Website Notes

Credit for elements of the site and a bit of rational in the choices of layout and content:

• Basic Site Design/Color Scheme:

  I knew the site should reflect the big blue sky, the greens of trees and grass, and the browns of the trees and most of the buildings of Prairie States. After searching hundreds of layout ideas/templates, I ran across freecsstemplates.org. My search was over.

• Photo Manipulation:

  I realized that pictures would be the major interest of most visitors, but what to do with them. Since our Camp serves a mainly rural area where dial-up internet access would be dominant, the photos had to be subdivided and appear on an uncluttered page - not just lined up or tiled out. Searching for clean, clever photo presentations finally led me to this guy. Objective reached.

• Mouse-over text-tips:

  On the schedule page, it was important to list information in a clear and straight-forward manner, but everything I felt needed to be listed would have added clutter. I searched many sites for simple code that would allow extra info to be displayed on mouse-over, as is seen when you put your cursor on the camping session names (Day Camp, Little Camp, etc.). This site had a wonderfully simple and effective method, so I used it! Mission Accomplished.

• Fonts/Backgrounds Color Scheme:

  Some colors just DON'T go together, and others were absolutely made for each other. Finding those complementary colors for various fonts and backgrounds could have been a trial and error process, but it wasn't. Using this tool made colorizing a joy instead of a chore. Check.

• HTML and Stylesheets:

  If you look at the code on this site, you may get a headache. Some state-of-the-art CSS code mashed in with kindergarten HTML stuff...it would drive someone who really knows what they're doing crazy. A big help in my CSS work was www.w3schools.com. Yes, yes, I've got alot to learn, but - it works. Whew!

• Website editing:

  Well, I didn't use Microsoft's Frontpage, or Macromedia's Dreamweaver, or Adobe's Go-Live. My editor of choice is still Notepad. Unsophisticated, but also uncluttered AND included in my Windows2000 OS. OK.

• Web Browser support:

  When I build a site, I kick up my two main programs: Notepad (just mentioned) and Mozilla's Firefox, my web browser. Why Firefox? It's configurable, fast, and more secure. I do use Microsoft's Internet Exploder, but only when absolutely necessary to check what the pages I'm building look like in Exploder. If you're interested in why someone with long internet experience chooses NOT to use Microsoft's (AOL's, Yahoo's) browser, email me and I'll tell you.

• File Upload Program:

  FileZilla is my FTP program of choice presently. It's free and functional. Is there any other consideration in software?

• Graphics, Icons, & sparkling, moving pictures:

  Realizing, as stated earlier, that a large number of our users will be here via slow dial-up internet connections, I decided that any sizable graphics should be actual photos of the Camp and its activities instead of "cute for a minute - irritating after a minute" junk graphics seen on other sites.

• Website statistics:

  You can click >HERE< to view our website's stats.