[Fish Bones]

Everyone has some very good points.

The forum home page, while fluid, is optimized for a 1024 x 768 screen resolution which is presently the most used.

For that, an image 550pxls in width is about as wide as it will accept without some width blowout.

Now, I really do not like putting size restrictions on images. Unfortunately, the way the home page is presently set up... I have to.

And... these size restrictions only apply to the first post in a new thread. In all subsequent posts, it doesn't matter what the image size is because it does not effect the home page at all.

If I can figure out a way to eliminate the blowout I could do away with size restrictions. Any suggestions are welcome.

I can see from the comments so far that none of you think the homepage should be dramatically changed... so, I won't mess with it too much. I am discussing some redesign possibilities with a web designer. The homepage contains a lot of information. Now, information is good... but I wonder if there is just way too much stuff, that may be viewed as clutter, on the home page.

I think there may be too many navigation bars... too many links. There may be too many modules.

A new homepage would contain many of the present features but laid out in a more aesthetic design.

I was thinking about just showing the titles of the new threads. But after reading your feedback... that may be a bad idea.

So, please sound off... What changes do you think would be good for the home page and what do you think should be left alone?

[Davo]

From the very start I have loaded my photos to the forum gallery under my images and then put the link to the image in my post. The forum resizes automatically so there is not a problem. So you could require that people post images in that manner only and eliminate the home page blowout.

[Davo]

Originally Posted by Davo

From the very start I have loaded my photos to the forum gallery under my images and then put the link to the image in my post. The forum resizes automatically so there is not a problem. So you could require that people post images in that manner only and eliminate the home page blowout.

A good example of this is my post

Green River First to Clear Up

The actual size of the photo I uploaded was 2048 x 1536 but is resized by the forum script to 600 x 450. My initial post on for this thread did not blowout the homepage.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to all,

Steve, I agree that we have to many navigation links on the home page. Many of the links appear more than once. I have a couple of questions.

1. You are not concerned with pictures using too much storage within reason?

2. Are you concerned with the pictures pushing everything in the middle down with pictures that are too tall?

Just putting the titles on the home page does solve some problems. That might work if the message appeared when the mouse passed over the thread title. Many sites operate that way.

Frank

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to Steve,

Here is an idea for you to think about. It will give you at least another inch in the center section of the home page.

1. Delete Hot Topics on the far right column.

2. Delete the bottom two boxes on the Recent Thread column.

3. Move the Sponsors moving banner on the left outside column over to the space just created by steps 1 and 2 on the right side of the home page.

4. Delete all of the other items on the left outside column.

5. Add two brown menu columns like you have over the top of the home page, oriented vertically down the left site of the home page. The first brown menu column will be at the left outside edge of the Home Page, then a space, then a second brown menu bar, then another space.

6. Now you can move the left side of the center section out to fill the space and increase the width of the center section.

7. Use the horizontal brown menu bars across the top of the home page to accommodate all of your drop down menus.

8. Use the two new vertical brown menu bars down the left side of the home page for all of your links.

These changes will not alter the home page very much. The left vertical bars could even be a different color but I like the brown. The center section will still be framed on both sides and should look pretty good. If you don't need two vertical menu bars than use one and you can make the center section a little bit wider yet. You could also add a new brown menu bar across the top of the home page like the other ones if needed in the future.

Frank

[FlyGal]

Originally Posted by Davo

From the very start I have loaded my photos to the forum gallery under my images and then put the link to the image in my post. The forum resizes automatically so there is not a problem. So you could require that people post images in that manner only and eliminate the home page blowout.

I think it would be a bad idea to require users to upload into the gallery. For one I'm a photographer and don't lightly give my copyright away.

Second I have a system that works for me and the multiple needs I have. Many will have many different systems and to force them all into one will turn them off.

Is there any way to code the homepage snippet frame to display thumbnail images with the snippets it rotates? Many times you can specify size thumbnails all the way up to 550 pixels across. This would then free you from photo restriction and auto resize all images for the homepage to maintain continuity.

[FlyGal]

The other thing to consider is that you have three major forms of communication on a forum and photos are number one. Small photos don't cut it. I have not posted much in the way of images because of this fact. And the example image Frank put up of the 448, 640, 800, I see less and less detail to the degree that the smallest image I could not be sure what kind of fish I was looking at.