A Home for the Nexus

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:40 pm

At one point, there was talk of giving the Nexus a homepage, or a splashpage, or something... I think it was in the Nexcars thread? Has this idea died down once more? 'Cause I think it was a good one.

I've got a bit of time to kill in the next few days. If no one else is planning on doing it soon, does anyone mind if I try to do some work on it?

I'll probably need help with graphics from whoever can provide -- making site graphics is not my strong point. I think there was a 'parchment' theme thought up?

Astra · Post by **Astra** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:44 pm

I am obsessed with making layouts and things and I do web programming for a living if you need my help. I was making a layout for my new agency today and I'm rather pleased with how it came out.

BTW, did you ever get my candidate I sent to the sanctuary? Don't worry I'm not expecting him to bond immediately or whatever I just was wondering if you got him and if he's okay or i need to change some stuff.

*sneaks away* and now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:49 pm

Goodness, that'd be lovely! :3 I may try to code it myself, as I have a feeling that for a community-wide splashpage something simple (like Lakota's setup, for example) could work best. But I know who to come to if I get stuck on stuff. :D

:3 I got him, and just read him about an hour ago. X3 I like him! I have an idea of who he might bond, too. >D Thanks for sending him!

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:45 pm

Yeah, uh, I volunteerred to do it and host it and actually had a page going -___-;

http://www.splintyr.com/nexus.html

I was waiting for more feedback and info on it... a "parchment" feel has been requested, and that's what I'm currently working on.

Silver Midnight · Post by **Silver Midnight** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:47 pm

XD I love the saying in its entirity, Lakota.

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:47 pm

The last two lines are my favorite XDDDD

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:47 pm

I thought so! :D Oh, good. Means I don't have to.

Is there anything I can do to help, though? This is a really good idea to actually implement, and I want to see it get off the ground. :D What kind of feedback and info do you need?

DNS · Post by **DNS** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:49 pm

Nice page~ and yay, an FAQ~ I could've used that~
Link to the wiki too? Unless you already have. DNs is special sometimes. woof.

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:50 pm

::scritches chin:: Oh, you know, just everything that's going to go on that page XD

I can write up a simple FAQ tonight (boyfriend is hanging out with his law school buddies and Lakota is BORED) and we can all flesh it out together. Plus we can create rules - I'm sure they'll be simple enough, mostly "BE NICE" kinda stuff XD And a memberlist... I'll gank the Forum memberlist, and people can tell me if they want a link to their site on the memberlist, etc.

DNS · Post by **DNS** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:53 pm

ha, my site needs work if it's going to be much of anything. ^^;
KITTENS.
The rules confused me~ I saw them and was all, -tilts head?- because I knew of no rules. but woof, i'm just odd.
:/ what rules would there be? No art theft, which goes without saying, and don't start fights out of spite? And be nice to people, that sort of thing?

Starburst · Post by **Starburst** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:53 pm

We should have little profile pages for each of us, with an example of each one's artwork/dragons/writing on it, that we can fill out ourselves (sorta like the Wikipedia, which would kind of cover that).

Just a thought... and now that I think about it, the Nexus Wiki would do a fine job of that. Bleh. XD

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:15 pm

:3 The great thing about the Nexus, though, is that the community doesn't really have rules... individual sites do it themselves. I couldn't see the harm in something like a Nexus Ettiquete (wtf spelling :o) section, which would include things like no art theft, read individual site rules, no using dragon species without permission, please ask if you have questions, etc.

I think 'joining' could be included in there too, as we don't really have a joining... thing. o.O People just show up. :D

What were you considering doing with the 'news' section? It'd be hard to keep updated, I think, unless there was a way for people to update for themselves when they had specific news.

Maybe instead of an Information section, you could provide a link to the Nexus Wiki. ^^ It really is a very good resource, if people are willing to use it, and it'd take pressure off you as the webmistress to keep adding new information.

Perhaps there could also be a Nexus Sites section? Linking to the various weyrs and nidusii and so on and suchforth? The heart and soul of the nexus really is dragon adopting, and the sites are where that happens, after all. :3 I think this should be separate from the individual userpages, because it would be a challenge, especially for new people, to be looking for a website in specific and being unable to remember just who runs it! ^^

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:06 pm

It'd be massively more hard to do, I think because this is a forum that's separate from the web site, but a scrolling 'newest posts in threads' bar like Pony Island has would be kinda neat.

I did the dragoning / adoption netequette page a long time ago, but it's horrifically red.

http://www.droppin-the-fork.com/dragon-rights.htm

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Thu May 25, 2006 3:17 am

Newer look:

http://www.splintyr.com/nexus2.html

Better on the eyes than the starry one? XD

Indigo · Post by **Indigo** » Thu May 25, 2006 4:36 am

Oo, I really like the look of that one. Much easier on the eyes then the stars. ^^

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Thu May 25, 2006 7:59 am

Much. XD But my browser had cached the page with the dragon-heads-tile-background, so I was reallly confused until I reloaded. *giggles* Definitely much better.

Astra · Post by **Astra** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:39 am

Actuaally I kinda liked the starry one. But this one's nice too...

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu May 25, 2006 11:35 am

I kinda like the starry one too, I prefer dark backgrounds myself. It's also a little longer, like physically I had to scroll down to get the whole thing on screen. I kinda like having it on one screen (and I'm at 1280x1024).

Either way, it's still a great idea and we can always keep it changing.

DNS · Post by **DNS** » Thu May 25, 2006 12:34 pm

the starry one was nice, but i like that parchment one. You did really well on it, the colours all work and match and everything. ^^

Post by **Dray** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:18 pm

I would love to see the logo on the left-hand side of the page (like on the forum) with the title and little splooge of 'worlds by imagination' bit next to it, top-right of the page inside the table.

X3 It would mean quicker access to the meat of the site, which is where /I'd/ want to be if I were new and reading!

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:08 pm

o.O So. It seems Lakota has disappeared in recent times, annd... to me this is an important project. Having a main-page for the Nexus would take away a lot of confusion for new folks, etc etc... I think we can all agree that a Nexus Site is a good idea. :3

But now that the person who was doing it has apparently disappeared, this has come to a standstill. She was doing a lovely job, but a half-finished page does not a good introduction make!

Unless anyone has any good reason why I should leave this in Lakota's hands for if/when she returns to us (I hope she will!), I would like to take over the project. :3 Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:10 pm

I don't see why not. You're here, and you're willing.

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:18 pm

Yeah, Lakota seems to have up and vanished and I would like to see a page. Full steam ahead sah! :3 I'm willing to help with writing stuff if you need it.

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Well, good, because...!

http://artdragon.mine.nu/~kat/nexus/

How's this all work in various browsers? I only have access to IE and Firefox, and it looks good in both, except that in IE the png transparency of the outer box is shot, and that miffs me. :/ I can't get it to not be that dumb grey color, either.

And right now, those buttons on the top? Open for changes. I just stuck in 'em whatever seemed appropriate. People, tell me what you think should be added or taken away, and make suggestions for content! :3 I don't want this to be a one-man show, since it's supposed to represent all of us.

Post by **Dray** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:01 pm

A beginner's guide! Something easy to get to from the first page that n00bs can look through to get, immediately, an idea of how they can participate (whether they want to start off on the adopting end, or the giving-away end!)

Other then that.... content. XDDDD I keep wanting to click the links, but they don't work, yet!

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:24 am

Definitely the beginners guide type thing. Adapt my 4P's Rights page if you'd like (which I think I linked earlier in the thread).

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:24 am

Maybe we should make up some kind of mini-collage for the front page to get people interested. And possibly a site rating? Those seem popular these days.

Cacopheny · Post by **Cacopheny** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:31 am

I dunno, the first time we tried a collage, things looked reeeeeeeally busy o.o And busy is usually a bad thing. Depends on if you can do something like that tastefully, I suppose.

JKatkina · Post by **JKatkina** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:10 am

I could link to images around the Nexus to give examples, if people wanted to volunteer images. :3

Mystic, What do you mean, a site rating?

Shard, thank you! :3 I think I may. That's very helpful. :D

Dray, definitely a beginner's guide. X3

Starburst · Post by **Starburst** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:19 am

Dude! Looks great! (My browser's called Safari and most things look good in it.)

Starburst wants more!