2007-01-16 22:31:59
As I write the site is currently being updated. Now while I expect a few teething problems that will need looking into the site should be to the XHTML 1.1 standard. This said I will spend the next few days testing the pages.
I mentioned previously that a new broadband provider was needed and in order to avoid the cheap "fly-by-nights" we have opted for BT. Therefore photo ordering should now resume.
Finally let me just mention that the content should start to gain in size. Firstly the BMDs section has already expanded to over 19,000 records. And new articles from the late 1800s should also start appearing.
2006-11-20 17:29:07
Due to recent issues with broadband companies NetServices and Biscuit (formerly v21.co.uk) we are currently without the use of our broadband lines. News of the troubles are else were on the web but this has now caused us problems with our photo ordering option within The History Files. It would appear that all v21 customers who have broadband connections via Netservices will be disconnected on the 24th November allowing customers to seek out alternative adsl suppliers. We will keep you posted when the ordering service is likely to resume.
2006-11-01 20:47:14
Have recently been working on RSS feeds for certain pages in between a big move over to XHTML 1.1. Currently only the photographs section is demoing the feed but more will be added at a later date. As mentioned we have started with RSS but are also looking into doing ATOM versions as well.
2006-10-29 16:36:43
Small error report. It seams that the BMDs section inserts the name Barker for all surnames. The site map still contains references to the Web Directory although this isn't on line and has been put on the back boiler.
Finally the submissions form seems to jump off the page in the mac version of fire fox. We will endvour to sort these out very soon.
Finally the submissions form seems to jump off the page in the mac version of fire fox. We will endvour to sort these out very soon.
2006-10-26 16:36:27
Finally uploaded the new look site. Well what do you think?
There maybe one or too alterations over the following months as I endevour to get more content online and the pages which list photos, articles etc in the History Files may appear too long. When this happens I'll probably drop them into sub categories. But for now this should look a lot better than before.
There maybe one or too alterations over the following months as I endevour to get more content online and the pages which list photos, articles etc in the History Files may appear too long. When this happens I'll probably drop them into sub categories. But for now this should look a lot better than before.
2006-10-19 16:35:34
Latest progress report is that the search engine appears to be running. Searches via the menu box are currently performed over the entire site, although the results have quick jumps to the appropriate section.
Also two new sections have been added to The History Files. Articles and BMDs (Births, Deaths and Marriages). The Articles sections is to include old news stories and in future a place were you can have your history related stories added. We will eventually give you the opportunity to send in your memories of times gone by and have them published on the site. These can be just your memories from your childhood and tales of how things were 'better' in the olden days, or recap your wartime tails!
BMDs will be a newspaper style notices page were we will upload information that may be of help to people reasearching there family history. This will hopefully include entries from old newspapers, dates and name off burrial stones and hopefully in the future your input.
Also two new sections have been added to The History Files. Articles and BMDs (Births, Deaths and Marriages). The Articles sections is to include old news stories and in future a place were you can have your history related stories added. We will eventually give you the opportunity to send in your memories of times gone by and have them published on the site. These can be just your memories from your childhood and tales of how things were 'better' in the olden days, or recap your wartime tails!
BMDs will be a newspaper style notices page were we will upload information that may be of help to people reasearching there family history. This will hopefully include entries from old newspapers, dates and name off burrial stones and hopefully in the future your input.
2006-10-16 16:35:07
One new feature for those who have visited before is the shop. Currently it's run through Amazon.co.uk although we may see the introduction of a US version via Amazon.com. For those of you who wish to use it please be aware that it is in fact a link system that takes you to Amazons UK site. Therefore all your card details and postal is dealt with by Amazon and not by us.
So what's the point, you may ask. Why not just go to Amazon in the first place. Well apart from the fact that you only have a small selection of Geneology and Local History books to browse through. It will also help via the (very!) small commission we are paid to keep this site a float and help fund future expansion.
But arn't you a large publishing company? Er... No!
The site is privately run and maintained by ...ME! And set up etc is funded out of my own pocket. Now while this is not a great amount there are still hosting cost involved. So while I'm not suggesting that for the amount it cost in hosting and other extras that the site will close down soon it would obviously be of a benefit to the up keep and expansion of the site if it could eventually pay for itself.
So by all means use our book section if your looking for something or if your after anything else that you would buy from Amazon then click through from one of the Amazon links. After all it cost you nothing!
So what's the point, you may ask. Why not just go to Amazon in the first place. Well apart from the fact that you only have a small selection of Geneology and Local History books to browse through. It will also help via the (very!) small commission we are paid to keep this site a float and help fund future expansion.
But arn't you a large publishing company? Er... No!
The site is privately run and maintained by ...ME! And set up etc is funded out of my own pocket. Now while this is not a great amount there are still hosting cost involved. So while I'm not suggesting that for the amount it cost in hosting and other extras that the site will close down soon it would obviously be of a benefit to the up keep and expansion of the site if it could eventually pay for itself.
So by all means use our book section if your looking for something or if your after anything else that you would buy from Amazon then click through from one of the Amazon links. After all it cost you nothing!
2006-07-27 00:00:00
Hello and welcome to the all new Starlight Publishing web site. I know it was about time I got my butt in gear and made the whole thing more attractive and usable. Not only that but turning to a SQL database driven site has (or rather is - as I've started this blog before going live with the re-vamp!) made my life much easier and ergo should help me get more content online.
As the revamp is not online as I write it will give me a chance to keep notes on how the development has progressed and in turn gives you an insight into how it was developed.
Php and MySQL are the order of the day and it's fair to say that I currently have no (or atleast so little it makes no difference) knowledge of how everything works. I have had a bit of help to get me started as a work collegue has also started developing a site and I have been picking his brains and nicking his code in order to get going.
Other things have/will change through my experiances over the past six to eight months from the original site. The guestbook and reciprical links page may go due to spam. I have had loads of it and this is, I think, is in part to the fact that it was a free script that while good in its operation encouraged 'spambots' to search it out and fill it full of 'rubbish!'
As the revamp is not online as I write it will give me a chance to keep notes on how the development has progressed and in turn gives you an insight into how it was developed.
Php and MySQL are the order of the day and it's fair to say that I currently have no (or atleast so little it makes no difference) knowledge of how everything works. I have had a bit of help to get me started as a work collegue has also started developing a site and I have been picking his brains and nicking his code in order to get going.
Other things have/will change through my experiances over the past six to eight months from the original site. The guestbook and reciprical links page may go due to spam. I have had loads of it and this is, I think, is in part to the fact that it was a free script that while good in its operation encouraged 'spambots' to search it out and fill it full of 'rubbish!'
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