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New SWIFT Format

Jeff Wagg

Illuminator
Jeff Wagg
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Messages
3,125
Location
Chicago
I apologize for springing that on you.. I meant to announce it earlier.

Anyway, the new Joomla Swift launched at Midnight Oct 12.

Please use this thread for comments, bug reports, etc.

It's VERY different, and might take some time to get used to, but please give it a chance. It's a lot more capable.
 
First question -- What is Joomla?

I like the fact that now I don't have to reduce the text size each time I bring up that particular page. In fact, it may be a little too small -- now I'll have to increase the size! :)

(eta) Increasing the text size only works on the Headers, and not the paragraphs. In IE6.

Links should be underlined ("this link") for those of us who are color-blind.

The subdued color scheme is very nice (even for the color-deficient).

Oooh! And Comments!!!
 
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I like it. One question though, what do you have to log in to to post comments? I am logged in to the forum, but the commentary still says I'm not logged in. Are they two completely seperate things, or is it the same account but requiring logging on seperately or what? For the record, I don't actually want to post anything, but I'm sure other people do.
 
Cuddles said:
I like it. One question though, what do you have to log in to to post comments? I am logged in to the forum, but the commentary still says I'm not logged in. Are they two completely seperate things, or is it the same account but requiring logging on seperately or what? For the record, I don't actually want to post anything, but I'm sure other people do.
Click to expand...

Right now, the Joomla system (where the commentary is) and the vBulletin system (where the forum is) are completely separate. We want to keep it that way until we adjust to this new system. If you'd like to make comments, you'll have to register on the commentary page. It's completely different from the forum registration, and at present, we don't have any restrictions.

We might go to open comments.. we'll see.
 
alfaniner said:
First question -- What is Joomla?

I like the fact that now I don't have to reduce the text size each time I bring up that particular page. In fact, it may be a little too small -- now I'll have to increase the size! :)

Oooh! And Comments!!!
Click to expand...

I've increased the font size for all three options at the top of the site. The small font is set to 11px, medium is at 14px and large is set to 16px. Hope that helps a few people so they don't have to strain their eyes.

(eta) Increasing the text size only works on the Headers, and not the paragraphs. In IE6.
Click to expand...

I've tested the site in FireFox, Opera, IE7, and Safari and the font selector seems to be working fine with those. Any chance of you upgrading to IE7? I know many people still use IE6 but that browser is a nightmare and alot of the times doesn't follow the proper coding.

Links should be underlined ("this link") for those of us who are color-blind.
Click to expand...

This is a really good point, I will make the change now so that all links are underlined. Thanks.
 
The new setup is fine IMO except for two things that are related to each other. First of all the font is too small. And seconly there is that stuff on the left that doesn't need to be there. Most of the space on the left is simply empty and then near the top are some things we don't need on the commentary page. If that stuff wasn't there then there's be extra room and the font could be made larger. Those are my thoughts.
 
I didn't realize it at first, but there are some controls on the top of the page where you can adjust font size and page width.
 
Number Six said:
The new setup is fine IMO except for two things that are related to each other. First of all the font is too small. And seconly there is that stuff on the left that doesn't need to be there. Most of the space on the left is simply empty and then near the top are some things we don't need on the commentary page. If that stuff wasn't there then there's be extra room and the font could be made larger. Those are my thoughts.
Click to expand...

If you could be a bit more specific about what exactly you mean by the stuff on the left that doesn't need to be there?

What I've done just now is removed the Banners from the top area of the swift items. So you will only see JREF banner ads at the top when you are on the homepage. Once you click on any other link the banner dissapears. Take a look and let me know if that looks better.
 
I think it's pretty, and I like that I can make the commentary full-width with the toggle at the top of the page. Coincidentally, I was thinking last week that a comment field would be nice.

One possible bug - if I click on "Show/Hide comments", the comments disappear and reappear, but the little [+] icon doesn't change to a [-] like I expect it to. There should be some reinforcement that the "hide comments" option is toggled.
 
Great that it has more capabilities.

Two things I didn't care for:

1. Unless I am missing it, there are no links to the individual stories within the Swift. This feature was added a while back, and makes it easy to link to specific sections within the Swift (Randi himself uses it in subsequent Swifts).

2. I really dislike the way the quote boxes are used. The entire quote should be within one quote box, rather than having each paragraph within the quote have its own box. It is very confusing.

Other than that, I am anxious to see what some of the new capabilities are.
 
I like it but it would be brilliant if the 'jref' part of the logo was the same as the one here.

[/branding hat]
 
I like it. The layout and color scheme does look a little familiar.:D ;) I went with Drupal instead of Joomla. It took me a while to get used to CMS but it certainly does take the work out of managing a website.
 
richmontalvo said:
If you could be a bit more specific about what exactly you mean by the stuff on the left that doesn't need to be there?

What I've done just now is removed the Banners from the top area of the swift items. So you will only see JREF banner ads at the top when you are on the homepage. Once you click on any other link the banner dissapears. Take a look and let me know if that looks better.
Click to expand...

On mine, on the left is a gray column that says Navigation at the top and has various links under it. And there are some links but most of it is just empty because the Swift commentary is a lot longer than the link list.
 
Number Six said:
On mine, on the left is a gray column that says Navigation at the top and has various links under it. And there are some links but most of it is just empty because the Swift commentary is a lot longer than the link list.
Click to expand...


Not that it really solves your wish of wanting the links in the left sidebar at the top instead (or whatever), but if you click the little printer icon in the bulletin, you get just the SWIFT with no framing at all.

Like this.
 
Funny, you get a lot fewer complaints by just going ahead and changing it, than by giving a heads-up and saying, "We're gonna change this, and this, and this...". If there is one thing to be learned from that crappy movie Eragon (or whereever they stole it from) -- "It's a lot easier to get forgiveness than permission." Witness the uproar over "Changes are coming to the Forum. Get used to it."

Personally, just the fact we still have a SWIFT is all I care about. Little cosmetic changes are just the topping on the cake.
 
I felt very confused for a time when I couldn't figure out why the commentary and swift pointed to different places on the web site, but now (I think) I understand better what's going on.

Is there a RSS feed for the new swift? I could see anything on the page?
 
It's great . MUCH better. And we've at last got hyperlinks without the "tinyurl" or full url being displayed each time. Now if Randi can be persuaded to stop that practice altogether...
 
alfaniner said:
Funny, you get a lot fewer complaints by just going ahead and changing it, than by giving a heads-up and saying, "We're gonna change this, and this, and this...". If there is one thing to be learned from that crappy movie Eragon (or whereever they stole it from) -- "It's a lot easier to get forgiveness than permission." Witness the uproar over "Changes are coming to the Forum. Get used to it."
Click to expand...

If you personally spent hours a week contributing to Swift, I think you'd want a heads up on the changes. This forum != weekly newsletter.

[/derail]
 
RSLancastr said:
Great that it has more capabilities.

2. I really dislike the way the quote boxes are used. The entire quote should be within one quote box, rather than having each paragraph within the quote have its own box. It is very confusing.
Click to expand...

Seconded. Makes it hard to read like it's playing tricks on your eyes.
 
RSLancastr said:
Great that it has more capabilities.

Two things I didn't care for:

1. Unless I am missing it, there are no links to the individual stories within the Swift. This feature was added a while back, and makes it easy to link to specific sections within the Swift (Randi himself uses it in subsequent Swifts).
Click to expand...

For some reason the table of contents on that particular swift was missing. I've added it so now the links that you mention are there.

2. I really dislike the way the quote boxes are used. The entire quote should be within one quote box, rather than having each paragraph within the quote have its own box. It is very confusing.
Click to expand...

I'm working on fixing this now. I do agree it does seem to make it difficult to follow. Also Randi has just requested that the small " on the top left be removed so we are going back to the regular gray box.
 
RichardR said:
It's great . MUCH better. And we've at last got hyperlinks without the "tinyurl" or full url being displayed each time. Now if Randi can be persuaded to stop that practice altogether...
Click to expand...

I've mentioned to Randi that he does not need to waste his time creating those tiny url things as I can make the url say whatever i want in the <a > tag. However Randi likes to do as much himself as he can so changing that completely will take some time.
 
Miss Whiplash said:
I like it. The layout and color scheme does look a little familiar.:D ;) I went with Drupal instead of Joomla. It took me a while to get used to CMS but it certainly does take the work out of managing a website.
Click to expand...

CMSes are great. I use Plone myself (see the link in my sig), and it makes managing a website really really easy. I completely understand why SWIFT has gone over to a CMS. The time saved in not having to code up every single page makes it very worthwhile.
 
arthwollipot said:
CMSes are great. I use Plone myself (see the link in my sig), and it makes managing a website really really easy. I completely understand why SWIFT has gone over to a CMS. The time saved in not having to code up every single page makes it very worthwhile.
Click to expand...

My favorite thing about it is being able to schedule an item to post at a partcular day and time. I don't have to stay up until midnight to post the new swift. Now I just set the scheduled time and it posts automatically.
 
It's a little confusing - the links to "Swift Bulletin" above the featured articles seem redundant - they return you to the same page - similar to what the old commentary archive was - whereas I would naturally expect it to link to more of the same ie a full "Swift" page - what "read on" later does.
 
I agree that the new format is pretty, and I can see the value of having discrete web pages for each section. However, I don't see any comment on one really annoying new "feature" — you can no longer read the entire Swift like a newspaper, but must instead click on each and every link in turn to get each section. Am I missing some mechanism of the new system that would allow this?
 
Wait! I may have answered my own question. Am I right in thinking that the expected way (and perhaps the only way) to read each new Swift column as a newspaper is to click on the "Print" icon, which opens a new, limited browser window with the entire column in something resembling its old form?
 
Rrose Selavy said:
No, the link to the full Swift is here...

http://www.randi.org/joom/index.php?...=101&Itemid=27
Click to expand...

Thanks, Rrose, but it's not a question of what the URL is, it's how one gets to it. Is there a hyperlink, button, or user-preference setting that one needs to use to avoid typing in a URL every week?

The "Print" icon works, if one doesn't mind a new, restricted browser window, but I must admit I'm too comfortable with being able to collect all my active tabs in a single Firefox full-screen window. It's annoying to have to jump back and forth between the new Swift window and my main browser window, especially since I rarely read Swift without starting new browser-based activities as I read.
 
I would expect to get to Swift by clicking at the top of the banner Commentary. I find this
Archives after Jan 1, 2007 are currently found at http://www.randi.org
Click to expand...
. Clicking on the link goes here http://www.randi.org/joom/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=13&Itemid=27.
Go down to
SWIFT 10/19/2007
Click to expand...
.
Ignore the SWIFT Bulletin but click on the Read More link. That takes you to http://www.randi.org/joom/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=27 which is the link provided above.
 
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richmontalvo said:
I've mentioned to Randi that he does not need to waste his time creating those tiny url things as I can make the url say whatever i want in the <a > tag. However Randi likes to do as much himself as he can so changing that completely will take some time.
Click to expand...
So teach him basic HTML, it's not any more difficult -- easier perhaps.
[/end derail]
 
This doesn't have to do with Swift per se but rather the JREF webpage. The new things across the top (that are currently giving a running count of Randi's dealings with the music cable people) is good but I have to open then to figure out which is the most recent. It would be good if there were a timestamp in each line so we could know when those posts were happening.
 
Hey all, been busy, so just saw the new change!!!

Awesome work. Looks great.

One complaint: When reading the commentary I used to just highlight a reference made by Randi (a person usually, but sometimes a type of trick or a place...etc) and then just throw it in google and familarize myself with it. Now the new format won't let me do that. When I try highlighting something the only thing it lets me highlight is the full column...can you please fix this?

Thanks,

Overman
 
Overman said:
Hey all, been busy, so just saw the new change!!!

Awesome work. Looks great.

One complaint: When reading the commentary I used to just highlight a reference made by Randi (a person usually, but sometimes a type of trick or a place...etc) and then just throw it in google and familarize myself with it. Now the new format won't let me do that. When I try highlighting something the only thing it lets me highlight is the full column...can you please fix this?

Thanks,

Overman
Click to expand...

How are you selecting/highlighting the text? Works Ok for me dragging the mouse - with integrated Google search as browser context menu.
 
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