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Why we're changing to a layout with side spaces

It has dawned on me that most of our poets probably don't realize that everyone's monitor is different, so just because their screen looks great now, it doesn't look great on everyones.

I briefly go into what the site looks like currently on monitors, and what it will look like after the upgrade.
A small caveat: the argument that we're changing things to make it look better across the diversity of screens that the internet has now (some as big as 30", some as small as 12") is only half of it. The other half is that things need refreshment sometimes to stay exciting and with the times. So we like it the old way, but the 12 year olds first visiting the site are like ewww it's so year 2000!

Things shown on a screen are made up of pixels. Larger monitors have more of them, smaller less. Resolution is something that lets you fit more pixels into the same size of monitor (kind of like a zoom). The short of it is that some people see things bigger, some smaller.

Here's what the current site looks like at 800x600 pixels (pretty small):


With a pretty big monitor:


As the monitor gets bigger, everything gets streeeetched across the space.

For the new design examples, I've used the storywrite home page, since it's handier right now and uses a similar layout. The new design with a small monitor:


And with a big monitor:

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Comments

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  • Meroza gold member
    September 17
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    Oh my, you do all this for the 12 year olds? Last time I checked they where all hung up in the trend on being emo...

    Even so, a poetry site is not about being modern, its about art! Poetry is old, therefore I vote for the page to look old!

    Sure I do see the problems with the monitore sizes but I still think its a lot of work for nothing...Also, I ain't no fan of that blank space unless I can eddit it.

  • Poet Muse gold member
    September 17
    Edit | Reply

    Lord help us all

    if and/or when 12-year-olds take over running this poetry site!!!

  • JustSimplyLissa gold member
    September 17
    Edit | Reply
    Personally, I kind of like the middle squishy stuff, simply because it forces me to really READ whats there, I have a large monitor, and I like the blandness on the sides, because it does make me read it, it is harder to miss the casual features and whatnot. And i find that (like on this page) It does not completely fill the screen either. I like the idea of the option to choose which size we'd like to see on the front page. However, is it really possible?

    Also if you really want it bigger, on your large monitor, try the zoom on the lower right hand corner of your broswer window (IE7 users) It allows you to make it all bigger and essentially takes away some of the "extra space".

  • haikumonk gold member
    September 17
    Edit | Reply
    nerd!.... LOL

  • catz Moderators member
    September 16
    Edit | Reply
    I think that if we don't try new and different things, then decide what's best, how will we ever know. Your constant efforts to improve, pacify and please the members are to be applauded, Kevin
    As for the 'long stretches of color'... I'm assuming Kari is referring to the side panels? Perhaps you could try a subtle design on the sides... or a striking one... or even alternate between several different ones or different colors. I don't mind the new look and find that it looks good even on my large screen. Well, sort of large, it's 19 inches and I seldom maximize it. (I like being able to move the screen out of the way to get to something on my desktop)

    Dee

    • Hekate gold member
      September 17
      Edit | Reply
      Hey grandma

      Yep, I am referring to the side pannels. It just seems...really big for me for all of that color. It takes away from the actual picture I think..but it might just be me. I like your suggestion about the sides tho


  • Hekate gold member
    September 16
    Edit | Reply
    I don't like the long streches of color It makes it boring after awhile...
    I must admit tho how it looks on a smaller screen seems better because I don't mind it as much.

  • Dread Pirate Clyde
    September 16
    Edit | Reply
    Who knows any twelve year olds that seriously say, 'Liek omg! That's soooo 2000!'? *raises an eyebrow* Seriously, what twelve year old even PAYS for a membership on this site? I realize that no amount of griping on the part of your members, twelve year olds or otherwise, PAYING or otherwise is going to change your mind, but I SERIOUSLY think you could have come up with something better than this. Rose's suggestion, for instance, accomodates more people than your current layout. And I suggested several things in the forum that would have pleased everybody at least partially. This is just...bluh.

  • Rose Dark Thorn gold member
    September 16
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    I understand what you're trying to do here, but couldn't you at least make it optional for those large stretches of color to be there or something if we use custom backgrounds for those of us with bigger monitors? Couldn't you have an option for someone who doesn't have a small monitor? Is it really necessary to squish everything in the center and force everyone to deal with it?

    Like I said before in the earlier column, I know a website that allows a person to choose where the text shows up on screen so that it's in the middle or stretching across the page. Wouldn't something like that be possible?

  • Little Feather Greeters member
    September 16
    Edit | Reply

    Kevin

    Okay, you went and deleted the poem lol so I don't know if you got this comment so I will repost it here.

    ------------------------------

    Being that my work computer screen resolution is much smaller in width and larger in height than mine I see the major difference in the way pages look like. And to tell you the truth, a lot of people's backgrounds look pretty crappy on those type of screens. So if this will improve that then I am willing to try it
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