Just checking that everyone's found us.

I'm so sorry the boards have been down for so long and looking forward to settling back in with old friends in the new place.

Is everyone ok?

Hmmm.... checking......
Well, the emoticons aren't all working.
The board has this weird feel to it with this skin.
And I now can be blamed for word filters and such like.

But I'm here. Sort of.

Maybe an email to everyone to tell them we're back up and running, and for them to update their bookmarks/Favourites?

*checks limbs, notes missing limb*

Anyone seen my head? I lost it when I bounced off a wall well and truly last night during squash... (currently experiencing swollen and sore side of face, fun).

Mishaps aside, I'm here - and I've found the most important smilie that works

yoda,

I'm here, too.

I actually like the new layout and design very much. Hope the minor problems will be fixed soon!

Well, after you twisted my arm a bit .... Of course I never could say no to a good friend, so I'm here.

Can't say how much with my 7 day a week/65-70hrs schedule for the next 10 months, but I'm here.

Robert

That's some of us at least! Where's everyone else?

We're a long way from being skinned and redesigned and finished off. Think it's going to take me most of the weekend to get everything straight.

I'm thinking about altering the forums a bit as well - we don't really need all the categories we've got, and I think some of them might be merged. I was thinking of adding a chapter sneak peek forum for future chapters (seeing as I'm back to writing these days). Anything else you think you'd like or think I can get rid of?



P.S. Good idea QH, but will do that once I've got all the skinning done and the chapter ready to roll! Might as well let everyone know all at once!

Not touched the forums tonight but I've been playing with the colours on the fiction main page. What do you think?

I think the colors on the fiction page blend nicely with the Harry&Ginny Logo, IMHO. Better than with the original, light-bluish color, anyway. But that's just my opinion.


How about merging the "Reading Room" and the "Writing Desk" into one unit - "Author's Corner"/'Literature Corner" or something like that?
Or perhaps merging "Writing Challenges" with "Creative Writing Workshop" and pinning it to the top?

Yes -the light blue was originally meant to go with another picture, and I didn't have time earlier in the week to alter it.

I've got the categories page done as well, so I'm making slow but steady progress. Will get the fiction half of the site finished tomorrow, hopefully with all the reviews moved over as well.

Then it's onto skinning the forum, which will be a REAL experience!

I find that the current pages take longer to load up. There's so much more to downlooad than before. As some of you will notice (especially on slower connections) each post loads and displays seperately. This is because it loads each part of the table piece by piece in such a way that an entire post has to load before it is displayed. Maybe I can find an option in the ACP to reduce the time taken. I did find those type settings last time I looked.

Also, the graphic at the top of each page might get a bit annoying to some. I suggest you keep the main pic for the main page(s), and for the forum, use a copy which is cropped into a 100px-high bar or something like showing only the heads or the chess board. That way, as people change from page to page, there's less loading and less bandwidth. Some people (some Oxton lad will agree) might prefer this on dial-up connections.

As a final note, Yoda's head was last seen bouncing down the motorway, towards Plymouth. When it bounces past Junction 29, I'll grab it, ok? Just note that Yoda may be like a chicken for a little while as he runs around.

*out of breath* You can call off the dogs. Here I am! I like the top. It doesn't feel like home yet though, does it? It reminds me of the time...different story for a different time. I found it, would be the general purpose of the story.

It shouldn't be significantly different to the old pages. We're still on the same format and same quantity of graphics. The heading pic is bigger but not dramatically so. I'm reluctant to get rid of it or shrink it, but I'll look at reducing the quality of it, so it's faster to load. Unless we get hit by spammers again, bandwidth isn't a problem - we've got a massive allowance on the new host. How slow is it on dial up?

If you can have a go at the forums to see what you can do about reducing the time taken there.

I'll start skinning the forums tonight, tomorrow. If it ends up looking a bit funky for a while, I'm sorry. It was 2002 last time I skinned one of these and it's changed dramatically since then!

HG, hopefully it'll feel like home in no time. I think it's the shock of losing the blue and white!

Sloooooowly getting there with the colours. It's taking forever and a day to fathom them out on the forums. Essentially most of the blue is going, and being replaced with a couple of shades of cream and creamy-peach.

The fiction pages are essentially done, although there's a glitch on the default template I haven't worked out yet, so the 'author' page isn't working yet. When I get that fixed, I can transfer everyone's reviews and close the other site.

I'm on IM if anyone fancies keeping me company...

Imogen

Would love to chat IM but have to get ready and out the door for work.

Long night as I heard from mom that Boo, my 16 yr cat was put to sleep Monday night. He was a true sweety.

Robert

Oh no

Our kitty is very elderly now - she's 12 - and I worry about her...

Hope work isn't too bad I'm going to give up soon for tonight anyway and I'll resume tearing my hair out tomorrow. As soon as I can get this done, I'm back to finishing this chapter off!

Imogen, please don't rush to get the skinning done. We can all live with the style for a while yet, and as you well know, art is best when considered, pondered and formed at a steady pace. I think the whole board would love to wait for a while longer if it means better quality or you not going bald too early in life.

The ACP didn't show up any great options. In fact, it doesn't do much in the way of speeding things up. The best thing would be to use CSS, but the board heavily uses that already. In other words, the speed is already fast.

Download times, based on the board when testing:

• Main forum page: 223Kb in file size. 40s when loaded from scratch.
• Going into Gen Disc.: +22Kb to load. 4s to load up.
• Visiting this thread: +293Kb extra to load. 53s to load up.
• Post this reply: +125Kb extra to load. 23s to load up.

*This is based on 5.5Kb/s download speed, which is a common maximum for most dial-up modems. 1Mbps broadband connection speeds can be around 20x faster than this!

I'd really like to get it done though. I'm getting behind with real life work because of this and I can't even try to get my blog online until all this is done.

Plus it annoys me when things don't match I feel like I'm going completely round the twist with this though. I'm not good at coding at the best of times, and this certainly isn't one of them!

I don't think we're going to be able to speed it up - even lessening the quality of the image isn't going to make a significant difference to that. People on dial up - is it too slow? It's fine on broadband (obviously)...

What do we think of the forum changes? Would people like a fanfic forum - either to post their own or to post links to other stories?

Just to keep you all posted!

I've found someone who can skin the forums for me and make a much better job of it than I have! They think they'll be able to get it done fairly quickly for us, so keep your fingers crossed.

I'll get back to doing a bit of writing, so betas can watch out for a completed chapter later today. Assuming you're all still here after me being AWOL for the past 18 months!

Imogen

The new skin should be done by Friday. So if you can think hard about what might look nice and post any ideas or suggestions (or links to nice graphics) in the next couple of days, that would be really handy.

It's far from decided - anything from burgundy to green might work.

What do you all think?

Anything is fabulous. I'm here! I found it!

All the work you put into this is fantastic, Imogen.

Hello Imogen my dear and everyone else too. Lots of hugs. I fortunately didn't need to find my way here and our dear hostess allowed me the privilege of helping with some set up. Luv the colors, the creme is a bit harsh on the eyes late at night, but then it reminds me I ought to be sleeping. But with running after 4 kiddos, working a bit, keeping house a bit less, readying for Halloween and an upcoming wee one's birthday...conferences, play-dates, sports, scouts, church...my eyes are starting to cross so I best stop before the twitching starts again. Always seems to kick up when I try to wrap my hands around this families schedule!

LOL. I'm here and will be whenever I can find a spare moment. Imogen, please let me know what else I can do to help. Gives me a great excuse to escape from the real world.

~Hershey~

PS: The picture turned out fabulous!

I think the cream is bad because of the contrast with the darkness of the red. Do the fiction pages (still on the original H&G colour scheme) strain your eyes in the same way?

This is a pretty template, but I'm not sure it's IT. Really I don't think I do know what I want. Which is a problem.

Glad you're both still here

I'm here! Would have joined in earlier, but was relaxing on the beaches of San Felipe for a week. Glad to see all that have found this new site. I love it all, Imogen!

YAY You're here too! This is great!

Our designer wants to know if a group of us are available for an IM chat to get some ideas flowing about what we want. Would Wednesday or Thursday suit anyone?

Makes sense to get something designed that we're all happy with.

Weds is no good, I'm off out for tea and don't know what time I'll be home. Thursday is good though.

LOL, figures... Wednesday is better than Thursday in general. Thursday is choked full of appts, running kids to and fro and dance class for Lil Miss. That takes me up to 2pm CST. Though Wednesday am I have bible study too. Oh well, let me know when and I will try and be there.

~H~

How about someone who will certainly be in a meeting (not necessarily me) take IMs from people for design ideas? I vote for the usualy pale blue motif, but I prefer pastel colours that are pleasing on the eye. And with pastels, many weird colours (like red and green on the same page) actually work. But nothing must be dramatic, except the header and footer.

That's my opinion. Anybody else have ideas? Feel free to completely disagree with my ideas as then something to please all will be decided. This is, of course, your board as much as anyone's, so let's have input.

I'm inclined to agree with you QH. What do you make of the colours on the fiction pages as an openimg gambit. What would you do to those to make them 'perfect'. The storm blue works with the picture, but most other blues don't (trust me, I've tried!), so we'd have to mingle that blue with other colours.

The plus about blue is I like it and it's the colour we've always had. The drawback is that it's the default colour for invision board, so everyone has it in blue!

Personally, I'm partial to the burgandy and cream color you've got for the forums, but I'm flexible for whatever you choose! I can't make any promises to be in an IM chat as my boss is being funky lately, so...

I think I'd prefer it to be more heavily cream, maybe with burgundy accents? I just keep thinking about what's going to be easy on the eyes. The forums aren't so bad, but the stories do involve a lot of reading, so it's got to be fairly neutral, I think.

Although I do like this colour, I think it's too dark to use with cream. The original of this design had a creamy background like where it says 'Logged in as', but that made the picture look like H and G had really sallow skins.

How about parchment?

Present and accounted for! However, I did sneek a peek back on the 18th before I left for my trip - love the changes that have been made so far!

Well, at least the glitches don't exist on the URL so it's a case of getting the colours right and we're done Plus I'm writing again, so it's been quite a productive couple of weeks all round

Glad you made it over. What colours do you think we should go for?

I'm here now....

I have really enjoyed the layout of the new site. The colors are fine just the way they are! Kudos!

Got your email today, Imogen, and I'm so glad I did! It's absolutely gorgeous.

Ten fingers and toes acounted for!

Oh how I've missed you all!

~ -less

Hi. I made it here after receiving an email that pointed me to the new place.

Excellent to see you again itsme

I felt a bit guilty mailing everyone on the boards, but didn't know how else to get in touch with everyone after all this time.

Thankfully a few people are still interested in reading. I was seriously worried no one would turn up

Don't feel guilty. Some of us (well, me at least) appreciate it, because otherwise we might not have found the new board for a long time. Thank you very much for writing. Now, off to read the new chapter of 'Home.'

:lol I finally managed to find my way. Goodness me. I think I will need a doctorate to know my way around forums and boards.

Yes, indeed. I am most happy to be home. For I have been a member for.... heaavens! Three years perhaps? Ever since I discovered Alpha and Omega as well as Carpe Diem uploaded at Sugar Quill. It must have been more than 3 years.... I remember going to an internet cafe before walking down Buckingham Palace Road to my home close to Chelsea at 4 a.m.

Oh, Imogen. I truly loved your stories and style of writing. With HBP being such a disappointment to me, I bask in the thought that there are authors who will do justice to Canon, albeit classified as AU. It is good to know that you have come out of your "retirement" from fanficdom. Many of those who have been around for a while are missing you.

Of course, real life does beckon and I dare say that family life and work could command a great deal of one's time and take up all of one's energy.

Thank you for your update of "Home is Where the Heart Is." I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter and look forward to Harry facing his redheaded wife with a temper to match.

Amazing! I had no idea this was all going on until I got the email from Rich's account. Gorgeous! Spectacular! Major kudos to you!

Amy

/em pokes her head in.


Amy's lj pointed me this way.


...


Boo.





Becky,
Graduated, acting, and happily nesting with Alex.

Wooohooooo! Sounds like good news all round!

Becky - thrilled things are going so well with Alex - you'll have to update me when you get a chance. Have you graduated by now? I'm guessing you might have... eeek! Where is this time going?

Amy, I love it was you getting Rich's email! I'm laughing now Much love to you both and I'm really glad you like the new prettiness of the site. We've really got to stay in better touch...

Hi Mimosa, glad the registration and everything worked and you've settled in well with your fonts and colours I did promise you I'd get these finished off one day, didn't I?

I graduated cum laude with High Honors in Theatre this past May.

I'm now living with Alex (and roomies), and I've just finished a short run of the Scottish Play (I played several characters). I've got a background role in a film shooting soon, and I'm auditioning and temp working as often as possible.

That's all absolutely fantastic news - I'm thrilled for you! Couldn't have worked out better

Just to scare you, my youngest is now 3 years old...

I JUST got over here because I did not receive an email or anything from YOU! I happen to see a post about it in Amy's journal and wanted to sign up.

Grrr....

The Prince is THREE?

Oh, dear...


/em feels old

Aha! I got in with my old name! Yay! I couldn't remember my password before...

Still... no one told me all of this had happened...

Sorry Liz Hugs!!!!

You're not on IM

Well, after lurking for...hrn....how long? *counts on fingers, finds they aren't enough, takes off socks, counts on toes, still not enough, gives up*...well, too long anyway, I seem to have tripped into the new site!

love the look, great design of the front page! Hope to be around here more often, though I've been rather busy of late!

I'm wondering if anyone still actually remembers me

Well, salutations from the redheaded dude who lurks the forums of elenarda!

CCC