I can use some help [and everyone can help]

Hey,

I'm working on a new ANSARI X PRIZE Space Race News site:
http://hhboard12.free.fr/xprize/index.php?cat=1

As you may see, you can see news by "team categories"., search by category is currently not yet working. (still in development).

What I can use:
1) A lot of people trying to make the most fancy site designs (just rip of the html source (don't worry.. I'll add the php code back in it later).
I'll later put up a vote, to chose the new site design with public opinion approval. still needed if you can beat http://www.xprizenews.org/index.php

2) [NOT NEEDED ANYMORE]I'm looking for more people offering "webhosting".
Minimum: 250 Meg storage, msql database (min 200 meg), php server side scripting support, ftp acces, a lot of bandwith (pictures will be hosted on my side, so only text needed, but manny people will visit it....)
I'll make a list of offered hostings, and take the "best" one. (I'm thinking about hosting companies who're offering a free package, other big companies who want to give some of their servers space etc etc)

3) I'm looking for more "news reporters", people who can write english.. and just have some "free time".. to look at sites if it's updated.. to trace latest news.. etc

4) I can use people "looking for" "contacting" people to make those needs public and known over our little globe.. so I can offer in return the best space race news website possible with our work combined.

If you're intrested in ANY of those... contact me at xprize@gmail.com or just reply on this topic.

"News Reporters?" what would that involve? Could the "news reporters" do general science stories like nuclear power? Or report on possible improvements on current spaceship designs in addition to X Prize news?

Well, if you look at the current news site (see the link in my signature), exactly the same as those posts already posted over there.

So everything related to the ANSARI X PRIZE what's intresting to know for others .

On this moment I'm not planning to transform it into a website about "general science" etc.. space.com and other sites already have this information, having too much information is neither good. (maybe we can add a new site section for it later.. but I think scaling the site slowly has more chance to succeed instead of planning big and fail. (no orbital without sub orbital ))

I'm also going to make a page with "everyones" name who contributed to the website.

well, you know i'll be a reporter obviously. i can do some site/graphics design if you need it, but i only really started learning that stuff this year, so i'm not really up to par.

Anyone in the team, will be just moved to the new site, so extra work is always welcome, but current news reporters will automaticly get an account on the new website.

A few (small) suggestions for the new website format:

1. I would try to reduce the amount of space between the title "X PRIZE SPACE RACE NEWS" and the place where the first news item appears. On my computer, the first news item is almost off the bottom of the screen, which forces me to scroll down.

2. I think having all the links to the teams, archive months, and so on is visually distracting and takes up space that could be used to show more news items. Instead, I would take all the links and put them inside a set of three or four buttons (drop-down?) at the top of the page: "Archived News," "Links," "Take the Poll," etc. Then when the visitor clicked "Archived News," for example, he would get a choice of which month to look at. But until he clicked "archived news," all the months wouldn't be cluttering up the screen.

3. I'm wondering if you could categorize each news item as it arrives to make it easier to browse the site. Perhaps use colors or labels to denote each article as:
-Individual Team News
-X PRIZE Foundation News
-X PRIZE CUP News
-General Media Coverage
-Space Tourism in General

4. I would include maybe a sentence or two right under the title that explains the purpose of the blog in more detail, like "Come here for the latest news on the X PRIZE race to space, a $10 million competition between rocket companies to build the first privately funded manned spacecraft and fly into space twice in two weeks. As the race to space heats up, you can count on this news site to bring you the latest developments.


I have never made a website in my life, so I don't know if these are actually good suggestions, but I hope they help.

It's all possible and yes it's better that way.

That's actually just the design and easy to "change".

I've got free time, you want people to just keep an eye on various websites and news sources or something? I have a subscription to new scientist, I could post whatever i find in there pretty easily if you wish.

You'll receive an email from blogger.com (or blogspot.com), accept it and you'll be able to add news posts on the space race news site.

This looks great!



How about a contest? With a deadline? Say, end of the month?

THanks


The problem is... I have not received anough intrests to be even sure I'll receive 1 design.... by the end of the month..

I've filled the database and linked all posts to the category they belong to.
Thanks to Robin Snelson who showed me how to get all the data out of the google blogging site.

http://hhboard12.free.fr/xprize/

Robin Snelson, is also looking at the search problem (not searching by category).

I'll also clear my name from the bottom and replace it with a link to a page listing all the people who worked and helped on the site.
And when that's ready... I'll work on a better site design
And link page.. etc etc etc...

I'm talking with Kevin Swanson about hosting the website.
I'm also testing if my webspace (free.fr) would be able to host it or not (on the long turn, with a lot more posts, more pages...), on this moment the database is 667,3 KB with 308 news posts.
So I guess on this moment.. there is no problem (except that free.fr does not accept auto email send with scripting, but this part isn't really needed and free.fr is 100 meg limited..., but it's ok for a test webspace or a backup site location).


I've also edited my post above.. sorry for the confusion, a part of the quote was moved into my text below..

Okay, in the interest of getting the new news site online, I am sponsoring the design contest. Anybody who wants to enter should check out http://www.alexking.org/index.php?conte ... styles.php for basic WordPress templates. The contest ends July 31 and the winner will receive an X-Prize t-shirt signed by the X-Prize News staff.

Thanks again for you help
If the winner doesn't owns a @gmail.com account, I'll give him one cause I can still give a few away
And his or her name will be listed on the "volunteers" list of the space race news website website.

I wish I was an artist, or at least marginally skilled with that kind of aesthetic thing, I'd totally give it a go.