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[imsleepy Friend imsleepyJoin date: January 2009Posts: 451Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanks: 94 Thanked: 45 times in 1 posts]

#297738

I sure hope you guys keep this discussion going for awhile. I am learning sooo much! I too have always wondered about Yahoo and how it loads so fast with all that is going on with the page. Already I am getting ideas for ways to improve my template. I really like the Teline II template for one of my sites, but it is sloooooow! Too slow. The HTML version of that site loads very quick and I sure hate to switch the entire thing over and then lose visitors because it is too slow.

[Arvind Chauhan Moderator Arvind ChauhanJoin date: September 2014Posts: 3835Downloads:74Uploads:92 Thanks: 1240 Thanked: 1334 times in 848 posts]

#297750

If joomla (for cms) and Joomlart (for template) are to implement techniques such as css sprites, then there would be very little chance left for normal joomla user to edit / modify / customize them.

Q. Why Joomla or Joomlart does not undertake these optimization steps?

Answer : If joomla or joomlart start giving us optimized results. The flexibility and user friendliness will be over. Who would be able to read or edit the optimized css or js files, like we do today? Will a normal user be able to change the sprites or customize them? I feel the very moment, they start giving us a finished product, it will belong only to the Joomla Pro’s.

What to use, what to remove is left to us in regards to Joomla optimization. The only thing lacking is the resources and knowledge.

Further, not all the tips work on all the sites. for example, combining JS or CSS doesnot go well with sites using Joomfish. Minifying can convert the cyrillics into ??????. or cleaning up code using online css optimizer does not work with all the css files, they end up breaking the template.
At instances, compressing optimized files can again lead to broken template.

To finalize a strategy, or options for such scenario is required, but looking towards the speed at which joomla is advancing, the strategy may take more time.

Will try to come up with more elaborative article over this in few days.

regards

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#297757

<em>@imsleepy 119961 wrote:</em><blockquote>I sure hope you guys keep this discussion going for awhile. I am learning sooo much! I too have always wondered about Yahoo and how it loads so fast with all that is going on with the page. Already I am getting ideas for ways to improve my template. I really like the Teline II template for one of my sites, but it is sloooooow! Too slow. The HTML version of that site loads very quick and I sure hate to switch the entire thing over and then lose visitors because it is too slow.</blockquote>

Hi imsleepy,

Do you have photoshop?

We plan to implement the ideas here in practice and even go further that should be useful to all website developers. I wrote to drarvindc about it and he agreed to take part. I might invite others here who have shown interest in helping other people, especially those with some skills in webdesign and we tackle the issue in greater depth than is possible here.

For obvious reasons, the Teline II will be used as an example, but what would be learned by such should be applicable to other templates, even non-Joomlart or Joomla templates. I want to explore the ideas I proposed here also, like how to minimize the modules that define the index.php, and perhaps other ideas that others could think of.

Projects like these are what I have in mind when I proposed the Collaborative Support Group — each of us helping each other — last Summer 2008. I have so many support questions I have asked in the Forum that never got answered.

Joolart makes some good templates and extensions but do poorly in creating the manuals that should go with it, as well as the techhnical support when needed.

When I was one of those who espoused to move from two templates to one template per month, my hope was that Joomlart would set aside some of the time to creating good manuals and offer more support. But, that has not happened. Instead, they started another new venture. And, worse, they left us customers to fend for our own problems.

As website developers and creators, we also need other stuff beyond templates, even beyond Joomla or Joomlart. If we band together, perhaps we can help each other. Nothing like some of the one way street going on sometimes here in the forum .

We must learn to learn. And once we learn something, we must take the time to share what we learn. For example, last year I proposed that after a thread is solved, the one who initiated the thread must take pains to summarize it, and show what worked. That way, others may benefit.

That spirit has not caught on. They just move on. Ready to ask the next question. Some do not even have the decenby to thank those who helped them.

To relate it to this thread for example, after drarvindc provided some good tips on how to optimized the page, camillo have done some implementation of the tips, and provided an entire index.php — so that he could ask more question. I am sure camillo and drarvindc might be able to see immediately what might have been changed, but not another person who is not too familiar with the issue.

Thus, to help not only myself, but also others, to have an easier way to grasp what was done, I requested not once but twice in different response, if camillo could isolate the changes — showing before and after difference — as drarvindc has done, and is the practice of a number of those helping here. Both times those requests have been ignored, and the sole focus has been: What can you do to help me make my site faster? Oddly enough, there were actually quite a few other pointers suggested but were ignored.

Not all of us can be good at scripting, but there are many ways where we can help each other. For example, if you have been here long enough, many of the qyestions asked about layouting had been aksed and answered several times already. I would have expected that those who have been helped could have taken the time to point out: Hey, I had the same problem before. Here is the link. And then perhaps guide the newcomers along. If this is part fo the culture here, then perhaps the more experienced may tackle more difficult problems, or even help others too.

There are a few who have actually taken the time to help as they have been helped. But, it disappoints me that there are more who have considered the forums as one way street — with them as the recipient of help, and not the other around.

I keep on repeating myself sometimes that many of the questions (perhaps 80-90%) asked here are layout and CSS issues. Some are much easier to answer. simply if each of us take the time to understand how to do a “Page Source” and then learn to understand the basics of CSS.

This is the “we learn to learn” policy I have in mind. But why take the pains to learn, when there is always someone out there to answer?

It may be a losing battle to attempt to inculcate this spirit of collaboration — that it is a two way process. And, to be honest, I am not too happy that Joomlart has ceded the role of technical support, one that they should be doing, to members.

If Joomlart provide good manuals that i could read and teach myself, I would not be too disappointed but even after repeated pleas that they create them, they have just paid lip service to such request.

If I remember correctly, you had an issue with the JA Tabs recently?

Cornelio

[imsleepy Friend imsleepyJoin date: January 2009Posts: 451Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanks: 94 Thanked: 45 times in 1 posts]

#297774

Yes I have Photoshop. Honestly, I don’t remember if I had issue with JA Tabs. I am still fairly new here and have been playing with several templates. I did have an issue with the Hot Topics feature and was thinking of deleting it, but after reading what you had to say about the many uses it might have, I decided not to delete it.

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#297784

<em>@imsleepy 120004 wrote:</em><blockquote>Yes I have Photoshop. Honestly, I don’t remember if I had issue with JA Tabs. I am still fairly new here and have been playing with several templates. I did have an issue with the Hot Topics feature and was thinking of deleting it, but after reading what you had to say about the many uses it might have, I decided not to delete it.</blockquote>

Yes, imsleepy, it can be a very powerful navigational and educational tool to entice your visitors to explore the contents of your site beyond what could be access through the HomePage and those featured in the Latest and Popular links module. What makes the HotTopic more powerful than the latter two is the power fo images to entice exploration.

If only Joomlart staff or some more experienced members may help answer this Question:

Hot Topic modules with varying width of images in different modules
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/hot-topic-modules-with-varying-width-of-images-in-different-modules/

more possibilities even open, as it allows you to manipulate width of the image. The catch is, that is relevant to the Optimization discussion here, if you randomize (which is key to the “enticement” feature that I suggested, and include too many categories in each module, this will increase the http calls, and slow your site.

Cornelio

[imsleepy Friend imsleepyJoin date: January 2009Posts: 451Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanks: 94 Thanked: 45 times in 1 posts]

#297791

<em>@cgc0202 120017 wrote:</em><blockquote>Yes, imsleepy, it can be a very powerful navigational and educational tool to entice your visitors to explore the contents of your site beyond what could be access through the HomePage and those featured in the Latest and Popular links module. What makes the HotTopic more powerful than the latter two is the power fo images to entice exploration.

If only Joomlart staff or some more experienced members may help answer this Question:

Hot Topic modules with varying width of images in different modules
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/hot-topic-modules-with-varying-width-of-images-in-different-modules/

more possibilities even open, as it allows you to manipulate width of the image. The catch is, that is relevant to the Optimization discussion here, if you randomize (which is key to the “enticement” feature that I suggested, and include too many categories in each module, this will increase the http calls, and slow your site.

Cornelio</blockquote>

Seems it is a give and take. More features… slower site :((

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#297794

<em>@imsleepy 120024 wrote:</em><blockquote>Seems it is a give and take. More features… slower site :((</blockquote>
That’s the thing, there are ways to minimize slowdown and that requires a better appreciation of the Optimization strategies.

Cornelio

[dkurnik Friend dkurnikJoin date: July 2009Posts: 2Downloads:0Uploads:0]

#314064

Hello,

I am having performance problems with Teline II as well. I need to start working through your suggestions. Can you point me to instructions to “decrease CSS images”?

Thanks,

–David

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