Extreme Makeover - TP/SMF Edition

[WSA]

Extreme Makeover - TP/SMF Edition

As you may know, my partner in WSA is demanding changes to the forum due to the hack attack.  He is not really to sharp when it comes to the internet but he is adamant that something change.  I have assured him that the security patches were taken care of but he "can't see it".

Couple this now with our column in the newspaper and we are looking at a massive influx of traffic coming to our site.

So in order to a)calm him down and b)provide an extremely professional looking website to the newcomers, I am coming to the Bloc Zone for help.

We have between $100 and $120 USD to fund this project.  I understand that this may not be very much for what I am about to ask but as you may know, 99% of the money that WSA generates goes directly to charity within our community.  I would love to offer more but at this time, this just isn't possible.

My goal for this project is to become the shining star of all fishing forums.  A showcase of what TP and SMF can do.  A simple and powerful, user friendly forum.  Many activities provided on the forum in order to keep people coming back.

So let me get down to the nitty gritty of what we want to provide in our forum.

**Right now, we have a static HTML page in the index slot.  This was placed there to cut down on load times when a visitor first comes in.  I would prefer not to have an HTML page but was looking for a nice php type page along the lines of what is here on the tinyportal.co.uk.  Something that will provide a great first impression and direct them to where they can go within the site.

**We need a new theme.  I really love the theme that xarcell designed for us, but it is pretty graphically heavy and creates long load times for our friends on dial-up.  I don't like the default look of babylon as our default look either.  The theme needs to have a fishing feel to it.  Be very visually friendly but definitely exudes fishing and the outdoors without being graphically intense.

**We currently have the arcade mod installed and want to maintain it.  I would like more games put on it.

**We have coppermine installed but it isn't bridged to SMF.  I would like the theme designed to be able to fit into this.  If Flash Gallery would be easier to use and integrate, then I would go with that.

**Flash Chat.  Again, another addition we would like to have.  I mention flash chat because G6 stated that it would be the best option.  We would cover the costs which I believe is $5 or something.  If there is a better integration that would be more cost effective, I would be willing to try that out.

**MP3 Player.  We don't have one right now but I really like the one on Stormlrds's Family Forum.  It should be easy for me to upload songs to it.

**Vision Impaired setting.  We have quite a few older guys on the site who complain to me alot about the fonts and sizes.  Again, on Stormlrd's Family Forum, this is an option.  I think that it would be a nice feature to provide.

**Code Clean-up.  I am not sure if I have monkeyed around with all of our coding and screwed something up here and there but if I have, repairing it would be great.

**I know feline's blog isn't ready but I would like a blog option for our users to use.  I have a bunch of different ones on my fantastico that can be used also.

**The team page.  I love this and would think that it would be a great fit for our forum to introduce all of the volunteers and people that make things happen within our organization and community.

**A links page.  Similar to what we have right now in the HTML version. 

**Subscription mod.  Not sure how this whole thing works but any way we can help get funding generated would be helpful.

**Anything else that would make the website more exciting, fun, informational, and user friendly.

Now comes the fun part, our first article comes out on July 21st.  That is the day that all the traffic will begin seeing and using the website.  I would like it completed if possible at least 3-4 days prior to that.

I know that this may be quite a bit of things to do but I know somebody on here would be able to knock this out like it was nothing.  For me, it's very difficult.

I would be indebted to you forever, I could get Garrett off of my back, and we would provide a wonderful, professional showcase of WSA to the general public.

Thanks for your time and please let me know if you are interested in making a few dollars and providing us with the Extreme Makeover.

Eric Yonts
Co-Founder
WesternSlopeAnglers.com

[G6Cad]

Some of the features you want is implented in the next release of TP, now when we dont know when the release will be for you outside the Alpha testing.
The same goes for themes to there, The new release will lead to some theme changes, so building a theme right now for TP V.086 is somewhat out dated when all the theme makers are pretty much waiting for the next TP.

So if short on time here i really dont know how to help. Eather the team here help you for the cause and for the good will you do on your site. eeek can probably fix all you need with the Arcade mod as he have done on my site.
IchBin i think is more then willing to help any way he can, but the time on this is very limited.
The flash chat is a great chat, i have had it some time now, and some funny issues one time with loggin and write in it wouldent work, but an update fixed that so it's good now.

Most of the things there exept the Arcade, and the theme i can give you help with.
Coppermine, jukebox, flash chat, they are quite easy to get in there and bridge.
But the theme and the version of your TP and the TIME we have to fix what you want is kind of VERY limited.

Oh, almost forgot.
You say that the themes and the loadtime was to heavy on your site, this might be an issue if you have jukebox nd many that want to use it at the same time. It uses quite a lot of BW when in use.

[bloc]

You are cutting it a bit close timewise lol.

Getting a SMF / TP theme done that also are the same in Coppermine and a blog software is something I have done before..it was Wordpress then, so its quite doable. All the mods should be easy enough, and the code for team page and fontsize changer are already available here on this site. Skin for Flashchat is harder, don't think thats done-in-a-flash lol

That is..if you need the same look for everything. As G6 mentions, the bridges etc. itself will be easier to do/install.

[stormlrd]

Well a cpl things, the vision impaired script is right here on this forum, bloc posted it, but Im currently working on another code based off adjusting the font size like you would choose a theme or a browser window size. It currently works on my test forum on the theme Im designing for someone else.

http://stormlrdsreality.co.uk/SMF_RC2/index.php

the jukebox you will have to purchase if you want the kind I have and it is listed on my forum frontpage as the wimpy player. the code for inserting the music button is easy once you have someone where to upload your music. Id recommend doing as I have and support the jukebox through a different site location. the database only had one varible added to keep track of the skin chose and ssi was added to to create the chooser. If you want you may use mine for now until you get more sorted I'll just set up a link for you with a default skin or you can link to the preview all page.

Theme to keep the load light will be the next theme Im gonna do per requiest by someone else but its light graphics and professional look so i think it will suite you, I'll post more when Im able to give more info on that.

[WSA]

First off, I would like to thank you all for the replies.

I apologize for the short notice.  I only found out yesterday that we were going to have the column in the paper and I didn't sleep very well last night thinking of all the ramifications that this would have on our site. 

I have been noodling the idea around though since my partner demanded changes but now I really feel like I have to do something quickly.  Just a very under the gun feeling right now and not alot of time to get everything together. 

The reasoning that I want this done so quickly is due to the traffic that we will get after the column goes into print.  I would like to have the final look of the site completed at that time and not have to change it again.  With those that are on currently, I am not worried about.  They will all be ok.  For the ones that will come to it after the column, those are who I am concerned about.  They will either like or leave it.  I would prefer the like it part.

I understand that some of the options are available in the pending release of the new TP but I was hoping that Bloc would provide a special authorization for WSA to have an Alpha version so we can get the theme going on it.

Regarding the wimpyplayer jukebox.  Is this the only option for having streaming music?  I noticed that it was $30 USD and right now, that is kind of tight. 

On the load times, all of the features that are available right now are only to paid members.  Which is right now only the arcade.  The jukebox, blog, flashchat, coppermine/flash gallery, and arcade would remain only for paid members.  That would cut down on quite a bit of the bandwidth being used.  I believe we have 10 gigs of transfer allotted.  We are currently averaging 3.04 gigs per month.

The theme needs to have a fishing feel to it.  Kind of a watery outdoors look.  Blues and greens and greys would be I guess what I am looking for.

Again, thanks for all of your help and suggestions.

Here is a picture of my daughter with a whole mess of fish that she caught.  This will be in the first column.

[IchBin]

Sorry to say I don't think I will be much help. I just found out tonight that my school is starting next Monday and my time is going to be very limited... I was hoping to start another theme, something more professional but I don't think I'll even have the time to do that. Full time+work+wife & kids is stretching it I'm afraid.

Are you sure you want a jukebox? You might run into copyright issues, especially if your site gets as big as your thinking. I hope we can take care of your needs.

[bloc]

Yeah, the jukebox can give some trouble...might want to avoid that.

I suggested helping out, I can do that..but I think someone needs to start NOW, because if you want 3-4 days to test it, it better be ready on sunday/monday already. And thats assuming you want to use SMF/TP, Coppermine and one or the other of the blog systems.

Just to spur things up...what do you had in mind for looks? I got the fishing angle, but should it be light/dark, business-like/personal-like etc?

[stormlrd]

bloc you want me to do the theme? Ive got something in mind and could have it maybe by tonite especially if i base it of an already existing theme. The mods he wants you know alot more than i do about.

[bloc]

I have surely enough work lol ....its up to WSA I guess. If you already have something in draft, then maybe he like to catch a glimpse.

I am thinking this is good publicity for TP, so I help out in any way I can.

[stormlrd]

I have surely enough work lol ....its up to WSA I guess. If you already have something in draft, then maybe he like to catch a glimpse.

I am thinking this is good publicity for TP, so I help out in any way I can.

the draft is in my head lol, im thinking modify the black22 as its low gfx and text buttons which will keep the language buttons out of it but with a nice green and white layout, Ive got a cpl fish images that i think i can convert to simple logos and give him an overall clean professional but fishing orientation.

If Id had more time what would be slick would be the millienium base with images geared toward his atmosphere but the timeframe is to short for that.