Since we began developing this website, I think the hardest question has been: what should a website about David Bowie look like? As hackneyed as the word “chameleon” is in most every news bit about the man, his image really can’t be tied to one particular style. The designs of other top fan sites seem to gravitate toward favorite albums; Bowie Wonderworld leans toward Earthling, while TeenageWildlife.com is reminiscent of Hours. And where the look and feel of Bowienet aligns itself with the most recent album, none of the redesigns have compared to its initial Outside-related design. I always wish I could view the current content in that original interface.
Which got me to thinking, what if that were possible? What if our visitors could choose the design of CrackedActor.com to look like their favorite album? Cascading stylesheets make it entirely possible to separate the design from the content, and cookies could let each user pick and store their own preference. So I messed around with the idea and it looks like it actually works.
Go ahead, give it a shot. Over on the left where it says “Select Your Theme”, click on another album title. The page should reload with a different skin. I just made up few samples to start with, but eventually we might have all the studio albums covered. And your preference should stick until you pick another theme or clear your web browser’s cookies. All I need to do now is apply the design to the rest of the site.
Posted in Site Updates | No Comments »Andrea and I have launched this David Bowie fansite today to share our common interest in the Duke with the rest of the web.
Some years ago I found her profile on TeenageWildlife.com and sent her an IM. We hit it off fairly well, dated for about three years, and then married our CD collections together back in May of 2004. That’s the short version. Bowie’s music apparently brought us together and it’s safe to say his life and work will always be a source of intrigue and a topic for discussion for us. I think it’s about time we started writing it down.
And while TeenageWildlife.com is still tops as far as fansites are concerned, the flow of news and updates has completely dried up. Bowienet was once a prime resource for information, too, but it seems their only news headline anymore is “More Crap to Buy”. Is Chronology really coming soon? Anyone holding their breath for that has long since died, decayed, and grown a lush thicket of grass out of their crusty rear. Plus with his last journal entry more than a year ago, does it look like Sailor’s even interested anymore?
All the same, we still occasionally subscribe and enjoy what’s there. And as a webmaster I can appreciate how difficult it can be to keep the mouseball rolling. But once upon a time, that site was more than a message board and collection agency, it was alive and cutting edge.
So we’ll have a go at it ourselves. To start we’re plunking Wordpress, Gallery2 and MediaWiki on the server. Now to fill them up.
Anyone wishing to contact us regarding information on the site can do so at webmistress (at) crackedactor.com or webmaster (at) crackedactor.com. (Addresses not linked to in order to prevent us from getting spammed.)
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