Sennadar.com

[Fel]

The site is back up.

The culprit:  a bad name server.

But the domain is registered up to July 2005, so it's all good.  ;)

Later on, I'm gonna try updating the site's main page so Axe points to something with all the chapters, as will Sword.

I also am kicking around the idea of a webpage redesign.  I suck at html and I have little enough time as it is, so I think I'd like to get some feedback from the community about the webpage.

The questions:

1:  What do you want the site to contain?

2:  What kind of graphical theme do you think would look good?

3:  Would an interactive section of the webpage (art gallery, for example) be a good addition?  And if it's added, do you think it would actually see any use?

And the biggie.

4:  If I do change the website, would someone be willing to take over the duties of Webmaster since I suck at HTML and babysit the domain and the webpage to make it more dynamic and seem less like exactly what it is, a never-updated website?

I'd really like sennadar.com to be more than simply the jumping-off point to get to this message board, but I'm afraid I'd be terrible at doing anything substantial with it.  So I'd like some feedback from you guys.

[Lochar]

I suck at Frontpage even, so I'm out. LOL.  Anyone here good with html?

[Shadowhawk]

Later on, I'm gonna try updating the site's main page so Axe points to something with all the chapters, as will Sword.

You meant updating the site so Weavespinner and Axe points to something other that 404 Not Found (both were on http://home.hiwaay.net/~djcurtis/), and adding Sword, didn't you?

[Spec8472]

1: Contents
I'd suggest a centralised location for *All* of your stories.
Hopefully with something server side so you can upload the chapters from the web.

Some sort of "latest news" section so we know what you're up to, and (hopefully) stop the guessing game as to when we might be fortunate enough to get another chapter. Just some sort of simple update: "Busy with work/life at the moment - there's no chance in hell that I'm going to be writing another chapter for a minimum of <x> weeks".

And maybe a more integrated forum? (I'm not saying I want to get rid of the board from this site, just that it might be better for you to retain more control over it - if i fall under a bus, you might have difficulty getting the forum off the site)

2: Graphical Theme
I'm not too great with designing themes - But I do prefer simple clear, clean, uncluttered interfaces.

[Xel]

I'm decent with HTML, and I'd be willing to work on the site. I've been meaning to set up my own server for Fel's work but I've got bandwidth limitations and currently I'm stuck running an Apache server off Windows and its not really that great.

I have my own personal website right now:
http://xel02.cjb.net

I didn't design the template myself but I edited it too add my own stuff. If you guys don't mind I'd at least like to help update the home page.

Also it's summer for me right now so I've got some free time to work on it.

[Shadowhawk]

1. Besides what is it on site now (namely description, and chapters in HTML and MS Word formats) it would be nice to have links to current Sennadar Forum, and of course to all backup sites. News section also sound nice: what Fel works on, and ETA for next chapter. Well, FAQ, timetable and cast/characters would also be nice (extracted from info on Sennadar Forum), but that it might be too much work.

2. No Java, please. It takes bandwidth, loads and starts slowly and Java VM takes up memory and CPU cycles. If you have to have an animation, use animated GIF, MNG or Flash.

3. Art gallery: shaeram, Weavespinner shaeram, maps and such would be nice. Maybe image of different creatures: Were-Cat, Selani, Vendari, faerie etc. Or at least the place to put them.

4. Nice, clean, lightweight, W3C standard conforming HTML would be nice.

BTW. if using CSS and IE nonstandard CSS box positioning, please use either tricks/hack or JavaScript to select different CSS's for IE and standard conforming browsers (Konqueror/Safari, Opera, Mozilla), or use nonstandard   (CSS3) box-sizing (-moz-box-sizing) declaration: see CSS - Box model tweaking. Or use different way of positioning, one which did not involve width declaration.

[straechav]

1 - The stories, perhaps some "news" page. Summary of books, ect...

2 - Simplistic, although website without graphics is naked. Especially story website.

3 - Art gallery I would seem rather useless (then again, all I am interested is the story. Not fanart). A map of the world would be interesting, although passingly.

4 -  well, this will launch me in to one of my (dreaded) longer blatherings...

Theoretically, I'd be the man you seek.

I am primarily illustrator, but I do dabble in graphic design and other artful things. I've done loads of web site graphics and dozens of desings. Some of them for companies and for money, although I have not allowed myself to be bribed to work on any web-site lately for bigger price than a pint of beer in bar (i.e, I've done websites for my friends). I can also handle PHP and JAVA in addition of HTML.

However much I would like to volunteer, I am not sure if I dare. Because this would require some effort on my part, and that has been little lacking lately.

I'll think on it, perhaps I will find some source of inspiration and volunteer myself - if you have any need for me.



P.S.
I suppose I should subtantiate my claims somehow. Here's some examples of my art. I don't have anything more recent online, almost everything online is older than year. This is the latest stuff I could find that I had online (I am not on my working computer right now, so I can't upload more recent stuff, and besides. I've been lazy.)

http://labrats.straechav.com/0804a-2004.jpg

http://labrats.straechav.com/0804b-2004.jpg

Those two are screenshots of my painting in progress, so they're pretty big pictures and not final in any way.

http://suvi.straechav.com -- An early example of web layout I did for my friend in two days (she paid me with alcohol, and then proceeded to rape me. I hate her.). For some reason, she hasn't put the finished version online, so I have to show you the partial template. You get the idea, though. It wasn't meant to be so dark, but I have bad habit of being tad depressing.

And some even older illustrations (practically prehistoric):

http://www.straechav.com/gallery/illust ... _manic.jpg

http://www.straechav.com/gallery/illust ... dennis.jpg

[Lochar]

Strae, I think you win.

[kridengaged]

Straechav - You do some fine work. My vote to you too.

[MattD]

1. What do you want the site to contain?

A map or maps would be nice.  An essay or two on the different types of magic, the differences between elder and younger gods, and that sort of thing might be useful, since people seem to have a lot of questions about that stuff.  In fact, some sort of FAQ would be good as well.  News, of course.

Really, I can think of all sorts of interactivity that would be "nice" and "useful" (interactive maps showing the routes characters have taken, a beastiary, timeline, etc.), but the important thing is really the stories.

2. What kind of graphical theme do you think would look good?

Tricky, since the site would be accomodating the dark fantasy of the Sennadar world, the science fiction of Subjugation, etc.  Maybe have a basic "overarching" theme, professional but neutral, that allows for custom secondary elements keyed to each story.

The important thing for me is being able to print the chapters cleanly, without a lot of website logos and navigation showing up: there are people who want to print who don't use Microsoft Word.  This could be accomplished via print-only stylesheets, separate printable versions, etc.

I agree, no Java or other gimmicks unless they serve a useful function.

3. Would an interactive section of the webpage (art gallery, for example) be a good addition?  And if it's added, do you think it would actually see any use?

Art doesn't much matter to me, I like the pictures in my head better!  But there have been a fair amount of contributions to sites like the Wulf Archives, Tad Williams' Shadowmarch, etc., so maybe some people would enjoy it.  I'd prefer other interactivity, though, like the interactive maps I mentioned above, or clickable names in chapters that would give you a summary of who/what the clicked on name was, or polls where you could ask us our opinions on things, etc.

4. If I do change the website, would someone be willing to take over the duties of Webmaster since I suck at HTML and babysit the domain and the webpage to make it more dynamic and seem less like exactly what it is, a never-updated website?

My day job is a web consultant, so it wouldn't be good for me to sign up for too much more web work: I'm more inclined to spend my off-hours reading a good story.  But I would be happy to help out, developing specific features or ideas.  I know PHP, ASP, Perl, SQL, JavaScript and HTML, etc.

One thing I would suggest is that you try to automate as much as possible, so you're not dependent on any one webmaster to do things like post new chapters.  It should be relatively easy to have a web form that would let you upload new chapters yourself, and have them automatically show up.  In a similar vein, on the design front, make sure you have any special fonts used in the design, and/or Photoshop templates for commonly created images.  What I've seen happen frequently in volunteer efforts is that when a volunteer is on vacation, or moves, or is extra busy (or simply disappears), the project they were working on is left stranded and helpless in the interim.  So it would be good to plan ways to avoid that -- in the same way that there are multiple admins for this bulletin board and multiple people post the new chapters.

That's my $.02,

matt

[Shadowhawk]

It would be nice if the page would look the same (or nearly the same) in wide range of browsers: Internet Explorer, Opera, KHTML based like Konqueror and Safari, Mozilla based like Mozilla, Firefox, Epiphany, K-Meleon, Chimera, including also text-only browsers like links/elinks, w3m and lynx.

[MISER]

I can afford 2 cents.

My major desire is as always MAPS of the worlds at large and of key continents/countries in specific.

Followed by a rules chart convert measurements etc....
Also llistings of key characters, of the gods and who belongs to them, capitols of nations and regions etc.....

I do like the ART Idea, but that will become a matter of debate as the individual reader has his or her own mental image of our favorite characters already.

Some of the other holy symbols would be nice.

Otherwise, I like the general style, and info, we have now. Here is the story, here is the chapter, read it here, or download it, as suits you. It is simple and functional. Always a good thing.

MISER

[straechav]

Tricky, since the site would be accomodating the dark fantasy of the Sennadar world, the science fiction of Subjugation, etc.  Maybe have a basic "overarching" theme, professional but neutral, that allows for custom secondary elements keyed to each story.

Not all that tricky... well, at least not all that tricky in MY opinion. The website is sennadar.com which should tell you something. It's a page concentrated primarily on firestaff stories. Subjugation at the moment isn't quite (heh) as big, and the others barely qualify themselves as existing.

As for the words: "Professional but neutral" - I'd say, please god no! Professional and neutral always ends up looking like corporate website. This is a community website, hosting fictive fantasy stories. Professional as a term describing graphics is always matter of opinion. But neutral is decidedly horrid word to use in conjuction with art.

But the gist of what you say is good. The major theme could be "loose", "unspecific" enough to allow for individual touches.

My day job is a web consultant, so it wouldn't be good for me to sign up for too much more web work: I'm more inclined to spend my off-hours reading a good story.  But I would be happy to help out, developing specific features or ideas.  I know PHP, ASP, Perl, SQL, JavaScript and HTML, etc.

Hey, since I suspect that I'll win the price for best illustrator around (I've got two votes, already! :p) but I positively hate the more boring side of website work (i.e. PHP) what you say we team up? That news script you're talking is what I think is essential part of the new website, as well as possibility to upload new chapters. Although wouldn't uploading anything require for the PHP safe mode to be off? Do we know if that is the case?

Another thing is that since there would be two of us working on the website, if other disappears the other should be able to continue to uphold the status quo. I doubt there would be much of hard work left after the website would be fully automated. I can send Fel all my .PSD files of the graphics once I am done and give him the copyrights for them so there would be no legal problems of people violating my stuff.

I know that you probably don't feel all energetic having to work on something like "work" at home (I know I don't) but I don't foresee much advanced dev work ahead of you.  Unless you really want to do that interactive map for yourself to toy with

Of course, there is still Fel's opinion to be considered. Whoever he assings for the job.

OKAY, I volunteer to do the artful things and work on the web design. AS LONG as there will be someone to do the PHP, CSS, and share the blame for the site. I'll paint, draw and dabble all the graphics anyone might need and happily turn over all the copyrights to Fel. But I won't do it all alone. I am too lazy and busy right now.

[Greymist]

I see me wanting to add some little php piece here or there while it's in dev or "finished". If wherever it was hosted had MySQL (and php of course) it would even be tempting to put the books in a database and put a small search function in allowing peeps to find something in a specified chapter/book/all the books, then again that also goes along with the meta data idea which was thrown around awhile back.

[Shadowhawk]

I think simple static HTML would be enough for the story site.

BTW. it would be nice if HTML version of stories would be cleaned up, so every chapter of every book uses the same font size and the same distance/margin between paragraphs. The HTML chapters at FelBooks look nice. One way to do this would be to generate again HTML from DOC files... if those MS Word files are writen the same way, using styles.