ELIZAR.COM redesign

Visual Novel Community Off Topic
#1

Didn’t know where to put this. Hope its not out of place…

I’ve decided to change the layout and format of my site using Wordpress. I was wondering if it looks good on different browsers, and you guys tend to visit it a lot. :wink:

Here’s a test page:

http://www.elizar.com/?p=3

Does this layout work better than my old one? If not, I’ll just go back to the 'ole HTML. Using Wordpress lets people argue/agree on my site for other visitors to make their own assessments of the reviews (i.e. second opinions and whatnot).

The visitor post feature doesn’t work yet though. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ll leave this test up for a day (it requires the old files to be offline), then take it back down and restore the old site. If people like this new format, I’ll spend the week converting everything over.

It’s really time consuming though… Wordpress doesn’t like my FrontPage, so I have to redo the stuff in notepad. Me not happy about that. :stuck_out_tongue:

[ 05-22-2006, 06:09 AM: Message edited by: Nargrakhan ]

#2

Code-wise, I think it’s an improvement, as I’ve heard of Wordpress before, and it at least tries to be standards-compliant.

The errors that the validator gives are mostly about missing alt attributes on images and badly nested p (paragraph) tags. Otherwise it’s good.

For the alt attributes, I would think it could be solved simply by entering descriptions of the images in the editor. I don’t know how you could solve the p tag mess.

As for the look, it looks good to me. :slight_smile:

#3

As for looks, I actually think your old site looks better Xp. I’m not saying this looks bad however; I can live with it :slight_smile: .

#4

Thanks for the feedback. :slight_smile:

I’ll see what I can do about clearing the code up more.

I also have a Wordpress version of my old site template, but the HTML is still a mess. I backward engineered the layout, and some things don’t “convert” over well.

Hmmm… I’ll restore the old site for now, and see what I can do.

EDIT
Thanks to a friend, I can use my old site template. Here’s a test of the redone layout in its most basic form:

http://www.elizar.com/blog/?p=3

New site should be online within a week, with each review being converted two per day or so… I have to take the old reviews from FrontPage and strip out the MS-meta tags, then fill the “gaps” and tweak around everything in Wordpress.

sigh

I miss FrontPage. This is so much of a pain to layout. I blame people who send me M$ format hate mail. :stuck_out_tongue:

[ 05-22-2006, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: Nargrakhan ]

#5

The link doesn’t work.

Wordpress isn’t easy to work with, yes.

[quote]
I blame people who send me M$ format hate mail. :wink:

#6

Sorry about that. The site has been constantly changing these last few days. Finalized site layout is now the index page:

http://www.elizar.com

Still a lot of work to do - the non-blog links don’t work, and I have to convert all 25 reviews - but that’s the “new” site. :slight_smile:

I think I got this Wordpress stuff under control (I hope), so the comment posting works.

EDIT
20 out of 25 complete. Must sleep now. :slight_smile:

[ 05-24-2006, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: Nargrakhan ]

#7

Something’s wrong. My Internet Explorer keeps giving me an HTTP 400 message error, and, after six days without your reviews, my withdrawal symptoms are getting worse :wink: :stuck_out_tongue: …

#8

You could always use a real browser. :wink:

#9

I’ll be a little more polite than Benoit, but indeed something is wrong with this picture. You’re using Internet Explorer. I really cannot recommend Opera or Mozilla enough. It is one of the best defenses against spyware installation I can name.

#10

[quote]
Originally posted by Baldo:
[b] Something’s wrong. My Internet Explorer keeps giving me an HTTP 400 message error, and, after six days without your reviews, my withdrawal symptoms are getting worse :slight_smile:

[ 05-25-2006, 05:25 AM: Message edited by: Nargrakhan ]

#11

Me too. I’ve even reduced the Protection Level, but Internet Explorer keeps giving me that HTTP 400 “unvalid page” error. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: to those people and their hate mail!!!

Heheh, Benoit, I was sure for a reply from you, but you’re still forgetting my reasons:

  1. WinXP requires the presence of IE in the system (unlike “utilities” like Windows Messenger, for example, which I’ve deleted), therefore I will keep using that browser awaiting future deliverance in the form of a (Windows) computer system with no “mandatory” browser included…
  2. I’m using additional protection programs, do you remember?
#12

Hmmm… I checked my server settings, and I can’t find anything causing that error. I used my installs of IE and Firefox… everything seems okay . :frowning:

[ 05-25-2006, 07:11 AM: Message edited by: Nargrakhan ]

#13

Moot point. Just because WinXP requires its presence, doesn’t mean that you have to use it. I never said that you had to uninstall it.

It would be much better to not have to use them, don’t you agree? It’s better to use a good shield instead of a crappy one that requires constant maintenance.

Plus, you’re missing out on:
-built-in pop-up blocker
-tabbed browsing
-better support of web standards
-better overall security (there’s more than malware!)

#14

Success! I can finally see the new incarnation of http://www.elizar.com/ and, as I suspected (thank you for your patience and help/input!), the blame was on my computer.
More exactly, if my free Agnitum Outpost Firewall is active, http://www.elizar.com/ becomes “off limits” for my IE browser (Why?).
On a side note, I’ve read your new reviews, Nargrakhan, and if you like dangerous sisters, I suggest you this too.

#15

To continue on this thread, i like your website Nagrakhan. It was your review who made me try out MinDeaD BlooD, A game even with my minimal skill in japanese is quite good.And Baldo i think that it exist a Win XP N edition without IE, Microsoft was forced to release it by the EU commission.
Keep up the good work Nagrakhan

#16

Thanks. :slight_smile:

That’s the goal of my site: to help people pick the right eroge game for themselves. It also serves as “proof” that the market isn’t a mindless sexfest like all those ultra-conservatives will have you believe.

Still a few more things I want to improve on, but everything is moving at a good pace.

My only regret, is causing certain developers - like Tacchi and Giant Panda - to close their sites outside of .jp domains. To be honest, its not all that difficult to “bypass” their pathetic trick, but I hate it when companies I like pretty much middle finger us Westerners. :frowning:

That’s why I’m really considering to middle finger them back, and post a simple FAQ on how to use a proxy through the web browser. :stuck_out_tongue:

#17

Good idea. :slight_smile:

I would like to read that FAQ.

#18

That’s mainly my goal too - and in my case, of course also to show more of the kichiku genre. It’sr regrettable that this seems to be a far too ignored genre in terms of reviews by western reviewers - far too fee review them and until Nargrakhan (& me, obviously :smiley: . Viva la RevoluciÛn!

#19

Still not quite the wisest thing you might be doing. Malware authors are starting to move away from mass-distribution virii (well, diversify, anyway) – they’re adopting the tactic of evading signature-based detection (think AV software) by only being sent in targeted attacks against a few individuals. And IE’s safety rating is terrible.

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/12/internet_explor.html

Unfortunately I was unable to dig up evidnece of specific examples of targeted virus attacks, but I know they’re becoming more and more common.

Just … why knowingly leave a gaping hole in your defenses? Especially when it’s so trivially solved? Opera’s free, Mozilla’s free, they’re both good browsers.

#20

I love the way your review layout is set up!

Please keep up your great work.