The Herald: May 2005 Edition

[urbancinderella]

[urbancinderella]

... Of the Month

Avatar Of The Month
By: Joe



Avatars; some people will always be known by that small place under name that can house a 100X100 pixel image. Whether it's comical, or a Graphical Marvel, your effort doesn't go un-noticed. This month, I was in charge of meandering around the forum and looking for that person who was sporting this one of kind image. This month, a certain someone caught my undivided attention. Pneumonia, you are the winner. Although he is rather new, he has been very active, (specifically in my precious Chillout Board). Over time his avatar really grew on me, y'know? It may not be a graphic masterpiece, but it is very noticeable. It caught my eye, and that was what I was aiming for. The colors are very nicely fit. And the text, humorous and all, is nicely placed.

So, there you have it. Our winner, Pneumonia. I hope all who read this, know what I am looking for. So, 'til next time... best of luck.

Signature Of The Month
By: Joe



Ok, for this month we had a lot of competition. After my lengthy look around the forum, and one tough decision, I made my choice. And our winner is the talented Equinox. His simple, yet very unique sig caught my eye. The colors are very light, and easy on the eyes. The design is very unusual, and that is always good. The text is also very nicely used for this minimalistic masterpiece. So, there you have it, our SOTM winner, Equinox. Congrats to all graphic artists, may you continue to improve and maybe next month, you will have the distinction of having, "SOTM".

Photograph of the Month
Submission by Whitney

It took me a while to find a photograph that really seemed to just catch my eye: something that was nicely captured, had all the other good components of photography, but had a lot of creativity. Then, after coming to the Memoir section of Community Portraits, I found it. This photo just seemed to hug me to death, as that's certainly what I wanted to do to it.

Helpless, by Zephix, is such a cute and cuddly picture. The big, black eyes seem so suspicious, yet are instantly loveable. Perhaps when this fluffy animal is dry and warm, he'll be cuddlier.

The border could be a bit wider, so as to frame the picture better. The barcode and text at the bottom seem a bit jumbled into the bottom. Otherwise, it's an amazingly adorable picture.

Nicely done, Zephix.

Movie of the Month
Submitted by urbancinderella

Sahara

I'll admit, I wasn't dying to go see this movie, but instead was dragged along by a friend with promises of the gorgeous Matthew. It was, therefore, a surprise when I found myself watching one of the better movies that's been put out in a while. The action genre, which lately had proven itself to be down on its luck, seemed revitalized in this fast-paced story that leads the viewer through Africa on a quest of both history and current politics. If you like gun fights, African music, solar power plants, or old Civil War stories, this movie is for you.

Member of the Month - *Cyberex
Submission by Jack

Tireless Show Off rater *cyberex, with his helpful comments and constructive criticism, is this month's Member of the Month. *cyberex, who has been a member since April 2004, has picked up a unique graphical style and a flair for rating, becoming one of SSD's top raters and designers in his relatively short tenure here.


Well done, *cyberex

Forum Quotes of the Month
Chosen By Joe

The names he'll be called? Who cares?! HE LOST HIS PENIS!
Quacker

Cleaning. Don't ask.
Shadow

Yay! I'm famous in the skating world!
Oliver

Ick/Eww/Aww.
Urban.Cinderella

Mine was some miscellaneous obscenity.
MadJackMcJack

GOD DAMMIT. I told you it was easy. I just blew it away. SH*T!!!
egbakaet

Lowlife piece of scum.
Squall Leonheart

Shoot one of my teachers tyres while they are driving and watch them crash and burn.... im a nice guy....
Mr Stabby

Go to a big supermarket and have a major foodfight.
Pneumonia

Become Pope, and change Catholic law regarding celibacy.
Morgoth the Brat

All of the fake somebodies are going to say real nobody so they don't look bad and all of the real nobodies are going to say real nobody so they don't look like real nobodies.
Del

Aww, c'mon. Just a lil fun. I'll let you own me with whatever you want.
A_Leon

Famous Quotes of the Month
Chosen by urbancinderella

What this country needs is institution, constitution and pros...perity
Winston Churchill

Those people that think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Isaac Asimov

I've had a wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Groucho Marx

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.
William Shakespeare

Someone sent me a postcard picture of the earth. On the back it said, "Wish you were here."
Stephen Wright

“There is no use in trying,” said Alice;
“one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,”
said the Queen. “When I was your age,
I always did it for half an hour a day.
Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as
six impossible things before breakfast.
Lewis Carroll

Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
Mark Twain

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.
Mark Twain

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.
Maya Angelou

Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.
Albert Einstein

Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.
Jesse Jackson

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi

My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.
Indira Gandhi

[urbancinderella]

Sloth Day
Submission by Kari

For all you people who love the sport of being complete and utter couch-potatoes, your day has come. Now you have an excuse to sit there and do nothing for as long as you please on the day of May 9th. Why, you ask? Simply because it is International Sloth Day.

For those of you who don’t know what a sloth is, think Sid from Ice Age. Yeah, that was the lazy creature with a lisp that slept on a tree (or tried to anyway).

In Ice Age, sloths are portrayed as lazy creatures, so in order to fully celebrate and get into the spirit of International Sloth Day, we must first learn about and partake in the art of laziness. Listed below is a brief summary on said art.

• Find the simplest solutions
  
• Only use the simplest solutions
  
• Where there is a lot to do, only do the important 20 percent of the task
  
• Enjoy life
  
• Be lazy
  

Sloths get their name because of their slow movements and the way that they generally don’t care about trying to keep up with the world and the rate at which it rushes by. They also tend not to get along with each other too, but we’ll just ignore that little piece of information for the mean time. Something fascinating about them – they can turn their head 270 degrees either way. Scary, huh?

So come May 9th, reach up from the depths of your couch - briefly ignoring the laziness to which you may succumb to during this holiday - and salute the sloths. For without them, this holiday would not exist.

Information obtained from:

• www.promotega.org/csu00005/Sloth%20INFO.html
  
• www.infoweb.co.nz/opinions/art-of-laziness
  
• alum.wpi.edu/~wes/holiday.htm
  

[urbancinderella]

SSD General News
Submission by Oliver

Without a doubt, April has been one of the busiest and most dramatic months that we’ve ever experienced, so let's round it all off.

At the start of the month, SSD was sinking deeper and deeper into inactivity, which has unfortunately meant that we have lost three wonderful administrators: Ash, Peter and Alan. However, they are still to be found appearing on the forum and contributing to our community and their work cannot be forgotten, but this also marks a new era for ssd.

So what changed? Firstly at the top, I took Ash’s place as main admin on the forum, personally this is a bigger step than I ever anticipated it would be, much more responsibility and more decisions to make, which wasn’t easy. So Urban Cinderella and Squall joined me on the admin team, both very well deserved. For the Super Moderator team Avtar joined Christie though his loyalty and hard work for over a year. On our moderator team we welcomed Kari as photo board and magazine co-editor, Cyberex as another SSD Official Rater. Each of them still doing a marvellous job!

Things always happens in twos and this was no exception, the domain has expired which added to the mass confusion and generated reports that SSD had died and everyone had wondered off elsewhere, but alas no. We are using our sub-domain at the moment, this is only temporary, and I hope to get this sorted out in the next few days. Which also leads me on to say thank you to all those that offered to purchase the domain, it meant a lot, but we will get this sorted out.

Everyone loves contests don’t they? Well this month and next month there is a whole host of them occurring.

The Hex Games: These were announced way back before Christmas, but they were started later than expected and it seems that a number of people have moved on since then. So these will be re-launched with sign ups open for a contest at a time, followed by entry submission afterwards, we will keep you posted about this.

Battle of the Sexes v2: Another interesting battle being run by Nick, one side of girls and one side of boys will compete against each other, expect to see the results appearing in the SSD image gallery

Digital Art Challenge: A new addition to the forums, every two weeks a new challenge will be set based on a set theme and your own interpretation of that theme. Our former tutorial moderator, Forsaken is overseeing this. The first winner of the ‘Nature Challenge’ was Kari.

The SSD Art Group was a well-kept secret since around March with only a handful of members and staff being aware of it. On April 12th, the group released their first collection, based around the theme of colour. A wonderful array of different styles from the pack can be viewed in the SSD Image Gallery on the website.

One of the most prominent changes you will of noticed is that there are various people with purple names, although you might be wondering if it’s just a part of the decoration on the forum, it’s not. They are our new Herald Staff for a monthly magazine; each will contribute a wealth of knowledge fact and opinion. We hope that you enjoy this issue of the magazine, as it’s just a taste of what’s to come.

[urbancinderella]

Interview
Submission by D5

D5: Hello, UC. How are you doing?
UC: Very sleepy, actually.

D5: I'm sure this past month has been quite a hectic one: one that included the change of ownership here at SSD and one that will be featuring the long awaited release of ProBoards version 4. How have you been able to cope with the changes and the stress that came with those adjustments?
UC: Full body massages. Definitely.

As of right now, it's a bit hectic trying to get everything organized... but I think that once many of our new opportunities and programs get up and running, it will be smooth sailing from then on.

D5: What are some changes you would like to implement so that SolidSnake Designs becomes well-known in graphic design world?
UC: The title of a Resource site is holding us back. Designers want to be part of a community, not part of a resource site. We have to move from this shop mentality and into that of an apartment.

At the moment, there are inside and outside improvements that need to be done. Inside of SSD, it's obvious that members don't feel they can contribute into the community anymore. Small programs help with this. The art group and The Herald give members a chance to become part of their community. There are numerous contests scattered around through the board- as well as low-tone "practice" exercises that offer each and every person the chance to contribute to something that is gathered as a community... and yet show off their own personal talents at the same time. Chillout is also a place that is quickly improving (for that we have only the members + Joe to thank... they really have stepped up to the task and I couldn't be more proud of them)... and we are aiming for more light-hearted things that do not specifically involve designing... but can just be bonding in the community.

As for improvements that are external, we need to change our facade. As we stand now, we have potential to become a great community like Pixelex, Neosynthesis, depthCORE, or even DeviantART but are hiding behind a resource board. To get past this, we need attention from those who are outside of this. This means affiliating with places that are going to bring us new design members. The old saying, "You are who you associate with" may well prove true.

D5: The members of SolidSnake Designs and "rival" graphic site, Zanmato Designs, have formed an intense rivalry and hatred, you could say, for each other? What are your views on that?
UC: There is never a shortage of haters for any place, thing or person. The fact that one person at ProBoards Support makes a post about what awful service we have or how snotty the staff is shouldn't matter: it's pride in our community that does. (And after reading through the rumors discussed on ProBoards Support when SolidSnake Designs underwent so many changes, I'm not apt to count their gossip as much more than hot air.) As for rivals in other graphic sites such as Zanmato Designs... I personally only care about the friendly rivalry. Sure there are members who have a certain dislike for SSD, just like there are members here who dislike others. But after spending time at both Zanmato Designs and G101, I'm more convinced than ever that there is less hatred out there and more rivalry. If this can be morphed into a sort of affiliation with each other, a kind of bond between the large graphic sites, I think we would each be happier. But though I consider myself a friend of Nadim (and view his input highly), I would never push this matter.

D5: Members who contributed so much to the community have recently left; notably, Ash, Alan, and Peter. Is there anything you would like to say about their departure and what they have done to form such a large community?
UC: Everyone must move on. The circumstances of their leaving were each different and will only be discussed by them, if they so wish. But I can honestly say that they have not changed apart from not being around here. Peter seems happier to have more time to himself, Alan is exploring new things, and Ash is getting his schoolwork done without the pressure of having to work here. In the end, their departure should never take away from the time they spent here. I was awed by these three when I first arrived, and though the awe has worn off into fairly good friendship, their talents will never cease to amaze... or be missed.

D5: Lastly, are there any things you would like to say to the members? A final word?
UC: I've droned on long enough, I think. There's no need for more "SSD will be reborn" type propaganda because... it already has. There will come a time when it will be harder to keep the new growth going, but I am confident the community can handle it. The members have always been amazing, no one could hope for a better group, and I hope that everyone continues to remain and help SSD as it improves.

D5: Thank you for your time, UC.

[urbancinderella]

Coding Tip
Submission by A_Leon


It seems that people don't like to space codes. And those that do, don't know how to keep the spacing without using [pre] tags. [pre] tags do preserve spacing, but at the cost of making everything one like when copied.
So, Peter has come up with an alternative. He's made a [tab] tag for SSD. What this does, is it adds 3 spaces to save spacing. Not a normal space, but an   instead.

But first, I'll talk about spacing and when to space. The general rule to follow...if it ends in {, you tab in the next line(s). Let's look at the Change Forum Width from the FAQ.

Some people would save space and combine things, and submit it like this.
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--

var iTable = document.getElementsByTagName("table");
for(t=0;t<iTable.length;t++){
if(iTable[t].width == "92%"){
iTable[t].width = "WIDTH";
}}

//-->
</script>

Although it works, it's not that clean. Others will have the tabbing right in notepad, but when they post it turns into this.

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--

var iTable = document.getElementsByTagName("table");
for(t=0;t<iTable.length;t++){
if(iTable[t].width == "92%"){
iTable[t].width = "WIDTH";
}
}

//-->
</script>

In order to save spacing, it's best for you to place the code in [size] tags and using [tab]. In the textarea, you'd format it like this.

[size=1]<script type="text/javascript">
<!--

var iTable = document.getElementsByTagName("table");
for(t=0;t<iTable.length;t++){
[tab]if(iTable[t].width == "92%"){
[tab][tab]iTable[t].width = "WIDTH";
[tab]}
}

//-->
</script>[/size]

Once posted, that would return this.

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--

var iTable = document.getElementsByTagName("table");
for(t=0;t<iTable.length;t++){
if(iTable[t].width == "92%"){
Table[t].width = "WIDTH";
}
}

//-->
</script>

Pretty easy, eh?

Here's a list of items you'd space after:

• for () {
  
• if () {
  
• with () {
  
• switch () {
  
• case "" :
  
• while () {
  
• } else {
  
• function Blah() {
  
• do {
  

Hopefully you'll do better to space your codes out .

[urbancinderella]

Coding Review
Submission by A._Leon


I was a bit disappointed to only receive 3 reviews. Only 'cause all 3 sucked. Kidding of course.
The person I have chosen is Kenshin. Some may know him as Ricky, Proto, or Himura.

Here's his review, I'll write comments about it afterwards.

REVIEW:

1. Checked Browser Compatibility, but didn't really need to since it was posted in Cross-Browser Database, but I re-tested it just to make sure and it did work very well in Opera.

2. I didn't seem to find any bugs or flaws and didn't really see any ways the Coding could be greatly improved.

3. It was pretty stylish, but two things I've found: There’s not really any need to use vars just put its var name =""; makes it look a bit stylish and cleaner in my opinion...and your spacing was ok, but not all that great. The way I learn to space is to only space the stuff after a for() loop with the tab button.

---

Personal Rating: 9.5/10

---

Professional Rating: 8.9/10

- Himura

It's simple, yet effective.

• Pros:
  • Noted about Opera
  • Noted spacing
  
  
• Cons:
  • Gave false information about spacing
  • Didn't mention loading time
  • Didn't mention if it was user-friendly

Over all, he did a good job. With the notes about spacing, that brings me to my coding tip....spacing.

[urbancinderella]

Upcoming Scripts
Submission By Kenshin

Alpha Info Center v2.0 - By InfectionX
Features: Hide/Show Info Center Sections
Select Type Of Info Center via Edit Profile Page
Admin Integrated


Celestial RPG v1.0 - By InfectionX
Features: Basic RPG Stats in Mini-Profile
Simple Battle System via Posting Page
Edit RPG Bio. via Edit Profile Page


Smiley Pop-Up Box In Quick Reply - By InfectionX
Features: Adds a Link to a Smiley Pop-Up Box In Quick Reply Box


RPG Blizzard - By Naoki & Kenshin
Features: Mini-Profile Re-Vamped with RPG Stats
RPG Profile Editable In RPG Profile Page[Tons Of Features In This Part]
RPG Menu Above Menubar
Admin Controlled:
RPG Shop | RPG Itemshop | Battlefield[Bots] | Sections: On/Offline
Tons more features, but you'll have to wait for those.

[urbancinderella]

Helpful Graphic Hint No. 1
By: Virus

"Ahhhhhhhhh! I have to create a vector piece and submit it to the SOTW in an hour! What's vector?!"

Sound familiar? Probably. But don't worry, you're not as ignorant as you may think. Until recently, I even thought "trendwhore" was a style of tech-grunge sig. So, we all can make mistakes about that. And the lingo can be pretty confusing. But don't worry, I'm here to help you figure out what it is you have to make, and the best way to make it.

Let's start with vector art. Vector is probably best described as having very sharp and definate contrast. This includes, but is not limited to, very bright and vibrant colors. I know there's a better way to explain it, but I think we all have the idea. It turns photographs into cartoons. My best advice would be to use light colors and make sure that there is a definite contrast. Vector can easily be done by incorporating tech brushes and other definitive objects into the piece.

Grunge is my favorite to work with, and has always been the easiest thing for me to do. Grunge is derived from the feeling of dirt and grime. Often portrayed using blood and gore, it can also be very abstract and have absolutely no real design to it. The fonts "Anything You Want" and "Grunge" make text fit into grunge pieces very nicely. "Blasphemy" is a font that works well with soft grunge. Soft grunge is usually a background that is paired with abstract and often contains the texture of fire. Very popular among artists. Unfortunately, good soft grunge brushes aren't very easy to find.

Woohoo! Abstract! Renders! Right? No, not always. While renders play a very important part of the abstract piece, it isn't in itself abstract. Abstract refers to any piece that has no real meaning or isn't really supposed to be anything. Such as grunge. Yes, grunge can be classified as abstract. At least, in some cases. Abstract renders are common when they have the "spiked ball" look to them, or when they are just... there. No real reason for them other than they look good. In some cases, vector art could also be considered abstract.

We close out with tech. Fire up the scanlines boys and girls, it's time to make it look pretty. Tech is generally associated with pixel fonts, scanlines, and shiny/globe fragments. Using the right tools and having the right brushes makes tech very easy. Commonly given a motherboard look, tech can be applied to grunge, abstract, vector, etc. In fact, it's hard to look at a modern piece of digital art without finding something containing tech. When doing tech pieces, just think pixels. Pixels are your best friend in this. They're perhaps the top component.

I hope you enjoyed this instalment of Helpful Graphic Hints.

[urbancinderella]

Types of Art
Submission by Nick Leingang

Grunge - Grunge is a style of art typically set apart from other kinds of art by its "dirtiness". Grunge art is made using a combination of stocks, filters, and brushes. Grunge is very easy to recognize. One of the things you mainly see in grunge art is greatly varying shades of color layered on top of each other to form a "dirty" effect.

Trendwhore - Trendwhore art is always changing. Trendwhore is whatever seems to be popular at the moment. As of currently, most things that are considered trendwhore are:

• Bevelled text with a pixel stroke around the outside.
  
• Text with a stroke and inner drop shadow.
  
• A render with grainy brushing.

There are also forum skins that are considered trendwhore. Forum trendwhores include the following:

• Head and Base images.
  
• Mostly gray with an "accent color".
  
• Underlined links on hover.

Abstract - Abstract is a type of art that consists of something imaginary or something close to it. Most abstract art includes a render and some brushing over the top of it, however, just because an image has a render in it, does not mean it’s abstract. Abstract art also make simply include a picture (stock) with a few more stocks or something similar blended over the top.

Surreal - Surreal art is defined as something that is close to reality, but not quite it. Such as a person's face in the middle of a flower would be surreal. Many people may confuse surreal art with Abstract art, but they both have distinct styles. Most surreal art tends to be more minimalistic then abstract is.

Minimalism - Minimalism is a great type of art to start with. Minimalism is art in its simplest form: using few shapes, colors, and objects to create a piece of art. Some people may think that minimalism is easy. It can be easy at times, but getting the point of your image across with few objects can be very complicated, also.

Vector - Vector art is a very complex form of art. Vector art is done in layers - the gradual shading from one color to the next. However, instead or actually shading, it is done by using a clearly defined edge of a color before moving on to the next. This type of art is general made using a vector program, such as Adobe Illustrator, however, you are able to use other programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Jasc Paint Shop Pro and get okay results.

Photo manipulation - Photo manipulation is taking a stock image and editing it into something different. Photo manipulation usually crosses off into a category such as grunge, abstract, or surrealism, but it still can be classified as its own group.

Pixel art - Pixel art is done by taking a small pencil brush, usually size 1, zooming close and filling in pixel by pixel. Pixel art is one of the most time consuming process, and thus there aren't many very large pixel art pieces. A pixel art image is very time consuming, but very rewarding. Many people admire pixel artists because they are determined and patient.

[urbancinderella]

Webmaster Reviews - Choosing A Good Host
By: Virus

In this first installment of the Webmaster Reviews, we will be looking at what host gives you the most bang for your buck. Who is worth your time, and who needs to go. All very good questions, and all are very necessary questions. You wouldn't start mountain climbing without a strong safety line, just like you wouldn't start a website without a strong, reliable host. Below I have listed 3 popular hosts for you to choose from, as well as pros and cons about choosing them.

Elixant
Diskspace: 500MB-2,000MB
Bandwidth: 15GB-60GB
Price: $4.95-$16.95 (Monthly)
Elixant is the choice of many of the net's largest websites. In fact, SSD is hosted on it. Elixant supports almost all coding languages, and has possibly the best customer support out there. While their uptime is prone to crash more often than never, the problems are almost always fixed within an hour, showing that they care about their customers, and are always 1 step ahead of problems.

Xigna
Diskspace: 500MB-5,000MB
Bandwidth: 10,000GB-100,000GB
Price: $1-$200 (Monthly)
Possibly my favorite host of all time. They definitely give you more than anyone could possibly ask for. Support is always friendly, and will fix all major problems usually within 48 hours. There is usually a warning to most problems before I can even encounter them. This also shows that Xigna Hosting keeps good tabs on their servers and customers. Live support is always an option with Xigna, as they will even get on AIM to help solve your problems in real time.

ImHosted
Diskspace: 3GB-4GB
Bandwidth: 150GB-180GB
Price: $9.95-$19.95 (Monthly)
While one of the most popular and award winning of the bunch, it's stats don't have much of a range. But do you really need more? Very cheap, very big, and very much into customer support. They are even online past 11 o'clock at night to help you with all your needs. If that's not dedicated, then show me what is.

---

Join me next issue for a look at website accessories.

[urbancinderella]

Windows Customization - Part One
Submission by Profi

---

I was hired on the sole basis that I would create a 3 part series on Windows Customization, so I have closed all the porn windows from my browser as I am to begin writing this.

This month, I am going to introduce you into the history of Windows Customization... starting...

....
.....
.........
..............
................... Now?

Desktop Themes were introduced as part of Windows 95. Microsoft uses the term to describe applying a color scheme (changing the colors of the Graphical User Interface, GUI for short), a sound scheme (changing the sound effects played), as well as changing the wallpaper and icons.

Skins came later. Skins first originated in video games. The game "Quake" was the first game that allowed players to actually alter the appearance of their player character in the game. The package of graphics applied to change the character were known as "skins". Not long after, the MP3 program WinAmp used the term to describe changing WinAmp's GUI. WinAmp's popularity spawned a host of programs that in themselves were "skinnable".

The next step was to make skins that could change all your programs GUI's at once. The first and most popular program that does this is called WindowBlinds which began development in 1997 and had its roots on IBM's OS/2 as part of Stardock Object Desktop (1995). It actually applies "skins" to programs not designed to be skinned. So programs as different as Adobe Photoshop and MS Excel suddenly can have a completely new look.

From there, Skinning really began to take off. More and more programs have become "Skinnable" in themselves and the latest version of Windows (Windows XP) allows users to choose between a "Classic" Windows look and a new "Windows XP" style of look. Microsoft introduced a new terminology to describe skins that are applied across the operating system - visual styles.

Today, there are millions of people around the world who have found the usefulness and just plain brilliance of customizing Windows. With the proper combination of software, users can transform Windows into anything they want it to be.

And that is the end of the part of the series, next month I shall explore what programs are used to use Visual Styles and how to make them.

Until next time...

Profi

[urbancinderella]

How to Use Website Templates:
Submission by Avtar

---

Right then, why do we use website templates and what is a website template? To put it very simply, a website template is a designed website in which you enter your own data, customize the text on the images, and use the website as your own. And often, you do this for free. But when you pay for a website template, then you've got to be sure that what you're paying for is something original, something that will not be done again and something that really stands out.

First off, the website template. When choosing a website template, make sure that the design will go along with your content. If you're going to be starting a website on the Tsunami Disaster, a black and green tech design website with Lara Croft on the side holding up guns is not going to fit at all. you'd much rather go with a plain white and grey design with probably a globe or a map of some sort on the side of the banner and a very neat and clean design everywhere else, nothing too heavy. The design you use, could basically make your website, or break it. If people like the design, they go through the content, if they don't like the design, they don't go through the content thoroughly. They'll just skim through it because they don't quite like the look of it, but they just won't really bother too much. Always make sure, that the design theme fits the content theme.

Second, use a text and text size that will go along with the design. If you use Times New Roman with a tech design, it'll look very pathetic. With a tech design, you usually use Arial or Verdana in a small text size. For a website in which the banner has some swirly stuff in it, you'd be better off using a medium sized Arial font. The website should look complete, and as one. No one should be able to tell that a n00b has got a very flashy website template, and has customized it in the most pathetic way possible.


Types of Website Templates:

Simple:

Simple website templates are very easy to modify and use. They have a low amount of images in them that are not too heavy, and the navigation is all text, the content is all text, and there is hardly any image work you have to do, just text entering. Simple website templates are low on size, but also low on popularity and appeal. Getting an attractive simple template is tough, but if you manage to get it, you'll be able to customize it within seconds and with as little work as possible you'll have a great website for yourself.


Complex:

Complex website templates are the ones that come with a sliced PSD file, a Photoshop file. A file that you need to open in Photoshop in order to customize or you need to get someone else to do it. Complex website templates take time to customize, they're heavy on design and heavy on space, but they're also very popular among people and it appeals to everyone because of the good design and because it is attractive. The only problem with them is the Photoshop problem. It's obvious that not everyone has Photoshop and it's very rare that people downloading website templates are going to have Photoshop and the ability to edit the images.

Make your decision. If you have Photoshop and if you have patience, then go in for a Complex Website Template. But if you're not too bothered and basically just want to get your point across in a neat and clean fashion, use a good simple website template.


Customizing Your Template:

Now I won't talk about customizing simple website templates, it's very straightforward. I'll handle how to cope with a Complex Website Template, and get over with the image part as soon as possible and get down to putting your content in.

Usually a complex website template is in a ZIP file. To open that ZIP archive, you need to have WinZip or any other such decompressor. You can download WinZip from www.winzip.com. Once you've downloaded WinZip and opened your ZIP Archive, you'll see a lot of files and folders in it. For sure, if it's a Complex Website Template that has been made in Photoshop and been saved using the "Save for Web" feature, then it'll have an "images" folder in it, a couple of HTML files, a PSD file and hopefully a readme.txt file as well, if the designer is good and experienced. Extract all these files to the same folder, and you'll have the images folder along with everything else in it.

Go through the readme.txt file, it's very important. The readme.txt file contains the designer's notes and his message to you, he might explain the entire process of how to use and customize the template in the TXT file. But apart from that, he might also supply some very important information. He might not want specific website types to use his template; he might not want you to remove a certain image or text from your website. Since you're getting this template for free, you must always comply with the rules set by the designer or the supplier of the website template, it's the least you can do. You're using his hard work and everything else all for free really. After you've gone through the readme.txt file and you know what you're not supposed to do and what you are supposed to do, open up Adobe Photoshop if you have it, else you'll need to get someone else to customize this for you!

Open up Adobe Photoshop and open the PSD file in Photoshop. You'll have the entire website design in front of you in the form of an image. All you need to do here is use the text tool. It's the one in the left menu with the "T" on it. Click the "T" and then click on the text you want to customize, and type in whatever you want there. You might want to change "Your Website Version 1" to "Chaotic Web" or something of the sort. Make sure you customize all the text on it and leave nothing default in there. Sometimes web designers give little boxes here and there for you to enter your catchphrase, don't miss these out. They add a little something to your website design. Next, after you've finished customizing all the text, click on File > Save for Web. A box will pop up, don't change anything and in the top right corner of the box click "Save" and save the template in the same folder as the one in which you extracted it. It'll overwrite it, no problem, that's the idea.

Anyway, once you've saved it for web, you're done with Photoshop. Save the PSD in case you want to edit it further some time else, and you're done. Close Photoshop. Now open up an HTML editor, if you have Microsoft Frontpage, open up Microsoft Frontpage, if you don't have FrontPage then download some editor for free like AceHTML or something. Macromedia Dreamweaver MX and other such software will do fine, but you need to pay for these. Anyway, now you need to open up the index.htm file in this template and see what it says. You'll have your text in the design in here, that's what's really supposed to be done. Next, check if the template is using an iframe. An iframe is a customizable frame in the index.htm file that links to another HTML file that is your main content file. It's very good to have an iframe as linking of pages becomes easy and the entire design and website does not need to be re-loaded every time you click a link. It's very easy from here. Enter your Menu Text, customize the HTML files by entering your text and your data and you're done with your website template.

Next up is uploading it. Get a web host, hopefully one that has FTP enabled. You can get a list of good hosts from www.clickherefree.com and www.free-webhosts.com. Once you've set up an account, enter its details in the FTP program, connect to your host and account, and in the base directory, upload the index.htm file. And then depending upon how you've done your links, upload them in the base directory or sub-folders if you've linked them that way. The index.htm file needs to be in the root (base) directory always, it's the main page that your domain will read.

You're done! You've downloaded a template, customized it, and put it up for others to view. Make sure you comply with the rules of the designer and supplier please, it's the least you can do for them! I hope this helped you, and I hope everyone gained a little bit from this.

[urbancinderella]

Book Review - Thief of Time, by Terry Pratchett
Submission by Jack

Thief of Time, the 25th book in British-born Pratchett's phenomenally successful Discworld series, follows a slightly different path to Pratchett's other Discworld novels. It follows the apprenticeship of cocky young thief Lobsang Ludd to the Monks of History, a group of ancient men responsible for making sure time flows as it should. Ludd, who quickly finds himself in trouble with the Monks for being too fast and knowing too much, is apprenticed to the legendary Lu-Tze, and together they set out to thwart a mysterious group who are building a glass clock that will stop time.

Confusing, don't you think? Yet, Pratchett spins the tale in such a masterful fashion that all the elements of the story just slide into place, accompanied by his legendary humour. The plot is highly original, with many old Discworld favourites making appearances. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are present, as is the Fifth, Ronnie (Who left before they became famous). The pace, kept high throughout the book, slows a little towards the end of the story, where it seems Pratchett almost runs out of steam. However, things pick up for a gripping climax, the twists in which literally left me gaping.

All in all Thief of Time, if not Pratchett's best, is definitely worth a read, especially if you are a Discworld fan.

7/10

[urbancinderella]

CD Review
Submission by Artos

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VNV Nation: Matter + Form


Three years ago, VNV Nation released Futureperfect, one of the most perfect CDs ever created. It stands as testament to what VNV Nation is: beautiful melodies and amazing lyrics. It is the CD that by which all other EBM releases are judged by. How ironic is it that Futureperfect is what Matter + Form will be judged by.

Matter + Form can be divided into three parts: the dancefloor anthems, the pure techno, and the quiet beauties. Each are essential to the feel of the CD, even if it all feels a bit uneven.

"Opening" is a far cry from the other opening tracks of past VNV CDs. While many others were at least somewhat upbeat (with Praise the Fallen's "Chosen" also being an exception), this track can be compared to "dark noise." That is, it seems dark and muddled. It also seems out of place sitting next to "Chrome," a song destined for the dance floor.

Also, the CD seems to drag on in a bit in the middle, as three of the techno songs, "Colours of Rain," "Strata," and "Interceptor" are placed together. That's hardly a bad thing, though. All three songs are amazing.

The last portion of the CD is where it's at- it's a perfect combination of techno and electronica. "Entrophy" picks up the pace, and it doesn't stop until the best (and last) song on the album, "Perpetual," ends.

But I'm being somewhat harsh. This CD isn't horrible by any means- it's one of the best CDs I've ever heard. It's just that Futureperfect is of such high pedigree. I was expecting to see Matter + Form surpass Futureperfect; I was somewhat disappointed when it didn't. I let it cloud my judgment originally, and, after repeated play-throughs, I understand now that it isn't Futureperfect. It is something else entirely, a celebration of EBM's past and present. Matter + Form combines the best of what was with what is.

Everything about Matter + Form is simply amazing, despite its very minor flaws. It's a must-have for any fan of the genre, and it's a perfect place for anyone who is unfamiliar with EBM to start. Ronan Harris has created another masterpiece, and it receives my highest honors.


Matter + Form receives a five-star rating.


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Key Tracks: "Chrome," "Arena," "Homeward," "Lightwave," "Perpetual"

Other VNV Nation CDs: Advance and Follow, Praise the Fallen, Empires, Futureperfect

~Victory Not Vengeance~

[urbancinderella]

Music Artist Review
Submission by Nick

The Postal Service, in my opinion, is a very good band. Their music consists mostly of synthesizers and vocals, but also features some guitar parts, drums, and a few keyboard solos. They are known for playing indie music.

The idea of The Postal Service was conceived when members Benjamin Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello collaborated on a song entitled "(This is) The Dream of Evan and Chan." They both liked the feel of the music, and questioned whether or not they could form a band to produce similar music. In December of 2001, Gibbard started receiving CD-R's from Tamborello with electronic music recorded on them. Shortly after, they formed The Postal Service. The two have since recorded and produced two albums (We Will Become Silhouettes & Give Up), and a single (The District Sleeps Alone Tonight). Gibbard is currently in another indie band entitled "Death Cab for Cutie."

Recommended songs:

The District Sleeps alone Tonight - The Postal Service's first single. The words carry a deep meaning, and the music is done excellently. There is a guitar solo and a few backing vocals by Jenny Lewis.

Such Great Heights - Another wonderful song. This has been played a few times on MTV and has a great music video. The song features Jen Wood with background vocals and also has a neat synthesizer solo.

Nothing Better - Kind of an emo song, but still very great. The lyrics interpret a couple breaking up and the man's inability to move on. Definitely a must-hear song if you want to listen to The Postal Service.


Related links:

- Postal Service / SubPop Homepage
- Postal Service Homepage
- Postal Service (Samples of Songs)

[urbancinderella]

Video Game Review
Submitted by Artos

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God of War (Playstation 2)


Sony's much-hyped God of War, for lack of a better pun, is godsend. It's easily a contender for Game of the year- it's just that damn good.

First off, let's talk about God of War's greatest asset- its breathtaking graphics. They're absolutely amazing. From the subtle lighting to the realistic blood to the perfect rendition of breasts (!), these graphics never fail to impress. The game also captures the essence and art of the Greek myths.

The gameplay is above and beyond anything else in the genre. There is nothing here that I can complain about. The controls, for the first time in the history of any and all action games, is perfect. You always have total control. The camera, also another troublesome spot for action games, is handled tastefully here. It's a static, preset camera for each individual area, and it never interferes with the combat or puzzles. And what of the combat and puzzles? Well, let's just say that you never get tired of it. The fighting is (pun alert!) godly. You've never had as much fun in combat as this. You can take on one person and combo him to infinity, but what's the fun in that? Why not use him as a link to annihilate everyone else in the general vicinity? Why not impale him, swing him around and hit his allies, cast a thunderbolt, juggle everything, and then finally tear them to shreds after some hundred-odd hits? Or why not use the head of Medusa to turn him to stone? Or cleave through him with a massive sword? Or just forgo the fighting completely and play "the minigame" again? The puzzles are just as fun and gruesome. Some require you to use your fellow Spartans as parts of the puzzles...and watch them be slaughtered in all kinds of fun ways. Oh yeah. This game deserves its Mature rating.

The story is awesome. Not to reveal it all, but it revolves around a badass Spartan named Kratos and what drives him to suicide. At the center of his struggles is Ares, the titular God of War. Kratos must rise against him, and the only thing that can help him is Pandora's Box. This highly engaging story is accompanied by excellent voiceovers and absolutely magnificent orchestral music. It's an experience in itself.

As great as this game is, expect it to be the center of the "video game violence" debate- enemies are dismembered and eviscerated in all kinds of gory ways. The blood flows freely here. Also, this is the first game that I've ever seen with breasts- and it's not just one pair. About every woman has a see-through dress; they leave nothing to the imagination. And from this will be the focus: "the minigame." The threesome minigame. Kratos has sex with two topless women in bed- you press specific buttons to do so.

As it is, this game is just jaw-dropping. It is quite possibly the must-play game of the year, if not Game of the Year. You must play this game.

God of War is a benchmark for all action games to come. It deserves this five-star rating.

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[urbancinderella]

Artos' Thoughts
Submitted by Artos

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It puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the rantings of Artos again!

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Topic One: Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo- her name will live in infamy. It's no fault of her own, but rather the greed and lust for power of those around her.

Enter Terri's world, her twilight. With her brain destroyed and thought processes long gone, she was but a hollow husk of a woman that once was. How horrible is a life in which you lay in bed all day, drooling, mind absent, with a machine feeding you through your stomach wall? I cannot condone such a fate.

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I'm torn between both parties of the Terri Schiavo fiasco. On one hand, I respect the right to death. On the other, I respect the right to memory.

BUT WHAT I DO NOT RESPECT IS THE INTERFERENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT TO USE THIS TO THEIR OWN AGENDA.

Who are they to pass a bill in the middle of the night to try and influence it all? Who are they to interfere in a civil case? It is not their place to act. This is what angers me. It is not the place of a democratic government to oversee what happens and only intervene when need be? The local courts were doing just fine. There was no need for the government to interfere beyond that. If I had any respect for Republicans, it's gone now. This entire escapade was just to further their political agenda and gain ground in the public view. Thankfully, they've slipped. A justice if there ever was one. Suck on that, Bush. (Asshat!)

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But it wasn't just the government who totally screwed this poor woman over. I've got a whole lot of hatred for everyone involved.

The media...oh, the media. What, the Michael Jackson trial wasn't enough? You had to go and expose and corrupt everything? Or did you all just enjoy looking at a brain-dead woman writhing in bed and moaning? There was not a news channel on the air that was not trying to profit from this. Yes. It's always the case- to become rich and powerful off of the pain and suffering of others.

To the protesters- get a fricking life. Red tape is the least of your worries. You'll be looking at a slip of a similar color when you return to work. Have fun reflecting upon how you threw your lives away.

And to the Schiavos: what in the hell were you thinking? What, you couldn't win so you had to resort to using the media and the government as pawns in your little game? I ask this: who really were the pieces being played? Listen. If you're going to get the government to help, don't get the President to step in. He's more worried about lint on his suit than your pitiful plight. If you lose, lose with dignity. Do not try to find a judge who will side with you. Do not try and bastardize a word and its effects. (PVS starts with "persistent-" which is synonymous with "always" and "continually." Are you too stupid to comprehend this? Or were you just not willing?) Really. Was this all out of revenge? Greed? What? I guess we'll find out when the made-for-TV movie comes out, huh? You've not only tarnished your reputation, but the legacy of your daughter as well. Congratulations- you're morons.

The only good thing to say here is that Terri is in peace. I only wish that it could have been sooner and under better pretences.

[urbancinderella]

Advice Column
Submission by Nick

Q: I have a friend "Elliot" and we recently got into a huge fight. The fight was about him trying to influence people and him trying to become like other people. The background of the fight is not very important, the important thing to know is that we are not on good terms. Now, here's the real problem. Elliot's ex-girlfriend "Chloe" and I have recently started talking a lot and I'm really starting to like her. I want to ask her out but I'm not sure if it would bother Elliot or not (I'm sure it would considering they went out for 2 years, on and off). What's your diagnosis on the problem?

A: One important thing to remember is even though they dated, Chloe is not his property, and he has no control over what you or she chooses to do. Judging by your situation, I would say that asking her out now would not be the best solution. Wait and talk to Elliot, and let things calm down before you ask him if it would bother him. If Elliot says that this would bother him, you need to make a choice for yourself. Is Chloe or Elliot more important to you?

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Q: Lately, a lot has been going on in my life and it makes me feel so many different ways at once. To have very strong feelings for a girl and to not know if she has them back drives me crazy, and what's even worse is the when I realise that she may not have feelings and that there might not be a chance with us. I would like to know how to deal with the situation. How to go about finding out how she really feels and what to do if she doesn't have the same feelings but you still wanna be friends.

A: Liking a girl can be very complicated, but also very rewarding. My advice would to be to just ask her how she feels. Maybe just start up a casual conversation about something, and as soon as you feel the time is right, say "I really like you a lot. Do you think that you and I dating could be a possibility?" She may get stunned, become happy, or get angry at this, and judging by her reaction you should be able to tell how she feels about you.

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Q: Do you feel lonely and forgotten?

A: Feelings of loneliness, being left out, etc. are very common. Don't feel bad if you do ever feel like this. What I find helps me the most when I'm feeling bad is to just stop whatever I might be doing, and phone one of my friends. Just talk about something completely random, or something that's been bugging you for awhile. Being social is the best cure.