Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Too far away... As per usual it feels like forever since I've posted here. A lot has been happening, but unfortunately 99% of it is work-related. This week I was due to travel interstate on business but I had to cancel that the last minute because I developed a really nasty gastro infection of some kind - it has been awful. On Saturday night I was vomiting every ten minutes or so...yuck. I haven't been this sick with a stomach bug in a very long time! So I'm now recovering slowly. But it feels awful to get sick when I have so many other things to do. Anyway, there was one positive this weekend. On Friday night I finally saw Marilyn Manson live. Melbourne was his first stop and the show was amazing. I have no idea when/if I'll get to see him live again, but it was really worthwhile - I was far more impressed by actually being there than I've been with live DVDs and such. Even now, after all these years, he still manages to put on a great performance. It just sucks that I end up getting horrifically ill the night after, lol. Oh well. I also feel that I've spent so much time away from this community lately - too much time! I'm starting to miss being around and I'm unhappy that certain things aren't being finished because of that. I should make the effort to create more time for this place, because there is still a lot that I want to do here. This is about as far as I can go right now, so I won't reply to your previous comments (many of you will probably have forgotten them by now anyway, it's taken me so long to respond!) No major comments needed this time anyway; a little hello from some of you would brighten up my day very much. ^_^

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Monday, September 10, 2007

Gambits Wow, feels like I haven’t posted here in ages. There isn’t a whole lot to report, but I thought I’d post anyway (and respond to some of your comments). I guess the most significant thing is that recently I have been laying the groundwork to start my own business. In all honesty, there are still a million choices to make. For example, I’d have to decide what structure the business would be (and that would affect tax, record keeping and employment requirements). As part of that I’d have to put together a business plan and start looking at which areas to attack first. It’s a major thing and at this stage it’s still just an idea – but I have taken significant steps to move towards it (I am already a registered business actually – a Sole Trader, but I’d have to look at whether or not to form an actual external company). So we’ll see how that goes. I may very well be coming back here for naming suggestions soon! ~_^ On another note I saw the latest revision of theOtaku.com’s new design recently. Adam is going with a style that is radically different than the one we had originally worked on for “Version Vibrant”. Having said that, the new design will still carry my logo and header imagery. Our new network designer, Michael, is doing a truly impressive job and the new layout looks quite good. I haven’t seen it in a finalized form yet, but it’s certainly shaping up well. I don’t want to spoil anything for you but I must say, some of the new additions are quite clever (and long overdue). The overall feel is very different than what we have now – it’s more CSS-ish, more blog-like. It’s a style that I prefer for theOtaku and I’m glad someone has had the opportunity to design it. It’s the right direction I think. I would really love to see a new version of myOtaku (in terms of our blogging system) but I’m not sure if that’s on the cards at this stage. No further work has been done on the new OtakuBoards for a while, but programming resources are always a problem. So while I’m here: are there any vBulletin/PHP experts out there who’d be interested in helping out? In truth we really need a dedicated staff member not only to develop this new version with me, but to also act as a full-time technical staff member (for member questions on the boards and for any errors/problems that come up). There is the possibility that, at least for development of a new OB is concerned, the staff member would actually receive payment (via PayPal). So that’s something to consider. Our existing staff are wonderful but we don’t seem to have anyone on staff who is really highly proficient with vB/PHP – and we need someone who can focus on that area. Desbreko has done a lot of technical work for the site and most of it has been related to style adjustments or plug-ins, etc…that stuff is fine and is part of his role as an Administrator, but it would really be beneficial to have someone to focus on the deeper backend stuff (I’m sure Desbreko would love that too). So if anyone out there is interested, don’t hesitate to email me or send me a PM (here or on OB). Other than that there’s not a whole lot to say, so I’ll go straight into the comments. master hiko: As far as I know, Jasc Software was taken over by Corel and PSP versions after 9 became more about photo editing than actual digital imaging in general. So PSP today is a far more specific product – it isn’t really a direct Photoshop competitor (which is a shame). I would love to see an all-new PSP more than anything – one that maintains the simple, elegant layout of previous PSPs, but which provides more power and formatting options to users. I guess I can dream! Jon: Oh I’m surprised they even live that long. Five or six months? That’s pretty good for an insect. SunfallE: Speaking of this, last night was terrible! She was outside (she needed to pee so I’d let her out) and she dived back into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed – while covered in mud!!! So we had to go and give her a bath immediately, because she was absolutely soaked in the stuff. Yuck! I think she knew she’d inconvenienced us by the look on her face, haha. Darren: Well, at least you are already working – it sounds like a pretty interesting job actually. It’s nice not to be forced to job hunt. Although if I try to start a business while also working…that will be difficult. And yes, Twilight Princess really reminds me of a “bigger, better” Ocarina of Time. Very nostalgic. Sesshomarufan: Yes, precisely. If I liked the Photoshop interface I’d use Photoshop, you know? But I worked with it for a couple of years and never got into it. I just always found it annoying. PSP is ideal for me, I just wish it had some additional features (especially surrounding formats and vector graphics). Still, if someone prefers Photoshop I’d always recommend it over PSP – after all, I do feel that it is the more powerful of the two. And I actually quite like InDesign. It’s nicer to use than Photoshop, in my humble opinion.

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Monday, August 20, 2007

Commenting on your comments… Not a whole lot to say in this update. I haven’t had time to catch a breath lately, which means I’ve had even less time for online ventures. And now that I’m taking on a major consulting job outside my current work, I’m going to have even less time (at least for a little while). You never know, though, I think I can probably arrange things so that we can still get some stuff done on OtakuBoards. There’s always a lot to do over there, after all. master hiko: Thanks for the kind wishes, I am sure Amira will be feeling better soon. She’s still showing strong signs of improvement! (And she’s putting on weight, which is good – in the first week she’d lost almost a kilogram, which isn’t good when she only weighed about 3.5kg in the first place). I use Paint Shop Pro 8. I don’t think PSP exists in the same form anymore (apparently Jasc Software was taken over by Corel and the newer PSP programs are more photo-dedicated). Still, I’ve always loved Paint Shop Pro – I got used to this software well before I began using Photoshop. I learned some Photoshop while studying graphic design, but I’ve never liked the layout. Photoshop often seems to require five steps for things that take a single step in PSP. I like that PSP is a slightly more stripped-down version, with a bit more in the way of manual control in some respects. Still, I wouldn’t say PSP is better – Photoshop can probably do more. It certainly has more filters and stuff. It’s just that I personally am comfortable with PSP. As for the network, it doesn’t quite work that way. First of all, Adam owns the network. All of the network staff are volunteers, so nobody is drawing a wage from this place. Secondly, the network largely supports itself through advertising. There are additional projects like Art of Otaku – these projects make money, but that money doesn’t all go to Adam. Some projects are entirely designed to raise money for charity, for example (like Artrepreneurship). Art of Otaku pays for its own publication but I believe that once sales reach a certain point, the artists themselves receive a share of the income. So that’s basically how it works. The only exception is OtakuBoards. OB is funded by the network (and luckily we’ve rarely had to have advertising on it – it isn’t a huge drain). However, I have invested my own money in OB recently. And that will continue in the future. So I think I’m really the only other staff member who directly invests cash into the network (via OB). That is purely my choice though; I do not expect to see a financial return of any kind for that. Hopefully that clarifies how it all works! Sesshomarufan: Heheh, the staff don’t get paid, no – they definitely don’t get paid to moderate. But I am paying certain staff for particular non-modding projects (i.e. site construction type things). I figure that asking them to dedicate extra hours of their time to site development is probably worth paying for. And it allows them to earn some extra cash while doing a service to the network. But yeah as I said to master hiko, I don’t really think PSP is better as such…it’s just my preference. I do think it’s worth experimenting with different programs though. I don’t think Photoshop is necessarily the be-all and end-all (despite how good it can be in the right hands). Darren: The good thing about huskies is that they only shed at certain times of the year. Plus, we regularly brush our husky with a special brush – it seems to keep things in order for the most part. Although I’m sure she’ll go through her first big shed as summer gets nearer! I definitely think it’s worth waiting for Wii unless you’re a big Nintendo fan. By the time you get one, it’ll have a more solid library and be more value for money. One game I’ve read brilliant things about is Metroid Prime 3. Seems that MP3 may exceed the standard set by the original game, which is quite incredible. I’m slightly curious to know how Twilight Princess feels on GameCube, considering I bought the Wii version. I doubt I’ll ever end up playing the GCN edition though. SunfallE: Hm, funny you mention the pet salon – we were thinking of hydrobathing Amira a couple of times a year (not so much for that purpose, but more for general maintenance). We bath her by hand right now but this may not be so easy when she’s bigger! Thanks so much for your advice though: I should definitely consult with you if I have any grooming questions in future. ^_^ Jon: She’s just become such a different dog – but in a good way. At first she was totally lethargic and timid. Now she’s a real puppy…lots of energy and playfulness. It’s a relief actually. I was worried she’d remain a zombie for the rest of her life! The praying mantis actually sounds very cool. How long do they live for? I will probably get Eye of the North, even though I still haven’t finished the other two expansions. I was going through Factions a lot recently but stopped playing again. We’ll see how that goes, haha. EotN does look good from what I’ve read though. Hal: Ah I see what you mean about OB. Now it all makes sense. It’s all good though, you can decide what to do in your own time. ^_^ And you’re right about the credit card. Sometimes they are necessary (so I’m glad I have one), but they can be a pain at times as well. There’s always a negative side to things I guess. Minako: Yeah I didn’t like seeing her in the pet store. She was too big for the enclosure…and she was with about four brothers. So it was crowded. She was definitely the most unique of them all – she was the only red husky. But also, the others were jumping around like mad, whereas Amira was just sitting in her corner alone. She’d come up to the glass for a little sniff, but then she’d go back to her corner and mind her own business. The only time she really did anything was when a brother tried to take some of her food – she got quite aggressive about that, haha. So from day one part of it was that we wanted her, but we did also feel relieved to get her out of that environment. Now she’s got a big yard, lots of toys, big bones and a massive park to run around in next door. She’s living the good life! And thanks for commenting, it’s nice to see you around. You may be another person I can come to for puppy advice! ^_^ Aaryanna: It seems like your dog is very well-loved, so I’m sure she’s a very happy girl. ~_^ I don’t remember you saying anything offensive with regard to things being removed from the site…so I wouldn’t worry. Considering some responses we get from members now and then, I don’t think you ever have to be concerned about rudeness! Haha. Anyhoo, I can’t wait for the concert…I’m counting down the days! You have a good weekend when it comes around. ^_^ Dagger: Yeah, for sure. Although when I see picture of adult Siberian huskies…they look so beautiful. It’ll be interesting to see what she looks like as a grown-up. Hehe Crystia: Funnily enough I sometimes get an allergic reaction to cats…but not dogs. Weird, huh? I do love cats though – I love both. If given the choice though I’d probably prefer a dog. You have a good week too! Hope all is going well. ^_^ Chabichou: We have some free medical cover (to some extent), but the pet store still really gouged us. I think we’re probably out hundreds of dollars as a result. Luckily she’s doing better…if she had continued to be really sick, I would have made the pet store refund us all our costs. We had the vet on our side with that too. Still, we also bought pet insurance, which may prove to be very beneficial, given how expensive vet costs can be. Adam: Heheh, you owned a husky? You never told me that! What type was it? What was it’s name? Spill the beans! And at some stage you’ve got to tell me all about your trip, too. All that travelling you’re doing is making me envious. ~_^

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Sunday, August 12, 2007

Princess A lot has happened in the past few weeks. Or should I say, one major thing happened: I bought a puppy. She's a Siberian Husky and her name is Amira. Apparently the "red" variety is quite rare. This wasn't really the reason we chose her; I think it just came down to how she looked at the pet store. This isn't a great picture - it was taken at the pet store on someone's mobile phone. Still, it gives you an impression of what she looks like. I'll have to put up a new and better picture soon. In actual fact, the pet store really did the wrong thing. She was sold to us sick - recovering, but ill. And that really affected everything. She was very withdrawn and extremely shy (to the point where she'd flinch if you even raised your hand). But now she's improved greatly. She's lively, affectionate and reasonably well behaved (especially for the breed). She's definitely a great escape artist, but I think a lot of it comes down to her energy and natural curiosity. She will really need a lot of exercise. Even as a puppy, she's kept us on our toes! Hopefully that image comes out properly, I'm using my MacBook and re-learning Photoshop is a pain in the butt. I am now reminded again why I don't use it. Sesshomarufan: Oh that's funny - your DMV is no different to our equivalent over here. Although I get the impression that your DMV is the same in all states? In Australia, each state has its own organisation (for instance, RTA in NSW and VicRoads in Victoria). Oh and the PayPal had nothing to do with donations ; it was a way for me to start paying staff who are working overseas. It has already come in very handy! SunfallE: Well the good thing is that you don't need a Wii; if you have a GameCube you can play this game. It's funny you mention news posts - even recently I still had that concern (where I'd have to double-check a news post to make sure nothing was wrong). I'll definitely report on the concert once it's over. ~_^ Hal: As far as OB goes, I honestly think the key is not to over-think it. Most people who join have no idea what they are doing or whether they will fit in - but usually it all works out just fine. We have all sorts of members with various backgrounds and generally I think it comes together well. Still, to each his own. Joining an online community can be daunting at the best of times, so depending on your personality, it may not be something to dive into. As far as PayPal goes, an account being locked is one thing - but I'd be more worried about fraud. Luckily it seems pretty secure, although there's risk with anything (as I recently discovered when someone tried to use my credit card to buy a $98 rail pass in Italy!) Meggido: Yeah you know, I don't think I will use Ticketmaster anymore. It's just too much of a risk. I got a better result just going and purchasing the tickets from the venue. Desbreko: All sorted, of course (based on how late this new myOtaku post is!) What did you end up buying again? I hope you enjoy it. Darren: I think it depends what kind of games you're into, but Wii is much like DS, in the sense that there isn't a whole lot in the first year. So waiting until 2008 is probably a good idea, unless you are a major Nintendo enthusiast. I've been using a debit card for most 'net purchases (although I rarely buy things off the internet), but PayPal will really be great for getting certain jobs done around the network - it's universal and really easy. Aaryanna: When it comes to dropping certain sites, I hear you. But you know, I'm not the one who pays for the network so I have the luxury of being able to say "I want to keep everything". Adam always has to balance things and he has to work out which sites are doing well and which aren't worth keeping. Having said that though, I do think the new things you'll see in the future will be worthwhile. I know that the new version will be great and I'm sure there will be some interesting new developments in general. As for concerts, I've never been to a rock concert either. This is mostly because I simply never pay attention to touring dates in Australia, haha. I usually find out about a band hitting our shores long after they've gone - so it's my own fault really. I only found out about Manson by chance; I'm glad I did though!

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Friday, July 20, 2007

Are You the Rabbit? I thought I'd present this update in point form. ~_^ Ticket Ordeal! Last week was a big headache for me. On Friday morning I made sure I was up in time to buy Marilyn Manson tickets (he's coming to Melbourne in October) and I wanted to make sure to get good seats. The thing is, my two sisters and one of their boyfriends is coming with me and we wanted to sit together. So it was necessary to buy all the tickets at once. But what an ordeal! The Ticketmaster site wasn't working properly (which cost valuable time) so I had to book by phone, but I didn't have enough money on my credit card to buy four tickets (although ironically I could have bought three...*sigh*) So luckily they held our place in the queue and we had to drive down there and buy the tickets with cash. Bleh. Manson is performing at Festival Hall, which is an odd choice. Melbourne is known for its many entertainment venues and Festival Hall isn't really one of the better ones. At one point I believe it actually burned down and has been re-built (a fact that is evident when you drive up to it and see it in the flesh). It's also in a really odd part of the city - sort of an industrial area with not much else going on. I suppose the good part is that the venue is relatively small compared to the bigger/newer places in the city. So the intimacy will be good. Jungle Beat As a bit of a random purchase, I recently bought DK Jungle Beat. I didn't buy it when it came out because it cost more than a regular game (due to the bongo controller) and I'd heard it was fairly short. But I picked it up for quite a bit less (it was a bargain actually) and I had a go last night - played it on the Wii. I have to say, this game is really brilliant. Funnily enough the whole idea behind it is kind of like a clue as to what Wii would eventually introduce. It can really get your pulse racing - it's surprising how tiring frequent drumming and clapping can get! All-in-all I'm very impressed though. DK Jungle Beat was designed by the same team as Super Mario Galaxy...and if Jungle Beat is even a slight indication, SMG will be amazing. DK Jungle beat is truly impressive; I'm amazed that controlling DK with a bongo drum is actually so intuitive and fun. Paypal Finally got Paypal up and running. I did a small test transfer and it went through (even though it took several days). So I'm about to put more money across soon. That'll be great for a variety of reasons - should make things a lot easier in terms of online development. Adam: Oh no, don't misunderstand me; I am not referring to blogs. I'm just talking about registered myOtaku users. Sorry for the confusion, haha. I think the blogging aspect is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If it's compelling, users will be drawn to it. If it's not, they won't. As it stands, myO's blog system definitely gets the job done but it's nowhere near what it could potentially be. It's a shame we had to scrap those really ambitious plans for the blogging system, but I do understand why it was necessary. It's just one of those things that hits the cutting room floor. SunfallE: Wow, I didn't even realize that you were a Moderator here too! Silly me. If they're hiring my staff here as well, I must be doing something right. ~_^ I can't even imagine how complex it must be to moderate myOtaku/theOtaku these days. I remember ages to when art submissions began, I had to moderate while Adam was away. Even then, there was like...50 submissions to moderate each day. It was crazy! Charlie Bin Drinkin': You bet your ass. I don't mess around! Crystia: It's cool, I really appreciate your input. I always like to know what people think and I'm always looking for new ideas as well...the only thing I don't like is the more unnecessary stuff (i.e. when people get into massive arguments about trivial issues). Funnily enough though I think a lot of people learned lessons out of some of those recent threads. The mood and atmosphere has dramatically improved lately, which is good. People are just getting back to having fun and contributing...as it should be! Sesshomarufan: Yeah you know, I don't use mySpace...but my siblings do. And I've sat with them and tried to get them to explain it. I still don't understand the attraction. Apart from the fact that there isn't a whole lot to do there (other than comment and upload pictures), the actual interface is kind of annoying. Still, I suppose it also proves that you don't need a fancy service to attract members. Quite often the simplest ideas are the best! And I agree - a million users will put an even bigger smile on our collective faces. ~_^ Aaryanna: Yeah I do think people underestimate the value of simplicity. When it comes to myOtaku, there isn't a whole lot I'd change - I'd probably just adjust the layout and make the site easier to use. But this doesn't imply that I'd want to add a whole ton of new features. I've had quite a few people over the years complain and tell me that myOtaku doesn't offer enough. But you know, our aim shouldn't be to copy whatever else is out there - people who want sophisticated blogging systems will find them and use them. That isn't the audience we're interested in, I don't think. I'd venture to say that a lot of the bloggers here are people who want something very simple and user friendly, without the need for a million options. So we'll see how it goes. I like to think that myOtaku's blogging system can evolve to the point where we have a really elegant backroom with a ridiculously simple updating system (even simpler than what we have now). I'm sure we'll get there.

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Monday, July 16, 2007

Magic Numbers So myOtaku reached 500,000 members recently. Not bad, huh? I think it's interesting that a service which is so bare/basic and which really hasn't had any meaningful upgrades since the Permalink option can reach numbers like that. Perhaps we could have had bigger numbers if we had invested more in this side of things, but nevertheless, I think it goes to show that it's the community that makes it - not the technology. It's nice to be reminded of that at times. Crystia: I did receive your suggestion, thanks. Sorry that I haven't had the chance to respond yet. But yes, I agree. Sometimes things get blown way out of proportion. I never cease to be amazed at how seriously some take the Internet in general. Desbreko: Yep, exactly. Oh well. Hopefully we won't see that kind of circus over a simple disagreement in the future. My sister spends a lot of gold all the time, mostly on useless stuff. At least she re-paid me recently, haha. SunfallE: I would love some chicken soup actually, but I don't have any. Bleh. I think most things should be handled privately (disagreements at least) rather than publicly. People tend to jump in and everyone has something to say...and usually it's just not necessary. Something that begins with one disagreement ends up becoming a big multitude of issues. Oh well, at least it's over. I will be a bit more aggressive in making sure it doesn't happen again though. Despite what some people say, I'm actually usually far too soft when it comes to letting OB be a "democracy" at the wrong times, lol. Hal: Yeah, I don't know what it is about OB that "scares" you. It's just a message board. In fact I think you'd enjoy many of the discussions there. But to each his own; you ultimately have to do whatever makes you happy/comfortable. I think brandy should be the order of the day, yes. ~_^ Liam: I'm not sure what you mean about political correctness and appropriate explosions, but it's late and I'm sore, so I am probably missing something obvious. In any case, I'm thinking of starting a new RPG soon actually. It involves reality television, lots of crime and 19th century fashion. And it's set in the future. Maybe you should look at it when it's ready? Nice to see you around, by the way. ~_^ Meggido: Thanks much. It's nice to hear some positive feedback! I still only play now and then; these days I'm less interested in guilds and more interested in just getting together and playing the game with friends. So yeah, if you see me around in the game send me a whisper - guild or no guild, it'd be great to catch up!

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Ebb and Flow It's been a turbulent and busy couple of weeks at OtakuBoards for both good and bad reasons. At this point I like to think that the net result is positive; we've caught up on more than a year of technological development and we are now finally taking advantage of new features that make the site a lot more useable (I'm relieved that many of the new features make moderation easier, in particular). As far as the negatives, I suppose they weren't really different to anything that can occasionally happen in an online community. I guess the thing that disappoints me is that at OB, small things (which are largely inconsequential to the site) have a way of becoming major public events. I really should take responsibility for that I suppose; afterall, these sorts of things should probably be eliminated before they have the chance to derail everything. But you know, I can only be in so many places at once and as important as OB is to me, it is not always my first priority. Still, on balance the site has benefited from all the changes that have been happening recently. The big question now is when to "re-launch" OB. For a long time I was of the opinion that the site should be launched/re-launched when the new version arrives. A new look combined with some massive changes (to both function and overall "culture") would probably go well with some sort of promotion. On the other hand, I don't know when the new site will be ready...and moving over to that format won't be easy for a variety of reasons. It will require a lot of hands-on time from me, especially. It's funny that some people are more concerned with visitor statistics than I am. I don't think OB could possibly be more personal to anyone than it is to me - and yet, I don't worry about day-to-day stats. This is probably because I have an idea of where the site is going and how it will get there. And obviously, the average person isn't aware of that. I think the key to understanding my position of OB is to understand than right now, I think the site is incomplete. It's moving closer to completion but there are many fundamental things that need to be fixed or changed or added. So at this stage in its lifespan, I don't really feel that there is much concern or focus on growth. The site is open and it welcomes new members but I don't think anyone - least of all myself - is focusing on massively boosting the community. That push will probably come when the new version arrives and it will also probably be the first time OtakuBoards is actively promoted outside our direct community (or even our extended community, really). What really interests me at the moment is actually everything that's going on with theOtaku.com. Adam informed me that we're about to do something really cool - and unprecedented - on the site. I don't want to reveal what that is here but I think fans will be pleased. Also Adam is going to be investing a lot more time in the new version, which will be great. I'm really excited about that - there are some mid-stream changes coming through which should really benefit the site. And in non-site talk...I'm suffering from a nasty infected throat this week! It's difficult to talk. I seem to be prone to this more than anything else...it's not nice at all. It hasn't been too bad though, it's given me the opportunity to sit down and work on some things in silence. Crystia: Thanks much - those are some very cool features indeed. I definitely want to do something new RPG-wise, but it's hard to find the time. Moreover though, putting together a good concept is difficult. I have a few ideas with some different RPGs (including a new Kill Adam - but I don't want to do anything with that until Volume 2 is finished...and who knows how long that will take!) Desbreko: Yeah we had some fun times in QKT. Ahh, when life was simple and fun! I'm not sure what's happening with guilds and such. My sister and I are still wanting to start a new one but she keeps spending the money I give her, haha. Oh well. We'll see. Right now I'm just happy to actually be playing again. SunfallE: I think the read receipt thing is like the biggest relief I've had in a while, lol. It may be simple, but was it ever long overdue! I'm glad it's there now. Phew. Aaryanna: Haha, thanks. Drama comes and goes...I think it's amazing when you identify the source of the problem and remove it, everything calms down dramatically. Funny, that. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about anything, the main thing is that everyone just get on with life and enjoy the boards. Luckily most people seem happy to do that.

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Friday, June 29, 2007

Updates Everywhere A great deal has been happening since my last update. The current version of OB has received a number of updates which are ongoing. I think this has helped to freshen things up considerably and it will help to keep everything moving along before the new version launches. Work on OB Evolution has continued and there have been a few little breakthroughs but it's really slow going. This is partly due to a lack of resources but it's also because the new site really has to be 100% perfect - I won't launch it until I'm completely satisfied that we've done everything we can on it. I'd rather approach things this way with a whole new site than release something half-finished that doesn't make much sense. In other news - for those who may be wondering (all two of you) - my Guild Wars guild has now been deleted. Something else may take its place but it is not really a huge priority for me right now. As far as online stuff goes (other than site building/design), I've been thinking about starting a new RPG on OB. Haven't done that in a while. There are a few ideas floating around and I've had a fairly in-depth discussion with Sandy about a possible collaboration...but at this stage nothing has really stood out to me. I think I sometimes suffer from having too many ideas at once and not really knowing which one to pursue. To everyone who responded to the OBE design sample last time, thanks much for your comments. The part I showed you was really the only major section of the site to feature any grey. The design I'm working on right now has a lot of white space and larger purple text. So I think you will find that it will probably end up being quite different to OB v4, mostly because v4 was very dark in general...this site will have a much nicer contrast to it. The beauty, of course, is that it will be possible to generate a lot of different styles with relative ease (simply by doing colour changes). I'm trying to design the site this way so that there will be many colour options to choose from.

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Saturday, June 9, 2007

More Stuff Thanks for all the birthday wishes, everyone. Sorry for responding to that so late! I haven't had much motivation to post lately. Usually I talk about network-related things on here and although plenty's been happening, I suppose I've been more busy working on things than actually talking about them. The bulk of my work for theOtaku.com has come to an end although I'm sure I will need to complete more specific icons and stuff when the site gets closer to launch. I need to check up on that and see how it's all going. OB has taken up a bit of time recently too. Now construction has begun in earnest, although my design isn't terribly easy to adapt. I thought I'd do something very uncharacteristic and give you a small sample of what I'm working on. This is a sample of the content panels/channels that I'll be incorporating into the new site. In the full version they will be on the right-hand side of the forums, but you can kinda see the design direction here. Black glossy bars with white text and more white space are the order of the day (although the white space isn't terribly visible here). I'm debating whether to show a bit more as we get closer to launch. It's easy to talk about how different OBE is to Version 7, but it's probably more evident in pictures. I will endeavour to post a bit more often in the near future, in any case. ^_^

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Sunday, April 29, 2007

Stuff I think I'll keep this post mainly about replying to people's comments. I don't have much to say today - the week has begun in a somewhat depressing way (which sucks, because it's my birthday today!) It's nothing serious, I'm just starting to really tire of my current job. Kei-chan: The podcasts should be cool, I'm hoping we can get permission to syndicate some interesting content - and eventually publish our own. As for the newspaper, I agree. The Featured Threads panel will largely take care of aspects of the newspaper, but I think the actual prospect of a "real" OB newspaper with images and everything would be very cool. Crystia: Well, I think we face the reality that if we provide, say, five or six options...not everyone will like them. It is impossible to please everyone. So all we can do is try to make these panels relatively unobtrusive. In terms of removing the ones you don't like, I don't know. That's honestly a purely technical question at this stage. Right now the site is not designed to allow you to do anything other than "collapse" the panels you don't like (which is probably good enough). But if it's technically possible I'm sure we can produce panels that physically disappear. Hal: Yep, even a forum can be a big task especially when you're trying to bring a lot of new content to the table. And yeah I agree with you. Artrepreneurship (by its title alone) is obviously aimed at artists (of all kinds), but I do think anyone with a product or an idea to sell would be wise to give it a read. Darren: I know what you mean about the panels but I don't think that'll even be necessary. The panels will all be separate and will be grouped based on subject. So if you aren't into podcasts, you can collapse the podcast panel. Luckily I don't think the panels will be annoying or obtrusive, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue for anyone. Oh and, the theme to my page is "Gloomy Bear" (look up his site - it will make you laugh!)

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