Update 12/19/2010

[shmax]

The long-promised site redesign descends upon us all:
- added product/part tabs to advanced search form
- redesigned form widgets, with most prominent change being that the help text now appears above the widget
- hide the amazon links for regular users (nobody ever used them), but keep for moderators ( to aid in verifying UPCs )
- redesigned browse tabs
- removed "tags" from all browse pages (though the feature remains under the hood)
- using green links for pretty much everything now
- added new horizontal navigation bar to top of page
- framed forums in regular page layout (fail--lost this change somehow)
- converted page layout to fixed width
- added a new login/register widget to upper right
- moved "batphone" to login area (mod feature only)
- added breadcrumbs to every page, with "home" as the root
- created new home page, with various portlets
- converted old home page into a "news" page
- redesigned fun facts so that they're easier to read
- redesigned collection interface
- added a new "Shipping paid" field to collection data, and widget to collection interface (suggested by HighPrime)
- converted old collection interface date widget to use jQuery date picker
- revamp popup
- move contact email down to footer of page (and obscure from spiders, though it's a bit too late now)
- added character counter to TextWidget
- convert dynamic form widgets to CSS
- rearranged submission review layout (moved accept/reject into label header, moved per-row accept/reject into bank row proper) (Mod only feature)
- don't show accept/reject control for fields that have not been modified (Mods)
- use jquery dialog instead of my own ghetto nonsense
- instead of "[n] items found", do "[n] products found" and "[n] parts found"
- remove collection id from collect row title
- created photo portlet
- add recent photos portlet to photo guidelines page
- don't bother showing the PARTS tab when editing collection, or viewing wishlist
- clean up layout of browse helper a bit (the box with the num results, sort dir controls)
- separate TOC and contents on site faq page
- remove references to old photo contest pages
- write sku portlet, configurable to show recent releases, recent submissions, or upcoming releases
- modified date_before and date_after filters to accept "today" as a parameter
- add "read more" functionality to portlets
- add breadcrumb paths to new releases portlets, recent submissions portlet, etc (suggested by Wajo, I believe)
- rename package_details action to product_details (remind me to update all the old forum posts)
- removed "contains" label from sku details page... didn't really seem necessary to have it
- removed the "gallery" option from the display options (at least for now--I don't think anyone uses it)
- moved "Japan", "Canada", and "United States" to the top of the state list in the release info widget (suggested by somebody--Wajo?)
- converted all graphical rounded corners to CSS rounded corners
- redesigned collection page a bit
- include a warning for IE6 users--ie6 users are advised to upgrade their browser, and will not be allowed to use the site. My apologies to the 2 half-crazed old-timey prospectors out there who still use IE6... I just don't have the energy anymore.

Bug fixes:
- fix problem with date widgets on the advanced search page (both widgets were affecting the "date before" field)
- fix restricted page access layout flow, such that the portlet frame draws whether you have permissions or not
- when logging on, redirect to the page that the user was on when he clicked "log in" (bunch of folks have pointed this out)
- fix bug in collection interface part checklist--changing num part drop-down now properly triggers save

Hope you all dig it, but as always keep them eyebones peeled for new bugs. A bunch have already been found and I'm working away on them, but don't be shy about piling them on. Bugs are food, after all. Thanks, guys.

[Wajo357]

Great Job!

Thanks for putting in some of my requests

Question: The last two days, the website kept on getting 'overloaded' and today it is very slow to load. Is this a response to the new website and be fixed or is it a separate issue?

In general, you did a great job. There are three things that I would like to give feedback on, that I PERSONALLY don't like so much (I could be completely alone with this):
1) The GREEN links and the PURPLE for the items we have. It looks bad and it doesn't seem to go visually with the rest of the website. Also, when I add an item within a list of category and the purple bar shows, it is hard to visually distinguish the separation between the item I have and the below item.

2) Home Page: I think the concept it great, however, the front page looks like an incoherent puzzle. Elements start and begin in haphazard areas of the page. I would somehow make the 'newly added', 'newly released', 'new pictures', etc start and end on the same part of the page vertically. Maybe have them as a drop down or something. I'm sure we can figure it out.

3) Every search, category, page: I find that with the 'browse' menu to the left, the latest submissions to the right and the top collectors to the right as well, that when I scroll down; most of the page is actually empty space with just a sliver in the middle where the item is. Again, this is just a small 'visual' nitpic - nothing substantial. I just think if we moved some of the items around and came up with different ways of showing the same information; we can have a site that is visually more pleasing to the retinas (at least mine).


EDIT: I think I just found a bug: The ? icons don't seem to show me the information; at least not on Opera v11. It might also be a response to the slow connection.

Again; great job! Keep up the good work.

Happy Holidays!

Wajo

[shmax]

Question: The last two days, the website kept on getting 'overloaded' and today it is very slow to load. Is this a response to the new website and be fixed or is it a separate issue?

That's a nasty one, and I don't know if it relates to the new design. I'll be doing another performance/optimization pass as soon as I finish fixing up everything else I broke with the new features, and see if I can get to the bottom of things.

1) The GREEN links and the PURPLE for the items we have. It looks bad and it doesn't seem to go visually with the rest of the website.

What purple? Are you talking about the collection row bar thingies, that expand when you click on them?

Also, when I add an item within a list of category and the purple bar shows, it is hard to visually distinguish the separation between the item I have and the below item.

I think I know what you mean--I'll try a few things.

2) Home Page: I think the concept it great, however, the front page looks like an incoherent puzzle. Elements start and begin in haphazard areas of the page. I would somehow make the 'newly added', 'newly released', 'new pictures', etc start and end on the same part of the page vertically. Maybe have them as a drop down or something. I'm sure we can figure it out.

Yes, I wasn't sure about that, either, but I don't really mind it too much. I'll play around a bit and see how things evolve.

3) Every search, category, page: I find that with the 'browse' menu to the left, the latest submissions to the right and the top collectors to the right as well, that when I scroll down; most of the page is actually empty space with just a sliver in the middle where the item is. Again, this is just a small 'visual' nitpic - nothing substantial. I just think if we moved some of the items around and came up with different ways of showing the same information; we can have a site that is visually more pleasing to the retinas (at least mine).

I want to try putting all the "portlets" in the left column. Pro, it will make fill up more negative space while letting the central area expand some. Con, it means you will have to scroll way down below the browse menu to see the other information.

EDIT: I think I just found a bug: The ? icons don't seem to show me the information; at least not on Opera v11. It might also be a response to the slow connection.

Please, be more specific with stuff like this. Which ?'s are you talking about? The ones in the collection interface?

[Wajo357]

Shmax,

YES to both of your questions.