Joomla Templates Club 406,261 posts

[okulo Friend okuloJoin date: September 2009Posts: 37Downloads:0Uploads:2]

#316665

An alpha for Joomla! 1.6 has been available since April and much of what I have read points to a 2009 final release – but I don’t have inside information – maybe it’s all gone t*ts up.

:confused:

[VisiGod Friend VisiGodJoin date: January 2006Posts: 538Downloads:0Uploads:4 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 138 times in 18 posts]

#316669

I doubt 1.6 will be ready as final before April 2010

[zorroh Friend zorrohJoin date: November 2006Posts: 422Downloads:20Uploads:43 Thanks: 88 Thanked: 80 times in 1 posts]

#316674

Below discussion box are comment, video, slideshow icons and liks – it is possible that they will be working on?

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Attachments:

1. 

[joev Friend joevJoin date: December 2008Posts: 108Downloads:0Uploads:17 Thanks: 5 Thanked: 10 times in 1 posts]

#316684

Do we know if any template styles will be included with this release. The layout and functionality looks good, but the styling is a little drab. The weather, stocks, and movable front page areaa have been offered before by other clubs like RT for some time now. Just looking for a little more styling on the visual side.

[VisiGod Friend VisiGodJoin date: January 2006Posts: 538Downloads:0Uploads:4 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 138 times in 18 posts]

#316685

Do you mean color themes or something else?

[zorroh Friend zorrohJoin date: November 2006Posts: 422Downloads:20Uploads:43 Thanks: 88 Thanked: 80 times in 1 posts]

#316693

<em>@joev 143711 wrote:</em><blockquote>Do we know if any template styles will be included with this release. The layout and functionality looks good, but the styling is a little drab. The weather, stocks, and movable front page areaa have been offered before by other clubs like RT for some time now. Just looking for a little more styling on the visual side.</blockquote>

Teline has been with a poor design ever since the beginning, Teline offers only functionality. So that will be also Teline III – no eyecandy, but lot of features.

1 user says Thank You to zorroh for this useful post

1. ruigato

[ruigato Friend ruigatoJoin date: January 2006Posts: 74Downloads:0Uploads:6 Thanks: 48 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#316702

<em>@zorroh 143724 wrote:</em><blockquote>Teline has been with a poor design ever since the beginning, Teline offers only functionality. So that will be also Teline III – no eyecandy, but lot of features.</blockquote>

I would rather a template optimezed for a big news site or portal than a full featured look alike with problems.

A template like this should have:

– Optimized CSS and JS
– Tested compatibility with top J! components and modules.
– Detailed typography styles and joomla styles like content section, category blog, latest news modules, etc
– Tested layout combinations (diferent module positions variations working)
– Modules Layout optimized to use standard advert sizes

I would prefer for example a section blog category overide with a nice output and generated thumbs than another javascript driven component.

Template developers should care more with template development and keep them compatible with the existent extensions at least the top ones.

1 user says Thank You to ruigato for this useful post

1. VisiGod

[VisiGod Friend VisiGodJoin date: January 2006Posts: 538Downloads:0Uploads:4 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 138 times in 18 posts]

#316703

I absolutely agree with ruigato

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#316705

joev;143711the styling is a little drab. The weather, stocks, and movable front page areaa have been offered before by other clubs like RT for some time now. Just looking for a little more styling on the visual side.[/quote]

scotty wrote:

Teline has been with a poor design ever since the beginning

The design of Teline is perfect! Teline is based on the traditional ‘newspaper‘. If you want a glossy magazine then choose a different template.

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

#316707

I prefer the very simple, no “whistles and bells”, format of the Teline series. It makes it easier for me to customize the template. A white background, is easy on the eyes. This is the reason why most information rich sites, like newspapers, magazines, journals, online portals prefer the simple,white background format.

If I have to choose between speed and styling, I will always choose speed. Fast loading of a page is key to enticing and retaining visitors. For them to come back, the page must have something worth the repeat visits. The quality of the content eventually trumps everything. And, of course, it must address the needs of the target audience.

Look at the overwhelming success of “ugly websites” like the city pages of Craigslist. It is so ugly, and so “simple”, they say less than a dozen staff members, all in one place in San Francisco, manage and maintain a worldwide empire that is also very profitable. “Ugly” and “drab” Craigslist is one of the main reasons why print and online newspapers are failing or closing.

The same can be said with Wikipedia. I bet the simple Apple webpage — mostly text, a few images complete the Homepage — is not likely win many accolades among the average Joomla site users either. Maybe I should create one like it Teline, and enter it in the Site of the Month — see what improvements expert members will suggest.:)

For the above reasons, I will most likely minimize or reign in some of the new features, or make them visible only in specific pages, categories and sections, rather than appearing all in the Front Page. The main reason for this is to optimize the loading of the Homepage.

For example, I like the possibilities of the new JA News2, but will use it only for key sections in the Homepage — because the complex scripting contributes to the slow page loading. I noticed that when I clone the JA News2, and have both published, my Sandbox site becomes very sluggish, I did not encounter such dramatic change in load speed using the previous JA News used in Teline II. However, once cached, the JA News2 may load faster in specific Pagelayout of Sections and Categories. I will see.

The concern on its impact on page loading speed is true also with the new format of the JA News FrontPage. I may end up using the old fashion version of the Teline II JA News FrontPage which is one of the options in Teline III.

Too many photos aside from slowing the site can also overwhelm. I am veering away from continuously running slideshows also, as far as the Frontpage is concerned.

One thing that can spruce up the Teline series would be the use of “multiple news modules” to allow variations in styling. For example, a black background JA News module may be ideal of Sections related to “Nature and Wildlife”, Photography, Travel and Tourism, Arts and Culture, and other image rich sections. However, for information rich sites, the use of a dark background must be used sparingly, and perhaps to break the monotony in the current “white” background of the Teline series.

Cornelio

[bluesuit Friend bluesuitJoin date: March 2009Posts: 23Downloads:4Uploads:0 Thanks: 3]

#316708

<em>@joev 143711 wrote:</em><blockquote>Do we know if any template styles will be included with this release. The layout and functionality looks good, but the styling is a little drab. The weather, stocks, and movable front page areaa have been offered before by other clubs like RT for some time now. Just looking for a little more styling on the visual side.</blockquote>

Yeah it would be nice to have a contemporary style included perhaps. The default look is a bit dated / old style. The template has all the right functionality and is a great starting point for someone who wants to spend time building on this. I was hoping for a more modern look / option but it will take a good amount of effort to achieve this.

Nevertheless the template is a step in the right direction for what people have been wanting. If a fresh modern style was an option then they would have an even bigger winner on their hands I’m sure.

[VisiGod Friend VisiGodJoin date: January 2006Posts: 538Downloads:0Uploads:4 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 138 times in 18 posts]

#316710

Give an example of such?!?

[bluesuit Friend bluesuitJoin date: March 2009Posts: 23Downloads:4Uploads:0 Thanks: 3]

#316711

<em>@VisiGod 143750 wrote:</em><blockquote>Give an example of such?!?</blockquote>

Fair enough…

Live websites:
http://www.cbsnews.com/
http://msn.foxsports.com/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/
http://www.cnbc.com/
http://abcnews.go.com/
http://news.cnet.com/

A nice clean finance website:
http://www.fool.co.uk/

Here’s one that is VERY similar to the Teline layout and I guess may not take a huge effort:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Here are some very nice wordpress template themes:
http://www.wp-vybe.com/
http://www.wp-smooth.com/

And finally a nice theme for the Serendipity CMS
http://www.optional-necessity.com/demo/kinetic/

Anyway I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you may not agree with what I like but there you go…

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

#316714

<em>@bluesuit 143748 wrote:</em><blockquote>Yeah it would be nice to have a contemporary style included perhaps. The default look is a bit dated / old style. The template has all the right functionality and is a great starting point for someone who wants to spend time building on this. I was hoping for a more modern look / option but it will take a good amount of effort to achieve this.

Nevertheless the template is a step in the right direction for what people have been wanting. If a fresh modern style was an option then they would have an even bigger winner on their hands I’m sure.</blockquote>

bluesuit,

The Teline series has been created for a specific group of users, However, I understand your perspective, much like those pointed by zorroh, joev, and many others. There are competing priorities between the groups who were attracted to Teline and those who wanted more flashy “contemporary” style.

This is the reason why you get extremes of reaction from Joomlart members — many like it a lot, while others are disappointed.

Teline III is experimenting with a number of concepts now, like the new “JA Template Framework” and also introducing all sorts of features that have not been tried in Teline II.

As noted by ruigato:

<em>@ruigato 143737 wrote:</em><blockquote>I would rather a template optimezed for a big news site or portal than a full featured look alike with problems.</blockquote>

and that should be what Joomlart should be focusing on right now, specially with all the new features introduced. As it is, right now, it is too slow for me. I am sure there are rooms for optimization of the scripts and compatibility of features.

The only way that Joomlart could make “contemporary versions” of the Teline series is to have a separate line of templates, just like what Joomlart did with Magento, based on the foundation of Teline II and Teline III, and more related features associated with “News-magazine” software. I already advocated and outlined something like this in another thread:

Why the Teline series is unique, so popular and…
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/why-the-teline-series-is-unique-so-popular-and/

for reasons, and the others are asking for.

The question though is this: “Does Joomlart have enough manpower to devote to another exclusive line of Teline templates just like the Magento?”

I am concerned enough with their creating a Magento line, if there was no proportionate increase in staff. While they may have reduced the number of JA templates to one template per month, with hopes that the extra time would be devoted to improving the service (better JA templates, better manuals and tutorials, better technical support, etc.), I do not see how that could happen, if the resources (staff time) have just been diverted to the Magento products

(1 JA Template plus i Magento template) per month (current) = 2 JA templates per month (before Aug 2009

So, where was the freed manpower and time to ensure better JA templates, better manuals and tutorials, better technical support, etc.

There are more volunteer Moderators this time around of course, and that helps a bit. But, volunteers are volunteers. They cannot be substitute to paid staff who are expected to do the tasks enumerated above.

Cornelio

[VisiGod Friend VisiGodJoin date: January 2006Posts: 538Downloads:0Uploads:4 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 138 times in 18 posts]

#316718

IMO, I don’t find anything dramatically more beautiful than Teline III.
What you probably mean is that III is too close as look like of II?

<em>@bluesuit 143751 wrote:</em><blockquote>Fair enough…

Live websites:
http://www.cbsnews.com/
http://msn.foxsports.com/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/
http://www.cnbc.com/
http://abcnews.go.com/
http://news.cnet.com/

A nice clean finance website:
http://www.fool.co.uk/

Here’s one that is VERY similar to the Teline layout and I guess may not take a huge effort:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Here are some very nice wordpress template themes:
http://www.wp-vybe.com/
http://www.wp-smooth.com/

And finally a nice theme for the Serendipity CMS
http://www.optional-necessity.com/demo/kinetic/

Anyway I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you may not agree with what I like but there you go…</blockquote>

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