Site Spotlight - Adoption Center, rate/opinion Please?

[deegoes]

Hello! My friend Mae, and I have decided to open our very own adoption center! Eventually, we would love to enter it into the site spotlight but would love to refine everything we can before we enter it. Any help or suggestions regarding the accessibility and look would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

http://www.neopets.com/~beadle_

 

Thank you for your time!

[Ranaki]

It seems good to me. However, I'm sure a more CSS/html savvy techie will tell you what's wrong with it, IF there is anything.

All of the buttons worked though =3

[deegoes]

Thank you, Ranaki! :rock: Even just a simple look over to make sure all the links are functioning is a lot help!

[AllTimeMarr]

One thing that hops to mind is, maybe you should make the round area clickable, instead of just the text?

 

And I don't know if you feel like I'm just bashing your site but well I think that your h1-6 usage looks kind of weird: this screenshot should explain it.

http://prntscr.com/450bxa

Maybe take another look at your code and make h1-6 the same width?

I am using Google Chrome by the way.

 

Also - ok, please be honest if I'm too critical?! - I think the indents are somewhat huge, and the font used in the blue h2 is a bit small. Especially since it's lowercase.

 

Overall I love your site, the graphics are super amazing :)

 

// EDIT: Oh and your site states "hover over the images to read more", but I hover and hover, and I can't read anything new?

[Rune Valentine]

Here are a few things I noticed:

 

• I can't see your site title anywhere but in the little "Welcome" note.
• I would add something related to your site name (integrate a faerie of some sort) into your actual site layout
• FAQ "Question" headers are small and hard to read. I don't think, if I had a question, I would have an easy time reading it
• Dream pet list could use clickable usernames in case someone wants to contact those listed for their dream pets
• I am 100% sure you aren't allowed to take/ask for donations:

Last week you said "item pools," where people collect money to purchase avatar items, are illegal. I understand this and your reasons for disallowing it. My question: Is a Guild Avatar Item Lending Library considered an item pool? Our guild's Lending Library is stocked by direct item donations from guild members and by items purchased with funds collected by selling overpriced items at the guild's store. If this is not allowed, let us know and we'll stop! We all want to follow the rules here!
No, this is not allowed. Items pools are item pools, regardless if it is a group of strangers, friends, or guildmates doing it. We're very sorry, but please discontinue this practice! (It's not the answer you wanted, we're sure, but thank you for checking to make sure you were following the rules!)

 

Otherwise you're off to a good start :)

[Shelley]

this looks awesome!! you're layout is really nice and I think it's really cool that you and your friend Mae are so enthusiastic about granting people's dream pet wishes!! :)

 

The first thing I wondered about was also the donations/giving people paint brushes. Maybe you should discontinue to donation pool and just rely on people who want to adopt out lap zapped pets or pets they no longer want. Kind of just keep it as a directory to pets that need homes? Kind of like the zapping your dream pets guild. They granted me my wish for my lovely faerie lenny and I know they've helped a lot of people get their dreamies! they don't list out the available pets though like you do. I like that you can see the names and the faces of all the pets that need homes :)

 

Also just reading through your FAQ's and read the question regarding if you can paint the pet after it's been adopted. While the previous owners might not like it, it's not breaking any sort of neopets rule so maybe you want to rephrase your answer? Like maybe say "after it's your pet you can do what you want with it according to neopets rules, even though the past owner might feel badly". Something to that matter. Same with the not being able to transfer the pet to a side question as well. Maybe you can say that you personally discourage it although it's fine within the rules of the site?

 

I really love the layout though, it looks awesome! :) I wish there was a little more neo in it though. I bet TNT likes to see more neo related graphics but I honestly don't know a thing about the site spotlight haha. I'm just always cautious about copyright and where I'm getting my graphics from. At least if it's a neo related graphic you know you have no problem with the copyright

 

good luck on your quest to get the trophy!! It's a nice thing you're doing for people as well :)

[deegoes]

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly! So let's tackle from the top, shall we. :D

 

AllTimeMarr: Please do not feel like you are being 'too critical'! There is no such thing.

• I was hoping not to have to use an imap for the navigation links but I might have to because I have no idea how to make rounded linked areas any other way! Okay, noted. I think I'll work on that this week. :3
• Strange H1 code fixed.
• H2 : Added padding and bumped up the font size. Removed lowercase text transformation
• Updated UFA section to include legend to tidy up listings. Removed 'Hover' effect and updated corresponding text.

Thank you so much for your time and effort to scoure the site inside and out! :D Your suggestions were great!

 

Rune: Thanks for your timely reponse!

• I'm having a little trouble finding a place to put the title where it won't clutter the layout anymore. Perhaps under the navigation links? Open to suggestions! c:
• Mae and I spoke about doing something like this! Maybe a png overlay of the same faerie on our landing page. Thanks for the reminder, I think we both have forgotten about it.
• FAQ headers have been changed and updated for readability.
• Great idea about the Dream Pet List having clickable usernames! Done!
• About the taking/asking for donations, I see shops asking/taking donations all the time for things like items for themselves/upgrades for their shopes/advertising for their shop or shops in their 'mall'. How is this any different since we are not technically giving away an item, instead, we're giving away a pet as a gift. It would be ashame to have to remove the coolest (in my opinion) part of the site. Is there somewhere where the donation/gifting rules are set in stone? Or are they just ruthlessly thrown around many different Neopian times issues in hopes that you'll find them if you even know what you're looking for?

Again, thank you so much for your time and for the great suggestions! :D

 

Shelley: Thanks, Shelley! I just wish we didn't have so many restraitns when it comes to Neo! I never knew there wasn't an option to ask for donations/pledges.

• We don't technically give people paint brushes (someone who was wondering our site gave PBs away to people who had listed their dreamies on our site). What we had in mind is once a month take the donations and paint a pet with it that we either found in the pound with a decent name or had laying around and then gift them to someone who had it as their dreamie. But it seems like this isn't even acceptable considering pets are somewhat like items? Oh I wish they weren't so vague with their rules! lol
• I think that's a great idea and we may have to zap until we find premies instead of donating/gifting is against the rules. And that's /awesome/ that you were able to get your dream pet!
• Again, something I never thought about! You're right - it isn't our choice whether someone can or cannot paint their pet once it is adopted to them. c: I'll speak with Mae (since she writes all the content) and have her figure something out!

 

Thank you so much for your sweet reponse! :)

 

Edit 07/21: Content has been updated regarding Shelley's suggestions! You all are such great help. :*

[Rune Valentine]

Asking for donations is somewhat of a grey area, but since a lot of people use it to scam/trick people into donating money, TNT often frowns upon it. Regardless of your intentions, it's best not to do it or pool NP for items because this will always raise a red flag for TNT since they often consider it as "begging" or "item pooling". Asking for help on a goal isn't in itself against the rules, but if you're entering the site spotlight, it will not only seem shady to TNT but might potentially cost your site the spotlight. Just because you see other people doing it and getting away with it, doesn't mean you will, especially if you are basically handing out a link to TNT for them to go see for themselves. As I'm reading now, there's also no specific goal on where the NP is going, how you're going to choose who you're "helping" get their dream pet, why you're doing it when you can just match pets UFA to people who has those dream pets, etc.

 

If you want to pursue this part of your site, do so at your own risk or clarify it in an Editorial question. In my experience, it's always better safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with TNT.

[deegoes]

Since you brought up the subject, I've been doing a lot of research and chatting with other people. It seems like everyone is a little torn on what it's considered. I asked a question on the Help Boards and had a few great responses via NM, one of which being (yet again) a very vague TNT response,

 

Hi there! This message is just a note to answer a question you asked or help to clarify a rule for you. You aren’t in trouble and it is not an official warning, so don’t fret! Scamming people into buying your items/trades is not allowed! Nor is asking them for donations in exchange for items. Do NOT promise players things that they will not receive! Also, please do not donate to so-called item pools. The vast majority of these are just scams created to steal your items and Neopoints! If you wind up being scammed, there is nothing we can do about it. This will be your only warning about these! If you would like, please refer to issue# 239 of The Neopian Times editorial (http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&;issue=239)!

 

 

I don't understand why I can't seem to wrap my head around whether it is acceptable with certain tweaks or not. But you're correct in the fact that if I plan on sending this in for site spotlight, it might not be such a great idea to teeter on the edge! Thanks again for everything.

[AllTimeMarr]

I'm having a little trouble finding a place to put the title where it won't clutter the layout anymore. Perhaps under the navigation links? Open to suggestions! c:

 

I think underneath the navigation is by far the best place to place it! :) I read the part about not knowing where to place it and I immediately thought of it without reading further, and then I read you already had that in mind.

http://i.imgur.com/mO1KMCt.jpg

 

~~ I don't have Photoshop installed on my parents' PC and it looks like I need to buy a new laptop 'cause Acer will charge me € 171,- to repair it :')

[deegoes]

 

I think underneath the navigation is by far the best place to place it! :) I read the part about not knowing where to place it and I immediately thought of it without reading further, and then I read you already had that in mind.

http://i.imgur.com/mO1KMCt.jpg

 

~~ I don't have Photoshop installed on my parents' PC and it looks like I need to buy a new laptop 'cause Acer will charge me € 171,- to repair it :')

 

 

:o I think that is acceptable! I'll add that when I start to work on the imap. You're brilliant! Even without Photoshop you make it work. :p If you'd like, I can update you when I've done it. Again, many, many thank yous! So helpful. :*

[AllTimeMarr]

 

 

:O I think that is acceptable! I'll add that when I start to work on the imap. You're brilliant! Even without Photoshop you make it work. :P If you'd like, I can update you when I've done it. Again, many, many thank yous! So helpful. :*

 

Yesss, please neomail me, or sent a DM on the forums, haha, I love to check it out again! :-D

 

Oh, a little sidenote: I would only add that below the navigation on the none-landingpages. So, keep the landingpage like it is, nothing below the navigation, but at all the navigation link pages but it underneath it! Oh, and maybe make that 'logo/site title' clickable, so you can check out that landingpage* again.

 

*I call it landingpage instead of homepage 'cause I don't know what to call it. For me, the homepage is the page linked to with the home-button. And well, it might have caused some confusion had I called it homepage XD!