This will bore you I'm sure...

[Midnight Palace]

Hello everybody!

The Midnight Palace is undergoing a MASSIVE website overhaul. Basically, I'm redoing the entire website from the ground up. Now, you might be asking yourself why?

There are a few reasons. I've been thinking about doing this for awhile and I figured it would be better to do it now, rather than after the site has a ridiculous amount of content.

As it stands with the current website, if I wanted to add a new section or feature to the site, like resources to buy vintage clothing for example, I would have to manually edit EVERY single page on the website to make sure that you can access the new section from any page. That's way too much to do and it makes expanding a tedious and never-ending process. The current website is written in HTML....the new site will be written in PHP. I know that sounds like a foreign language, but let me try to explain the benefits of PHP.

In PHP, if I want to add a new feature, as I was saying, all I have to do is create it through the administration interface and then click a button for it to be integrated all throughout the website. Also, I've been getting inquiries from various people wanting to advertise. Suppose a movie studio like WB or Paramount wants to advertise their upcoming classic releases by way of a banner - I'd be able to plug it right into the site and remove it when necessary. I could do all of this without disrupting the rest of the website.

PHP also allows me to have a revolving poll on the main site. I could have a poll on the best classic actor or actress, the most influential classic film or whatever I want. I could create 20 polls if I wanted to and have them revolve automatically, so there's a different poll on the site every time you load it.

PHP runs smoother and also looks a lot more professional. The big websites that you may see around the internet are usually written in PHP, not HTML. I'm learning the process of PHP as I work on this new site. It's not too difficult once you get the hang of it. I'm trying to keep the flow of the main page as close to the current website as possible....this way people won't get totally thrown for a loop.

All in all, this is great news. The website is going to have much more content and many more sections and features. There is no definite date for the new launch, but I'm trying to make it sooner than later. There's still a lot to be done on the new site. The current website will remain in place until the new one launches

 

[Matt Noir]

Looking forward to seeing the new site, Gary. I think your current site is great too.

I use PHP on my site's forums and photo galleries. I like PHP - It certainly makes administration a whole lot easier.

Regards,

Matt

 

[Starius]

Are you writing it from the ground up or are you going to use a existing Content Management System?

I agree, they sure do make site updates a lot easier.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

When I made my first website, every time I updated or added something, I had to do exactly the same thing. Hopefully one day that dream web designer will enter my life because my designing stinks. Good luck.

 

[Midnight Palace]

Are you writing it from the ground up or are you going to use a existing Content Management System?

I agree, they sure do make site updates a lot easier.

I'm using a CMS for the new site (don't use one on the current site). Right now I'm in the process of basically entering in all the content from the current site, and then I'll begin adding new things. I figure this is the best way to handle a site if it's going to expand as I plan.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone

 

[Travis]

Very exciting news Gary. I can't wait to see the new site.

 

[Riposte3]

PHP is a great web tool. I hand code all my web work, and php makes it a lot easier to make changes.

When I started my current job in January, one of the first jobs I was given was to redesign the firm's web site. It was something one of the attorneys had put together using one of those web based "e-z website" wysiwyg things. The process went like this:

Step 1: Take the current site and make it standards compliant (html 4.01). This involved reading the machine produced, run-together, uncommented spaghetti-code :rage: and trying to figure out what did what and duplicating the effect while removing the Micros**t proprietary garbage. Output product was valid html 4.01.

Step 2: Take my output from step 1, and convert it to php while keeping it standards compliant. Add a hit counter. This was easy.

Step 3: Complete redesign. Not difficult, but sometimes 'fiddly.' More artistic than technical. Content and new design vetted by the managing partner. This is what is up now.

-Jake