Need some questions answered

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Serqet

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Hi Guys,

I was hoping you could provide me with some advice. I've been put in charge of a mammoth task of redoing a really outdated website.

I have quite a few ideas i want to incorporate into the new website.

I want to use Flash. I want to add some sort of client database whereby our clients can enter their details if they wish to appear on our webiste in some sort of alphabetical order.

I also will need to create a mailing list as we will have a monthly newsletter running.

How does one go about this?

What sort of programs do i need to get hold of in order to achieve the above.

Thanks !
 
Serqet said:
Hi Guys,

I was hoping you could provide me with some advice. I've been put in charge of a mammoth task of redoing a really outdated website.

I have quite a few ideas i want to incorporate into the new website.

I want to use Flash. I want to add some sort of client database whereby our clients can enter their details if they wish to appear on our webiste in some sort of alphabetical order.

I also will need to create a mailing list as we will have a monthly newsletter running.

How does one go about this?

What sort of programs do i need to get hold of in order to achieve the above.

Thanks !
Click to expand...

Don't use flash, keep the website simple and light. This will make it load fast where flash slows down the website.

For the mailing list use phplist or mailman. The client database is some simple php/sql, it will require some programming knowledge. This is assuming the website is hosted on a linux server.

It seems like this is a combination of web development and web design, you can look at using a CMS as it might be easier for you.
 
You're a girl, aren't you? That's why you want to use Flash.

I have a similar situation: I need to convince 5 women that Flash sites are gash, but they want "moving things". Oh if only the <blink> tag wasn't deprecated, I could have wowed them with all their headings inducing epileptic fits.
 
Stay away from Flash, or any other utility with a client-install footprint. Stick to HTML. You can make a site beautiful by using only CSS. CSS Zen Garden is proof of that... Check out the "templates" listed on the right of the page.
 
CSS Zen Garden is a good illustration of CSS techniques, but these days with the IE6 PNG fixes, pretty much anything you make in Photoshop can be translated into html/css. Just beware your background.

Though there does seem to be a plethora of web "designers" who don't even make a Photshop/Gimp/whatever design first.
 
midrange said:
CSS Zen Garden is a good illustration of CSS techniques, but these days with the IE6 PNG fixes, pretty much anything you make in Photoshop can be translated into html/css. Just beware your background.

Though there does seem to be a plethora of web "designers" who don't even make a Photshop/Gimp/whatever design first.
Click to expand...

Ne'er heard o' Photshop befo', bu' I do a Pain' Shop Pro design firs' an' then cu' i' up fo' CSS... :p

I try to keep web-standards, CSS-ability and bandwidth in mind when doing the design though. Whenever possible, I use a background COLOR instead of an image. Alternatively, I'll use a very small gradient image (1 pixel wide) and position however it would be applicable (i.e. top / bottom) and let the background color fill the rest.
 
I personally HATE flash, mainly cos doing SEO on them is a real pain in the ass. Also stated above, php/mysql is probably the quickest way to going about it.

CSS for me is and will be the standard for a while when it comes to web design, very flexible and you can pull off javascript/flash effects if you know what you're doing
 
Wow i wasn't expecting such a resounding warning about Flash. Is it really that bad? Thing is i want to make the website edgier as right now it's just very dull.

Thanks for the tips on the database.

Yes i am a girl. I wont be designing the website myself as i don't have any coding knowledge. I just wanted some more information so i know where to go from here and how to put it across to a web developer so he will understand what it is i'm after.

I am also interested in perhaps learning some of this myself as it's peaked my curiousity.
 
as with everything, flash has its uses. but over use of it on the internet has created this vibe.

everything in proportion. You need to poll your audience. If you want to alienate the people who don't want to run flash (yes, there's loads of them out there) then sure. But to keep the audience and all their preferences, stick with basic simple layouts. CSS spices things up quite nicely and with jQuery around doing moving objects is a breeze and browser friendly
 
AcidRaZor said:
as with everything, flash has its uses. but over use of it on the internet has created this vibe.

everything in proportion. You need to poll your audience. If you want to alienate the people who don't want to run flash (yes, there's loads of them out there) then sure. But to keep the audience and all their preferences, stick with basic simple layouts. CSS spices things up quite nicely and with jQuery around doing moving objects is a breeze and browser friendly
Click to expand...

Thanks AcidRazor. I understand now.

Is CSS something i could teach myself or would it be best to do a course? Really toying with the idea of learning this stuff. Realise though that this is just the tip of the iceberg. WOuld i need to start with basic html coding first and then progress to CSS?
 
Serqet said:
Thanks AcidRazor. I understand now.

Is CSS something i could teach myself or would it be best to do a course? Really toying with the idea of learning this stuff. Realise though that this is just the tip of the iceberg. WOuld i need to start with basic html coding first and then progress to CSS?
Click to expand...

My motto is: If you can read you can program


nb, by read I mean comprehend what you read as well. I would also recommend the "try before you study" route. Reading books about what you need to do and implementing what you have read is two seperate things.

First get an objective, google your cute little ass off and make it work. With basic HTML and CSS you don't need a webserver to try it in.

You'll learn quite quickly

Otherwise just follow the norm and get a book... (like the internet doesn't have enough tutorials on the subject)

Last resort go do a course. But i found 99% of the time the course is as if you're a 5 year old that doesn't know **** about anything and in the end I stump the instructor anyway. So waste of money IMO
 
Yea that's the thing that scares me. I'm great at learning stuff but implementing it would be an entirely different story.

Will certainly give it a bash and see what i can get up to.

Thanks for all the info!
 
midrange said:
You're a girl, aren't you? That's why you want to use Flash.

I have a similar situation: I need to convince 5 women that Flash sites are gash, but they want "moving things". Oh if only the <blink> tag wasn't deprecated, I could have wowed them with all their headings inducing epileptic fits.
Click to expand...

:D
 
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