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Website Up!

Vixen 12 Jul 05 - 03:32 PM
Clinton Hammond 12 Jul 05 - 03:37 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 12 Jul 05 - 03:58 PM
PoohBear 12 Jul 05 - 04:11 PM
GUEST,Jon 12 Jul 05 - 04:22 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 12 Jul 05 - 04:34 PM
TheBigPinkLad 12 Jul 05 - 04:40 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 12 Jul 05 - 04:43 PM
AllisonA(Animaterra) 12 Jul 05 - 04:46 PM
Bill D 12 Jul 05 - 04:48 PM
GUEST,.gargole 12 Jul 05 - 04:49 PM
GUEST,pattyClink 12 Jul 05 - 04:50 PM
Clinton Hammond 12 Jul 05 - 05:04 PM
Áine 12 Jul 05 - 05:12 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 12 Jul 05 - 05:13 PM
Vixen 12 Jul 05 - 06:19 PM
karen k 12 Jul 05 - 06:21 PM
Stephen L. Rich 13 Jul 05 - 01:00 AM
Vixen 13 Jul 05 - 01:01 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 13 Jul 05 - 10:53 PM
Big Al Whittle 14 Jul 05 - 12:25 PM
Alice 14 Jul 05 - 08:44 PM
PennyBlack 14 Jul 05 - 10:54 PM
Vixen 15 Jul 05 - 10:24 AM
PennyBlack 15 Jul 05 - 06:33 PM
Cruiser 16 Jul 05 - 12:35 PM
treewind 16 Jul 05 - 01:35 PM
Alice 16 Jul 05 - 04:15 PM
treewind 16 Jul 05 - 04:53 PM
GUEST,.gargoyle 16 Jul 05 - 05:14 PM
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Subject: Website Up!
From: Vixen
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 03:32 PM

Dear Mudcats--

For those of you who have been asking...

Here It Is!

It's my first attempt with Dreamweaver, so any criticism, advice, suggestions, comments (and compliments too) are gratefully appreciated!

To those Mudcats who helped me sort out getting the sound clips up: MANY MANY THANKS!

V


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 03:37 PM

This is totally subjective, but that colour scheme is UG-LEEE!

Other than that, it a very decent, standard framed web site...


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 03:58 PM

Nicely done - personally - I DO LIKE the color scheme - different, refreshingly different than the stand red/whit/blue or the blacks and browns.

However, your photos are much, much too large and load slowly.

The opening photo is 614KB it should be 61K (or even less) an inside photo is 333KB it should be 33KB (or even 15KB since it is about 2inchx3inch)

You will NOT loose webpage quality since pixels are "grain-y" anyway.

With smaller KB your page will "SNAP" open like a reel...rather than "SCROLL" like a dirge.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: PoohBear
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:11 PM

Vixen,
I have to agree with Gargoyle - I like the colors (kind of like a lot of 'Southwestern' pallettes(sp?). But the photos are a bit slow to load.
Just out of curiosity - who brought a totally modern Montgolfier to a Renaissance Faire? Even the original flight of Pilote de Rosier and the Duc d'Almagne (don't know if I spelled those right, either) was well after the Renaissance period!!
BTW - love the costuming. And any chance of you getting down to the SW in early November? We could probably use more musical acts at our Renn Faire. (daarts.org) The website is out of date, but the contact numbers are correct as is the basic info about application to perform.
Cheers
PB


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:22 PM

I agree with Gargoyle. The photos are too big but otherwise nice.


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:34 PM

May I recommend:

SIMPLE-est way of all use. WEBFX This is GOOD!

http://nbswebfx.com/using_webfx.html

Point to your photos location on the web - it will optimize the size - and then save their new smaller photo and replace your link to the big photo. Instructions on Page

Very Easy - FREEWARE
IMAGE MAGIC
http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP INSTRUCTIONS
(Optomize for webpage)

Use same page for U LEAD PRO
http://www.webmasterjoint.com/articles/1002/image_optimization.php

Photo Album Helper Publisher - FREEWARE (popup aka "You Have Won")
http://www.softandco.com/a/16677/photo-album-helper.html

Have FUN!!!!


You have come a long way and put in a lot of work. Try the opening photo with the first recommended tool. See your page become alive!

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

You could also READ THE INSTRUCTIONS - that came with your camera software - also read the DreamWeaver instructions.


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:40 PM

Hi Vixen

Some good advice above. Did you get Dreamweaver as part of the Fireworks suite? If so, there's a ton of nifty stuff you can do with graphics in there.

I loved your rendition of "Come you not from Newcastle?"

And if it's not PIncorrect, you have an appropriate mudcat name ;o)


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:43 PM

Using WebFX - your photo 614KB photo is reduced to 31.5KB with no visible (webpage) lose of detail.

Of course, keep the huge one filed away for reprints if someone asks.

While digging this stuff out -I enjoyed listening to your Ash Grove (aka Mayor of Bayswater Daughter in my circles)- nice hammered dulcimer playing.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:46 PM

Looks great, Vicki! I look forward to hearing more about it soon (BG)!
Allison


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:48 PM

interesting...in both Firefox & Opera, it loaded (displayed) as a small pic...but when I right clicked and selected 'open image', it went ahead and displayed a 1191 X 966 pixel image. (since I have broadband, they loaded very quickly anyway)


make smaller 'lead in' photos, with links to larger versions an option.


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargole
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:49 PM

BTW - Vixen - Because you already have the page loaded into your cache - you are probably NOT SEEING the slowness when you go to the page.

Exit the browser - dump your cache - return to your page for a "first-timer's experience."

I need to go back and listen to NewCastle with that great review above.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 04:50 PM

Nice clean site, loads plenty fast but I'm on a T1 line.

Good job!


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 05:04 PM

"Vixen - Because you already have the page loaded into your cache"

Or you can hold down the Shift or the CTRL key while you select "Reload/RefresH"... this forces a reaload from the server, overwriting what's in the cache...

At least it USED to!

:-)


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Áine
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 05:12 PM

Hi Vixen,

I think your site is very well done. Since I have broadband, the pictures didn't take any time to load, so I don't have any complaints.   The sound files were excellent - very fine playing!! I like the color scheme, too.

All the best, Áine


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 05:13 PM

I gave you an awkward link to WEBFX try :

http://nbswebfx.com/

Just plug in the address of the photo and go.

This is a great deal of fun - it is done right on the net - try it folks. All sort of special effects to play with.

Unfortunately, (actually good for YOU!) I could not capture the file from the page source on Revels/PomFret and play with the 333KB (but my guess is 15KB will be about what webfx will give you.)

Sincerely,
Gargoyle


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Vixen
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 06:19 PM

WOW!! Thank you for the advice about the pictures. I'll redo them first thing in the morning and re-publish. I'm on broadband, so I thought they were ok. If I'd have thought to ask y'all about graphics back when I was wrestling with the music files, I'd have saved myself another heap of time!

Thank you also for the compliments on the music...we're heading back to the studio in August, so I'll post a couple more files then.

The Hot-Air Balloon wasn't really part of the Faire--it just decided to land there that day. The "Barbarians" stormed out of the Faire to attack it when it landed!

Thank you all again!

The "Foxners"


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: karen k
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 06:21 PM

Vicki,
Very nice job. I'm not totally sure I like the colors but they are not awful. The tunes played great with no problems. I, too, have broadband so the pictures were no problem. I, in reading this thread, have especially liked all the positive feedback from gargoyle. Thanks gargoyle, you really have a lot to offer.

Hope to see you and Tim soon. Again, nice job. Look forward to more pictures and more tunes.

karen


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 01:00 AM

It looks good and the links are clearly marked.
Well done.

Stephen Lee


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Vixen
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 01:01 PM

Webfx *is* cool. I ended up, however, using Photoshop's optimize feature, because I'm familiar with it. The file sizes were substantially reduced, so I'm hoping they don't take as long to load. Gargoyle, your suggestions have been terrific. I didn't take any of these shots, and none of them are digital; they are all prints that I scanned into files. I'm running an educational version of Dreamweaver, so I don't have Fireworks.

Thank you all again for the advice and support!

V


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 10:53 PM

Well done Vixen - the PHOTO page loads within seconds now.



However, the opening photo is still slow at over 600KB - you might want to shrink it down - since it is the "first impression" and its such a lively one too.



Continue having fun.


Sincerely,

Gargoyle


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 12:25 PM

well done. I enjoyed reading about you , best of luck with your duo!


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Alice
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:44 PM

Vicki, your photo should be 72 dpi for the web, not 600 dpi. Change the dimension (larger in inches or pixels) and THEN change the resolution to 72 dpi. Also, it would look more visually consistent if you chose colors from the photograph for the colors of the background of your page and the text colors instead of Miami Vice art deco colors. Use colors that match your sash, your hats, the brown/tan in the costumes.

Your photo is good, but it needs to be cropped more to eliminate the white line at the bottom edge and the back of someone else standing on the left side of the photo.

Make a jpeg image with type for your heading instead of typing it in text form. Upload that image to your page the way you uploaded the photo, but be sure your dpi is 72!!!

Took the liberty of illustrating what I mean. Here is an example of what I'm describing. The photo I used is yours cropped and changed to 72 dpi and 4 inches wide.

http://my.montana.net/aliceflynn/timvick.html

Have fun building.

Alice


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: PennyBlack
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 10:54 PM

Yep that main Front page piccy needs compressing and reducing

Current Download times (approx):-

2min 44secs @ 56k
1min 12secs @ 128k
24secs @ 380k
13secs @ 720k

with a reduced picture size and some compression the picture will appear the same on screen and would download at less than 20secs even on a 56k modem.


other than that we like it

PB


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Vixen
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 10:24 AM

Alice--Thank you so much for the ideas!

I don't have the software at home yet, so I'll have to redo the opening picture on Monday. Don't know why I didn't think of doing it when I did the photo page...

V


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: PennyBlack
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 06:33 PM

Vixen - why not use the one Alice did ;0)

PB


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Cruiser
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 12:35 PM

Vixen,

I like your website. Your tunes are very good. Add more and definitely have Tim do some fiddle tunes.

I know nothing about web design, but Alice's photo with the brown colors sure matches the photo colors of the costumes you and Tim are wearing. Good idea Alice. However, whatever the colors may be you have at good start on your site.

Gargoyle,

Your ideas and constructive criticisms are a refreshing change for you, thanks for showing that side of you.


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: treewind
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 01:35 PM

Quoth Alice:
Make a jpeg image with type for your heading instead of typing it in text form

With respect, that's bad advice, especially if you want Google (or any other search engine for that matter) to index your site. Making a graphic of a headline is the only way if you absolutely *must* have it in a fancy font, but frankly you never really need that.

BTW, Google rates text in headings as high priority, which means that a search that uses those words will list your page before others that contain the same words in ordinary text.

There's also the minor issue of another graphic talking extra load time, though a two colour graphic can be made pretty small.

Anahata


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: Alice
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 04:15 PM

You can type the title of the page in the html and the search engine will find it, even if there is an image with your title on the page. A small bit of text at the bottom that includes the title is another way to add the name of the page in text. For example, the Mudcat page has an image of the Mudcat logo gif and if you look at the source code, you will also see the title: TITLE inside> The Mudcat Discussion Forum < /TITLE >

Alice


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: treewind
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 04:53 PM

Yes, but there's a difference between "will find" and "will display at or near the top of the search list", especially if your search terms generate a lot of hits.
Certainly including relevant text in the <TITLE> tag is a very good idea too, and if the text in the page heading (that you want to render as a graphic) is present somewhere on the page it will be indexed. I was really thinking of Google's page ranking system, which decides the order in which Google displays its hits. For that, text appearing in a <H1> or <H2> tag counts very highly if it matches a search term, but is invisible to any search engine if it's a graphic.

Yes, the Mudcat Café home page does have a graphic logo, and that is useless to a search engine. It's mitigated by the page title (as you point out) and also by the fact he the words "Mudcat" and "Café" appear several times on the page, sometimes together, as plain text.

Anyway, your suggestion is not as bad a having the entire text of a page done as a graphic, which is far worse but I've seen it done!

Anahata


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Subject: RE: Website Up!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 05:14 PM

All a matter of preference on the colors - Vix - I like it as it is.

Your opening page stands OUT - because the colors are so different ... than the butternut-brown of trad folks.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle


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