Any ideas about how to improve my website on low or no budget?

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

This is my website: http://www.usminc.org

I'm an army of one. I don't get any donations for what I do or recieve any kind of payment for it. In fact it costs me about $150/yr. So in other words, I have little or no budget.

I'm the father of a two year old now and have a crazy schedule. It's hard to get any free time to work on it, and I'm certainly no pro. :giveup:

Is there anyone out there who does webstes for free? I know it has frames but the frames are a big help because of the ease of adding a page. Besides, most people surf to the individual pages anyway. I could use a proofreader for another thing, I know I have some typos.

So, does anyone do this type of thing for little or no money? (I'm doing my part for no money. lol!)

[moonglow]

This is my website: http://www.usminc.org

I'm an army of one. I don't get any donations for what I do or recieve any kind of payment for it. In fact it costs me about $150/yr. So in other words, I have little or no budget.

I'm the father of a two year old now and have a crazy schedule. It's hard to get any free time to work on it, and I'm certainly no pro. :giveup:

Is there anyone out there who does webstes for free? I know it has frames but the frames are a big help because of the ease of adding a page. Besides, most people surf to the individual pages anyway. I could use a proofreader for another thing, I know I have some typos.

So, does anyone do this type of thing for little or no money? (I'm doing my part for no money. lol!)

You haven't looked around this board very much have you? :lol: This is one of the many things they do here is sell for cheap prices...websites!
http://webnet77.com/

Take a look around on that and while its not free its protected from hackers and ads things you don't want on your site. I am sure the owner of the board will be able to help you out more with questions and stuff. I have a website through here also. I have to say I have been pretty lazy with mine and just let it sit there...hardly ever do anything with it...no need to really as people come on and read what they want too. I do need to finish my story on it through! The time consuming part is getting it set up of course. Just all depends on what you are doing or want to do with it. You might need to let it just sit until your child is a little older...nothing wrong with that! people still get alot out of it. :)

God bless

[Bethany67]

Hi Doc - I had a good look round your website when I first joined. The first thing I'd say is the colour scheme; red and black and yellow scream confrontation. If you're aiming to reach out to occultists and Pagans, you might want to go for something a little more subtle. Those vibrant colours make the text pretty hard to read.

I'd be happy to help you with proofreading for free (and I'll even make allowances for American spelling ;)). You have my email address already if you want to send stuff over bit by bit; I presume you have it saved as documents somewhere? I can give weekend and evening time to this. Incidentally if I find any factual errors on Wiccan history/book quotations etc., I'll discuss it with you.

Let me know if you're interested.

[Elouise]

The colour scheme is difficult to read and it comes across as 'youngster'.
Might be a good idea to have a look at university websites and see the colour contrast used on them as they give the hint this is a site worth taking seriously and in colours the majority of folk can read.

Cannot help with wicca but the LHP stuff I could. Make sure you cite as that helps a lot.

BTW the pieces on LHP that I have read so far do tend to come across as confrontational rather than inviting thought; it is a little like a Christian version of SAFF.

If you go to a church is there anyone there who could give you tips and support on the techie side of things?

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

Hi Doc - I had a good look round your website when I first joined. The first thing I'd say is the colour scheme; red and black and yellow scream confrontation. If you're aiming to reach out to occultists and Pagans, you might want to go for something a little more subtle. Those vibrant colours make the text pretty hard to read.

I'd be happy to help you with proofreading for free (and I'll even make allowances for American spelling ;)). You have my email address already if you want to send stuff over bit by bit; I presume you have it saved as documents somewhere? I can give weekend and evening time to this. Incidentally if I find any factual errors on Wiccan history/book quotations etc., I'll discuss it with you.

Let me know if you're interested.

Yes, I'm interested. I was thinking you could just cut and paste it from the website and email it if you wanted to. I chose red and black because thats the colors most occultists seem to gravitate too. It's usually easy to spot a Wiccan in America because many of them like the goth look.

What color would you suggest? Perhaps if I had different background. People have told me the yellow is hard to read, so I was thinking about changing it to white.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

The colour scheme is difficult to read and it comes across as 'youngster'.
Might be a good idea to have a look at university websites and see the colour contrast used on them as they give the hint this is a site worth taking seriously and in colours the majority of folk can read.

Cannot help with wicca but the LHP stuff I could. Make sure you cite as that helps a lot.

BTW the pieces on LHP that I have read so far do tend to come across as confrontational rather than inviting thought; it is a little like a Christian version of SAFF.

If you go to a church is there anyone there who could give you tips and support on the techie side of things?

The idea of the site was that it would attract young people since young people are the ones most likely to get involved in the occult. I have changed the background and the lettering is now white.

I don't think of the LHP as being confrontational, but rather as being realistic. Quoting Bible verses to a Satanist is useless. Someone emailed me 2 weeks ago and said the Satanism page had give them the dose of reality they needed in fact. I do list occult crimes because occultsts act like those things never happen. I suppose I need to have a link to C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity. The Satanism page has that already. And it does site sources. I can't think of anything not cited.

There is no one at any church who can give me techie tips, which is why I'm asking this online.

Oh well, I suppose the website isn't so bad now that the white lettering is gone. Maybe I just needed to change the color scheme and the lettering.

[Richard H]

Impressive content, Doc. (readable now too)

1. Lose the music and sound effects.

2. Think about using a template instead of frames. Search engines cannot see into frames. It just looks like a page with no content to a search engine.

3. Increase apparent loading speed by using several tables to hold your content. The first table loads up and displays while the other tables are still loading.

4. Proofreading: copy/paste the text into Word or Outlook. This will alert you to spelling and grammar problems. Keep in mind when pasting formatted text from Outlook or Word into your HTML editor - changes to the pasted text may result in font size issues. You may wish to check your text in Word, but then make the actual changes in your usual editor.

[Bethany67]

It's such a massive site, Doc, that I think it would be best if you went through it systematically and sent Word documents to me; that way you can upload them as and when they're done and you'll know it's all been checked.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

Impressive content, Doc. (readable now too)

1. Lose the music and sound effects.

2. Think about using a template instead of frames. Search engines cannot see into frames. It just looks like a page with no content to a search engine.

3. Increase apparent loading speed by using several tables to hold your content. The first table loads up and displays while the other tables are still loading.

4. Proofreading: copy/paste the text into Word or Outlook. This will alert you to spelling and grammar problems. Keep in mind when pasting formatted text from Outlook or Word into your HTML editor - changes to the pasted text may result in font size issues. You may wish to check your text in Word, but then make the actual changes in your usual editor.

I could load it into Word, but it'll take a while. Like I said, I'm an army of one. Maybe I'll work on proofreading one page a day. I used to have buttons on every webpage instead of frames, but everytime I wanted to create a new page, I had to go back to every single page and add a button. I might drop the music. Now that I've changed the background I emailed a few fans of the site and they say they liked it better with the red and black. lol!

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

It's such a massive site, Doc, that I think it would be best if you went through it systematically and sent Word documents to me; that way you can upload them as and when they're done and you'll know it's all been checked.

Maybe I can just check one page a day and then it'll be done in about a month. You're right it does have a lot pages.

[Ta-An]

If you do not make use of e-mail.....
Do you want a free website??

[Ta-An]

Ooops I see you do have e-mail on that site........

You can look here for paid webhosting : http://webnet77.com/

or a free site here : https://webnet77.net/gw/index.pl?ACTION=F-HOME

[Paul_born_again]

Here's some tips. This is just my opinion so feel free to ignore any parts you wish ;)

- make the text smaller

- make the navigation menu buttons smaller and less space between them. You have to scroll a lot to find a section

- if you want to stick with the black/red theme, use a background that has less contrast. Right now it is hard to read certain sections over the bright sections in the background.

- there are ways of implementing a menu using SSI and CCS, but that is beyond my knowledge. Using these methods, you would only need to change your menu on the "master" page and the changes would take effect on all your pages. Perhaps someone else here can comment on that aspect.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

Ooops I see you do have e-mail on that site........

You can look here for paid webhosting : http://webnet77.com/

or a free site here : https://webnet77.net/gw/index.pl?ACTION=F-HOME

The webhost isn't a problem. I was looking for more perhpas ways to spruce it up.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

- there are ways of implementing a menu using SSI and CCS, but that is beyond my knowledge. Using these methods, you would only need to change your menu on the "master" page and the changes would take effect on all your pages. Perhaps someone else here can comment on that aspect.[/quote]

Yes, that's the kind of thing of thing that would help. If I could get rid of the frames. I look into SSI and CCS, I don't know anything about that either. I tried a new background with a Celtic cross background, maybe that will be better.

I thought making the letters bigger would make it easier to read.

[Elouise]

Hiya,

I guess that at some point many young people will go through a phase of trying a spiritual something on for size but few have the tenacity to become involved. More seem to dabble and either get nothing whatsoever or become lightly fried and very wary of any other forms of spirituality afterwards.
Perhaps a small post indicating that whilst this site is aimmed primarily at young people others are welcome to read too.

Thank you for changing the colour of the lettering that is much appreciated my eyesight can make reading screen text great fun; according to reserach from the UK's RNIB [Royal National Institute for the Blind] white contrasted agianst a blue background is legiable for the majority of folk with visual impairments.
I can finally see the letters on the site .
The LHP is noted for its gritty realism; it does not need sugar coating ut those who become what I would consider involved function at a higher academic level than most.

In the UK many satanists and most certainly occultists do know the bible but they tend to take things out of context.

If you state something as a fact you need to provide support for your point of veiw or it is merely an opnion. For example when quoting a crime it is helpful to provide links to good quiality (e.g. broadsheet newspapers) that provide sufficent information for those with enquiring minds to track court records.

The citetation does not exist on the pages I have read so far. To cite would involve using a recognised system such as footnotes, Harvard or Oxford. You may find this wikipedia page of help as a starting point. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources
Choose a system that makes sense to you and stick with it. There is nothing worse than trying to wade through an articile that uses assorted citation methods.

For example when stating something is not been taken seriously *winces* give the name and publication in which they refute or contest a previously made claim. It adds gravitas to the arguement your presenting and stops people red flagging on a few words based on a scan read through and dismissing your points as if you were a suppositional rhetporic spouting numpty christian.

When you post about Lavayian satanism it helps to make it clear you mean lavayian satanism to distinguish this from theistic concepts, diabolatry et al.

Enochian Magick; I think it would be a good idea to read up on the social and political climate of Tudor England. [Plagues and poxes anyone?] The court played political chess with people in a way that would make the old Chinese imperial court feel the infant west was learning. Might make more sense to look at the relationship between Mister Kelly and Dr Dee as possibly each trying to con the other and colluding.

You cannot claim the old Frater was brain damaged as a child unless you can produce certifiable medical evidence.
You may present that this could be considered as a possibility, this is your opnion.

You cannot state a persons behavior was psychotic you are not a qualified psychiatrust; a person may be quite sane and do things others find disturbing.
Compared to some of the things that nice respectable well thought of english gentlemen would engage in what Crowley did was pretty tame.
In 1905 the UK and racism sadly do go together it came from a Imperilaist mindset that pervaded the whole country [Please look for scholarly articles on UK social policy formation regarding race issues]

I refute your comments and assumptions regarding the use of psychosis in relation to Crowley. Your misusing it as a label.
Psychotic is a a medical label meaning a person who has been diaognosed with a psychotic disorder that is characterised by gross impairments hat present symtoms of delusions, severe regressive behaviours, hallucinations and inchorant speech/communication that does not result from a severe communication disorder. [see a good medical pschological dictionary or even MINDs website here http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+Psychotic+Experiences.htm
It does not mean someone choosing to do something in their life that others find abhorrant.

I must tell a very old friend that Netherwood was nothing more than a 'flophouse'. I do not recogonise the description you give having seen photos of the building of the time concerned and knowing people who lived there at the time.
Heroin addict yes, flophouse. No.
The building was a 'to let' few people at that time could afford a mortgage let alone to rent.
Image may be found here. Photos may be found in books on the history of Gerald Gardener
http://bp1.blogger.com/_PFB05dBllyg/R-SfG8_go9I/AAAAAAAAAJY/-CYYzx0KEzc/s1600-h/hastings+03.jpg

This person does exist, he is of the 'old school' UK LHP for Bethany has also meet him face to face.

[Bethany67]

I must tell a very old friend that Netherwood was nothing more than a 'flophouse'. This person does exist, he is of the 'old school' UK LHP for Bethany has also meet him face to face.

Yup, I can vouch for that. Doc - if you want your site to reach out to those deep in the occult as opposed to dabblers (which are the majority), I would recommend that you follow up on Elouise's suggestions. There is a cultural divide in that we're in the UK (and British occultists can be notoriously snobbish on matters), but the Net means national boundaries in effect don't exist and it's very possible UK occultists will end up reading your site. If you show that you've done your research and critical thinking, they're far more likely to give your site a serious read rather than dismiss it as 'Wicca Lite.' You've got a great deal of raw material on there; I'd recommend you work on honing it as and when you can, to make it as effective as possible.

[Elouise]

Hmm yes explaining that the UK tends towards a more academic mindset and the average age is mid 20's for LHP as opposed to a reactive and dabbling response with average age being mid teens of the USA.

I suspect Germany and France may well be closer to the UK than the USA in this respect. The UK exported wiccan concepts and other things to the states so you may find it useful to locate a UK specific search engine for web based research. Look in social trends for religious stats.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

Thanks for all the suggestons, folks. I have spent many years in the medical field, including 2 years at a head injury rehab. Head injuries can cause people to become psychotic, and I think there's enough evidence from Crowley's behavior that he was psychotic...unless defecating on carpets and considering them sacred, eating feces as a sacrement, and sacrificing goats during acts of bestiality, etc., etc., are considered "normal", ( I would doubt even for eccentric English gentlemen). I'm also quite certain Crowley lived in a flophouse, as this is how Colin Wilson described it. This coupled with the fact Crowley died bankrupt is good enough for me. The older bios of Crowley are less romatizied than the newer ones. The crimes are easily Googable, and most of them say something like "(AP)" for Asocitaed Press after them, or some such source. I'll make sure they all have references on them.
While I was in England, I didn't get to meet any Wiccans in person, but I was told by my brother in law and his family that there were many high school juvniles into it, and that several had been expelled from a local school for carrying athames to school. As one Brit told me "Wicca is like a fashion accessory to some of them". It sounds like UK occultists aren't much different than many USA types.
Most people in the occult, wether left hand or right hand, are quite pretentious, and I'm assuming UK occultists are no different. Raymond Buckland for instance claims to have a Doctorate in Folklore from a diploma mill. Gerald Gardner had two phony doctrorates. If some occult snob out there doesn't like the site, I'm not surprised and there wouldn't be anything I could say to change their mind anyway. Anton LaVey claimed to have a doctorate and a Master's in Criminology but was a High School Dropout. "Frater" Crowley claimed to be a Doctor of Medicine, which most certainly wasn't. He also claimed to be a Russian Count, A Scottish Laird, an Egyptian prince, etc., If these types dismiss me, I'll get over it.
As for the actual contnet of the site's Left Hand Path , I find it "bang on" as you Brits would say. It doesn't matter if it's theistic or atheistic satanism, it really all goes back to LaVey. He's the one that popularized Satanism. When people realize even he couldn't make it work (not as a system of magic or a "philosophy"), they realize there's nothing to it.

I think the site is good for adults and teens. I get a nice mix, and I see no need for disclaimers. I doubt there's any way to convert people from any sort of occultism to Christianity who are deep into it, and I'm not going to try. There's no amount of evidence you can give those types that will convince them of anything. But I can innoculate people from wanting to try it and perhaps steer the dabblers away, & also show that Christianity can be both mystical and inttelectual. When people ask me if there's such a athing as a money spell or a love spell, I just show them the famous occultist page, and that cures them from wanting to dabble. People getting into the occult have usually had bad experiences with Christianity in the first place.

[Elouise]

f you simply leap from looking at the behaviour of a person from a differant culture and time period to yourself you will make gross assumptions and are liable to arrive at errenous conclusions.

The UK is not the USA. You have not even presented opinion points as a probability but a given fact. This will lead to those in the UK dissmissing your arguement as poor.

I am sure those who are young will use your site.

[Bethany67]

Okay, Doc - it's your site. Over and out.

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

f you simply leap from looking at the behaviour of a person from a differant culture and time period to yourself you will make gross assumptions and are liable to arrive at errenous conclusions.

The UK is not the USA. You have not even presented opinion points as a probability but a given fact. This will lead to those in the UK dissmissing your arguement as poor.

I am sure those who are young will use your site.

What should I say then? Crowley was really demigod as his followers say? I did say on the Crowley page I believed he became psychotic rather than saying "it absolutely must have been this way" after his mishap on Guy Fawkes night at 14. I also doubt all the drugs and alcohol made him any saner. I guess I'm just not as sympathetic to Crowley. I know I have to go back and make footnotes for some things, that's on my to do list. But I think anyone who researches what I say will see everything on the website is right. Like I said, there are some that will dismiss everything I say anyway because they want to believe they can have magic powers.

As for UK occultists, I can't believe they're such a different breed of animal than we "Mericans that they have to have their own seperate website. Well, perhaps then the UK occultists will be best left for you and Behtany then if that's the case. Living in the UK gives you a better position to judge than me.

I'm not trying to offend anyone or make anyone mad at me, and I appreciate all the help I've gotten.

Peace In Christ

[Elouise]

Crowley was just a sinner as we all are.

No better no worse, simply a human being who sinned.

[Richard H]

Crowley was just a sinner as we all are.

No better no worse, simply a human being who sinned.

As pertains to judgment – YES.
We are sinners in a fallen world.

However, (in MY mind) a spiritual “Hitler” is worse than the misled.

I know what ya’ meant. J

[orange]

Is this correct : http://www.usminc.org/ ?
I get server not found error page

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

Is this correct : http://www.usminc.org/ ?
I get server not found error page

Yes, that's right. When I tried the link it worked.

[orange]

hmmm...very strange. I clicked again, and get website not found. I event tried different browsers Firefox and IE....


OK, I got it opened when I use URL without www

http://usminc.org

I suggest that you look at open source CMS www.drupal.org (easier) or www.joomla.org (for more advanced)

It will be a learning curve, like it usually is with everything new, but well worth it if you are in it for a long run.

Frames are very nonfunctional with search engines, and outdated. You will have to update sooner or later, or you will have an "elephant" on your hands that you are trying to manage with a pencil sized stick.

With drupal or joomla you will have a race horse that you are riding as a jockey - easy and fast management. And it's open source, does no cost you anyhting out of pocket.

[Ravenwspr]

ive sent an example of some of the css that may come in handy for you, can help out anytime :)

[DoctorZOomZoOm]

ive sent an example of some of the css that may come in handy for you, can help out anytime :)

Got your email. I think we have a winner. Thanks!