LITTLEBLACKDOG.COM

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:24 am Post subject:

Coincidentally, now that the holidays are over, I'm getting back into the Joomla thing. What I'm looking for actually is a new style sheet for Joomla which we can then configure to do what we want. I got swayed back by GregW, and I like the product.

So stay tuned. One of us will be in touch sometime soon. I seem to remember there were others who volunteered and then subsequently disappeared for December. We'll be resurrecting this project this month, so if you're still interested, PM me or Tyme.

Butt Sniffer Joined: 09 Nov 2000 Posts: 1883

I know nothing about PHP but I will certainly tell you if it is butt ugly. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject:

I've hacked one of the default templates that comes with Joomla. Most Joomla templates (that you can find for free on the web) are almost universally the same, sans graphics and css.

768px main body, header/footer, 3 column layout. Pretty typical of "web 2.0" style.

EDIT: some of the 768px ones I came across also come with a "wide" version.

The way it's laid out and the placement of modules on the left/right sides reflect how most sites of that breed are laid out. This is probably fine if we're making another "one of those" kinds of web sites. However, if you're going for a more unique look, it'll take a good amount of hacking.

I know you've put a lot of thought into Joomla, yet right now it sounds like you're focused on the final look 'n feel of the new site. I wouldn't worry about that too much, it can be hacked and slashed to look the way you want it to. If you are saying you like Joomla for the admin tools, then that's the key factor to consider.

Personally I'm still not quite 100% in agreement with the admin tools (took me way too long to figure out how to just put up a static page, and I don't recall if I ever achieved that).

So I'll offer my efforts to help hack Joomla if that's what we need. Or Skookum and I can tag team and build one from scratch.

BTW Skookum, if you haven't looked at CakePHP (MVC framework) yet, you really ought to give it a go. If you learn it and use it well I can guarentee you it'll cut down your development time at least in half, and I have several web apps to prove it.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:58 am Post subject:

Lycander wrote:

So I'll offer my efforts to help hack Joomla if that's what we need. Or Skookum and I can tag team and build one from scratch.

BTW Skookum, if you haven't looked at CakePHP (MVC framework) yet, you really ought to give it a go. If you learn it and use it well I can guarentee you it'll cut down your development time at least in half, and I have several web apps to prove it.

I have already got a lot of functions that I have built and designed, and I made sure when I built them that they were project non-specific.

And I am downloading CakePHP now, I will start playing with it a little today, and probably delve into it tomorrow.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:57 pm Post subject:

honestly, the best thing I like about joomla, which can also be found in other CMS's is the WYSIWYG editor for posting news and articles.

A lot of the other stuff is overkill for what we need.

But there are sooo many choices, and once we decide exactly how we want things to look, its at that point that we need to get things rolling.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject:

Is overkill such a bad thing?

Just because you don't want a feature today, doesn't mean tomorrow you won't suddenly think you gotta have it...

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:43 pm Post subject:

Is that you, microsoft?

Butt Sniffer Joined: 09 Nov 2000 Posts: 1883

Rahhstah wrote:
Is overkill such a bad thing?

Just because you don't want a feature today, doesn't mean tomorrow you won't suddenly think you gotta have it...

fathertyme wrote:
Is that you, microsoft?

It's cheaper to grow into something, then to grow out of something.

MS is a bad example, they tell you you'll need the feature tomorrow, then tomorrow come out with a new feature to replace the old one you didn't need in the first place.

Slightly different.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject:

pdk68 wrote:
Rahhstah wrote:
Is overkill such a bad thing?

Just because you don't want a feature today, doesn't mean tomorrow you won't suddenly think you gotta have it...

fathertyme wrote:
Is that you, microsoft?

It's cheaper to grow into something, then to grow out of something.

MS is a bad example, they tell you you'll need the feature tomorrow, then tomorrow come out with a new feature to replace the old one you didn't need in the first place.

Slightly different.

But you also have to realize that every extra feature you have especially on the web is another exploitable feature for "other" people on the web.

It's great to have the features, but in my opinion it would be best to take those features out of the hard-code and put them into functions. That way you can add and remove the features as needed, with little fear of bringing down the site.

Butt Sniffer Joined: 09 Nov 2000 Posts: 1883

Skookum wrote:
pdk68 wrote:
Rahhstah wrote:
Is overkill such a bad thing?

Just because you don't want a feature today, doesn't mean tomorrow you won't suddenly think you gotta have it...

fathertyme wrote:
Is that you, microsoft?

It's cheaper to grow into something, then to grow out of something.

MS is a bad example, they tell you you'll need the feature tomorrow, then tomorrow come out with a new feature to replace the old one you didn't need in the first place.

Slightly different.

True, but don't code something now that youyr going to outgrow in a year and end up having to recode again.

You have to be safe, but you have to way the risk and the cost.

But you also have to realize that every extra feature you have especially on the web is another exploitable feature for "other" people on the web.

It's great to have the features, but in my opinion it would be best to take those features out of the hard-code and put them into functions. That way you can add and remove the features as needed, with little fear of bringing down the site.

LWD Staff Joined: 15 Feb 2002 Posts: 1300 Location: USA

I'm willing to help with what I can. I was just trying to find the Pole-collecting article, and my computer building article, without backtracking by using the forum and couldn't do it. The pole-collecting article at least had a link back to it from the forums, but my article didn't. So i had to use Google to find it.

My point: The organization on LWD really needs work. And that I can help with, when it's time.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject:

Linda wrote:
I'm willing to help with what I can. I was just trying to find the Pole-collecting article, and my computer building article, without backtracking by using the forum and couldn't do it. The pole-collecting article at least had a link back to it from the forums, but my article didn't. So i had to use Google to find it.

My point: The organization on LWD really needs work. And that I can help with, when it's time.

it's time. Inheriting what we had, and trying to reorganize it, isn't really easy, when we're trying to maintain the environment and also rebuild things.

We can use whatever help we can get, and don't expect me to be the person who has all the answers. This is supposed to be a community, and I need you guys to help with the vision.

If we need to make links, for godsakes make one. If you don't think you have the ability to do it, tell me. Or tell Fathertyme. He's got as much ability to make things happen here, as I do, except paying the bills.

And I'm still working on that part - I haven't been billed for LBD for 4 months, although LWD has been billed. I'll follow up with the ISP at some point I guess.

Anyway, we still need volunteers, not as much for money as we need you to contribute to how to make the sites continue to run. That's more of an effort kind of thing than a money kind of thing. I'm not worrying about the money right now. I am more worried about how we manage to make LWD work and keep LBD alive.

The good news is Google has our articles, and so do all of the other search engines. I've checked. We have a lot of longevity. It's something to work with.

Anyway, if you want to help out, please contact someone. If you don't want to talk to me, try someone else on the staff. I try to answer my PMs pretty fast. But don't stiff Tyme or the moderators. They are as dedicated as we are.

It's a package deal from my view. LWD and LBD work together. I know that a lot of the readers of LBD haven't seen that point of view, but I'd like to make the two complimentary again.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:01 pm Post subject:

With all the effort going into finding a new site language why not create one for our needs?

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:29 pm Post subject:

the taz man wrote:
With all the effort going into finding a new site language why not create one for our needs?

That's what we are trying to do. Lycander and myself so far appear to be the volunteers for starting a custom CMS and or website.