Page size. As in KB not content.

[Mhtml]

What size do you think I should try to keep my pages around?
I'm after speed but I'd like to use plenty of images.

Actually I'd like to squeeze in another question, whould you prefer to surf a site created almost entirely out of HTML/CSS? or Would you like to surf a site with images for naviation headings etc.

[ionsurge]

I don't get what you mean...

If you want to use a lot of images, try to go for .gif/.jpg images, and split them up into several images, so the user can see that it is loading.

If you mean a border around your page, like www.angelfire.com/empire/horizon, you should use a .gif image, seeing as it does result in much faster loading...


Ionsurge Inc.

[tommysphone]

Page size is a factor. A bad size is 430kb plus of just text - Yep, I have seen such a page.

To be honest, if its images & text then 30 to 100kb would be acceptable. If you have loads of images to user, perhaps consider a phot album that loads seperately to the page when requested by the user via a link. That way they will now another window has to load and that it may take a while depending on their connection.

My page preference would be text with minimal images. I use the web to find information. If it warrants a picture for an explanation then fine. If not then why have a picture there?

I am sure though there are many differing views out there. Go on, chip in people.

[ionsurge]

I agree, that is a pretty good idea.

I have noticed that and that is why [www.ionsurge.co.uk] is really minimalist, with almost no pictures. What is there (despite being under construction) is largely brief text. It won't have too much images, and it wont have too much text.

The most text that may appear would be in the news section, where it will undoubtedly have large articles - but that is it. There will be no additional stuff, and images would be somewhere where it will be supposed to have images, e.g. the Digital Art section.

Simple and clear - the best way forward - not like Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) which is just cluttered and horrible to look at.


Ionsurge.

[ionsurge]

Oh and it is great that I have now, with this post, exceeded 150 posts. Wohoo!

*straightens jacket and returns to original posture, and formal attitude*

Ionsurge.

[Revelle]

Thumbnails are always a good idea :p and CSS.
Great way of minimizing page size.

Keeping it clean like the above mentioned :D is a plus of course. Good for the eyes ^.^

Love yahoo for searching but x.x too cluttered, I agree!

[cg9com]

Originally posted by Mhtml
whould you prefer to surf a site created almost entirely out of HTML/CSS? or Would you like to surf a site with images for naviation headings etc.


HTML/CSS :)

[whackaxe]

i think that preloaders are a good idea for a graphic heavy site. but 430kb for just text? must have been the bible translated into every differnt langauge!

[ionsurge]

I know, that is pretty strange.

If you want to use images, you may as well use flash, and not everyone enjoys waiting for flash sites - unless they have a high bandwidth connection.


Go with yout .html/.asp and .css pages. You will get a lot more users, seeing as it will be more 56k friendly.

[Mhtml]

I'm not going to have many if any photos, I was talking about images as buttons like "next" or "Home" , I'm trying to find a good layout using CSS also can anyone help in that area?

I'm planning now on have an image logo (like always) but the rest of the site is going to be CSS to minimise on loading time.

Okey dokes then, anyone have a site(s) that they visit for inspiration?

PS: Don't include coolhomepages, I've seen EVERY SINGLE SITE! (I have no life..:()

[MCookie]

Well here's a nice XHTML1.0 Strict CSS layout that works in NN4 too :)
http://realworldstyle.com/nn4_3col_header.html

[ionsurge]

There was a version of www.daydreamgraphics.com that I liked, I think you can find it somewhere in the past templates that they do. It is really good .css/html stuff in there.

By the way, most sites nowadays that inspire me are usually those that are made as .php, not .html - because they give live information about the site while you are on there, and you can see who are online. Pretty kewl. Pity I can't write anything in .php... hrmmm.


Ionsurge

[whackaxe]

you should learn PHP, its a fine language to start with if your new to programming and smooth to get used to if you know programming basics

[ionsurge]

I know, but the server side script is something that makes me not want to go in that direction...

[Mhtml]

PHP is on my things to do list, I have almost got intermediate ASP down. I'm also starting to learn C.

[ionsurge]

For a 15-year old you are doing a lot...

I know:

C++
HTML
a little .asp - I recently started learning that
VBasic
Pascal

Flash MX
Dreamweaver MX
Fireworks MX
Freehand MX
Photoshop 7
Lightwave 3D 7.5
SoftImage
Truespace
3DS Max
Swift 3D v3
Swish v2
Corel Draw
Bryce 5
Spiralizer
World Builder
Poser 5
Vue D'Espirit
Ulead Smart Saver Pro
and newly Maya.

I am still 18, and have worked for Pindar (the yellow pages people), and have helped design a lot of things too for very large companies, and well I doubt that I can even say that I can do what you can Mhtml... I can't believe that you are 15!

Ionsurge Inc

[ronaldb66]

To whom it may concern: server side scripting is a very powerful tool which enhances your possibilities greatly, and PHP certainly isn't the worst choice: it's open source, it's free, it's available on more and more servers every day, and there's a lot of good, usually free, info around, like example scripts, tips & tricks, and even complete applications like message boards and weblogs.

I recently started digging into PHP, and i can already see great advantages in even simple applications: just think about the ease with which you can include standard peaces of code to each page via a single line, and with little more have that standard code adapt to the specific page it's included in (like menus and such). Also, it's a cinch (well... :D ) to connect to databases and use those to create flexible content.

Don't shy away from server side scripting: it's not that difficult, and it can open up intrigueing possibilities!

[whackaxe]

server side is an essentiel part of web design i think. by using server side langauges you have the possibility to write scripts that lycos, bravenet and other give to you against adverts and little customizbility. personally i know

HTML
CSS
Javascript
PHP
learning C++
Flash MX
Photshop 6.0 (computers to rubbish to handle 7 :()
paint shop pro 7
3DS MAX

and countless more installed but never used :p. one thing that is good with not using WYSIWYG editors is that your layout looks like its had alots of hard work poured into it and you can optimize everything and fine tune it.

[brothercake]

Originally posted by MCookie
Well here's a nice XHTML1.0 Strict CSS layout that works in NN4 too [/url]

Except it crashes if you resize. Nevermind - with any luck ns4 is not long for this world ...

lately i've been getting into XML + PHP SAX to generate pages - it means that content and style are completely seperate, and that I don't have to do *any* client-side browser sniffing .. at all.

That's great .. because things like:

if(ie) { document.write ...
if(ns4) { document.write ...

are fine ... but that ns4 code is never going to read by ie, so why should ie even load it at all? The idea is that each browser only gets exactly what it needs = smaller pages.


As for websites ... I liked google :)

[ionsurge]

Google rules!

[Mhtml]

I myself know:

C
Visual Basic
ASP
PHP (a little)
Javascript
Basic
Python
CGI
WML
Java

And as for programs I am fluent in

3d Studio Max
Fireworks
FireWorks MX
Dreamweaver 4
Dreamweaver MX
Flash 5
Flash MX
Xara X
Psp 4.0 - 7.0
Photoshop 6.0 - 7.0
Illustrator 9.0
Freehand 10

I'm learning more advanced javascript asp and learning dhtml at the same time as getting some of the highest marks in the year for everything including sport.

Even this may come as a suprise, I'm a skater!:eek:
You see a lot of skaters making crummy websites all the time here but I'm a skater at the same time as excelling academically.

Look here's a pic of me http://24.226.62.28/projectodyssey/mike.jpg
It is b/w and I can't find the proper color image. That photo was taken a bit to low so you can't see my head and a bit to quickly also. If it had been taken properly I would have been 3ft higer grabbing my right skate..

I'm also trying for x-games in a month.