Website Updating Project: Ideas/Brainstorming/Contribution

[dmpdesign]

Hi gang,

Its time for me to start overhauling some sections of this website, with the departure of a certain someone that was really draining my desire to visit the site I have a renewed interest in getting this place in tip top shape.  So a few things to talk about for the months ahead that might spark some ideas from you folks on what you would like to see here.

Help is welcome, and if you have any technical expertise in website coding please let me know :)

Here are the things I have been working on, some are completed and some are just now getting started.

#1 - Pruning the forum and updating it to keep it safe from hackers.
This I have already begun by removing other admins to the database and locking everything down. The forum is actually hosted on a new, streamlined database now, which should query much much faster than the previous one that was bloated with several sites worth of data that for whatever reason was stored inside SOM's files (including all that wordpress garbage).

I would like feedback as to whether I should re-enable the SomEx section of the site if anyone really wants to go back through and read into some of the things Holy was working on...if need be I can get it back up on here.

#2 - The main page still looks really amateur to me, so I will want to update the whole layout of the table and try to incorporate some new graphics.  This also means I would like to create a few new sections to add to the main page for our new games that are in progress, specifically Mytrosia and Rathmor.  So I will be asking Ben and Joe for permission/files to add to the main page to highlight their projects.

I may incorporate flash animations if i get the time, though I dont know how folks feel about that.

#3 - The forum design...I still want to update this to some degree, not because the old is bad, but because the old is well...old.  I would like to refresh the starry background to something new and higher res and also maybe spruce up the top banner a bit.  Any suggestions would be appreciated...I thought about maybe integrating some thumbnails of the different games available in the masthead.

#4 - SOM addons section of the site...this is something I am working on which will be a living repository of custom collections in a gallery format where people can upload/download custom packs for their games.

[Guyra]

Hi,
This is kind of weird for a first post, but I'd like to help out if I can. I'm no master, but I have worked professionally with web development, at least. (Before I dropped it due to work being two and a half hour drive away. :P )

In any case, being the KF fan that I am, I'd love to help out the community some. :)

[dmpdesign]

Hey thats great news!  Any help is appreciated.

I wonder, do you know anything about creating some sort of decent repository that folks can access/update?

We have the addons sections but its too complicated to be useful to our members in its current form i think.

[Guyra]

I think I should be able to fix that if we used Joomla, for example. Which I'd actually recommend, seeing as it'd make it much easier to publish any new information on the site.

[Verdite]

Awesome! Hope to see something new coming our way - ive got alot to add!

[dmpdesign]

Installing Joomla backend today I think...gonna try to move forward on getting something concrete for everyone soon.

Does anyone have any good examples of a website that incorporates joomla, or a website similar to what we are trying to accomplish here (i.e. community homebrew gaming?)

[Guyra]

You can do just about anything with Joomla, especially with extra extensions. There are extensions for just about anything you can think of, and most are free. ;)

[dmpdesign]

Guyra, I installed joomla and set you up with a login, mind having a peek at what we have to work with and what we should add?  I will PM you the details.

[Guyra]

Go right ahead. :)

[Guyra]

Okay, a little update here: I haven't been able to work on the new design at all. Reason is that I was living with my uncle, and he didn't pay the power bills, so ofcourse the power was cut. which means no computer and no internet.

Now I've moved, but at my new place there's not much possibility of internet, either. Only times I get online is at my girlfriend's place and at friends' places.

Sorry, guys. :/