Help needed with a new web site.

[Trevor Jessie]

Greetings,
Some of my online buddies and I decided to start a new British car portal. We are trying to provide a community driven portal. It is not our intention to replace this website or others like it. On the contrary, we are trying to direct people to sites which are of the greatest use/interest. We have not started promoting the site, except to a few mailing lists/bbs. I'm trying to work out the technical bugs. This is where I need your help. I'd like for you to visit and read the sections under "About BritCars.org". Then make a few comments about the posts and submit a "news blurb" or link of your own. Currently all functions are available without a user account (except posting albums/pictures -> but feel free to register and upload pictures if you desire). I'm asking in the AH forum because I'm getting MG submissions, but not much else. Thanks in advance. We hope to officially promote/launch the site in Feb. So please help me out, and I apologize to the Admin's here if I'm stepping on toes. Here is the link BritCars.org

 

[Baxter]

You didn't really ask for website assistance, but here goes, anyway... you're a:hover property in your stylesheet is making the links go wonky. I would suggest either adding "display:block" or removing any text size changes in it.

And you've got some funky things going on with your images not having crisp edges.

But I do like your color scheme, and your code is pretty clean. Nice start.

too bad the URL (and intended purpose) are so close to britcar.org

 

[Trevor Jessie]

OK, Thanks.

First, britcar.org is an association for suppliers of brit car vendors/manufacturers/wholesalers etc. Our site is supposed to be for the general enthusiast. But I should probably make a note/link for anyone lost.

Second, We decided to used a boxed portal (Xoops). So I haven't had the time to completely look at what html I can clean up without monkeying with the kernel of the product (which would make future upgradse a pain). But it does use a templat system that will allow some cleanup. The graphics do need work, and I'll pass that on to the fellow in charge of them. We just discovered the other day that Internet Explorer doesn't correctly handle Alpha Channels in .PNG so some of those graphics were quickly converted to .GIF's.

Lastly, I again would like to ask people to read the "About Britcars.org" section and offer up some submissions to help test the site.

Trevor

 

[Baxter]

Like I said, the code's not too shabby. On a scale of 1-10, I'd probably give it a 7, and I'm a stickler on code.

The links should be an easy 1-line fix in the style sheet, and they'll take effect everywhere {Behold, the power of stylesheets!)

And yes, IE's (lack of) support for PNG is a huge and horrible stab at anyone who understands them and what they can do. Supposedly IE7 will support them, but that's if and when IE ships and a majority of people switch to it.. it'll be years.

Anyway, just trying to give you a few thoughts. If I had any submission ideas, I'd enter 'em, but I don't really.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Baxter, which browser/operating system are you using? I have serveral style sheets that are referenced depending on the browser/OS. I'm pretty sure I understand the problem, but I'd like to recreate/see it before trying to fix it.

 

[Baxter]

After looking for a minute, it appears to be an IE thing. Here's your fix. In styles.css, change this:

a:hover { text-decoration: underline overline; font-family: Tahoma, taipei; font-size: 12px; color: #FF9966; font-style: normal}

to this:
a:hover {border-top:1px solid #FF9966; border-bottom: 1px solid #FF9966; color: #FF9966; font-style: normal}

IE doesn't handle overline well, this will give the same effect by putting a border on top and bottom of the element itself. Since your font and font size are already declared in parent elements, don't declare them here unless you WANT them to change size on hover. Generally, you don't, unless you've declared them block elements and have more control over their total size and how they bump against things next to them.
Hope that helps.

 

[SilentUnicorn]

i have lots of links...where would you like me to send them?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

OK Baxter, I tried your fix. I'm looking at it in IE5.5 and there are no problems other than something in the main menu table cause vertical movement.

 

[Baxter]

Looks like that got it.

Oddly, IE6 and Firebird (Mozilla) are following different parent selectors for the border color, but it looks good either way, so I wouldn't worry about it, personally. Probably yet another IE bug.

Sorry to waylay your thread, by the way. Just trying to help on a coupla fine points. Site looks good.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Well, I'm always glad to learn something new. I now remember why I hate html. There are too many exceptions to the standards, and it seems that the most aggravating offender is the browser that most people use. Oh well, I'll leave the serious work to the professionals.

BTW, you probably have Brit car pages bookmarked that others do not know about (no matter how essential they may seem to you). You could share those.

Thanks,
Trevor

 

[Baxter]

Actually, I'm terrible about bookmarks. I bookmark stuff and forget I did, never go to check them, it's a mess. I'm a master google searcher, though.