Beginning redevelopment of site; suggestions welcome

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Jonah-admin
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Beginning redevelopment of site; suggestions welcome

Postby Jonah-admin » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:30 am

In fall 2003 I programmed the custom database/publishing system that the Baha'i Library runs on, but I never finished the job and it's been operating at 90% efficiency since: I think of it as version 0.9.

Now I'm completing the job, getting us at least to version 1.0, after which Brett and I will turn the development over to an open-source project at <a href="http://sourceforge.net">Sourceforge.net</a>.

If you have any suggestions about the site's content or navigation, please post them here. Brett and I started a list at <a href="http://bahai-library.com/?file=winters_features_requests">bahai-library.com/?file=features_requests</a>, but I'm sure there's lots we've overlooked.

Thanks, -Jonah

Baha'i Warrior
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Postby Baha'i Warrior » Fri Dec 30, 2005 9:13 pm

you could make it a flash website. "Primary Source Material" and those catagories look kind of boring. maybe use some flash, that always adds. it could be a baha'i theme incorporating things like 9-pointed stars,etc.

brettz9
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Postby brettz9 » Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:13 am

I don't know about Flash, but I think it would be nice to convert the new site to strict XHTML. The advantage of this is that the formatting could be separated entirely from the content. We could even have a pull-down menu of customized themes (say in user preferences), if contributors could be found.

On the scripting side, I'd also suggest getting the main page list to be dynamically-generated (and localized), if at all possible (along the lines of open-sourcing the code for other cataloguing uses beyond the BLO).

But folks, we need some other contributors...It takes some people who will dedicate some time they spend online anyways into learning (if they don't already know) (X)HTML, Javascript, and/or PHP/MySQL (XUL might help at some point too)...If the site matters to you, don't just sit on the sidelines...Join in on the fun!

I for one would be happy to help anybody wishing to teaching themselves any of these languages, direct them to good learning resources, etc., so let us know! The open-sourcing of this site really offers a lot of potential, if people out there will seize the opportunity...

As the House of Justice stated in their 1985 letter to the Baha'i youth of the world:

Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today's youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind—this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.

(emphasis added, at http://bahai-library.com/?file=uhj_youth3 )


Brett

majnun
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make it visual, nice to look at

Postby majnun » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:39 am

It should look like if we are reading a book,
The line of text must obey the typographic convention:
2 + 2 tenth of the alphabet = 57 letters wide.

the space remaining could be used for notes (foot notes).
Also, include photographs, pictures, like in a book
or a news paper. Titles in bold sansserif condensed (narrow).

And you may add a big letter on tree lines,
like in the Readers digest or the old National Geographics.

Include photograph of the translators, like
miss barney, and so on.
Demand the service of a professional to
make a basic graphic design.

Nothing looks worse than what looks like
a dactylographed page with lines of texts wide as
a page can accept. Keep the remaining space on
the screen for notes, photographs, indications, numbering
etc.


Majnun.


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