Weblog Quotes

As the projects weblog is now up and running, I decided it was time to release an updated version of this skin.

This time around, the future updates procedure will be handled by Messenger Plus! without a necessity to download anything manually.

The main feature for this release is the Plus! toasts now fitting the skins style, with status icons no longer the defaults.

Several small parts have been updated as well, to fit around the projects area.

I’m not sure on where I plan to take this skin, but as new ideas are tried they will most likely be added in. If you have any ideas let me know and I’ll get to work.

All information and downloads for this skin have been moved from the forums, and can now be found here.

Thanks for the continued support.

I could physically scream at Vista right now.

I’m hard at work on the new design for my new website, name yet to be disclosed, and have the files scattered across three separate locations, my XP desktop; my external hard disk; and one of my memory pens.

When I first transferred the files over to my laptop to do a little cross-browser-testing it took me for ever to get Firefox 3.0 to even open the .html file. I had to fight the system to finally run it, and I can’t remember how I did but it worked fine. I.E 7 worked fine from the start. Pshh, typical.

The initial tests proved positive, with everything looking good across five browsers, which is always a good sign this early on.

Howeverrrr, and that’s a long; drawn out howeverrrr, today I decided to plug in the external disk to watch a movie on tv through my Xbox, fiasco posted below this one; listen to a bit of music since the laptop has none, which is now being streamed through my tv, cool huh?; and do a little more browser testing now everything has changed substantially.

Or so I thought. (That seems to be the pattern with me and technology, something never goes as straight forward as it should).

For some reason the external disk has read-only protection on the files, which I can remove but doesn’t help anything. For some daft reason, when I try to save the files Vista starts to cry about not being able to locate it. Yea, got me confused as well. I can’t even save the file as a fresh one as it can’t find the folder. Umm, it’s kind of open with this file in it.

This is where XP beats Vista for usability. Vista has the looks but that’s just a mac in a funny jumper.

*Considers formatting fully to Kubuntu* .. or buying a mac book thing!

Apart from all of these Vista issues the new design’s coming along well, it’s only a simple one with a nice colour and about three images, one of which is an icon.

I’m happy to say the design currently works on the current settings:

• Firefox 2 under Windows XP (sp2 & sp3), at 1024×768
• Opera 9.5 under Windows XP (sp3), at 1024×768
• IE6 under Windows XP (sp2 & sp3), at 1024×768
• Firefox 3 under Windows Vista (sp1), at 1280×800
• IE7 under Windows Vista (sp1), at 1280×800

Still to be Tested:

• Firefox 3 under Ubuntu & Kubuntu 8.04, at 1280×800
• Konquror under Kubuntu 8.04, at 1280×800

I would like to point out that if you use anything below I.E 6 it will not be supported. No exceptions! Simply upgrade to the latest stable release of I.E and everything will work as it should. I recommend I.E 7 though, 8 is still a beta so may possibly be buggy.

Over the next few weeks I shall continue to work on the designs, as well as the Windows Live Messenger skins I am making. There is a Ubuntu Live Messenger skin available for beta testing over at the forums, so get over there; download it; test it; give ideas for it; and help squish bugs.

Look out for more news soon.

Are Microsoft after something you think?

The first beta release of the latest browser update has been available since Thursday, which quite frankly not that many people will care about.

News of the newest version does mean that I now have to make sure the site works correctly, as Microsoft are finally stepping into the same boat as every other browser and are going standards compliant. Yes you heard right, they’re going to make the internet work again, yay!!

As i don’t actually have IE 7 installed, and I won’t be installing IE 8 neither, I’m going to have to crash someones house and “borrow” their computer to test the website and weblog. Might be an issue there.

Since the forums are belonging to IPS I’ll leave it up to the guys over there to make everything compatible, as screen shots show a few iffy parts.

Why can’t all you open source gods collaborate with the w3c and just make one sexy browser, that works well; looks good; runs fast; and is customisable for all us “I don’t want that feature” users. That would solve all design issues.

Oh well, I’m just going to have to find someone silly enough to install a Microsoft beta and see how scary the sites really are.

Now XPS – P3 would be such a cool name! XPS is total hardcore, while P3, well I’m not too sure about the P3 to be honest.

Anywhoo, why not be late? The second release candidate for this service pack has been around for a week now; and the news of SP3 has been around since last year, but I’ve only known of it for two weeks! Two weeks is well laaaaaaaame.

As I haven’t blogged much else I’ve decided to have my say. So there. Microsoft “loves” .. us?

This pack will include all of the previously released updates for SP2, which is good seeing as how I don’t install them.

I dare say this so called news won’t really appeal much since when I manage to buy my laptop I’ll be installing Ubuntu onto the desktop! .. and no, I won’t be buying a vista run laptop!! Don’t get me wrong, it looks nice and everything, I just prefer it on someone else’s machine.

If I have no luck with my laptop I may go for one of those air thingies, you know, with an apple on it. I would need a wage package first though! Starting at £1199, that’s just like asking the guy wearing the ski mask to hold your money.

I suppose if the pack is fully released before I become employed I’ll install it and break everything.

Having just read the topic and realised I haven’t blogged in a little while I decided to kick things back into action with an entry about the release of ZetaBoards.

That’s right, it has finally arrived. After so many years of waiting, and so much speculation, the team at InvisionFree have rolled out their superb new bulletin board software.

You can read the official announcement to, well, not exactly find out more but yea, just read it.

I now have to decide whether or not to upgrade the development board as well as the main board. Not that it matters, I have IP.Board. As stated on the website I will be continuing skin creation for InvisionFree, as it’s still possible to register boards. This does now mean I need to sit down and learn to skin ZetaBoards, which I don’t have the time to do right now, so theme releases won’t be happening until next year.

I still have the IF-Enhanced skin to finish, and I now need to update it to Zeta. Oh well, get yourselves over there and register a board…

Well I would say it’s official but anything Microsoft related has been for a good few years now .. content inside tables, inside divs, inside tables, inside divs, inside internet explorer 6 severely suck!

I’m talking about the skin I currently have in production for InvisionFree. The effect I have includes nice little corners around the content boxes and the main page. Explorer doesn’t like this when I add a little bit of padding to make it all look nicer. Having spent some time adding everything inside another table and stuffing widths on them the effect sort of works correctly, or is livable for those st00pid enough to actually use a Microsoft browser. However, now that one thing works something else breaks, well it isn’t actually broke, just to wide in some places.

I’m considering taking a few leaves off of the Microsoft tree and releasing the skin half finished; un-viewable within their own product. But that isn’t fare to the poor people unable to download a decent browser.

I dare say the whole issue will be solvable but I’m just worn out. I’ve considered removing the nice effect and having the skin standard. Either that or attempt a different method to get the same effect. Yea, that sounds good.

Next weeks news: An unknown male; about 22, was found breaking into peoples homes and removing a piece of software from peoples computers. When questioned by police as to why, he simply stated “because I care”.

Update to this: I have now managed to produce the same effect I was after in a different way, using st00pid tabhulz0rz!!11!11 .. As I’m going to be unavailable next week both of the skins won’t be finished until the second week of November .. hopefully.

Since I have numerous references to this “ZetaBoards” I have decided to create an entry on it.

For those without a clue as to what it is, ZetaBoards is a free bulletin board software owned by Zathyus Networks. They allow users of the web to create a community on a reliable and secure forum system created with php, without the hassle of downloading; installing; maintaining; and upgrading that comes with software such as IP.Board.

Although ZetaBoards is still officially in the Beta stages, it is being produced to replace the current InvisionFree service also offered by Zathyus Networks. This service is a direct copy of IPB v1.3, which was available for free some time ago.

The ZetaBoards software allows a brand new system to come into play out on the web, as well as allowing the current IF users and staff alike to move away from IPS services altogether. The software is great for those with no experience, or who simply wish for the work to be done for them without worry.

I am not sure on the final release dates for the software, or even when it moves out of Beta, but hopefully it will be soon. Check out the beta board and see what you think. ZetaBoards has since been released and has seen several upgrades over the past year.