Comments on: The b5media redesign http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/ The leading source of news covering social media and the blogosphere. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Duncan http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131304 Duncan Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:18:17 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131304 Ben surprised you didn't know any of us, I must just know you by reputation, and certainly we've got a lot of mutual acquaitences and friends. Don't be a stranger...and great job. Ben
surprised you didn’t know any of us, I must just know you by reputation, and certainly we’ve got a lot of mutual acquaitences and friends. Don’t be a stranger…and great job.

]]> By: Martin Neumann http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131260 Martin Neumann Mon, 06 Nov 2006 23:53:17 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131260 Hey Mike - can you say all that again ... but in English ;-) Hey Mike – can you say all that again … but in English ;-)

]]> By: Ben Bleikamp http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131249 Ben Bleikamp Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:26:53 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131249 Mike - good tip. I am far from an expert with JavaScript / Ajax / etc. Any tips on optimizing the code are greatly appreciated :) Hopefully this week I can optimize the code a bit. :) Mike – good tip. I am far from an expert with JavaScript / Ajax / etc. Any tips on optimizing the code are greatly appreciated :)

Hopefully this week I can optimize the code a bit. :)

]]> By: Aaron Brazell http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131222 Aaron Brazell Mon, 06 Nov 2006 18:50:17 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131222 You know how I feel. Stellar job, Ben You know how I feel. Stellar job, Ben

]]> By: Mike Rundle http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131203 Mike Rundle Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:10:10 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131203 Hey Ben, one little thing I thought I'd mention. The tab box at the top of the main column really doesn't need Ajax to switch panels, in fact the usage of Ajax has been slowing down the panel switching for me immensely. Since it's only a few sentences per tab, why not just hide/show divs instead of calling another page for the content? You could chomp the entire <a href="http://www.b5media.com/wp-content/themes/b5/js/ajaxtabs.js" rel="nofollow">ajaxtabs.js</a> file down to one function because all you need is a conditional that checks whether a tab is displayed or not. Load up the data for all the panels on the normal page load (use includes to keep text files separate if they'll be updated often) and then the tab switching will be instantaneous -- no need for the "Requesting Content..." filler text. Ajax fetching is useful, but only if you'e doing some massive computational stuff and you know it’ll be awhile. With 9rules Search we're accessing the Flickr API and custom parsing the YouTube Search Results RSS feed (<a href="http://9rules.com/search/paris+hilton" rel="nofollow">example</a>) so it takes about 5 seconds for our server to chug through the 600 lines of PHP making it happen, thus we didn't want to load it in the normal flow of code and slow down the rest of the page. Just my half a cent's worth of knowledge... spend it or toss it ;) Hey Ben, one little thing I thought I’d mention. The tab box at the top of the main column really doesn’t need Ajax to switch panels, in fact the usage of Ajax has been slowing down the panel switching for me immensely. Since it’s only a few sentences per tab, why not just hide/show divs instead of calling another page for the content? You could chomp the entire ajaxtabs.js file down to one function because all you need is a conditional that checks whether a tab is displayed or not. Load up the data for all the panels on the normal page load (use includes to keep text files separate if they’ll be updated often) and then the tab switching will be instantaneous — no need for the “Requesting Content…” filler text.

Ajax fetching is useful, but only if you’e doing some massive computational stuff and you know it’ll be awhile. With 9rules Search we’re accessing the Flickr API and custom parsing the YouTube Search Results RSS feed (example) so it takes about 5 seconds for our server to chug through the 600 lines of PHP making it happen, thus we didn’t want to load it in the normal flow of code and slow down the rest of the page.

Just my half a cent’s worth of knowledge… spend it or toss it ;)

]]> By: Martin Neumann http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131182 Martin Neumann Mon, 06 Nov 2006 12:39:24 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131182 Good stuff, Ben. I'm impressed with the new design. I like the cleaner blogroll via the javascript/css drop-downs - looks very smart. Maybe the B5 Headlines should include a comment count. With regards to the random channels, I'd prefer more channels shown with just the headlines - say 3 random channels followed by 5 headlines to the latest posts with no summary. Finally, I quite like the white space under the banner and wouldn't want to see any line ads to clutter it up. Maybe where the jobboard box is can be the place for advertisements, maybe something like TechCrunch has with those four 125x125. Just my 2 cents from a non-designer. ;-) Cheers and well done, Martin Good stuff, Ben. I’m impressed with the new design.

I like the cleaner blogroll via the javascript/css drop-downs – looks very smart.

Maybe the B5 Headlines should include a comment count.

With regards to the random channels, I’d prefer more channels shown with just the headlines – say 3 random channels followed by 5 headlines to the latest posts with no summary.

Finally, I quite like the white space under the banner and wouldn’t want to see any line ads to clutter it up. Maybe where the jobboard box is can be the place for advertisements, maybe something like TechCrunch has with those four 125×125.

Just my 2 cents from a non-designer. ;-)

Cheers and well done,
Martin

]]> By: John Evans (SYNTAGMA) http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131175 John Evans (SYNTAGMA) Mon, 06 Nov 2006 11:34:02 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131175 It's an excellent piece of work, Ben. Many congratulations. I was interested in the "three audiences" idea. Isn't that a bit too much for one landing page? Personally, I would separate off the readers onto another more glamorous portal page, leaving advertisers and would-be bloggers at b5. That would mean defining the content under different branding. It would also make your job on this page a lot easier, don't you think? It’s an excellent piece of work, Ben. Many congratulations.

I was interested in the “three audiences” idea. Isn’t that a bit too much for one landing page? Personally, I would separate off the readers onto another more glamorous portal page, leaving advertisers and would-be bloggers at b5. That would mean defining the content under different branding.

It would also make your job on this page a lot easier, don’t you think?

]]> By: Ben Bleikamp http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131143 Ben Bleikamp Mon, 06 Nov 2006 07:34:13 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131143 Drumsnwhistles - the white space is actually there because I was allowing room for the content in the splash to expand. In my initial comp I had intended the splash area to be 250px high - just like the ad on the right. You're right that it could be used for something else. In the future maybe something will fit in there ;) Drumsnwhistles – the white space is actually there because I was allowing room for the content in the splash to expand. In my initial comp I had intended the splash area to be 250px high – just like the ad on the right.

You’re right that it could be used for something else. In the future maybe something will fit in there ;)

]]> By: DrumsNWhistles http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131139 DrumsNWhistles Mon, 06 Nov 2006 07:05:52 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131139 It's a nice design -- I'm curious about something, though. Is the white space under the banner intended as ad space or something else? It seems like prime real estate that should be used in some fashion, so I'm thinking it has a purpose and I just don't know what it is. :) It’s a nice design — I’m curious about something, though. Is the white space under the banner intended as ad space or something else? It seems like prime real estate that should be used in some fashion, so I’m thinking it has a purpose and I just don’t know what it is. :)

]]> By: B5Media Redesign | The Celebrity Cowboy http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/comment-page-1/#comment-131126 B5Media Redesign | The Celebrity Cowboy Mon, 06 Nov 2006 05:37:35 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2006/11/06/the-b5media-redesign/#comment-131126 [...] Check out the analysis This Post Made Possible by Freedom to Fascism [...] [...] Check out the analysis This Post Made Possible by Freedom to Fascism [...]

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