With this cursed year of 2006 nearly behind us, it means that I've managed to go an entire orbit without redesigning the website.

But the gears began turning awhile ago on doing it, so I figure by February or March, we'll be stuck with whatever I come up with for another year.

This of course means that the look of the forums will be changing (though I seriously doubt it will be drastic; black-green-grey is here to stay), but it also means the "frontpage" will be changing, and hopefully becoming more useful and meaningful.

One thing that's already in the works is a WikiPedia especially for the Halls that will detail the increasingly-involved continuity, history, characters, and places of Halls Isle. This may well be unveiled before the redesign, but I think I'll wait until everything's done for a grander show.

My goal with the "frontpage" has always been to make it a sort of at-a-glance slice of what the Halls is all about and what's currently going on. With certain limitations in our forum's ability to play well with others and my own marginal coding abilities, that's been an uphill battle. I also like the front page to be colorful, eye-catching, and make the place seem alive...as though things are happening right now.

The front page may be taking on more significance in the redesign. Currently, it's just a supplement that is infrequently updated and rarely has any information you couldn't find on the forums themselves. Since I've discovered that our forums database space is limited compared to our overall space, I plan to start moving some features of the site to non-forum pages.

I'll cut myself off here and ask for your input.

What kind of stuff do you want to see on the frontpage? What kind of features could we add/move?

I actually like a lot of the stuff that’s on the front page. I think it’s a good overview of the Halls. Having the Pic of the Week, the current Comic Cover, BotM, and the Who’s On list is a nice thing. What about putting the calendar on the front page? Maybe not a whole month, but something like the upcoming week. I guess the issue would be could it be automated, or would someone have to manually change it each week.

Maybe some sort of…hell, I don’t know, stuff. We could throw all CO’s wallpapers on the front page, and then the hordes who sign up for those wouldn’t have to dig for them!

I'd like to add, that for the new year, I've closed the original Main Harem thread, and started a new one. It was done simply because the original had reached such a high post count.

Another new thing in 2007 is the addition of Project Wonderful ads to the front page. Project Wonderful is a nifty little system, dominated largely by webcomic sites, that allows you to advertise on any site in the network, sometimes for free, but usually around $3.00 a day or so for the "big" sites.

Since joining up a little more than a week ago, I've managed to get Halls ads on such notable webcomics as Questionable Content, Dinosaur Comics, and the McCrea Award-winning Dr. McNinja as well as 30 or so other, much smaller venues.

And while we haven't actually had any new members sign up due to this yet, we are getting the name out there, something that we hadn't been managing at all before.

Also, obviously, people can advertise on the Halls too. We've made 18 cents! Woooo! Goin' to Vegas!

Seriously, though, the point of getting involved in this is to get the Halls seen by people, not to make money. Even if we manage to bring in more than a few pennies, it will likely go towards our own advertising. So we're not selling out!

YOU'VE SOLD OUR SOULS, YOU GODLESS HEATHEN!

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

*aaronc3477 spears oogie.


Calm yourself, man!

Today the server fee was due, and thanks to jonnie_redbeard, Gelf13, Twinky "Son of Dawnstar" Master, and oogie56, I was able to pay it entirely with donations! We're paid up for the next three months. Big standing ovation for those dudes!

*Revil Fox stands and applauds.

Thanks guys. Once my monetary issues are in order, I'll be sending a donation your way, Slov.

You mean once you're able to break your moon porn addiction.

Don't we all have that problem? I mean, really?

I prefer Saturn and it's lovely curvy rings.

Tha's just. . . I mean wha. . .


EWWW!

Ridge also like porn of Uranus Trebor.

OH SNAP!

Oh sweet. Glad I could help. And a hardy thanks to Jonnie, Gelf and Oogie for helping out as well.

I've got to say I like the re-design. Great job!

The server fee for the next three months and the domain name fee for the next year have been paid, so the Halls will likely continue to exist into 2008! Huzzah!

That's great news citizen. Now I don't have to clear out of the barracks.

Here's to another year of lunacy!

No, but why don't you just stay in the barracks for all our sakes.


And that's great news Slov. No matter what happens this year, at least we'll have the Halls!


And boobies.

Awesome news. Thank you Alex, sincerely. Let us know when you need another transfusion, aight?

You gonna give him some blood? Because I've only got cream filling.