Comments on: Reply To Greetings and Intro http://strangelyperfect.tv/223/reply-to-greetings-and-intro/ This is Our World Wed, 16 May 2012 20:03:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Strangely http://strangelyperfect.tv/223/reply-to-greetings-and-intro/#comment-283 Strangely Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:35:42 +0000 http://strangelyperfect.tv/?p=223#comment-283 Hi Constance You've your work cut out if that's what they want then! In reality though, it should be similar to WordPress. What do you mean by the phrase "program I was struggling to learn"? Because it's a database driven thing, then all that needs to be done is add content to the setup. The whole thing (setup) runs on PHP controlling the back-end server database so is that the thing that you are trying to learn? If so, that's a different kettle of fish. If your background is anything like mine then the lack of strict data typing and the way the variables can be used and changed through the code can be a bit annoying. Personally, I try and let other people (the developers) do all that. With WordPress there is lots of functionality already designed by other people. It's a question of fishing around, trying to guess the keywords that describe your needs, and then usually, you'll find that someone has already invented just the thing you are after! Then you literally just plug it in to your site. The same goes for the visual appearance. Get something that's close to your needs (not necessarily in colour - that's easily changed). Twiddle the CSS, maybe remove a header,footer or sidebar from the code (one line for each) and away you go. I think Drupal works in the same way - it just doesn't seem to have the quantity or choice of stuff because of it's smaller statistical footprint. There are technical coding differences as well but I've not gone into it yet. We could be learning this at the same time! Rees Hi Constance
You’ve your work cut out if that’s what they want then!

In reality though, it should be similar to WordPress. What do you mean by the phrase “program I was struggling to learn”? Because it’s a database driven thing, then all that needs to be done is add content to the setup. The whole thing (setup) runs on PHP controlling the back-end server database so is that the thing that you are trying to learn? If so, that’s a different kettle of fish. If your background is anything like mine then the lack of strict data typing and the way the variables can be used and changed through the code can be a bit annoying.

Personally, I try and let other people (the developers) do all that. With WordPress there is lots of functionality already designed by other people. It’s a question of fishing around, trying to guess the keywords that describe your needs, and then usually, you’ll find that someone has already invented just the thing you are after! Then you literally just plug it in to your site.

The same goes for the visual appearance. Get something that’s close to your needs (not necessarily in colour – that’s easily changed). Twiddle the CSS, maybe remove a header,footer or sidebar from the code (one line for each) and away you go.

I think Drupal works in the same way – it just doesn’t seem to have the quantity or choice of stuff because of it’s smaller statistical footprint. There are technical coding differences as well but I’ve not gone into it yet. We could be learning this at the same time!

Rees

]]> By: Chaig http://strangelyperfect.tv/223/reply-to-greetings-and-intro/#comment-282 Chaig Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:09:11 +0000 http://strangelyperfect.tv/?p=223#comment-282 Hi Rees - currently the site is hosted on a linux server which Stephanie's son, David runs. Both Stephanie and David are great fans of Drupal which is the program I was struggling to learn. Here is how far I got with it: http://www.getbackonyourfeet.org/constance/node But am going to try Wordpress and see how I do. This weekend we had our 5th District General Meeting so very hectic - lovely meeting, but will work in next few days on plan for site. If you read about SEIN mini breakout session on the website in Drupal you will see some of the ideas the educators want to see on the site. Signing off - All for one and One for All!! Constance Hi Rees – currently the site is hosted on a linux server which Stephanie’s son, David runs. Both Stephanie and David are great fans of Drupal which is the program I was struggling to learn. Here is how far I got with it:

http://www.getbackonyourfeet.org/constance/node

But am going to try WordPress and see how I do.

This weekend we had our 5th District General Meeting so very hectic – lovely meeting, but will work in next few days on plan for site.

If you read about SEIN mini breakout session on the website in Drupal you will see some of the ideas the educators want to see on the site.

Signing off – All for one and One for All!!

Constance

]]> By: Strangely http://strangelyperfect.tv/223/reply-to-greetings-and-intro/#comment-281 Strangely Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:45:41 +0000 http://strangelyperfect.tv/?p=223#comment-281 Thanks Constance. Glad to be of help. Take your time and try and decide what it is exactly that you want to do because that defines a lot of your design requirements. I'd be glad to give what little help I can to the SEIN project. All for one, and one for all!!! One thing I forgot to mention for my WordPress choice is that the popularity of the platform has benefits due to it's size. It's a bit like cars. If you have a rather nice but unique car, it's nice to drive, has lots of kudos but is a bugger to fix. Get a Ford or a FIAT and they are boring but reliable, and the parts are cheap, readily available and just about anyone can work on them. With WordPress, it's the same but I don't think it's boring; in fact you can do almost anything with it. But the huge investment in time from the developers and users brings immense benefits to someone like you or me who just wants to get something done quickly and is prepared to hack a bit as your skills develop, while actually having a reasonably presentable site for users almost from the word go. Once installed, any theme can be twiddled, mainly through the CSS file(s), so that you can set fonts and stuff to match anything that you currently use or is extant in the organisation. Do you have any idea how the site will be hosted yet? Rees Thanks Constance.
Glad to be of help. Take your time and try and decide what it is exactly that you want to do because that defines a lot of your design requirements.

I’d be glad to give what little help I can to the SEIN project. All for one, and one for all!!!

One thing I forgot to mention for my WordPress choice is that the popularity of the platform has benefits due to it’s size. It’s a bit like cars. If you have a rather nice but unique car, it’s nice to drive, has lots of kudos but is a bugger to fix. Get a Ford or a FIAT and they are boring but reliable, and the parts are cheap, readily available and just about anyone can work on them.

With WordPress, it’s the same but I don’t think it’s boring; in fact you can do almost anything with it. But the huge investment in time from the developers and users brings immense benefits to someone like you or me who just wants to get something done quickly and is prepared to hack a bit as your skills develop, while actually having a reasonably presentable site for users almost from the word go.

Once installed, any theme can be twiddled, mainly through the CSS file(s), so that you can set fonts and stuff to match anything that you currently use or is extant in the organisation.

Do you have any idea how the site will be hosted yet?

Rees

]]> By: Chaig http://strangelyperfect.tv/223/reply-to-greetings-and-intro/#comment-280 Chaig Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:11:58 +0000 http://strangelyperfect.tv/?p=223#comment-280 Hi Rees- I have been checking all and believe your advice to be excellent. Most profound of all is: "If it’s you, then you decide what software to use, not someone else and then you get lumbered with it!" It was like a light bulb going off and I said YES - that is right - I am doing the layout and posting, and design work, etc. why am I not selecting the software? Thanks. From what I can see of Wordpress it is a lot more intuitive and user friendly than Drupal. I am involved in SGI meetings this weekend but let me see what I can do with Wordpress. And will return to you for critique and advice, if OK. Another gal would like to join our SEIN web team to help with editing and research ideas and esthetics. Her name is Terry Ellis of US in Florida. I would be very honored to work with you both and become The Three Musketeers of SEIN Website. Sincerely, Constance Hi Rees- I have been checking all and believe your advice to be excellent. Most profound of all is: “If it’s you, then you decide what software to use, not someone else and then you get lumbered with it!” It was like a light bulb going off and I said YES – that is right – I am doing the layout and posting, and design work, etc. why am I not selecting the software? Thanks.

From what I can see of WordPress it is a lot more intuitive and user friendly than Drupal. I am involved in SGI meetings this weekend but let me see what I can do with WordPress. And will return to you for critique and advice, if OK.

Another gal would like to join our SEIN web team to help with editing and research ideas and esthetics. Her name is Terry Ellis of US in Florida. I would be very honored to work with you both and become The Three Musketeers of SEIN Website.

Sincerely, Constance

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