Highland Robotics Website

[Joshua May]

Here is the website for Highland High School Robotics, Team 1110. We will be competing at the Southern California Regional next week. I just want to see what y'all think of our new site, any tips/constructive criticisms are welcome and encouraged. Sorry that it's hosted on angelfire, but its the best we can do for now, hopefully we'll have more money next year for the website to get a good host.

Highland High School Robotics Team 1110

[Joshua May]

I'm reviving this thread to update a link to the website. I've been working on it alot updating much of the stuff. Also, I'm thinking about redesigning the site over the summer, so i'd like your input. It'd be great if you guys could tell me what to keep, what to change, what to get rid of, what to add, etc. for a new design.

I'm already working on the following projects for the site:
*Scouting Database
*Member's Area
*News Comments
*More White Papers/Downloads

Oh and, BTW: check out the news story under the Press Clippings section if you're in for a laugh, the press got a few little facts wrong about the game.

[Astronouth7303]

Needs more color. (and new host)

[Bharat Nain]

Overall its a very good website, keep working on it. Yes, try to add a little more color. Otherwise, it's a neat design. Good Job.

[LauraN]

Originally Posted by HHSJosh

I'm reviving this thread to update a link to the website. I've been working on it alot updating much of the stuff. Also, I'm thinking about redesigning the site over the summer, so i'd like your input. It'd be great if you guys could tell me what to keep, what to change, what to get rid of, what to add, etc. for a new design.

I personally really like the design. Aside from the fact that (as others have mentioned) it's lacking in color, I really like the set-up. I especially like how you have archives (the "yearbook" section) on the other side of the screen.

I also like that you have an F.A.Q. section and a glossary. All are cool ideas.

Sign-up page: excellent idea. How well does it work? Not criticizing, I'm just wondering- who does the information get sent to? Do you ever get people submitting their info?

As for my questions/suggestions:

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the image on the right hand side is broken. Well, it doesn't show up for me anyway.

Meal calander? The page looks cool but would you like to elaborate? (We just order pizza on those long build nights)

It seems slightly redundant that on your sidebar, you link to various FIRST resources and the also link to a page of those links. =)

All that I can really think of is that you may want to add something to add interest for possible new members. Maybe a page that adds more details about what FIRST is and what students would be doing to get them interested. Pictures and/or a picture gallery would also be nice.

Those are just my comments after quickly browsing the site.

[JohnBoucher]

Looks Great.
I agree that you need to get you own host. If you don't have the available funds, hit up one of your sponsers. It's not a lot of money and will make one of them feel great. Put togeather some pricing and make a proposal. One thing to look for is your own IP. Try and avoid a shared IP number... It will pay off in the long run, with your site and the SE spiders. You can jump in at around $7.00/month.

I like the grey tones that you've used. The little blue arrows are a nice touch.

Just for Ha's-Ha's why don't you try and annimate the gear logo. Perhaps a little spin or a color shift. Be subtle.

I see a broken link to a image called /hhsrobotics/images/excellence.jpg

Again a great job.

[rowe]

Quick little note, in the menu, the box around the links change color in the over-state--I like this--but the font color changes only when you're over the text. If its not too hard, try to change it so both change at the same time. I know this may seem nit-pickey and it probably is, just a suggestion. Also, as others have been suggesting, try messing with the colors (or lack thereof). It looks as if you might have css in your page so that won't be that difficult. Oh, and you need a new host. If your school has its own server, you might be able to use that, if not, you can find hosts really cheap (Probably not free without ads , though).

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

Needs more color. (and new host)

Oops, I forgot to post the new link, with all the new stuff I've been working on. The layout is still the same, and color is one of the big things I will change. OMG I feel like an idiot for forgetting the link. Here it is: http://www.hhsrobotics.circuitrunners.com

Originally Posted by LauraN

Sign-up page: excellent idea. How well does it work? Not criticizing, I'm just wondering- who does the information get sent to? Do you ever get people submitting their info?

On the newest version of the site (see link above quote) I have changed it so that the information is sent to a text file on the server. This has just been updated, so I haven't had any submitted info yet, and the website still needs to be more publicized.

Originally Posted by LauraN

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the image on the right hand side is broken. Well, it doesn't show up for me anyway.

That was an error that I was having, its the Website Excellence Banner and I got it right on the new version.

Originally Posted by LauraN

Meal calander? The page looks cool but would you like to elaborate? (We just order pizza on those long build nights)

This was used back during the build season, but its not on the new version because we aren't building anymore. Every night we would have a different parent bring food (pizza, McDonalds, tuna salad , whatever) and each parent would bring food three times during the build.

Originally Posted by LauraN

It seems slightly redundant that on your sidebar, you link to various FIRST resources and the also link to a page of those links. =)

Thanks, I'm going to add more links to that page and not the sidebar to actually make that page useful.

Originally Posted by LauraN

All that I can really think of is that you may want to add something to add interest for possible new members. Maybe a page that adds more details about what FIRST is and what students would be doing to get them interested. Pictures and/or a picture gallery would also be nice.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll work on it.

Originally Posted by rowe

Quick little note, in the menu, the box around the links change color in the over-state--I like this--but the font color changes only when you're over the text. If its not too hard, try to change it so both change at the same time. I know this may seem nit-pickey and it probably is, just a suggestion. Also, as others have been suggesting, try messing with the colors (or lack thereof). It looks as if you might have css in your page so that won't be that difficult.

I'll see about getting that done.


Thank you all for your suggestions.

[Astronouth7303]

ok, now the 'chat' page makes IE close. No error, no message box, just closes.

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

ok, now the 'chat' page makes IE close. No error, no message box, just closes.

I'll have to look into that. IE is "broken" on my computer and I use SBC Yahoo! which doesn't have problems. Anyone else having this problem?

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by HHSJosh

I'll have to look into that. IE is "broken" on my computer and I use SBC Yahoo! which doesn't have problems. Anyone else having this problem?

I use Mozilla Firefox, and the page does not display, just blank...

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by TeknoBramha

I use Mozilla Firefox, and the page does not display, just blank...

This is what I get for using a remote chat room. Does anyone know of any good (and easy to install) scripts for chat rooms. I've got the capabilities for PHP and PERL, but I can't seem to get the PERL scripts to work as of yet, still inexperienced.

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

ok, now the 'chat' page makes IE close. No error, no message box, just closes.

Originally Posted by HHSJosh

I'll have to look into that. IE is "broken" on my computer and I use SBC Yahoo! which doesn't have problems. Anyone else having this problem?

I just went to the "chat" page and had no problems, it gave me a link to click on to log in once the page displayed. I'm using IE6 and Windows 2000 Pro with all the current patches.

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

I just went to the "chat" page and had no problems, it gave me a link to click on to log in once the page displayed. I'm using IE6 and Windows 2000 Pro with all the current patches.

Sounds like you were going through the old website, the link in the first post. If you were, please try this link.

[Bharat Nain]

Now, it works fine with me too. I guess some temporary problem...
It just gives me the link to login..