FED2k through the ages

[Dunenewt]

Since the site is ten years old, I thought I'd take the time to have a look what the site used to be like.  Since the beginning, in 1998, the site has undergone many changes, until it reached its current look.  Using the WaybackMachine, I've managed to find some of the old designs:

February 1999

- this was one of the original designs, from before I joined the site, featuring a red, blue, and white colour scheme on a black background.

April 1999

- a slightly updated version of the above.

May 2000

- same as above, but with added grey, a colour which has been on the site ever since.

December 2000

- the first version to use a more 'golden' colour scheme.

February 2001

- this version featured new logos, and a slightly changed layout, making use of the whole window.

October 2003

- slight change of the above, with updated graphics including Emperor themed logos.  This version was used for many years, up until the current version of the site was introduced.

The dates I have given are of the date of the version I have linked to, but not when they were introduced.  Perhaps Mahdi/Edric could help with the design before 1999?  I have a rough idea of what it was like back then, but not a great one.  Anyway, I hope to make this list a little more complete, then post it in the News thread, so anyone visiting the site can see how much history this site has.

Also, look how the logo has changed over the years:

There are more but I'm having trouble finding them at the minute.

[gunner154]

Many of the images aren't loading. I started to notice disappearing images when I looked at the December 2000 one.

[Dunenewt]

Yes, sometimes it displays images, sometimes it doesn't - it is very annoying!

[D2k Sardaukar]

if the old websites used random image, the reason for some images not showing up is clear. the 'waybackmachine' takes only once a time a copy of the website and only the random image that was used at that time is saved by the 'machine'.

[Dunenewt]

Ah, so if I click the link a few times, then eventually the top left image will come up?

[Gobalopper]

I think there was only one other design before February 1999 and it was just a repeating sand background with some text. Nothing very complicated and not very nice to look at. And it might have not been at the same address... that one might have only been used at the old geocities address...

[Dunenewt]

I tried to use the WaybackMachine on the Geocities address but it wouldn't work unfortunately.

[D2k Sardaukar]

How did you make the website through the years, Gob? I guess around 2001 there weren't that much (free) CMS' like Joomla and Drupal.

Did you do all the coding yourself? Did you also do the images/logo's?

Perhaps you also like to tell us what you learned the most from maintaining and building this website? Or perhaps what were your most favourite moments and less favourite moments in these 10 years?

[Dunenewt]

There was another version of the logo, featuring images from Dune 2000, but it only showed once, and I couldn't get it to reappear.

[Gobalopper]

All the coding of the website has always been done by me. My day job is as a software developer and a lot of the work on the site was done while I was still in University. Unlike now I actually had free time back then. :)

Most logos were my design but there were also a few developed by a guy named OrLoK who has some art in our Fan Art section and is very talented.

Most favorable moment would have to be the trip to Las Vegas to visit Westwood Studios when Emperor was released. As for least favorable... I guess the aftermath of Emperor's release and Westwood's eventually closing would be it.

[Edric O]

I really think the old design (2003) was better than the current one. After meeting up with Newt and Khan in London I found out that they feel the same way. The new design doesn't do the site justice, as it hides most of the content away behind several layers of links. Would it be possible to either bring back the old design or add sidebars to the current one?

[Dunenewt]

Most of the content of the site will be integrated into the Wiki over the Summer.

[Edric O]

Are you sure that's a good idea? The point of a wiki is that you have a large number of contributors constantly updating and improving the data. So far the Dune Wiki hasn't exactly attracted hordes of contributors...

[Andrew]

Also the content on dune2k website is mostly static from years before.

Although the wiki would make it possible to upload new data, which is what it should be used for. Not to transfer the current data to a wiki. Unless you plan on getting rid of the dune2k website...

[Dunenewt]

No, just further integrate the Wiki and the main site.  I can lock pages to prevent people editing them, and over the Summer I plan on adding all the information from the site in to the Wiki.

[Mahdi]

I too prefered the previous incarnation of FED2k over it's current design.  I understand that Gob was going for a more blog-like feel, but seeing as how little has been posted on the main page in the last few years, it failed.

[Dunenewt]

I would mainly like to have a poll on the front page again, but there were other features that were good, such as a custom message in the programme's title bar, rather than just saying FED2k on the homepage. 

[gunner154]

After not visiting the homepage for so long, and coming back, gosh, it does not look good now!

I prefer the 2001 and 2003 ones. Those felt more like a 'professional' website than it does now. Now it looks like some geocities site. Again.

[Dunenewt]

It does look smart now, but it does look like a blog, rather than the World's Largest Dune Fansite.

[Edric O]

Ok, given the overwhelming support I see in this thread for bringing back the old look, I feel it's time for a poll.

Edit: Poll created.

http://forum.dune2k.com/index.php?topic=20762.0

[Dunenewt]

If anyone else can find some older versions of the site, I'd be glad.  Perhaps we could have a retro day, where the site goes back to the 1999 version for a day.