I have been working on a face-lift for the site for quite a few months now. Much of the work involved correcting a bunch of poorly written code that was not up to current standards. The new version of the site is standards based and should be much easier to maintain.
Here are are a few of the new features of the site:
- Better Setup for larger screens. While 1024 by 768 is the smallest screen resolution that will show the site as designed, the fixed menu areas combined with a fluid content area allows the site to “spreadout” better on the screen. I think you will find that a resolution of 1280 by 1024 looks best.
- Printer Friendly Pages. The old version was downright printer hositile. Not what I wanted at all. From disucssions with many of the site users, most people want to print out the pages and maps and take them with them on the trail. The new version is print friendly and fits into that idea. When you print a page, all of the backgrounds, images, and menus will be scrubbed out.
- Photo Gallery. I have picked through my site and compiled some of my favorites into gallery. Please wait for the page to fully load as the script that runs the gallery will not function properly if the page has not completed loading.
- This Blog – I’m going to use this as my What’s New feature on the site as well as routine riding updates. This will not replace my trail review pages what so ever. For example I ride Daley Ranch quite often, but not updating that trail review every couple of weeks. Instead I might through up a quick not and a picture or two here talking about that particular day’s ride.
- A Frequently Asked Questions page.
Getting the backend code up to standards is going to allow for some projects and future growth I thinking about for the site. Most of these ideas involves database integration for GPS and trail information as well as user interactivity, blah blah blah, technobable, technobable, etc…..
What is up with Freaking Advertisements? Yep I have stuck some ads on my site. Call it an experiment if you will. If the advertisments end up helping defray the cost of running the site as well as maybe be keeping a few tasty microbrews in my cooler at the trailhead, then I’ll keep them. Otherwise I might pull them. Please let me know if you think they are trashing your experience on the site.
There are a few little things that I am still working on at this point. Most of them involve working around Internet Explorer’s less than excellent support for web design standards. I recommened you give Firefox a shot as your browser. It follows the “rules” better and it displays this site exactly as I coded it.
Enough yapping on my part, get to clicking!
-Bill
