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All screen images on this page are links to the actual pages at the A.o.F. site.
A good HTML coder of course has to have plenty of coding experience. But in this ever-changing medium, what matters is not only the number of pages one coded. To meet the challenges of this developing medium, a good coder also has to show flexibility and a willingness and aptitude for acquiring new skills. A broad understanding of how it all comes together also helps communication within a production team.
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In developing and managing this unofficial Scritti Politti fansite (see introduction screen to the left), I not only got to code over 300 pages, I also tackled with administrative issues, content development, image processing, page layouts, audio files, and cgi's.
This varied experience will enable me to meet the rest of the production team halfway. It will help us clarify objectives and prevent a waste of time caused by ineffective communication. In times of crunches or in a small production team, I will also be able to assist, if not fill in for, roles other than HTML coding.
HTML coding
The coding for this site ranged from unique, efficient, and creative solutions, to pages of mundane mass production - whatever it takes to get the job done, and done well (see sample screen shots below). Three aims I kept in mind when coding for this site:
- Complete syntax to aid cross-platform, cross-browser compatibility.
- Simplify and use HTML styling wherever possible to aid loading speed.
- Keep codes clean, consistent, and easy to read - a habit which not only helps me when modifying pages later, but also would come in handy when other people need to access the documents as well.
Administration
The behind the scene activities are what make a site happen. Having dealt with these, I have gained an appreciation for the importance of general research, communication, and organizational skills. In administering and maintaining this site, I have
- sourced and evaluated ISP with hosting services
- promoted site through search engines and other specialized listings
- maintained backups of files and site versions
- researched and figured out UNIX server setups with minimum help from ISP's tech support
Content development
More than just a dummy site to showcase my web production skills, AoF is a fully functional and useful site, accessed by fans of the band worldwide (see site map, right, for scope of site). It is not simply sticking existing information and pictures on the net. Rather, I considered all the issues that a producer would deal with in producing a commercial site. I made assessments and decisions about the target audience and available resources, set a production policy specification, and tried to stick to the spec in all aspects of production.
Specifically, I aimed to make the site
- unique but still accessible
- visually pleasant without shutting out visitors using less capable equipments and browsers
- content-rich and interactive
- efficient and cost effective
- cut down on large graphics and number of graphics in general
- made most pages navigable in themselves to avoid bloating the site with multiple versions for different browsers
- for essential information and basic navigation, avoided browser specific technology such as Javascript
Image processing
All graphic files except the SCC logo were created by me. Again, I strived for a balance between speed and quality. Great looking images are of no use if they take forever to load, especially if they don't convey much information. But ugly graphics aren't the most inviting. Also, in making great graphics, one still has to grapple with the cross-platform, cross-browser nature of the web medium.
Some images were scanned in and color- and gamma-corrected with Photoshop to optimize image quality for cross-platform viewing. Others, such as simple logos, were created directly in Photoshop. File conversion was done with Debabelizer using various tricks to minimize file size as much as possible. Gif animations were kept to a minimum to conserve disk space and bandwidth. The few essential ones were created in Photoshop, Debabelizer, and then GifBuilder.
Page layout
Because I approached the task with knowledge of both coding and design, these pages are a balance of the two disciplines. Many pages evoke the playful designs of magazines such as Britain's ID or The Face in the 80s. Large amount of information are presented clearly and without clutter (see sample screen shots below).
I designed them so that these effects can be achieved largely through creative use of coding. As a result, the pages are more accessible across a range of platforms and browsers: The essential contents of the pages load more quickly and the layouts are flexible enough to accommodate a variety of browser configurations.
SAMPLE PAGES (click on image to go to actual page)
Audio files
AoF being a site about a music group, sound files seem obligatory. Even though I am not an expert in hi-fi, I have done the research and learning to produce decent sounding files. The process involved...
- sound capturing from both CD drive and stereo input (for vinyls and cassettes)
- clip editing and manipulation to optimize final quality and minimize file size
- choosing the most appropriate final file format and converting files
- researching and providing information to facilitate end use (see sample audio page, right)
In addition, I have also researched the issue of copyright protection and the technology to enforce it. Towards this end, I also looked into and figured out Real Audio streaming technology. Unfortunately, the technology wasn't implemented by the hosting service at the time, so only limited static files were used.
Cgi
As any professional web developer knows, good programing is not something one can learn overnight. So I won't claim to be a programmer. However, creative application of existing codes simply requires an organized, logical, and willing mind. That is precisely what I did for AoF - creatively customized and implemented freeware perl scripts.
This involved more than following the directions that came with the scripts and coordinating with the ISP to set up cgi capability for the site. I also had to go into the scripts themselves, figure out what codes are doing what, rewrite codes, test, and troubleshoot. The results are a couple of area specific search engines, a much better looking and user friendly bulletin board (see messages index page, right) with email subscription option, a few auto-posting forums adapted from both bulletin board and guestbook scripts, and a couple of information gathering forms utilizing formmail script.