Setting Up A Directory: My Adventures

MrYum · 2006-04-11, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

I'm pleased with the choice but certainly wish it was easier. I guess it's like anything new: bit of a learning curve. Knowing how to enhance and optimise it will be my biggest hurdle I think. For that I may need someone experienced.

Should have some developments to document soon enough.

Like sweaty palms...a nervous facial tick...loss of hair...and quite possibly uncontrollable fits of screaming obscenities?

THOSE kinds of developments???

Glad you got the script up and running Kristian...congrats

kristian · 2006-04-16, 01:42 PM

A lot has happened this week. I designed the layout of the site in photoshop. Amareck turned those designs into css code. I installed the Links Sql script and my buddy and programmer, Matt, integrated the css to the scripts and also modded the shit out of it. I spent hours pouring over a sketch book, brainstorming ideas for a logo. Eventually I came up with a visual concept and gave it to a cartoonist who is working on it as I type. The site is, for all intents and purposes, built and without bugs. I just need to get it ready for business which will take up most of next week.

THE SITE LAYOUT

I decided to design the layout in photoshop so I could show you guys n girls my ideas. Furthermore, I decided on a css layout, for which I needed the coding skills of Amareck. I could have saved money and coded in html with a little css thrown in but I wanted the site coded from the ground up in css.

Here are the layouts I did in photoshop :

-- entry page --
-- main page --
-- today's links page --
-- example category page --

I gave these to Amareck who worked tirelessly to get my visions coded in css. He did a superb job and I highly recommend his skills to anyone who wants a site coded in this way.

SCRIPT MODDING & INTEGRATION

Getting the css to work with Links Sql was one job. The biggest job was modding the script to work according to my ideas.

I needed the services of a programmer. Again, for anyone considering setting up a link list, this is an extra expense that is not required for every project. I wanted the script to work in a different way. Lacking the skills for the job, I had to outsource.

Matt is one of the smartest guys you could want to know. An aussie (but don't hold that against him) with crazy programming skills. Even though Matt is a friend, I looked at other programmers as well. In the end I chose who I consider the smartest: Matt.

What I did was this : I told Matt what I wanted the script to do and then asked him to do it. Long story short, he did it.

When the site is ready, you can look around and compare it to how Links SQL usually runs. This will save me writing about his 20 or so hours of work here! lol

LOGO

I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of a logo. University courses cover this subject alone. For anyone interested, here is a succinct article on the subject.

The designer I chose to give me a professional logo is actually not a logo designer. I know, I know. I contacted Dickman designs, spoke to Bruno, who assured me Milena would be in touch. A week later I have heard from no one and had to tell Bruno on icq that I would be looking elsewhere but wanted to inform him first (still no reply to that). On a side not you'd think with the amount of exposure this thread is getting I would find it easy to acquire services.

In the end I chose a designer who does the best cartoons I have ever seen. And believe me I have looked everywhere. Why a cartoon? Lots of reasons. Briefly, it fits with the type of business model I have (link list), and surfers think cartoon logos are professional because they know they cost money (as opposed to fucking around in photoshop).

I chose Twisted Illustration.

Since Dave is a cartoonist and not a logo designer, I had to come up with the design idea myself. He does offer advice but this man's strengths lie in artwork, of which he is masterful.

My Concept

I needed a visual concept that would explain what my site is all about without the use of words or further explanation.

After hours of sketching ideas, I decided on a yellow pages / phone book style directory. I then needed to express that is was a directory for porn movies. I had an idea to make it a bit like a popup book. The directory would be open in the middle and out would be popped a sex scene. To make it seem more like a porn movie, I decided to have a porn director shooting a hot naked chick. Then to make it all look cool, I thought about them kind of MORPHING out of the book. The finishing touch was deciding to have light beams shooting from the pages.

Here is the sketch I gave to Designer Dave :

my logo sketch.

Over ICQ I explained the sketch to Dave and also emphasized some key points. I need the directory book being thick to imply lots of information. I also want lots of stuff popping pout of it (whips, chains, a stocking leg, cum dribbling, a hand, some hair, etc etc). I want to create the impression that on every page there is a new movie just SCREAMING for release. Any second the current scene could be replaced by another as the pages turn. My site has a black background, so I told Dave this would be a cool opportunity to add a wow effect by using beams of light (OTHER MOVIES) shooting from the pages and framing the scene. It is a bit like when they first open that box in the movie Gremlins!

CONCLUSION

We are almost ready for business. The logo should be ready in a few days. I have the mundane task of adding hosted content, fiddling with css, installing some little extra scripts. I also need to be thinking more about getting trades and finding submitters for content. A little seo tip -- get your trades before you submit for inclusion in directories. You might not get spidered again for several months.

Have a happy easter!

MrYum · 2006-04-16, 03:09 PM

Looking good Kristian

Useless · 2006-04-16, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

Here is the sketch I gave to Designer Dave :

my logo sketch.

Nice tits.

juggernaut · 2006-04-16, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

Matt is one of the smartest guys you could want to know. An aussie (but don't hold that against him) with crazy programming skills. Even though Matt is a friend, I looked at other programmers as well. In the end I chose who I consider the smartest: Matt.

Sometimes it's best to stay away from friends when doing business but I have to agree with you on picking a friend here. I have worked with a few programmers and man just finding one who speaks english and lives close enough to talk on the phone about changes etc is a nightmare. My best friend is one of the smartest computer people I ever met (hes the only one I know who went to computer camp in the summer at age 6). He is the typical sterotype. Very little people skills and walks with his arms stuck down along his sides, lol. Anyway I aksed him two years ago to code me some stuff and he told me it would take 3 months, well here we are 2 years later and he is still coding it lol. But it's nice to know he has the skills and I can call him up and he will come over to work any changes or fixes. You can't get that with contractors. And with any site the last thing you want is someone not calling you back after a few hours of a script problem. Well I love this thread keep it up, good going..

kristian · 2006-04-16, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Sometimes it's best to stay away from friends when doing business but I have to agree with you on picking a friend here. I have worked with a few programmers and man just finding one who speaks english and lives close enough to talk on the phone about changes etc is a nightmare. My best friend is one of the smartest computer people I ever met (hes the only one I know who went to computer camp in the summer at age 6). He is the typical sterotype. Very little people skills and walks with his arms stuck down along his sides, lol. Anyway I aksed him two years ago to code me some stuff and he told me it would take 3 months, well here we are 2 years later and he is still coding it lol. But it's nice to know he has the skills and I can call him up and he will come over to work any changes or fixes. You can't get that with contractors. And with any site the last thing you want is someone not calling you back after a few hours of a script problem. Well I love this thread keep it up, good going..

Encouragement appreciated dude

I almost hate to mention Matt here because he is so damn good I don't want him to become unavailable when I next need him. lol I was having major problems with the script. Total nightmare actually. The clouds parted though when he said he could do it (he never says he can do something if he can't). I spent a couple of nights on here until 6 and 7 am staying on icq when he needed to ask me something. The hard part is I'm no programmer. I just know what I want. He had the unfortunate task of trying to make a script work according to my vision (which was pretty unrealistic at times). Anyway Matt will get a big head if he reads this. lol

Glad you're liking the thread dude

P.S I'm hoping big head means the same in the U.S as the UK. It does not mean I'm gonna perform falacio LOL

Greenguy · 2006-04-17, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

-- today's links page --
-- example category page --

Are you going to only have 10 links per page?

kristian · 2006-04-17, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenguy

Are you going to only have 10 links per page?

Those designs are representative. I'll be keeping links to about 50 per page.

I never know when you're joking or not.

Useless · 2006-04-17, 08:25 AM

What he's say is, the font used for free site titles and descriptions looks huge on the page. Really, really big.

kristian · 2006-04-17, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

What he's say is, the font used for free site titles and descriptions looks huge on the page. Really, really big.

*scratches head*

I read what greenguy said dude and understood it. Have i missed something? lol

Greenguy · 2006-04-17, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

Those designs are representative. I'll be keeping links to about 50 per page.

I never know when you're joking or not.

I never joke

Like I said, I'd have to see the actual pages, but from what I can see on the examples, the fonts are too big. And it's my humble surfing opinion that spreading things out on multiple pages with such a small amount per page stinks.

kristian · 2006-04-17, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenguy

And it's my humble surfing opinion that spreading things out on multiple pages with such a small amount per page stinks.

I do this for seo reasons, not surfers. Had my site been 10 years old it would not be an issue. With it being brand new I have to be careful about the number of outbound links so I am not seen as a link farm. I actually researched this point a few days ago and it was agreed that 50 free site links per page would be just about ok. The optimum would be around 30 but, as you mentioned, this would look shitty to surfers, so I upped the amount to the maximum of 50. So there you have my humble opinion. I'm not saying I'm right, just that I've researched this and you are the first seo to disagree.

Greenguy · 2006-04-17, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristian

I do this for seo reasons, not surfers. Had my site been 10 years old it would not be an issue. With it being brand new I have to be careful about the number of outbound links so I am not seen as a link farm. I actually researched this point a few days ago and it was agreed that 50 free site links per page would be just about ok. The optimum would be around 30 but, as you mentioned, this would look shitty to surfers, so I upped the amount to the maximum of 50. So there you have my humble opinion. I'm not saying I'm right, just that I've researched this and you are the first seo to disagree.

1st off, I am FAR from being a SEO

2nd, my thinking has always been that the main goal of my site is to please the surfers so that they will bookmark & come back the next day/week or whenever they surf again.

SEO is fine & I encourage everyone to do some stuff to make their pages better, but not when it interferes with the surfer's experience, because if you never get any SE traffic - or you get it & you loose it for some unknown reason - the bookmarkers are what you will live off of.

SE traffic comes & goes - it's great when you have it & it sucks when you don't - I think

every day for my bookmarkers.

2006-04-16, 01:42 PM	#2
kristian Porn Movie Peddler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Malta (France In Nov) Posts: 1,631	Sunday Summary A lot has happened this week. I designed the layout of the site in photoshop. Amareck turned those designs into css code. I installed the Links Sql script and my buddy and programmer, Matt, integrated the css to the scripts and also modded the shit out of it. I spent hours pouring over a sketch book, brainstorming ideas for a logo. Eventually I came up with a visual concept and gave it to a cartoonist who is working on it as I type. The site is, for all intents and purposes, built and without bugs. I just need to get it ready for business which will take up most of next week. THE SITE LAYOUT I decided to design the layout in photoshop so I could show you guys n girls my ideas. Furthermore, I decided on a css layout, for which I needed the coding skills of Amareck. I could have saved money and coded in html with a little css thrown in but I wanted the site coded from the ground up in css. Here are the layouts I did in photoshop : -- entry page -- -- main page -- -- today's links page -- -- example category page -- I gave these to Amareck who worked tirelessly to get my visions coded in css. He did a superb job and I highly recommend his skills to anyone who wants a site coded in this way. SCRIPT MODDING & INTEGRATION Getting the css to work with Links Sql was one job. The biggest job was modding the script to work according to my ideas. I needed the services of a programmer. Again, for anyone considering setting up a link list, this is an extra expense that is not required for every project. I wanted the script to work in a different way. Lacking the skills for the job, I had to outsource. Matt is one of the smartest guys you could want to know. An aussie (but don't hold that against him) with crazy programming skills. Even though Matt is a friend, I looked at other programmers as well. In the end I chose who I consider the smartest: Matt. What I did was this : I told Matt what I wanted the script to do and then asked him to do it. Long story short, he did it. When the site is ready, you can look around and compare it to how Links SQL usually runs. This will save me writing about his 20 or so hours of work here! lol LOGO I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of a logo. University courses cover this subject alone. For anyone interested, here is a succinct article on the subject. The designer I chose to give me a professional logo is actually not a logo designer. I know, I know. I contacted Dickman designs, spoke to Bruno, who assured me Milena would be in touch. A week later I have heard from no one and had to tell Bruno on icq that I would be looking elsewhere but wanted to inform him first (still no reply to that). On a side not you'd think with the amount of exposure this thread is getting I would find it easy to acquire services. In the end I chose a designer who does the best cartoons I have ever seen. And believe me I have looked everywhere. Why a cartoon? Lots of reasons. Briefly, it fits with the type of business model I have (link list), and surfers think cartoon logos are professional because they know they cost money (as opposed to fucking around in photoshop). I chose Twisted Illustration. Since Dave is a cartoonist and not a logo designer, I had to come up with the design idea myself. He does offer advice but this man's strengths lie in artwork, of which he is masterful. My Concept I needed a visual concept that would explain what my site is all about without the use of words or further explanation. After hours of sketching ideas, I decided on a yellow pages / phone book style directory. I then needed to express that is was a directory for porn movies. I had an idea to make it a bit like a popup book. The directory would be open in the middle and out would be popped a sex scene. To make it seem more like a porn movie, I decided to have a porn director shooting a hot naked chick. Then to make it all look cool, I thought about them kind of MORPHING out of the book. The finishing touch was deciding to have light beams shooting from the pages. Here is the sketch I gave to Designer Dave : my logo sketch. Over ICQ I explained the sketch to Dave and also emphasized some key points. I need the directory book being thick to imply lots of information. I also want lots of stuff popping pout of it (whips, chains, a stocking leg, cum dribbling, a hand, some hair, etc etc). I want to create the impression that on every page there is a new movie just SCREAMING for release. Any second the current scene could be replaced by another as the pages turn. My site has a black background, so I told Dave this would be a cool opportunity to add a wow effect by using beams of light (OTHER MOVIES) shooting from the pages and framing the scene. It is a bit like when they first open that box in the movie Gremlins! CONCLUSION We are almost ready for business. The logo should be ready in a few days. I have the mundane task of adding hosted content, fiddling with css, installing some little extra scripts. I also need to be thinking more about getting trades and finding submitters for content. A little seo tip -- get your trades before you submit for inclusion in directories. You might not get spidered again for several months. Have a happy easter! __________________ Promote Dating \| Popular Post : Get Free Dating Traffic - 5 Tips Last edited by kristian; 2006-04-16 at 01:48 PM..

2006-04-16, 03:09 PM	#3
MrYum Arghhhh...submit yer sites ya ruddy swabs! Join Date: May 2004 Location: Sunny Florida! Posts: 5,108	Looking good Kristian __________________ Porno Flixxx Submissions SOTI Site Submissions Free Porn Resource Submissions

2006-04-17, 08:25 AM	#9
Useless Certified Nice Person Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Dirty Undies, NY Posts: 11,268	What he's say is, the font used for free site titles and descriptions looks huge on the page. Really, really big. __________________ Click here to purchase a bridge I'm selling.