Southern California Club Xterra
Southern California Club Xterra => SCCX General Discussion => Topic started by: Aperion on October 10, 2008, 12:32:05 PM
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First the obvious: the front page needs work. The good news: anyone here can edit the front page, they just need proper permission. The front page uses mediawiki software, which is what wikipedia and dirtopia. So editing the front page is almost the same as editing those two sites. If you have experience in either one you could jump right in, otherwise I am willing to help people understand the wiki syntax and how to edit the site.
My overall goal with the site is to primarily have members editing content on the wiki, and I would adjust the look and layout of the wiki and the forum. I think the more people we have taking care of the site the easier it will be to maintain, this is very much a case of many hands make lite work, we're all busy so the more that can help the less work there will be to do.
I recognize almost all of the names registered but just to be sure I'll be passing the names by the other people I know who have been more actively involved in the last two years.
So, who's interested?
A couple of things, a good place to get started with the wiki syntax is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page
And If you want to try it first hand, wikipedia has a sandbox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sandbox) anyone can use at will.
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I would like to help. I will play in the sandbox...
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FYI put in the redirect http://www.sccxterra.com/ -> http://www.scxc.org/ for now but you could FTP stuff there (godady.com) if you want to use it, I'll send you the ftp access.
Brian
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I'd like to contribute.
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Same here. I'd be willing to help.
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How you we post pics on the main page?
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How you we post pics on the main page?
see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page#Images
When you first do that, the image shows up as red text, then you can click on the red text and upload the image, after which it will appear.
Ok, I've XtrerracerX, Paul and onewaysoldier permission to edit the wiki/homepage
If you want to play on our wiki software I recommend using this page: http://www.scxc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sandbox
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I am game but I have only HTML and this is different . I will play around and see if something falls into place then let you guys know
It's better than nothing :)
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I just came across something that will help IMMENSELY!! A more word processing like interface, where you see the changes you make, as you make them.
rather than editing the wiki syntax directly like this:
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You see what changes you're making:
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hopefully this will let more people edit the wiki and feel comfortable with it and let us spend more time doing other things.
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ah, share the wealth and post up the application. Also I think we need some feedback to see what people want, what features, pictures. etc...
What application? if you're referring to the wiki permissions I went ahead and gave you permissions to edit the wiki. You will need to log into the wiki separately, but it is the same user name and password.
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no I thought you found an application to edit the wiki . When I dug arounf I found the sandbox at Wikipedia . But when I played around with it I didnt see the changes so i dont know if what I was doing worked good or not. Is there an sandbox to the site?
OOHH :) sort of, when you actually go to edit the page you can either edit the wikicode directly, or you can use a WYSIWYG edit, like a word processor.
Although, now what you mention it, OpenOffice can export documents to wiki format, look at the pictures in my previous post, the second one is the WYSIWYG editor, the top one is editing the wikicode directly.
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hmm I had a copy of open office but never played with it . I also dont see how to edit page? sigh. So do I view source and edit?
perhaps this will help: http://www.scxc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Editing_the_Homepage
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Chris , I have been using some of the codes I have looked up and the WikiSyntax is not working for some reason. These are some simple syntax I am playing with. Any thoughts One is _italic_ , or *bold*. Is this some sort of sub language of wiki?
Name/Sample Markup
italic _italic_
bold *bold*
code `code`
code {{{
different wikis use different syntax, the software we use is called mediawiki, it is the same software as wikipedia and uses the same syntax.
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Although, now what you mention it, OpenOffice can export documents to wiki format, look at the pictures in my previous post, the second one is the WYSIWYG editor, the top one is editing the wikicode directly.
Chris, can you explain how this is done? Keep it simple because I'm on percocet and feeling kind of squishy in the brain. I really want to do this and I have tons of time on my hands right now so if I can get a handle on it I'll do it.
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Although, now what you mention it, OpenOffice can export documents to wiki format, look at the pictures in my previous post, the second one is the WYSIWYG editor, the top one is editing the wikicode directly.
Chris, can you explain how this is done? Keep it simple because I'm on percocet and feeling kind of squishy in the brain. I really want to do this and I have tons of time on my hands right now so if I can get a handle on it I'll do it.
did you see the document at : http://www.scxc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Editing_the_Homepage those are pretty much the steps needed to edit the homepage. Let me know if you need more info, it might be easier to jsut talk over the phone. PM me your number if you'd rather do it that way.
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Ok, I did something to the front page. Tell me what you think. I'm still trying to figure out the picture thing.
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There is a button on the tool bar that states will allow you to add pictures and files. I have been playing with this as well and havent figured it out either. They have to be JPEG though I found out. This is the long way but I havent gotten it to work. I am busy so I play with it when I can find the time.
<img src= insert image of your choice/>
there was another image link I found but it has PNG as the extension and I am not familiar with it so I a not going to confuse you.
If you scan over the button on the edit page it is like the fifth button from the left. maybe sixth not positive.
To Link a web page with MEDIAWIKI as follows
[http://anywebsite.com/anydirectory/anypage.html] you need the brackets with this version of wiki. If you dont understand the directrory stuff then just the web page
Vr/
the other chris
you can upload any image through the Upload file link located on the lower left hand menu: http://scxc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Upload. Once you upload the image you can add it to the page using the image icon, like chris said, top row, 5th image from the right, has a mountain and sun as the icon. When you click on this you enter the name of the file you uploaded, as you type it searches for files based on what you wrote. Say you upload a bunch of files called edit-wiki[1-5].png. In the image dialog if you type in wiki it will display all images contaning the word wiki in the filename. So unfortunately, adding images is a two step process.
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I got an image to load I have to work on sizing now. I have some pics from Snoopy but they are huge
you should be able to specify the size of the image, I would specify either the height, or the width to keep the ratio correct.
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-does anyone have some thoughts as to what they wold like to have on the main page?
Pictures of Jon in a mankinni?
NNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
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Still havent mastered the sizing of the images. I added some usefull links but I am wanting to create some tables and add some color as well. I hope to have some up today if I can pinch some more time away from the Navy. I know wasting tax payers money.
-does anyone have some thoughts as to what they wold like to have on the main page?
-colors?
-links?
Pictures of Jon in a mankinni?
if you want an idea of what to put up, some of the old site contents are available at: http://sccxterra.chrisnem.com/
Don't forget to break up into multiple pages, really the first page should be a breif introduction to the club, as well as an area for announcements.
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I just looked at the main page and I'm concerned it's getting cluttered. I think there should be links to the regular forums and to a future "How To" forum and that's about it. I also think that we should not provide links to retailers/suppliers web sites as that could be seen as an indorsement and therefore something to be avoided (unless they are a paid advertiser, which is something that needs to be discussed by the BOD). I agree with Aperion that the main page should remain simple and easy to navigate. My plan with the excursion ideas is to try to solidify a schedule for 2009 and set it on the main page. Hopefully that will give members time to plan time off for the runs they would like to do. I think a link to minimum vehicle/equipment requirements and trail level discription on the main page page would also be useful. But I think these things should be items that are not messed with and only changed by consensus.
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I really like this main page.
http://www.azxterraclub.com/
I would lose the links at the top and use only the few I memtioned before. I really like the idea of important information being on the main page where members don't have to wade through old posts looking for it.
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Well I changed it back all of the changes I made. I dont know what links Mitch is referring to . So I am leaving this for the BOD to figure out, since it seems that thay are the only ones making the decsicions. None the less chris thanks for doing the club the service . I appreciate it even though I havent seen you in ages, despite you live close by.
I should have known better to step up to the plate.
Chris, I was voicing my concerns. I wasn't saying anything needed to be changed or done different. I was letting my opinion be known. This is a club site and the club members who want to participate in the site should be able to do so. But along with that comes critiqueing/criticism. That is how we grow and learn. If I am the only one who feels the way I do then so be it, I will adapt my thoughts and plans to conform to those of the other participants. I think you should have Chris put your changes back in place and we, as a club, can discuss them and move on. This site is a good thing for all of us and I would have for it to be contensious for any of us.
I am sorry if I made you feel as though your contributions were not appreciated. I admire that you stepped up and jumped into the middle of things and its that attitude that makes this club and will make this site worthwhile.
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Mitch ,
I am also an Chris, I just dont know what everyone wants. I am not familar with this and had to learn some of this stuff. I frsutrated since I was doing what I have l leanred and be bold. Nothing was pernamanet and I now like how easy it will be to change it. But It takes more then three people to have opinions about this. Chris, Apreion pretty much said here be creative. You are the only one who has said anything. Just unfortantly you both are BOD. This is the KEY Word. I saw alot of hands go up when help was asked. I waited and I didnt see anything happen. I am just frustrated at this point. I think as a club we need some inputs.
I have been playing around trying to figure out how to do some of the same stuff as the origanal SCCX. This wasnt written in the same language so allot of this is going to be custom, that I dont know yet. I dont want to put any more effort trying to figure some of this out if people are not liking it.
fleury,
My comments were for you. I don't feel you did anything wrong and I hope you don't feel like not participating in working on the web site any more. I let my opinions be know so there would be feed back and progress. That's it. I didn't mean to sound condensending or destructive. The nice thing about this site is that more than a few people can be active in the maintenance of it. The flip side of that is that there is bound to be differences of opinion. The important thing is that we communicate, learn and grow as a group.
So, as far as the work you did, I appreciate it and the effort you put into it. I appreciate that you went so far as to get the books to learn wiki and made the effort to better the club. I truly do. So please don't let my opinions or concerns keep you from doing your own thing. I believe the only way this site is ever going to be what we want is by trial and error. That's the beauty of this format I think. It can evolve and grow into whatever we want it to be.
About the BOD thing, it only concerns linking to retailers/businesses/web stores from the main pages. I am concerned that it may appear that the club is endorsing these businesses and that if somebody ends up having issues with one or the other they come back to the club looking for restitution. It's kind of a liability thing and shouldn't be a thing but the potential for to be a thing is there and I would like to avoid it. So, I feel that the BOD, as the governing body, should look at the issue and make a dicision as to which direction to go. I would feel this way whether or not I was on the BOD.
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My apologies, i have not been as proactive as I should be. Especially since we're trying to set up a new site, I will try to provide more direction for the front page. I'm sure every one will understand when I say that I have almost no free time.
hope I haven't offended anyone when I locked the main page. Wiki administrators can lock any pages to prevent regular editors from making changes. I did this because there were a lot of changes made to the front page that I personally (as a computer geek) did not feel belonged there. I know I erred in not communicating that. I think the best approach on my end is to set up a basic site layout and let people edit the content and let it expand from there.
I have a system in mind that will be much more organized, I will post more about it at a later time. Until then, members of the wiki member group are free to edit any other page in wiki. I did set up a sandbox page for people to learn in. To find this page search or sandbox from the main page.
Chris, hopefully you'll still be willing to help with the site.
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I'm good with pretty much anything web-related, HTML, CSS, PERL, ASP, all that crap. I can xterra-ize the forum, making custom buttons and emoticons that are xterra themed, but it looked like your boy Oz could do the same thing.
Should deff have a badass logo, you have plenty of photo-material. This site could also be profitable, how many hits do you get?
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I really like this main page.
http://www.azxterraclub.com/
I would lose the links at the top and use only the few I memtioned before. I really like the idea of important information being on the main page where members don't have to wade through old posts looking for it.
Mitch,
I agree, this seems to be a really well run club/site. Would we (SCCX group) want to pursue something like this? I notice that they charge $25 a year in dues. I know that flys in the face of the informal get together and meet aspect of the SCCX site, but maybe with some focused effort and a few $$$ we could make a better website. I am making an effort to learn a little about wiki programming and doing some web based research on how to develop/work with a website.
Please keep me posted with your thoughts and ideas, as I have read most of this thread and would like to see some improvements to the site so we can help to grow the club just a bit.
Thanks,
John, GhostX
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I'm good with pretty much anything web-related, HTML, CSS, PERL, ASP, all that crap.
Hey Guano, Do you also know My SQL and PHP ? I need help with something
but it looked like your boy Oz could do the same thing.
also, just curious; how is it that you know this?
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I've seen some of your sweet photoshopped pictures. You're better than I am. I know PHP/MySQL as far as editing and designing the 'theory' behind database structures. Here is something I did for someone last year: http://www.funrunr.com/catalog (http://www.funrunr.com/catalog)
I just checked it out and saw the security risk on there. I think because they didn't purchase SSL certificates like I told them. I did the design, colors and all of the graphics, the only graphics I didn't do are the product graphics. here was their old main page which I haven't done anything to yet: http://www.funrunr.com (http://www.funrunr.com)
I like your photoshop skills man I wish I had time to do it more often. I have the master collection and it's REALLY sweet mixing elements from photoshop with after-effects and premiere pro (for videos). I'd like to get a bunch of videos from everyone and put something together, i have 2 cameras myself: a cinema quality camcorder (like paparazzi use), and one of the newer small ones, but still pretty nice.
Here is a photoshop pic that i made a while back =P
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here is the first video I made, the quality isn't that good.
I did everything on it myself.
the earth eclipse is made only using 2 images, 2d map of the world, and 2d clouds, all the rest is effects.
the second part was a woodcut from the 17th century that i edited in photoshop, then i animated it with after-effects.
I did the music as well... i just used the mic on my video camera and recorded 2 tracks lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1hdY4-Bzo8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1hdY4-Bzo8)