Check out My Site... Feedback?

[Balin64]

Hi guys and girls:

I have finally made a website: www.hectorroberts.com

I am wondering if you guys had any feedback on the content. The reason I say this is because the design is as-is: I know zip anout html coding and used Freeway Espress to make the site. The truth is that I wanted a very simple and basic design, and Freeway was all I needed.

Anyway, I wanted feedback on the content: the photography stuff is up, but I still need to post my first Podcast; I recorded a half hour of material to test out the process... but the real thing will come out early next week.

Well guys, what do you think of the site? Any suggestions? Again, remember that I am in no way a web designer, I am just a guy who takes photos and wants to share some of them. I am also looking forward to the podcast!

Anyway, tell me what you think!

[joecool85]

Yeah, I like it definetly. Simple, easy to understand and very classy.

[Balin64]

Yeah, I like it definetly. Simple, easy to understand and very classy.

Thanks Man,

I stumbled around making it user-friendly; I was surprised how much I take for granted on the web until I had to make some content myself.

[mad jew]

Coolness.

Is there any way you can centre it though?

[Balin64]

Coolness.

Is there any way you can centre it though?

I wish I knew how. You mean having the content force a browser window to pad around itself?

I tested it on Safari and Windows Explorer 7.

It seemed fine. But like I said earlier, I used a WYSIWYG app to make it, and I cant fins the option :( . I'll keep trying! Thanks for the response...

[mad jew]

You mean having the content force a browser window to pad around itself?


Yeah, that's what I meant. I'm just being picky though, I reckon the sight's cool, it's just that it'd be nice to have it centred. Good luck looking for a solution. :)

[Balin64]

Thanks!

I'll keep trying for sure. That Freeway Express software is kind of difficult to get at first and have only been using it for a week: I have not even tapped into its full potential.

They did offer a template that centers your site, but I could not bum it down (delete stuff) to start my own like I wanted so I started from a blank slate.

Anyhowl, the tedious part was linking all those photos... although I must admit that this software makes it easy for newbies like myself that already know basic design stuff to make simple websites...

I am also surprised that .mac is hosting it rather well! *Knock on IKEA wood*.

[Mr LuLu]

Hey, didn't want to read and run.
Your site looks good and as an amateur photographer myself I like your pictures.
Hope it get updated often, I'll be checking! :D

[Balin64]

Hey, didn't want to read and run.
Your site looks good and as an amateur photographer myself I like your pictures.
Hope it get updated often, I'll be checking! :D

Hey Thatnks!

I will try my best to keep adding new stuff.

[Freg3000]

Hey, another Freeway user! Kudos.

I use Freeway Pro to make my site, FregTK (http://fregtk.com). I love it; what a great piece of software. Maybe one day I'll move on to Dreamweaver or something, but it is fine for now.

Your site looks great, btw.

[clayj]

There is a way to force pad/center web page content in a window... check out the source code for my page at www.clayj.com (http://www.clayj.com/) for an example of how to do this using tables.

One comment I had: the oval button for "Podcast" is capitalized, but the other buttons ("home", "images", etc.) are not. I'd either decapitalize to "podcast", or capitalize the others ("Home", "Images", etc.).

[leekohler]

Love the photos! I think the site looks pretty good- no frills.

[ldburroughs]

I think you are on the right track. Your site is not cluttered with random images and effects. I've been using a WYSIWYG program for about three years and it suits my needs just fine. I just finished law school and am preparing for the bar while, at the same time, my wife is preparing to deliver our twins, so I'm not about to start learning now. However you decide to create your pressence on line, the important thing is to keep it simple and user friendly. My personal site is www.magpoc.com.

Take care and best of luck with your site in the future.

[Balin64]

There is a way to force pad/center web page content in a window... check out the source code for my page at www.clayj.com (http://www.clayj.com/) for an example of how to do this using tables.

One comment I had: the oval button for "Podcast" is capitalized, but the other buttons ("home", "images", etc.) are not. I'd either decapitalize to "podcast", or capitalize the others ("Home", "Images", etc.).
Thanks for the tip on centering the content, I will see if I can incorporate that with Freeway Express.

I know about the Podcast button. I keep forgetting to change it! Thansk for reminding me.

[Balin64]

I think you are on the right track. Your site is not cluttered with random images and effects. I've been using a WYSIWYG program for about three years and it suits my needs just fine. I just finished law school and am preparing for the bar while, at the same time, my wife is preparing to deliver our twins, so I'm not about to start learning now. However you decide to create your pressence on line, the important thing is to keep it simple and user friendly. My personal site is www.magpoc.com.

Take care and best of luck with your site in the future.

Thanks, and the same to you.

I liked your site! Very nicely done. When I have kids someday I will have to make a bright website... for now, I prefer a black background.

[MontyZ]

Here's what I think can be improved:

+ The fonts used for "Photograbbing" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" are ugly. Try using a cleaner, simpler font for both titles, just differentiate them with color instead.

+ Remove the white drop shadow from text and lines. It looks strange on a black background.

+ Why is "Podcast" the only thing in your nav with an initial cap? Make them all the same.

+ The gray nav buttons are saved with too much compression. I can see a lot of artifacting in the graphics. Save them at a minimum quality of 70%. Or, as they are flat-color images, save them as GIFs instead. Also, either make the text on the buttons smaller, or the gray button larger. They look a bit crowded.

+ Don't indent your tagline "brought to you..." Also, the "Welcome" heading looks lost. I would just remove it or incorporate it into your tagline.

+ The varied text alignment within the two columns of text on the Home page look messy. It would look cleaner to just align the headings and links along the left for both columns, and add more margin to the left side of the page.

+ In your gallery, you open the images in a new window. You should add a simple link to close the window on all pages because one may forget that you're viewing the images in a new window, and getting back to the main site may not be obvious once you get to the end of a gallery. This is how you add a close window link:

<a href="#" onClick="window.close()">Close Gallery</a>

[Balin64]

Here's what I think can be improved:

+ The fonts used for "Photograbbing" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" are ugly. Try using a cleaner, simpler font for both titles, just differentiate them with color instead.

+ Remove the white drop shadow from text and lines. It looks strange on a black background.

+ Why is "Podcast" the only thing in your nav with an initial cap? Make them all the same.

+ The gray nav buttons are saved with too much compression. I can see a lot of artifacting in the graphics. Save them at a minimum quality of 70%. Or, as they are flat-color images, save them as GIFs instead. Also, either make the text on the buttons smaller, or the gray button larger. They look a bit crowded.

+ Don't indent your tagline "brought to you..." Also, the "Welcome" heading looks lost. I would just remove it or incorporate it into your tagline.

+ The varied text alignment within the two columns of text on the Home page look messy. It would look cleaner to just align the headings and links along the left for both columns, and add more margin to the left side of the page.

+ In your gallery, you open the images in a new window. You should add a simple link to close the window on all pages because one may forget that you're viewing the images in a new window, and getting back to the main site may not be obvious once you get to the end of a gallery. This is how you add a close window link:

<a href="#" onClick="window.close()">Close Gallery</a>

I did incoorporate some of the changes you suggested: thanks!

As far as the code you attached, no dice: I could not make it work; however, I did add a reminder to close the window to avoid confusion. Check out the revised stuff:

www.hectorroberts.com

Thanks again and peace!

[Balin64]

+ The fonts used for "Photograbbing" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" are ugly.

Yeah, they might be but I like them. :)

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it!