A website that convinced me NOT to attend.

I have dialup and I didn't have any problems with the site. We can't get cable or DSL where I live.

 

Yes, this is very poor work, since they are not using the pictures full size, and one can resize pictures in Windows Explorer in a matter of seconds.

 

Where is this "Denver" place to which you are referring?

 

I would like to go myself, but too many other things to do, and cashflow is a little slow right now. No problem downloading anything, but then I'm on a very high speed DSL line.

We are going to have a N-Scale Convention in LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY in 2008. We plan on having another HUGE NTRAK layout, swap meet, and Train Show, plus much, much more. It should be a WING-DING! As of right now we are HOPING the N-Scale Collector Society will join in, but I cannot say yes or no here. The more the merrier!!

If nothing else remember: LOUISVILLE, N-SCALE IN 2008

 

Sorry, folks, I'm up in Alaska most of August! Steve, our wonderful house sitter, shouldn't be burdened with showing off the railroad.

Anyone who visits Albuquerque is welcome to visit my railroad. I'm usually here.

 

Go west to Albuquerque and take a RIGHT turn. It's 454 miles.

 

The page is certainly less than informative if you block Macromedia Flash, as I do to avoid some of the nastier online advertising techniques:



Almost every "link" on the page is a separate Flash program!

 

It doesn't take any more work to design a good site from the outset. Flash animations take more time and affort than plain text or simple graphics. What they've done with flash animations for every single button in the menu can be done just as easily with simple code and plain text. That's just poor design.

It has nothing to do with lowest common denominator, it's about knowing what is good and bad web design. It's not rocket science.

Cheers
David

 

my 2 cents...

A handy tool for anyone who is designing a web site is Vincent Flanders' webpagesthatsuck.com
Sometimes it is easier to learn from the mistakes of others and why their site doesn't work well. Proves that just because someone can design a website does not make them a web designer.
​

 

David,

You are absolutely correct. I based my initial assessment on the assumption that it was only a dial-up issue, and considering the history of certain poster's "sky is falling" mentality.

But, I will say that "knowing what is good and bad web design" isn't necessarily picked up in a "Learn HTML in 24 Hours" book. Keep in mind that these sites may be developed by complete newbies who are handed a book and told "go for it!". Someone may have shown him how to make a hyperlink in Flash and it seemed easy and everyone told him to use Flash on his website, so "voila", there you have it. My ultimate point was not that it requires a web design team or that it takes a long time to do, but that with the first (or at least an experience HTML writer) the second may become an issue, and vice-versa.

I sent the site contact the reduced JPG's hoping that would help, but the site is still painfully slow to scroll. (It does seem to load a little faster, but it "redraws" with every click of the scroll bar...not good)

 

Exactly.

At least some loaded sites give you a link option to a version that's geared towards the bandwidth challenged.

I've been in software/web areas for a good 15 years now, as I'm sure many of you have. The thing that's always proven to work is K.I.S.S , period.

Tim

 

As the administrator for probably the largest internal websight for a large aerospace company, I have learned that K.I.S.S. is the way to go. I have simplified my site over the past couple years - no more large graphics, no "flash" plug-ins required, etc. I have some pages that do reqiure some java, but I'm even working to get around that. With multiple sites around the world accessing my site, I need to keep the maintenance down as much as is possible. Simple is also so much easier for people to navigate - you would be surprised at how many "highly degreed" and supposedly computer savy engineers (and especially upper management types) can get confused easily!
:teeth:

 

First off.
I understand your frustration. Just when it seems like the technology has caught up with the data transfer rates... Suddenly everyone ups their graphics content. So we end up back where we started.

WWW=World Wide Wait

FYI japan and other developed countries like thailand boast 200 megabite transfer rates as opposed to our 2 megabite. We're technologically behind the times.

Second.
Most browsers have a text only mode so you can just load content and not fluff. Try to locate that and see how it goes.

I plan to attend the show,it's easy cauze I live in Denver. Most tours I want to see are already filled up. I still need to call John Widmar and simply visit his house one day.

 

I used to manage one of the largest government sites. Our motto was indeed KISS--small graphics, simple structures, and multiple tests on different platforms. But someone always missed something. I personally didn't have much trouble with the Denver site but I could see that someone might.

 

speedy

"I was going to put the address of the hotel in Mapquest and see how many hours driving might be involved, but now I'm not even going to bother".


I can see you like to get places fast,your computer connection is slow and so is your mode of transportation for a 1700 mile trip. You weren't planning on going anyway were you?, since how long could you sit driving in that nash metropolitian BEEP, BEEP!

 

When I retired, I swore I would never get on an airplane again and with the TSA Gestapo at airports I certainly won't. And a Chrysler Town & Country is a far cry from a Nash Metropolitan. I never said I was planning on going, only considering it, as I am also considering driving to Santa Fe and Chama. My wife wants to see Santa Fe and I want to see the Cumbres & Toltec.

I notice that the N Scale Collector's website for the convention has been improved, eliminating the multi-megabyte graphics, so "mission accomplished". :cat: