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Re: [LUG] dcglug website

 

On 21/05/13 23:07, Simon Waters wrote:
> On 21/05/13 19:45, Paul Sutton wrote:
>>  A few of us have been working on a new website structure / design and
>> its finally at a point where we can give everyone the URL  for comments.
> Hi Paul,
>
> I think this sort of stuff works better if you tell people what you are
> planning, and discuss it, in advance. I take Gordon's point and no one
> has come forward to do more editing it was last discussed.
>
> Comments below.
>
>  Simon
>
>
> The site title is wrong ('user' not 'users').
>
> It seems stats.wordpress.com is tracking our usage :( Do you really want
> to use their stats? They aren't very comprehensive, then don't include
> non-wordpress content, and it'll probably go down and slow the page
> loads (okay they also do the gravatar stuff, and that WILL go slow the
> page loads if history is anything to go by, but at least it tries to be
> cached).
>
> The server proudly claims to be powered by PHP 5.2.17, and I was feeling
> behind the curve for still having Squeeze installed. Date wise the
> Squeeze PHP (5.3.3) and 5.2.17 were released almost exactly the same
> time, I see there is a Google project to backport fixes to 5.2, hope
> someone is, as some of the bugs in PHP were fairly bad. I usually kill
> the header with the expose_php option in php.ini, not that I begrudge
> them the credits, but no one reads http headers usefully who doesn't
> already know when PHP is in use, and so the header eats bandwidth for no
> purpose. I'd kill the Apache "server:" header if they didn't make it so
> damned hard, I suspect netcraft are the only people who ever read it
> usefully.
>
> The HTTP header "Link" is interesting.
> Link: <http://wp.me/P3yhuu-4>; rel=shortlink
> Does anyone knowing use the shortlink header, looks like a solution in
> need of a problem, it could be useful if building a self healing web.
>
> I don't like the "email me" for RSS thing either, but that one is
> clearly just personal taste.
>
> So I guess I don't like much of what Jetpack for Wordpress does. On the
> other hand you can probably placate me with one or two clicks if you
> agree with me.
>
> The current mailing list archive is about 0.5GB (and I think another
> 0.5GB of crud to allow it to regen if/when we change the structure) and
> currently part of the webserver. They currently use a .forward file,
> maildrop, cron, for an archiving email address to get new posts added,
> and some PHP scripts. Not sure it is too well documented, but it looked
> fairly self explanatory, and the PHP code looked tightly coded to my
> cursory inspection (Neil W or mhonarc). We should put this somewhere
> sensible - I'm thinking /archive on a new server so as not to break URLs
> would be a good idea. I can have a go at transferring it across if
> someone sends me credentials.
>
> There is some Perl for reminding folk of subscriptions, and keeping
> track of members GPG keys, but not sure if that needs preserving. What
> do you think?
>
> Otherwise good work folks.
>
> Visually I don't like:
>
> search box - the colour blue (which resisted my immediate attempt to
> locate its cause), and the cursor doesn't fit (ugly).
>
> calendars everywhere - I recognize a date when I see it - I'd prefer a
> simple "Updated:" (assuming that is what it means) rather than be left
> guessing what it means with a pretty calendar icon.
>
> The "comments closed" box can die (Might need to be preserved where the
> number of comments is >0).
>
> The social media icons (lovingly served from here - yay - not stupidly
> leaking data to a zillion social networks) should be left justified.
> Maybe add a simple RSS here - see RSS comment further on.
>
> The site title is the only serif bearing font and it looks wrong as a
> result.
>
> If the two text blocks on front page are suppose to be different
> font/line spacing, they need to be more different.
>
> I hate "uncatergorized" (but am also guilty on my own blog), at least
> rip out categories from sidebar till we have more than none of them.
>
> The RSS feed pop-ups up a list of RSS readers no one uses and some of
> which are dead (AFAIK).
>
> The bottom box is some sort of promotion for the theme that takes you to
> a dead and broken website. Is the theme dead already as far as original
> author is concerned?
>
> I can fix all those up easily enough if you need help, but it will mean
> maintaining a fork of the theme (you've probably already forked it? And
> given it a new name, or at least under version control?), which I don't
> fancy volunteering for. The downside of Wordpress is you always end up
> writing and maintaining PHP, even if it is only to cull the bits they
> should have on a toggle.
>
Hi Simon

Thanks for your reply

I have fixed the title so it now reads user group

I have also added you as an admin so if you want to go in and play round
with things you can :)

Clearly there is work to be done, I will fix what I can,  but its a
start,  perhaps if we ALL pull together then we can produce a really
attractive site, that appeals and encourages people to join and take part.


Paul

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I am committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable groups and 
expect any school or establishment I am involved with to share this commitment. 


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