Just to explain the main reason why I made that suggestion: you've amassed a lot of stuff that's well worth reading, but it's sort of hard to get to. I think that's a shame.
I guess that the majority of people who find their way to your site (other than those who click the link through curiosity after looking at your LJ info) find it as a result of searching for travel/place information, for example. Just as a first suggestion, you could easily put a Google search bar on your homepage, that will search only your website for the terms entered into it. It costs nothing, and there are no evil popup ads, or whatever, to contend with. http://www.google.com/searchcode.html , and scroll to the bottom textarea. If you follow one of the links at the bottom of the page, you can fully customise the look of the search bar. What do you think? As I said, just a suggestion.
I'd help out with any other HTML and graphics stuff (given the time), if you'd like. Or perhaps you could just lift the source code of your LJ layout... it is open source, after all...
I might put some time in it during the school break in a fortnight. I wouldn't mind a new index-page, with a few pictures/symbols as an indication of what stories to expect. Travel, footy, book reports, cycling and others would be a logical start there. Two languages would be needed as well.
The bulk of the work would be for you in writing new stories and translating existing ones.
Actually, changing between translations can be done with a piece of 'language-changing' code, which is open-source (available for anyone to use). I don't fully understand the code, but I know how to implement it. :P People would be able to click a button on your site for "English" or "Nederlands", and the language switch will be made. Of course, you still have to provide the translations.
For a couple of hours I've been working on something for you, really just as an example (although you're more than welcome to keep and use any aspect of the results, should you like 'em). I'm just now going for a run, and then a bite to eat, but hopefully I'll have something for you to look at, if not by the end of the evening, then in a day or three.
By the way, it's not much trouble at all (while I have the time). It's so easy to re-use bits of code here and there. And it's always useful to try things out.
If you want to suggest anything else to me (for instance, anything about the sort of structure you envisage - eg, any more of those 'primary' categories/links you mentioned such as travel, football, and cycling stories; or anything regarding secondary links), or you change your mind, let me know. E-mail is icegalleon_AT_yahoo_DOT_com (written in that odd way to avoid spam bots - don't include the underscores_), if you'd prefer that.
If you include pictures of your travels, it would be good to have translations of the title/subject of the picture, even if the writing about the trips hasn't been translated.
Oh, and make sure you hide the football stuff in an obscure corner of the site where I won't see it (just kidding).
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no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 02:28 am (UTC)Just to explain the main reason why I made that suggestion: you've amassed a lot of stuff that's well worth reading, but it's sort of hard to get to. I think that's a shame.
I guess that the majority of people who find their way to your site (other than those who click the link through curiosity after looking at your LJ info) find it as a result of searching for travel/place information, for example. Just as a first suggestion, you could easily put a Google search bar on your homepage, that will search only your website for the terms entered into it. It costs nothing, and there are no evil popup ads, or whatever, to contend with. http://www.google.com/searchcode.html , and scroll to the bottom textarea. If you follow one of the links at the bottom of the page, you can fully customise the look of the search bar. What do you think? As I said, just a suggestion.
I'd help out with any other HTML and graphics stuff (given the time), if you'd like. Or perhaps you could just lift the source code of your LJ layout... it is open source, after all...
no subject
Date: 2004-02-16 02:02 pm (UTC)All in all I guess too much work anyway.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-17 12:23 pm (UTC)Actually, changing between translations can be done with a piece of 'language-changing' code, which is open-source (available for anyone to use). I don't fully understand the code, but I know how to implement it. :P People would be able to click a button on your site for "English" or "Nederlands", and the language switch will be made. Of course, you still have to provide the translations.
For a couple of hours I've been working on something for you, really just as an example (although you're more than welcome to keep and use any aspect of the results, should you like 'em). I'm just now going for a run, and then a bite to eat, but hopefully I'll have something for you to look at, if not by the end of the evening, then in a day or three.
By the way, it's not much trouble at all (while I have the time). It's so easy to re-use bits of code here and there. And it's always useful to try things out.
If you want to suggest anything else to me (for instance, anything about the sort of structure you envisage - eg, any more of those 'primary' categories/links you mentioned such as travel, football, and cycling stories; or anything regarding secondary links), or you change your mind, let me know. E-mail is icegalleon_AT_yahoo_DOT_com (written in that odd way to avoid spam bots - don't include the underscores_), if you'd prefer that.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 11:19 pm (UTC)Oh, and make sure you hide the football stuff in an obscure corner of the site where I won't see it (just kidding).
Izzy.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 11:41 pm (UTC)