*sigh* When in Rome... (Stone throwing)

[liveacoustic]

I am completely morally opposed to everyone's requesting feedback on the random forum, but everyone's gotten really good feedback - hell, Jubba has 3 pages of it! So now I'm going to break my ethics and request the same time of harsh (but constructive) criticisms that you've been giving Jubba and Pom:

may17th.tripod.com (http://may17th.tripod.com)

This time you're free to criticism any aspect of the site, including the parts I've hardly touched.

If you're wondering why I've had this site sitting around for so bloody long without ever actually making a single scene, the reason is that, after a nice long recording session, the stupid demo of Acid Music I was recording with added beeps every 5 seconds. Meaning I have to rerecord EVERYTHING... y'know, when I get around to it. In the meantime, I'm sitting around being upset. I think I'll start rerecording on Friday or Monday, though. And then it'll be about a week of recording, a couple of weeks of animating, and then (shock!) ACTUAL PROGRESS!!!

Interesting side note: I've accidentally clicked on something bizarre and lost 3 posts so far in the past 20 minutes or so. Huzzah! I'm on a roll! Which, by the way, is why this post is my first post under 12,000 words. Annoyance.

[I am not Jubba]

Just to support my morally injust actions: I posted here because I only wanted the regulars opinions. Because, well mainly I "know" these people and trust them to give me accurate feedback and not rip anything off of my site (not that there is anything good to rip off).

Now, you better duck! Actually, I like it a lot. The only problem that I found was that when you open the "Start Menu" in the lower left corner. It doesn't shut when you click outside of it. So the only way to get it to close is to click on another icon, or click the "start" button again...I feel that it should close if I click on the background, just like a Windows start button would work. I like it. Good work.

[Phil Jayhan]

Speaking of throwing stones, and knowing I haven't offended hardly anyone lately, doh! :lol: heres goes; Jesus was standing on the mount, giving his sermon, when he was approached by a mob of males dragging a women to him and saying; 'This women was caught in Adultery, the very act, Moses Law say such a person should be stoned, what DO YOU say? (notice also that she was caught in the very act, but the only one they dragged to the rock party was the female) they asked him this to trick him. But Jesus turned to them and said, 'He that is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone'.....Just them a giant rock flew over the Lords right shoulder and smacked this lady right in the forehead, dropping her to the ground and killing her instantly. Jesus turns around, and seeing Mary, his mother, says; "Motherrrrrrr" (the idea is she is claimed by some to be without sin, get it??? 'Let he who is without sin cast the first rock??)


Anywho-
This is a bulletein board you guys, post what you want when you want. Enough of this what can and cannot be posted, this is a Random forum. Kirupa is glad to have us all here, we are welcome, and he has always treated us as more than welcome, as he is a great host.

Enough of petty people saying this shouldn't be posted here or there...Pom, of all peole started out with an apology for what he wrote asking for stones to be chucked at him. No reason to apologize, this is a forum and it is RANDOM. Im sure Kirupa would back me up here. If anyone hasn't noticed, this board has been dead for weeks, I am sure except for spammers and people that leave 3 messages asking for the same time EVERY time they post, that most people don't give a @#%$. Don't hack and don't clog the boards--nuf said, I had to say that, been bubbling for a long time.

On to your site Live; The negative first; The text field, I think there is only one is way alot too tiny. IMO, I think it should be bigger, and remember the Seniors when doing this. Many peole do not even have perfect vision as I do, and I couldn't even barely make out the text.

Ditto on Jubba-The start button stays open when you click outside of it. I ran into this problem when I made my browser. My solution was simple in the end. I made a huge button the entire size of my site except for the area box that was open, and when they were outside this area it was mouseoff and the box would close. you can view it yorself but will have to type in this in the address bar after you get to corpust. Hell heres the link, though its not on my site, is on my server.
www.corpust.com/indexb.html (http://www.corpust.com/indexb.html) or maybe swf, im not sure which extension you type in, you'll know. Check out how I took care of that issue-

Other than a total lack of content, (understandale) this site is really good IMO. However, I do not like the pop up and think some people won't be able to view the site because of pop up killer. I like the simplicity and yet the similarity to windows. But then I am browser friendly type of guy cause I made a browser site too. The colors are good, and rich. The artwerk is good, cool and neato. Some of the type throughout site needs to be bigger IMO. Everything that is small that is. I would rate it as a 7 maybe out of 10;

Other improvements; Beside the obvious, content, some animations, maybe even a few ads on the page here and there. Soemthing was funny, is my site didn't look right to me until I placed those ads up. And this isn't just because Ima stinking capitalist pigdog. I am that, but thats not the reason. It was bare and naked and looked nothing like the popular sites I like. Looked like a kids site that was better done than most. Then I placed the ads on my site and whala, it started to look more pro and business like. Most of my ads really don't slow down the download as they are all resident on my advertisor servers. Javascripts.

Sounds; A few simple neat charachteristic sounds; Also, just thought of it, but that text field is also a little dark-

But I think this site could become a 9 maybe a 10 with some of these improvemnts and the content of course. Make it a little more dynamic. A browser just sits there, and I ran into this problem with my browser site. It is boring by nature. Make it otherwise. Maybe a background image similar to Jubs site, to go along with that self portrait of you! :lol:

Other than that I need to think more about it and return a few times and think it over and mull and quigle. I will provide more, but I wanted you to get this tonight i case your trolling for reponses- But check out how I fixed that issue jubs mentioned on my site-

Hows that for starters Live? And not to harp but this is exactly one of the functions of this board and it also is healthy as it forces us all to get to know each other and then some---I'll bet ya a nickel Kirupa doesn't mind in the least. Helll, make it a dime. :rollin:

pj
:p

[Phil Jayhan]

Comeon you guys, heres a chance to throw rocks at Live too! He might feel left out if we don't chuck a bunch of rocks at him.

Live-
How hard was it to set up the free EZ boards?

pj
:p

[liveacoustic]

The only problem that I found was that when you open the "Start Menu" in the lower left corner. Jubba

I'll see what I can do about that.

The text field, I think there is only one is way alot too tiny. Phil

Probably true...

I do not like the pop up and think some people won't be able to view the site because of pop up killer. Phil

Y'mean when they open in new window? Whatever, it wouldn't work unless it was opened in a new window. Not much I can do there. They'll just have to either open it full screen or turn off pop-up killer.

Some of the type throughout site needs to be bigger IMO. Phil

Ironic and conflicting, because on Flash Kit they told me to make the fonts smaller...

Then I placed the ads on my site and whala, it started to look more pro and business like. Phil

That's all well and good, but there's nowhere to really put them on my site...

Sounds; A few simple neat charachteristic sounds; Phil

Ugh. I hate sounds. I turn off my Windows sounds, let alone my website sounds. But you're probably right - most people will want them. I guess I'll just make sure there's a little thing by the clock that lets you turn the sound off...

Also, just thought of it, but that text field is also a little dark Phil

Not sure what you mean, to be honest...

Make it a little more dynamic. Phil

How? I could make more interesting backgrounds, as you sorta suggested (although I make no guarantees that I can pull that off), but I'm not sure of a good way to give it a real "fast pace" or anything interesting like that.

Hows that for starters Live? Phil

Great. Thanks.

[Phil Jayhan]

lemme think about it a few hours and get back to ya later when I have more time.

pj
:p

[liveacoustic]

How hard was it to set up the free EZ boards? Phil

Not at all. All you do is sign up on the EZBoard website and you've got a message board. Tada.

[Phil Jayhan]

Live-
Do you have a URL where I can do that? I spent 20-30 minutes yesterday looking for it but with no luck. Any URL's for this would be appreciatted.

Still thinking of some ideas for your site. I have a few but want to return to it and pretend it is mine for a little while to see what I would do.

by tonight I should have some ideas for you to mull over-

pj
:p

[I am not Jubba]

www.ezboard.com and click on the "Create" button...

[Phil Jayhan]

Jeff-

Thanks. Im going there now. Do me a favor would ya? Send me your email address and same for you live--theres a few things I want to ask you two in private. Nothing big, just wanna be off the boards-

Live-
Ok, heres what I would do if it were my site to try to animate it a tad. First I would try to make the bottom bar just big enough, not that much more, but big eough for a 468x120 and one or two 120x60's on each end,and place it into the bottom bar if possible and if astechically pleasing. It could look right and I can tell you where I think you should go to get them if your interested. They have smartzones that are very easy to set up and kind of cool. I would also make some HTML pages inside the site as well, for some of your commentaries and somehow mirror what I have done with my HTML's and the adds/top/bottom/sides. It does dress up a site and this is hard to believe but it does.

I would also try to animate the movie reel, so it spins slowly or something like that.
The print in the start menu is too big and am sure thats what the others at the other board were talking about. Other places it is too small.

Maybe an occasional random bird that is alpha's so it doesn;t really become anything more than a tiny momentary distraction. Or you cold have trees and flowers and grass start to sprout and grow to full size the longer they are there. (in the background I mean) Maybe fireworks every now and then in the BG as well. Not everything mind you but just any of these that might fit into your scheme and personality. Maybe the yak, yak could every now and then change to other words. That would be cool. Like, hey, click me, check it out, come one, click me now. Yak, yak. yada yada...

there are also multitudes of 'sticky' javas you can place inside your page to increase site stickiness. Like on mine I have the poll which I like. I never have to do anything with it, it changes by itself when they change the polls. I got that @ world wires, the very bottom of my news links, and its free. They also have free news content feeds (i think) you could make on another page and they also update by themselves. Kind of neat.

Or maybe that guy live on the screen could slowly morph into a newt, then get better again... ;)

These are the first of may ideas I will throw your way to see if any fit. IMO, I just think it would be beter to see some kind of movement and aimations, even ads on the front page. There are also smaller ads than 468x120. Not many, you really have to look hard and long for them but they have tiny ones that would easily already fitin without making the bottom bar any bigger. But, these are only suggestions and am not sure if any of them fit for you.

Anyways, all fer now,
chow fer now-
pj
:p

[I am not Jubba]

Phil- I sent you an e-mail and I'll post it here too je****1@binghamton.edu

[Rigel Dominar XVI]

Jubba-
Thanks-
Live-
Where ya been bud?

pj
:p

[liveacoustic]

I wasn't here?

Strange...

This isn't one of those, "Gasp, he's gone a whole 20 hours without posting!" things, is it?

[I am not Jubba]

yeah, i'm thinkin so. on my days off I usually post (if its raining) at least once an hour. I try to answer anyone's questions as soon as possible so I refresh the forum page every 10-15 minutes. On days that I work, I make up for the lack of posting by flooding the boards for the first 30 minutes after I take my shower to get the smell of dead cows off of me...and if I don't post at all in one day I think you all would notice...

[liveacoustic]

Alright - I've started improving the website as per your recommendations. Being a product of video games, I'm doing the easy stuff first - the font for freestyle commentary is bigger. However, my problem came along when I was doing what both of you recommended.

I've got it so that you can click anywhere and close the start menu now, but now there's a perpetual hand cursor. Does anyone know the script so that the cursor stays normal? And is there a way to just put a code in the first frame and have it so that the cursor never turns in to a hand? I figure that that would be a better way to keep the operating system illusion...

Phil's right, I admit. The site needs to be more animated. I've been too purist about the whole operating system illusion and haven't paid enough attention to keeping people interested. I'm still thinking up ways to do this, but I think that I'll have a transition thingy going on when you open up a new window (I'll do that last because it'll require real effort. (GASP!)) and probably make some animated backgrounds... But I'm still decided what to use that'll be animated without being annoying. If I had two characters perpetually walking down a hallway, for example, that would be annoying as hell. It's considerably less annoying to do techno jazz junk and have flashy colours and crap like VTS designs for wallpapers, but that wouldn't really advertise the product (the cartoon) well. So I'm still considering that one... The biggest problem there is that it's a cartoon with cartoony art, and it's hard to make cartoony cool.

[I am not Jubba]

well, you said you fixed the start menu, but its still the same, unless you didn't upload the fixed one yet.

As far as the hand goes, you will have to create a custom cursor that looks like a default arrow, make it a movieclip and make sure that the point is on the crosshair within the movieclip. Then put this code on the movieclip

onClipEvent(enterFrame){
_x = _root._xmouse
_y = _root._ymouse
Mouse.hide()
}

that'll make the MC follow the mouse and make the User's mouse invisible...its the only way around it as far as i know...

[liveacoustic]

Haven't uploaded it yet.

Thanks, but I know one guy on FlashKit suggested something long time ago that didn't really make any sense to me (and still doesn't). I believe he suggested that I put this code on the buttons:

InstanceName.useHandCursor = false;

which is all well and good, but in Flash 5, anyway, buttons don't have instance names. So what the hell do I put in Instance Name?

Maybe he just assumed I have Flash MX...

[liveacoustic]

Alright, new problem (although I'd still like to know how to take away the hand cursor without putting in my own cursor...)

I made my own cursor as Jubba suggested, but a little text cursor thingy still appears when I go over text. Anyone know how to get rid of that one?

[Phil Jayhan]

I am going to your site now. When you get that cursor info let me know. (I need it too, for the same reason) I'll see if I can find it at Actionscripts as that is where I think I saw it the first time. And I'll write later. Hey, is your cartoon finished, cause every time I have clicked on it it has always been a 404-Without exception. I would love to see it.

pj
:p

[I am not Jubba]

not too sure about that one. I don't think there is a way. But the text cursor should come up over text. it usually does in any operating system....

I didnt know about the useHandCursor, but it is only a Flash MX thing, so unless you have MX that won't help ya.

[liveacoustic]

Hey, is your cartoon finished? Phil

Always a good question to ask an irate man. Of course, you meant well, so I won't hold it against you.

Right now I'm still working on the whole "starting" part. As I mentioned before, I recorded the audio and it had beeps every five seconds. Now I need to re-record everything over 5 seconds long and I'm now being told that I won't be able to do that for a month unless I fix a school computer, and even when I do that a month from now I'll have to do that after exams, which makes it far from easy to get the actors together.

Meaning that I'm probably going to have to figure out a new way to get everything recorded, and I'm estimating that that means that I'll have to wait 2 months before I'm done the audio that I should have had done about 4 or 5 months ago.

And, please, for the love of God... Don't ask me if I've done the animation yet... Because every single one of the actors and people I told that bloody thing exists asked that before I'd even done the failed version of the audio... And they didn't think about it... And the stupidity made my head hurt... And I don't want my head to hurt...

[Phil Jayhan]

Hey Live-
So hows the weather in the great white north? :lol:

pj
:p

[liveacoustic]

Alright, time to update the troops...

I have a week to rerecord 124 of the 322 lines, and about 30 minutes a day to do this rerecording. So that's no fun.

BUT, on the bright side, I have the first 6 lines handy and can work with them, so right about now I'm going to start working on the first scene. The only problem is that there's a total of 9 lines in the first scene, so I can't update anything on the internet for a while. And those last 3 lines together are probably longer than the first 6 combined.

Then I'm going to have to work on making the intro, which would be all well and convenient if it wasn't for the fact that I don't have the intro music recorded yet and really don't know how I ever will. So I'll probably do the intro last. Which means that "Media Player" probably won't be added to the website for some time.

And to the website. I'm still trying to make it more exciting, have more going on, but I'm kind of conflicted. I know pretty well exactly how I'd do it - first I need to add transitions when you open up a new window, which I'll do as soon as I get around to it, and second and more importantly I need to animate the backgrounds. Which is all well and good, but animated cartoony backgrounds are annoying. animated techno funky crap like the site of the week's background are good, but they completely destroy and semblance of a theme that the site may possible have.

So, my question is: What's more important? Theme or action?

And, also: Should I make the default background come up every time, or make it random?

[I am not Jubba]

Theme. Your site is supposed to be like an Operating System. And I have yet to see an Operating system have an animated background, or anything flashy going on....

[Phil Jayhan]

Theme; But operating systems are boring. That was a hurdle I really couldn't overcome except through some nifty page changes using simple but not too cheesy tweens-

Im guuna go and check it now---TTYL

pj
:p

[liveacoustic]

Well, I know that there is interactive backdrops or whatever that move for Windows... I haven't used that many of them, and I don't think anybody really does, but they at least USED to exist. I think it's justifiable for me to have a moving background, at least to a certain degree. But I just don't know what to put there. I could have psychodelic imagery and flashing static or whatever, but it would have nothing at all to do with the cartoon. Right now the only part of the website that advertises the cartoon is the backdrop, which is why it absolutely has to stay cartoony. The only problem, though, is that moving cartoon backdrops are really, really annoying. So that's my real paradox.

[Phil Jayhan]

Live-
You can always try the cute sherlock method of changing the backdrop. Make it ever so sublte. Each time someone come back to that screen after having visited it, make it subtley different. i.e. Like the 2nd time, the guy is wearing a lapel pin, the 3rd time a hat, the 4th time glasses, and so on, etc...Just a thawt---

pj
:p
How often do you check your own EZ boards anyways?

[liveacoustic]

Sweet merciful crap, Phil, you need an intervention. You posted all that crap, what, yesterday? Earlier today? And already you're concerned about the fact that I haven't checked the forums to a website that isn't open to the general public?

For the love of God, man, there's no law stating you have to check every forum on the internet every 5 seconds!

[liveacoustic]

*sigh*, since you seem intent on never playing with me again no matter how cool my latest Ninja Turtle toys, I suppose I should reply here. You misunderstood, Phil. I never meant that as an insult, it's mainly just that you really can't get across tone of voice on a message board. I'm far from upset that you're posting on the May 17th board. I just find it funny that every time I go 10 minutes without posting something you file a missing person report with the police.