> <--- THIS was 190px and what forced the white space on the right!

Will investigate the other layout panes on the Home Page later.

Once that is done we will look at visual improvements - icons - banners etc.

Ken

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 11/01/2010 at 13:45 #5723
caedave
Avatar
142 posts
Like it already. Just have to get use to being able to write longer lines of text.

Dave M.

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 12/01/2010 at 15:42 #5761
caedave
Avatar
142 posts
One follow on for the new configuration as a reminder note.

The Preview page will also need adjusting to match this new, wider view.

Please keep up the good work.

Dave M.

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 16/01/2010 at 11:52 #5917
Adrian the Rock
Avatar
111 posts
postal said:
...The Home Page is confusing at the moment. Looking at the root of the problem, should the Home Page be an intro to SimSig for people chancing on the web-site or should it be the place where existing users go for the latest news?

I've always felt homepages should be the former, as they will usually be the place new visitors arrive at first. The company I work for uses its Intranet homepage as a news page, which I've always found mildly annoying because, in that case, about 60% of the news published is not relevant to me. (In the case of companies, urgent/important news should be published by email anyway as that's a much more reliable way of getting it to people,)

Latest news can either be a pane on the homepage provided that doesn't take up too much space, or a separate News page. If the latter is done then regular users could equally well bookmark its URL.

BTW thanks for the new full-width layout here - a BIG improvement!

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 16/01/2010 at 13:51 #5920
nroberts
Avatar
227 posts
Adrian the Rock said:
I've always felt homepages should be the former, as they will usually be the place new visitors arrive at first.
I agree with this.

Maybe the "Welcome to the world of railway signalling..." could be made into a form of sticky news item (so it stays at the top). I don't have Joomla installed ATM and neither the template.

However, an alternative option may be to have a front page with the intro stuff and post it to the site and making that page the default page for the site (needs to be configured on the hosting server). This way all acceses to "www.SimSig.co.uk" would go to the new page which would (obviously) link to the forum, downloads, etc.

Hard core users which frequently go straight to the forums could then bookmark the first forum page skipping the front page for on later accesses. Currently: http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_agora&Itemid=54

Regards,

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 05/02/2010 at 17:37 #6459
Quizman
Avatar
276 posts
Note sure whether this has been mentioned before, have perused the thread but does not seem to have been...........
In Topic View, if the number of pages exceeds a certain number, I can't ascertain which, if there are quite a few of them the last page numbers and 'last' get put on a 2nd line however that line is partially obscured by the block 'Most Active Users' see attached snip.....looks like a tweak is needed.

Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 06/02/2010 at 23:24 #6486
UKTrainMan
Avatar
1803 posts
What is your operating system and Browser?

I'm currently using the rather excellent Google Chrome for my Internet browsing and I don't seem to get that problem?!!

EDITED TO ADD;

Just checked this with IE7 and also do not experience this problem.

Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
Log in to reply
New Site Configuration 07/02/2010 at 01:57 #6491
Quizman
Avatar
276 posts
Vista with Firefox 3.01
Log in to reply