DreamCities.net - CSS Critique/Help

G'day,

Well, I've finally started playing around with CSS over the past night
instead of using tables.

My test page can be seen at http://www.dreamcities.net/test

Basically what I'm looking at is the top menu which uses JavaScript as well
as the Side Menu.

Top Menu:
I used Macromedia Firefox to create the mapping and the script for the drop
down menu. When I viewed the page locally, IE7 was warning me about ActiveX
controls, but on the web itself it's not giving me a warning. Probably due
to me allowing ActiveX on my domain?

Anyway, is this menu fine; or is there a better method that wont get blocked
by a regular browser. I'm looking at IE7 and FireFox.

As for the side menu, I used a whole lot of <div id's>. Do I really need to
use a <div> for every menu option or is there something I can do with CSS so
that every new line creates the menu item?

Any other critiques on this page welcome. I'd like to get your input before
I move on and complete the rest of the site.

Yours Sincerely,
Samuel ML Lison

On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:56:55 +1000, Samuel ML Lison wrote:

This probably should be over at alt.html or alt.webmaster, but...

G'day,

Well, I've finally started playing around with CSS over the past night
instead of using tables.

My test page can be seen at http://www.dreamcities.net/test

Basically what I'm looking at is the top menu which uses JavaScript as well
as the Side Menu.

Do you have a reason to want it to use JavaScript?
Have a look here:
http://meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/menus/demo.html

Top Menu:
I used Macromedia Firefox

??? I think you're mixing up names here. You have completely lost me.

to create the mapping and the script for the drop
down menu. When I viewed the page locally, IE7 was warning me about ActiveX
controls, but on the web itself it's not giving me a warning. Probably due
to me allowing ActiveX on my domain?

Anyway, is this menu fine; or is there a better method that wont get blocked
by a regular browser. I'm looking at IE7 and FireFox.

As for the side menu, I used a whole lot of <div id's>. Do I really need to
use a <div> for every menu option

No. Menus are semantically lists (usually). Have a look here:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taminglists/
--
mbstevens
http://www.mbstevens.com/

mbstevens wrote:

Menus are semantically lists (usually). Have a look here:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taminglists/

And here:
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/listamatic/

--
Berg

Samuel ML Lison wrote:

http://www.dreamcities.net/test

Top Menu:
I used Macromedia Firefox to create the mapping and the script for the drop
down menu.
Anyway, is this menu fine; or is there a better method

I am a Fireworks user myself (I assume that's what you meant when you
said Firefox ), but am also a firm believer that a graphics program
has no business generating HTML or CSS. The troubles are many, but include:

- A fixation on absolute sizes for both dimensions and type size, which
isn't surprising considering that is what's expected for bitmap images.
Too bad real life doesn't always fit within those limits. The result is
a design that doesn't scale and easily falls apart.

- Lousy, bloated code, with no accommodation for JavaScript disabled
situations.

I personally loathe drop down menus. They are a pain to use.

As for the side menu, I used a whole lot of <div id's>.

See the post by mbstevens, and my reply to it.

Any other critiques on this page welcome.

It's not really clear to me what the site is about or who it's for.
There's a vague reference to "something for everyone", but the
categories in the side menu look like just web and computer related
topics. And how does that tie in with "dreams become reality"? I don't
quite get it.

--
Berg

Bergamot wrote:

mbstevens wrote:

Menus are semantically lists (usually). Have a look here:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taminglists/

And here:
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/listamatic/
Great link. Added to mine bookmarks.

--
Edwin van der Vaart
http://www.semi-conductor.nl/ Links to Semiconductors sites
http://www.evandervaart.nl/ Edwin's persoonlijke web site
Explicitly no permission given to Forum4Designers, onlinemarketingtoday,
24help.info, issociate.de and software-help1.org to duplicate this post.

"mbstevens" <NOXwebmasterx (AT) xmbstevensx (DOT) com> wrote

On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:56:55 +1000, Samuel ML Lison wrote:

This probably should be over at alt.html or alt.webmaster, but...

G'day,

Well, I've finally started playing around with CSS over the past night
instead of using tables.

My test page can be seen at http://www.dreamcities.net/test

Basically what I'm looking at is the top menu which uses JavaScript as
well
as the Side Menu.

Do you have a reason to want it to use JavaScript?
Have a look here:
http://meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/menus/demo.html


Top Menu:
I used Macromedia Firefox

??? I think you're mixing up names here. You have completely lost me.

Yeah sorry, I meant to write Macromedia FireWorks.

to create the mapping and the script for the drop
down menu. When I viewed the page locally, IE7 was warning me about
ActiveX
controls, but on the web itself it's not giving me a warning. Probably
due
to me allowing ActiveX on my domain?

Anyway, is this menu fine; or is there a better method that wont get
blocked
by a regular browser. I'm looking at IE7 and FireFox.

As for the side menu, I used a whole lot of <div id's>. Do I really need
to
use a <div> for every menu option

No. Menus are semantically lists (usually). Have a look here:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taminglists/

Thanks for the help, I'll look into those pages and see what I can do!

Sincerely,
Samuel ML Lison

"Bergamot" <bergamot (AT) visi (DOT) com> wrote

Samuel ML Lison wrote:

http://www.dreamcities.net/test

Top Menu:
I used Macromedia Firefox to create the mapping and the script for the
drop
down menu.
Anyway, is this menu fine; or is there a better method

I am a Fireworks user myself (I assume that's what you meant when you
said Firefox ), but am also a firm believer that a graphics program
has no business generating HTML or CSS. The troubles are many, but
include:

- A fixation on absolute sizes for both dimensions and type size, which
isn't surprising considering that is what's expected for bitmap images.
Too bad real life doesn't always fit within those limits. The result is
a design that doesn't scale and easily falls apart.

- Lousy, bloated code, with no accommodation for JavaScript disabled
situations.

I personally loathe drop down menus. They are a pain to use.

Thanks for helping me out here. I've looked at some of the other posts and
am looking into the list menus. There are some nice CSS based top menus with
drop downs and I may update my site to use those instead of what I currently
have using javascript.

As for the side menu, I used a whole lot of <div id's>.

See the post by mbstevens, and my reply to it.

Any other critiques on this page welcome.

It's not really clear to me what the site is about or who it's for.
There's a vague reference to "something for everyone", but the
categories in the side menu look like just web and computer related
topics. And how does that tie in with "dreams become reality"? I don't
quite get it.

It's a personal small business. Just based it on my dreams. I work full time
in a totally different industry and I've tried to get my own small business
running for a few years now. I'm putting together my ideas and everything
I'm good at on one site. Could get confusing I know.

The 'Where Dreams Become Reality' is really where my dreams become reality
through action.
I will have a community section on the site with forums and a blogging
community. It's going to be based on mmbers posting their goals in life, how
they plan on achieving them, as well as posting achievements and how they
actually achieved them.

Just a range of things I enjoy doing and wish to provide.

Thanks for the comments!

Sincerely,
Samuel ML Lison

Samuel ML Lison wrote:

"Bergamot" <bergamot (AT) visi (DOT) com> wrote in message
news:58na28F2fpgr9U1 (AT) mid (DOT) individual.net...
Samuel ML Lison wrote:

http://www.dreamcities.net/test

It's not really clear to me what the site is about or who it's for.
There's a vague reference to "something for everyone", but the
categories in the side menu look like just web and computer related
topics. And how does that tie in with "dreams become reality"? I don't
quite get it.

It's a personal small business. Just based it on my dreams. I work full time
in a totally different industry and I've tried to get my own small business
running for a few years now. I'm putting together my ideas and everything
I'm good at on one site. Could get confusing I know.

Yes, it is confusing.

The 'Where Dreams Become Reality' is really where my dreams become reality
through action.

My first impressions was that you were somehow going to make *my* dreams
a reality. I suggest an explanation or a mission statement (if you have
one) to clarify that.

I will have a community section on the site with forums and a blogging
community. It's going to be based on mmbers posting their goals in life, how
they plan on achieving them, as well as posting achievements and how they
actually achieved them.

This sounds like 2 totally different purposes for the site that don't
necessarily go together, at least not to me. How many people in the
Community part are going to be interested in the web/computer parts?
Likewise, if you're providing web/computer services, how many of your
(potential) clients are going to be interested in the Community part?

You might consider separating these more with different domains, or
maybe subdomains.

Just a range of things I enjoy doing and wish to provide.

Just keep the personal pursuits separate from the business ventures.

--
Berg