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Review Interface Request

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:13 pm
by thegrogen
Would it be possible to have an option to make the review screenshots (on the front page) animated GIFs?

Like, I know that it is possible to do but do you think it would be a good idea?

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:06 pm
by Pete
Yeah, it's very possible. In fact, it would be easy to do....

However, it would take a lot of time to make animated GIFs for each program...

What do you have in mind? An animated GIF that scrolls through all of the screenshots from the review, slideshow style?

Or do you think that we should go back to the original program and capture more screenshots and make something that looks like full-motion video?

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:33 pm
by Patz QuickBASIC Creations
Pete wrote:Yeah, it's very possible. In fact, it would be easy to do....

However, it would take a lot of time to make animated GIFs for each program...

What do you have in mind? An animated GIF that scrolls through all of the screenshots from the review, slideshow style?

Or do you think that we should go back to the original program and capture more screenshots and make something that looks like full-motion video?
It wouldn't be too hard to a slideshow, but a full motion video would be tedious work, which Pete doesn't seem to have time for...

Anyway, I'd be willing to take some screenshots and compile them together if it lessens the work for Pete :)

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:44 pm
by kalc
And some people have a very slow connection so it would take even longer to load the front page.

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 1:24 pm
by thegrogen
Yeah, the slideshow is basically what I was thinking of. It would allow visitors to see more examples of the gameplay (or whatever it is the program does), especially if you put a delay of a second or two between frames.

Of course, you could put an option in the user profile that lets you turn it on and off.

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:49 pm
by Pete
I don't know if it's worth the hassle to put this into place...after all, more screenshots are just one click away...

The Reviews are very old content. There hasn't been a new "review" on this site since mid-2000, unless you count the reviews in QB Express.

I just feature them on the front page to make it more visual (screenshots are more interesting to look at than text) -- and I made it display a random review in order to create the illusion that the site is up-to-date and dynamic. There's really no good reason for them to be on the front page...I just put them there for cosmetics.

Anyone have ideas for something else that I could put in that box that would take minimal work and minimal updates? I've been thinking about featuring QB Express issues in that box, but then it might be QB Express overkill on the front page.