| Robin's Website Design Philosophy | ||
|---|---|---|
| All of the HTML code, images and sounds has to be squeezed into just 5Mb of server storage space. That's currently about 350 HTML files, and a total of over 750 files (including sound and graphics) at last count, organised into many subdirectories. It actually just exceeds 5 Mb when held on my PC, but the way it is stored online on the server means that it comes in just under 5Mb. | ||
| There is a little JavaScript that should be compatible with all relevant browsers, being ignored if your browser is not JavaScript compatible. The recommeded minimum level browser MSIE V3.02 on WIN95 is specified because that combination allows the 'alt=' text box to pop up when you rest your mouse on the image. Almost any browser is suitable, especially LYNX for all the rest of the coding. There are some sounds on some subsites, where appropriate: background sounds being coded for both types of major browser packages. Also on many pages, some of the graphics have links to sound files. I haven't used Frames, Style Sheets, VRML, Dynamic HTML or other browser specific tricks (mostly) such as 'CENTER', using instead 'align="center"', etc. (There may be a few occurrences of such things when webrings or banner linkers have demanded that the code be exactly as they specify or the page would be removed from their system - or where I haven't finished ugrading the pages!.) The code is gradually being upgraded to XML compatible. | ||
| I have aimed my pages at talking screen readers for the visually underenhanced, and also for compatibility with older browsers. I do know about the cute stuff though: got a lot of reference books you see... ;-) The amount of JavaScript was reduced to help conserve filespace. | ||
| All the page formatting done by 'table' coding is designed to 'flow' when you resize the pages - I have designed on a 17 inch monitor with 1024x768 Hicolor, but the pages should work on screen sizes from 800x600 to 1600x1200. Colors have been designed to be compatible with 256 color monitors, except in a few cases of JPEGs, which would not convert satisfactorially. Most icon size graphics were optimized for 16 colors, thus reducing file size. I have received email from people with incredibly obsolete systems who can still enjoy these pages, and that they load reasonably fast. | ||
| The graphics and sounds have been optimized where suitable for smaller file size and thus faster download. There is intentional reuse of graphics and sound elements. This speeds up page loading because the file is already in the cache, and gives a certain style to a set of pages. Use has been made of the "alt=" attribute in a way that eases things for the visually impaired when there is eye candy on the page and is sometimes intentionally humourous. | ||
| The whole set of subsites (with one exception) is aimed at a general level audience, and is organised into several subsites of a set of pages with a common theme and design style. Each set of subsite pages on a theme is self contained, and can be moved to another host with minimal recoding of links. Each subsite has cross links to the top of most of the other subsites. There are a few lower level cross links for specific pages, e.g. some Early Music info, or where one page fitted into more than one theme. Each subsite was intended to reflect a different design concept: white, black, or other backgrounds with colours or patterns, etc. | ||
| With the arrival of XHTML (and eventually XML), the whole site is gradually being upgraded to be compatible, especially the fiddly bits that were not specified as mandatory in previous versions of HTML. This includes the Quote Marks for all attributes, end tags, no upper case in tags, etc. Since one of the main design considerations was to make most of the pages more acessible to the sight impaired, this should assist with Text-Readers, as well as other non-PC devices. Some errors may occur in some browsers - please advise me, and I will remedy the matter. But just why you might want to read The Fooles Troupe Routines on your mobile phone or refigerator, I am sure I have no idea! | ||
The Briese-Bane Vikings Information Centre subsite was greatly honoured during October 1998. Sheryl Carrubba, a civil engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers, collecting information for inclusion in an educational curriculum about navigation and dredging, found the Briese-Bane Viking Information Centre to be a great resource and will include it as a recommended site for further reading and research. I have also received other advice of it being used as a resource in other Educational Programs."The project that I am working on will hopefully conclude and may be printed in the spring of next year. The final project will be a series of notebooks with some text and a lot of class room activities, mainly devoted to math and science, but with social studies, geography, critical thinking, etc. The central idea of all the text and activities is navigation and dredging, international trade and the development of it all, but where appropriate, I have put in ideas and recommendations for further study." - (Sheryl Carrubba) | ||
| Overall Site Structure of Sub-Sites | ||
| Robin's Personal Home Page, with several subpages. | ||
| The Virtual Fooles Troupe and the subsequent offshoots The Fooles Troupe Dwelling and The Goth Scouts Fooles Troop. The Virtual Fooles Troupe sub-site has many subsections - well over 200 HTML pages, some 'hidden'. There are a lot of standard HTML coding 'tricks', such as sounds and links attached to images, and some Javascript, for a little fun. | ||
| The Briese-Bane Vikings Information Centre and the related The Briese-Bane Vikings Ships Information Centre | ||
| A brief Tutorial - Some WIN9X Speed Optimisations | ||
| Robin's Theme Pages on Christmas, Easter. etc. | ||
| The Brisbane Pages about Brisbane and South East Queensland. | ||
| The Web Pages from Hell. Some of these pages have a slightly more adult approach, so you can't get there from the rest of this site - You'll have to look for this one in the Search Engines! | ||
Many other Philosophers have visited Robin's Website Design Philosophy Page
Return to Robin's 
or The Virtual Fooles Troupe 
Robin's A brief Tutorial - Some WIN9X Speed Optimisations.
Robin's Briese-bane Viking Info Centre - Viking Ships as well.
© 1996-2002Robin Hayes
This Site is mostly 
Lynx Friendly
