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It's finally happened ...

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:19 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
Hello all!

I have finally updated the "in the Shell" site, after many years of neglect :oops:

Actually, I haven't updated the text so much yet, because I've redesigned the entire site from the ground up. When last you looked, it was a site built in 1999 and definitely looked it; now it's at least somewhere in the mid-2000s.

Please have a look around and let me know what you think. I know there are several places where I didn't have any text from the old site to use, and I'll have to write those. I also feel like doing a bit more with the images (like adding a bit of descriptive text to the enlarged versions, and maybe giving an option to enlarge them further).

I'll also update the look of the Boards, at least making them look like part of the site and not someone's generic BB.

Cheers!
Jeff

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:29 pm
by Epiphany
I'm just thrilled to see some old faces coming back :D Are you going to E-Mail the rest of the regulars. Also are the threads staying intact or starting from scratch

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:34 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
The threads will remain intact, mostly. I may go through and do some pruning or rearranging of really old threads, but I don't like deleting things--seems like destroying history. Besides, the database is massive and I had to ask permission to upload it to my new host (just because I used too many server resources trying to upload it myself), so I'd hate to remove large bits of it now :)

I hadn't thought about emailing anyone ... hmmmm ...

--Jeff

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:38 pm
by Epiphany
Like I said. I'm thrilled to see you guys (and gals) back. Maybe we'll get some new people since GITS is on Adultswim right now. It's got to be making some new fans :D

I am glad you got over your long nap. The place was getting dusty and I was tired of hearing my footsteps echo when I was in here by myself :D

Beware if using Mozilla

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:55 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
I've just realized that the site basically doesn't work with Mozilla or Netscape, which tasks me because I try to make things cross-browser compatible. Unfortunately, I've spent a couple of hours on this and the #@^% Mozilla browser will recognize my Javascript DOM commands to make things visible and invisible, but only if I tell it explicitly what to do and use no variables. (And it's all very strange indeed because I've used the same code on some of my other sites and not had a problem, and I can even make it work with part of the text, but not with the menu images ...)

What this means is the site is currently compatible with IE only (been tested on 6 and 7, works fine).

Cheers,
Jeff

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:13 pm
by GhostLine
that's awesome! i'm happy to see some activity on these boards again!

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:59 am
by Jeff Georgeson
Fixed it! There were two problems:

1) IE is way too forgiving of typos--I had one that it ignored, but Mozilla didn't

2) Mozilla apparently needs to be told things twice sometimes (I'd explain, but it's complicated and probably boring :) )

So now the site works with IE 6 and 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 (with a few small text reflow and graphic placement issues).

Cheers,
Jeff

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:58 pm
by mrtodd
wow its been a while scince ive been on here... and apparently i have great timing too!

good to see everyone.. :D

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:13 pm
by mrtodd
Cor blimey! I didnt even know there was a website with this place too!!

Yikes you learn something new every day!

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:38 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
Welcome back!

Yeah, it was a really cool website, too, until it stopped being updated a few years ago. :roll: But now it's back, and I'll have a link from these forums going to it, since there hasn't been one since I had to reload everything a few years ago.

Let me know what you think of the site!

Jeff

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:50 pm
by Epiphany
mrtodd wrote:Cor blimey! I didnt even know there was a website with this place too!!

Yikes you learn something new every day!
I agree. I thought it was just the forums 8) Are you going to review anymore :D

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:18 pm
by simon's ghost
Hey Jeff! I remember there was a time when you wanted or kinda hoped for some input by board members in reviewing or for any kind of contribution to the site. Are you still looking or have you finally found the time to do it all by yourself?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:40 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
I would be perfectly happy if anyone wants to submit reviews or other sorts of things to me. I'm just going to get the missing reviews up as I get the chance to write them, which might be about once a week.

Let me know via PM if you're going to send me something, so I know to dig through my ghost email account to find it.

Jeff

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:15 am
by Saito
Wow it's so great that you decided to come back to it all. We have a saying on MatrixFans.net that 'the good ones always come back in the end'.

I really like the new site design too - really slick :)

I nearly fell off my chair when I saw how many new posts there were :)

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:31 pm
by Jeff Georgeson
Thank you for the compliments!

I wish I had a short answer for why I wasn't around, but I don't, really. My business has really taken off, so I'm incredibly busy (I laugh at those commercials that tell you being your own boss means you'll only work part-time and rake in millions--I'd work fewer hours if I worked for someone else, and I wouldn't have to worry about all the taxes, expenses, who owes me what and when, etc.), but that ends up being an excuse in the end. And then all the spambots started taking over and it felt like a burden trying to keep the boards floating above the noise. I really feel bad that I left a lot of it to Jeni ... it really was my responsibility and I should have been here and dealt with it all sooner, etc.

... AHEM ... enough wallowing ...

I'm VERY pleased that a few people stayed around (either lurking or posting) and that there is still interest in GitS and these boards. Thank you all!

Jeff