caipenar

Thank you for all the suggestions on the site. Maybe what we can do is this, we can try to mimic the current site as closely as possible, but just have the guts of the site running with database driven content. So hopefully the change won't be too drastic or confusing. I know that Rich is going to start adding content and if anyone else want to help out in design/development/content everything is open source so drop me a personal message and I will send you whatever information/source files you need. There are some issues with the layout that need addressed (IE 5-6 The world's most annoying browser) which I will mess with this weekend. Also, I will try to maximize the space on the forum so that it will fill the entire page and just leave the top links. Again if anyone can donate a bit of time it would be greatly appreciated!

I'm not trying to break anything by creating more ways to access content. If there are functionality issues (being kicked off after logging in) we can address those as bugs before the site launch. Talking about the gallery, it could be as closed or open as you want it to be. The software has the ability to allow users to upload photos or it also can be in view only mode (which it is right now). If there are legal reasons why it should be closed, then you can prohibit users from posting/downloading those pictures. Here is a link to the software I'm using with detailed documentation: http://gallery.menalto.com/ The focus of the site will still be the forum, just because it is already a great resource. People will still be able to post pictures in the forum and talk about them, I'm just giving everyone the option to expand those ideas. We could even link to forum stories on the front page, or create an archive of the best threads and link to them. I recently added a wiki section that could allow people to post articles about moving into certain neighborhoods, the best restaurants/clubs, detailed listings of the largest/tallest buildings in the state, etc. Stuff that is discussed in the forum could be archived and could be maintained as a resource along with photos of the places being described. There are all kinds of possibilities. Really all I want to do is to provide the tools and you guys would be the ones who would utilize them. If something isn't working you can always change it or get rid of it.

The layout that I have created right now has a fixed width of 700px. I'm working on allowing the forum to stretch to fit the size of any monitor but that isn't in place yet. So really, a given user will only lose about 150px due to side menu. You could probably make up a lot of this space by messing with layout of the actual forum. An example of an integrated forum: http://www.joomlahacks.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,94/ Or you could just hide the side menu entirely if the forum is begin displayed. An example: http://www.berggeit.nl/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=412 The advantage you get from integrating the gallery, forum with the rest of the site is that the user experience become more fluid, meaning its easier to navigate between sections of the site. You also have multiple ways to get to the same information. For example, instead of posting pictures on the forum, you could login and post your pictures to the picture gallery directly so that you can associate keywords, descriptions, etc so that it can indexed and searched more easily. There is a lot of great information on this site but sometimes it can be tedious to search through the forum posts to find what you are looking for. I know it seems like its a big jump, but when all your information is integrated it makes finding exactly what you A LOT easier in the long run. Here is some more information on Usability: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability#Usability_considerations

Right now the main content area is set to 700 pixels in width because of an issue with IE 6. I'm trying to mess with the layout so that it will become fluid and stretch with the screen size and work in every browser. About the photos, I'm looking into some new gallery software that will allow all the pictures to be database driven. I really like http://www.plogger.org but I will see how difficult it would be to integrate into the site. Right now the pictures are basically being displayed through a frame. I'm looking into something that will allow pictures to be tagged and searched.

I'm not sure actually. I assume we will probably tweak it a little bit. I haven't really messed with the forum much yet.

TraderJake, Yeah I actually was going for a gritty look. When I think Ohio I think dirty, but in a cool way. Here is another version of the layout with a slightly lighter palette. Maybe I could make a few variations and just everyone vote on the one they like the best. Aaron

wow IE 5 really rips the site a new one. That window is supposed to resize to fit your screen so there is no scrolling, looks like a javascript issue. Maybe we could fix that with the updated picture galleries. It also looks the side links aren't embedding correctly either. Right now the section titles are stored in the content management system so that shouldn't a tough fix. Maybe I could add some opacity to the banner so that the logo stands out a bit more...

Quimbob what browser are you using? (ex Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc)

I can give you a bit of background on the project. About myself, I'm a web developer from the akron/cleveland area and an avid urbanohio.com reader. (sometimes a reluctant poster) There was a discussion about adding a podcast to urbanohio.com about a year ago and I offered my help in getting things started. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5562.0 As the discussion went on (on the forum and in private messages) we realized there were all kinds of other updates we could add to the site, but the site as it was currently running would have been difficult to integrate the features because there was no database in control of the content except for the forum. If we wanted to maintain a fluid site (one username/password per user, database driven content, etc) we could have to start from scratch. So I offered that I redesign the site and integrate some new features (upgraded picture gallery, podcast ability, blogging, etc) as long as I could do things in my own time without a strict deadline. As it happens right after committing to the project, I bought a new house and got a new job and was really really busy. So finally this past month I found the time to sit down and concentrate on the site again. I have been in contact with RichInCincy and ColDayMan here and there over the past year about the project so I'm sure this has been a long time coming :-). Right now there is a lot of information on the test site that is just "filler" information so it is basically in a barebones state, but it is now database driven which will improve functionality/integration greatly. Really the point of posting the site now, in the state that is it currently in, is just to test for browser issues, errors, login problems etc. before adding more functionality. My motivations for this project were simple, urbanohio.com is a great site and I wanted to contribute something to make it better. It was really refreshing to come across such a focused and positive online community when a lot of Ohioans can be the exact opposite. I thought at least I could contribute something in an effort to make the community the best it could be.

Hey everybody, I know I promised about a year ago to design/develop a new urbanohio.com, well I have finally buckled down and gotten the site into the testing phase. The testing site can be viewed by going to: http://www.urbanohio.com/v4/ We are going to need content contributors and bug reporters so if anyone can donate some time it would be greatly appreciated. If you do experience a bug please report it here in this thread. Also any feedback/ideas would be appreciated, I hope you all enjoy! Thanks, Aaron

its been a while, but I thought it would be a worthy topic to post. My hometown, Tallmadge OH A church still stands at the center of the town. Church member Lemuel Porter designed the church. Built between 1822 and 1825, the Tallmadge Church is virtually unchanged architecturally from when it was first built. The only addition to the church was a small room on the back of the church to house the pipes of the pipe organ. The original structure was forty feet wide and fifty-six feet long. The steeple is one hundred feet high, and a Greek Revival portico exists on the front of the church.

^ That is true, and I understand that at some point the resource will run out, I don't think anyone really debates that point. I think it’s basically the time table that people argue over. I do think that consumption can be curbed with the advent of hybrid technology, but eventually something will have to replace gas. I really have high hopes for fuel cell technology as well, considering that in Akron it was announced that there will be a new fuel cell research facility. I realize fuel cells are a way off, but I think there will be a time when they become cost effective; being in the tech field I place a lot of faith on ingenuity. I also think the article takes the side of rail only being an option if cars become too expensive, which I think incorrect. I think both cars and rail can play a part in the future of transportation in the area. Recently returning from Seattle, a city that desperately needs a good central rail system, using a car to get from one place to another was too costly and annoying. I think connecting hub areas (Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Toledo, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati) is in the best interest of the state because I think overall to would reduce the cost of transportation in order to do business, etc. I guess I'm one of those people that think that cars and rail can live happily together if they both do what they do best.

I found this article on the web. It takes the other side on the peak oil argument. Its hard who to believe on this issue because one side says supply will run out soon, the other side says we have plenty. Supply is the variable that seems to change from argument to argument. I don't know if anyone on this forum knows anyone in the gas business, but how are we supposed to know unless you have access to some pretty privledged info? http://libertyunbound.com/archive/2005_12/otoole-oil.html The Myth of Peak Oil by Randal O'Toole The world is running out of oil. Demand in China and other Asian nations is rising rapidly, yet total oil production will soon peak and then decline. As a result, today's high oil prices, driven by Katrina and Rita, are only a harbinger of even higher prices to come. Such high prices mean an end to life as we know it — life in the suburbs with automobiles, Wal-Marts, and other modern conveniences. Randal O'Toole is senior economist with the Thoreau Institute and author of "Reforming the Forest Service."

This is exactly the transition our economy needs; high tech manufacturing. I have a good feeling about this venture, especially considering the resources available in the area.

You would think the older generations would have a problem with moving back into cities. My parents first bought a house in goodyear heights when they were married. This neighborhood was right down the street from the goodyear production plants. They said they couldn't wait to get out of the city because at certain times of the month black rubber soot from the smoke stacks covered everything on their street. But I think that cities have gotten a lot cleaner, especially around here, and people are getting over the fear of living in a "dirty downtown". Maybe it took a while longer in our area because of stories like my parents, who grew up in an industrial city like Akron. I'm 24 and I know that a lot of my friends are actually excited about living in a city oposed to a suburb. I think the transition for the younger generations will be easier than those older ones.