It took a bit longer than I expected, but all the updates to the Clarkesworld Magazine website have been installed. The site has been redesigned and there are a couple of things I’ll probably move around over the next few days (for example, I’m not entirely sold on the off-center column of text for stories). If you run into any problems, let me know. Opinions welcome too.
This issue introduces two new features: an editorial and audio fiction. Only one audio story this time, but we’ll be playing with this over the next few months and this section will grow.
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Fiction:
Clockwork Chickadee by Mary Robinette Kowal (also available in audio version) Non-Fiction: Cheer Up Emo Kid: Being Depressed (or Gay) is Not All in Your Genes by Ekaterina Sedia |
mroctober
The “Cheer Up Emo Kid” is nice but some of the terminology used would be argued by adolescent psychologists, I think.
squirrel_monkey
Of course. I’ve been using terminology used by behavior genetics researchers, and it is clearly a part of the problem.
mroctober
Agreed.
david_de_beer
>for example, I’m not entirely sold on the off-center column of text for stories
oh, I quite like the layout of the stories, makes it comfortable for me to read.
least I used to, at present it feels a little awkward with there being nothing to the left of the text, but overall I rather like the text layout you’ve got working there.
wyrmadmin
To the left? I was sure it was that big area to the right I’d get comments about. Would it improve things if the white text column was centered in the gray?
david_de_beer
not sure. It just feels off-balance, and that’s hard to pin down precisely.
The right is big and empty, but it’s also a definite column and it could be that the lack of content there is what’s making me feel an awkwardness to the left. If you contrast it to your lj here, you’ve got a lot of content running down the right and this feels more balanced (the right column isn’t pushing the left column off, so I’m not looking for something on the left to “hold” the column, if that makes sense? they’re balancing each other). I can’t figure it out exactly, but it feels like your lj text here is more in the center than the magazine is.
So, to answer your question, I’m not sure if centering the white in the gray or adding content to the right would make the difference.
What I do like a lot though is the background and the frontpage.
wyrmadmin
I avoided added more content down the right because I found it too distracting while I was reading a story.
I’ll try centering it, but I need to find a new place to keep the issue number. Has to be there since it’s the only navigation back to the issue the story/article comes from.
david_de_beer
I avoided added more content down the right because I found it too distracting while I was reading a story.
there is that. it’s not a big problem, though, I’ll probably get used to it soon enough and then it won’t matter. Pretty much looks like I’m the only one who found it a bit awkward 🙂
the_flea_king
I think the site looks great, Neil. And I’m really looking forward to reading the content.
wyrmadmin
Thanks! Much appreciated.
xjenavivex
would you consider a crossadd?