Archive for the ‘DGM2740’ Category

Article Reviewed: CSS3 Advanced Layout Module

I have been somewhat going through most of the working drafts regarding CSS3 for sometime now.  There are just so many cool things waiting to happen there, I can’t wait.  The new layout module seems really awesome.  Being able to designate places where elements can be simply dropped in, like ‘widgets’ is really cool.

As a user of WordPress, that already uses some of this type of functionality due to code they have implemented in their own theming, I can see the overall usefulness of this specification.

House of the Rising Phoenix

About

House of the Rising Phoenix is a local gaming shop. They specialize in table-top role-playing games, but also carry collectible card games, board games, miniature war-games as well as some collectible gifts. The primary goal is to provide a place for people to get their gaming gear, and meet up with others of similar interest. The physical store has a main room where their entire product line is carried, as well as a comfortable gaming room to the back. The gaming room is available on a reservation basis, at no cost, to local gaming groups.

Audience

The primary audience for the site is local gamers, comprised mostly of the store’s existing patrons.

Site Objective

The primary objective of the site is to provide an informational source for customers regarding events, contests, competitions and new products.

Thoughts and Concerns

Customer-base for gaming stores is fairly limited. Providing a truly functional and helpful website would assist with keeping interest. If the site doesn’t perform its function correctly, it could in fact drive off customers. Making a simple system for accessing the information is very important, if the process is too difficult, the tool won’t be used. Excitement is also very important, rpg’s are all about exciting the imagination, if the site is dull, the store will be perceived as dull as well.

So, it is a probability that this class will actually encourage me to do more than simply post silly pictures and whatnot to my blog.

I don’t really use this blogging space for much of anything except an occasional ranting box.

I found the choices that Ben Hunt made regarding the ‘best designed’ websites to be somewhat inaccurate. The biggest example I have of this is Apple.com. Yes it _looks_ good, but speaking from a tech-support perspective, their site can often be aggravating. Attempting to assist someone with navigating through their site content is fairly tedious. I haven’t done that for over a year however, and it may have changed since then, but their site tended to only be ‘good’ about 3 links in, after that not so much.

As for ‘The Expert Mind’ article. I am not in the least bit surprised by this study. My oldest boy is a registered chess player who competes several times a year. Chess is just a ‘brain exercise’ so to speak. The strategies and ideas that are used in chess can be applied to many different things. The thing I find interesting is that this is something pretty much all GM’s are aware of. For those that play chess regularly, they are already aware of this, the study just proved what world leaders and many highly intelligent individuals have known for centuries.