Website Design Help

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:26 pm

Whenever I ask for advice like this on a web forum, I always feel like I'm putting my head over the parapet in order for sneering comment after sneering comment by people who are much more savvy than I.

So here goes:

I've designed my own website for my company, www.mini-medallists.co.uk I've used MIcrosoft Publisher, because (1) It's free, and (2) it's a DTP package I know through my days at Tripe N Trotters. Now, on IE it looks the dog's kahunas. However, I've just viewed it on Firefox and it looks amateur. There are lines under all links, even in the navigation bar. I can't get rid of them. The text alignment looks wrong as well.

Is that because of compatibility between Publisher and IE? Is it a Firefox issue? Or is it easy to fix? I've spent all afternoon fixing the issues the site had with IE, only to find that this happens.

Please, sensible offers only. "I've got advice: Use Dreamweaver" is not what I want, even if it is the best advice.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:34 pm

The webpage cannot be found
HTTP 404
Most likely causes:
•There might be a typing error in the address.
•If you clicked on a link, it may be out of date.

What you can try:
Retype the address.

Go back to the previous page.

Go to and look for the information you want.

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:35 pm

I'd finished the sentence with a full stop. Unfortunately, it included it in the website address. Try it now - fixed.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:36 pm

As a friendly observation, that red band and white font might hinder those with sight problems.

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:39 pm

At the bottom? Observed.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:43 pm

Why not pm Keveh. He designed this site and knows his stuff.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:44 pm

He's never here. There are others qualified to help on here.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:45 pm

never having used frontpage - does it use CSS - csacading style sheets?

if so - the code should look something like.. remove the stars - i had to put them in to stop it spazzing up the BBcode!

*<style>
<a>
*</style>

bollox - it still spazzes up the code!

there are 2 ways described here - that i just wasted 10mins typing out - one of you are using olde-style html and one of you are using style-sheets (which I presume you must be)

http://forums.techguy.org/web-design-de ... em-ie.html

the "none" next to text decoration means nothing new happens to the text if it is visited or hovered over or clicked on... if you set them all as "none" then that should work for firefox. I suspect IE takes no value as "none" and firefox makes a different assumption...

I hope this makes sense...

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:53 pm

alternatively - i hear parky is a real whizz on the websites nowadays!

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:02 pm

had a look at your source code...

I don't understand the code that frontpage is using here - I guess it is special to microsoft - and hence why IE reads it ansd other browsers that use propeer code don't!)

anyway - nowt to lose - try replacing the sextion in your style code that reads..

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}

with

a:link {
color: #FF0000;
text-decoration: none;
}
a:visited {
text-decoration: none;
color: #FFFF00;
}
a:hover {
text-decoration: none;
color: #0000FF;
}
a:active {
text-decoration: none;
color: #000000;
}

if it doesn't work - then paste it back again - nothing lost... but i don't see why it wouldn't..

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:04 pm

also...

(very important...) change the kid in the red top for a kid in a bolton top...

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:25 pm

Whilst completely above my head, I'll see if it works tomorrow. Cheers, bish!

keveh · Post by **keveh** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:51 pm

thebish wrote:had a look at your source code...
...
if it doesn't work - then paste it back again - nothing lost... but i don't see why it wouldn't..

You can shorten this down to:

a:link, a:visited, a:active {
color: #FF0000;
text-decoration: none;
}
a:hover {
text-decoration: none;
color: #0000FF;
}

The text alignment looks good to me, which part are you talking about?

Bruno wrote:He's never here. There are others qualified to help on here.

Because some of us are too busy working!

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:07 pm

keveh wrote:
thebish wrote:had a look at your source code...
...
if it doesn't work - then paste it back again - nothing lost... but i don't see why it wouldn't..
You can shorten this down to:

a:link, a:visited, a:active {
color: #FF0000;
text-decoration: none;
}
a:hover {
text-decoration: none;
color: #0000FF;
}

The text alignment looks good to me, which part are you talking about?

Bruno wrote:He's never here. There are others qualified to help on here.

Because some of us are too busy working!

ahh - neat code-collapsing!! CSS is not my strong-suit - it was just line-by-line HTML when I designed websites... (but leave out the )

forestBolton · Post by **forestBolton** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:38 am

I know you said you didn't want "use dreamweaver" advice, but I'm afraid I'll have to take that risk.

The reason that happened is simple - you used Publisher - an outdated piece of software whose coding probably only conforms to Microsoft Products, namely IE. This is just why your site failed in Firefox. Microsoft is the worst company for web developers.

I'd start looking at HTML and CSS tutorials and building your own from scratch. What you're doing now is exactly how I started web development. HTML/CSS tutorials is seriously the best way you can go. You get a smugger sense of satisfaction from it

That way you can go into microsoft notepad and do everything in there. Dreamweaver is a great piece of software as well.

Again, sorry to do exactly what you told us not to do, but after having a shitty career in it for 5 years, I felt I should pass that on.

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:48 am

Thanks for the advice, everyone. All academic, apparently - the new version of Firefox will have ironed out the issue and is to be compatible with Publisher and Front Page. Cheers, Technology!

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:10 pm

There's lines in Safari too, but I wouldn't worry too much about that. Many people like lines to indicate links - arguably especially the people you're targeting.

Good luck with it KB - did you say you're in Wimbledon this week or next?

keveh · Post by **keveh** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:28 pm

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:Thanks for the advice, everyone. All academic, apparently - the new version of Firefox will have ironed out the issue and is to be compatible with Publisher and Front Page. Cheers, Technology!

Just remember that some people wont upgrade their Firefox automatically.

I've reverted back to the older version because the new one is full of bugs with extensions I use.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:02 pm

The latest versions of Firefox - and there seem to have been a slew of them - have caused all our work computers to crash more regularly than Maureen Davies after a bottle of sherry.

We've tried switching back to Safari but the content management systems were built for Firefox, which leaves us in a hole, crashing "unexpectedly" every five minutes. Or using two separate browsers, which is hardly ideal, especially as they've grown to resemble each other so much.

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:21 pm

I'm in Wimbledon next week. Tuesday to Friday.

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