MetaChat - The new look! Read all about it inside...

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18 January 2007

The new look! Read all about it inside... →[More:]

So, our thought here is that we have a lot of cool artwork and photos by metachat members on the site, and we want to highlight some of it in the design on a regular basis. Heres how it will work:

Left sidebar - will feature artwork by members taken from the emcees, photo fridays and whatever other collaborative art we might come up with in the future. These will change on a regular basis. Clicking the images will take you to their source, and if you mouse-over an image, you will see who did it (give it a couple seconds to appear).

Right sidebar - will feature artwork from members, or (maybe) occasionally art from a linked site. Members can submit art to be featured here. I like it to look a certain way, so I'll be picky and choosy. Submit any artwork you create for that space, and let's see if it works! Whatever image that is featured there will link to the user page (or personal web site) of the member who submitted it (or whom I stole it from!), or the website it came from if it was a posted site. Again, mouse-over to see who did it.

New Radio Feature - Look what seanyboy whipped up! We now have a link on the right sidebar that shows when the radio's on. Just keep an eye out over there, and you won't miss any more broadcasts. (Does this encourage you DJs to play more? I hope so!)

What about the circle? Yes, it's gone - sorry! But in its place, just check the top of the right sidebar to see any new featured posts. Seanyboy's created an admin interface to make it dead simple for us to highlight posts like Photo Friday and other fun participatory threads, so we'll be able to easily keep that section always updated with groovy things you may not want to miss.

Meetups? It's now also easier for us to update this section on the right sidebar... but we don't always follow those threads closely, so once you have a meetup ironed out, if it hasn't already appeared under "meetups" on the right, just email me or iconomy with a link to the appropriate post, and we'll update it.

Oye! Zombiebunnyboy, alas! Don't worry, bunnyboy can come back for guest appearances! So he's not completely out of the picture. But, bunnies... it's time to move on. He hasn't been returning your calls for some time now, and you need to finally admit to yourself that, well, he's just not that into you.You two can get together for special occasions, and reminisce about old times - and he may even make a booty call now and again... but he just can't live with you any more.

We hope you like it! Please report any problems you might encounter here, or email me and/or seanyboy.

post by: taz at: 02:52 | 87 comments

I know there's going to be lots of discussion about this.

Just one quick comment -- the "featured discussions" on the right don't really look like featured discussions. Can they have a header or something? Right now they just look like random links pasted into the sidebar, but you'd even have to know that they're links to make that connection.

posted by mudpuppie 18 January | 03:01

Puuuurty.

posted by loquacious 18 January | 03:01

I don't see a right side at all.

posted by arse_hat 18 January | 03:02

that's a good idea, pupps - we'll do something like that.

posted by taz 18 January | 03:02

So should I not get the zombiebunnyboy tattoo now?

posted by mullacc 18 January | 03:08

Also, I should mention - in fact, maybe I even need to make another post - that on the radio/about/wiki pages, you may have to do a hard refresh to see the new do. (shift-refresh)

posted by taz 18 January | 03:12

It's so pretty!
More reason to rebuild my website. Heh.

posted by lilywing13 18 January | 03:57

I think it looks great.

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by cmonkey 18 January | 04:09

Oh zombiebunnyboy.
We hardly knew thee.

posted by bigblueroom 18 January | 04:21

tis lovely.

well done taz and seany!

posted by dodgygeezer 18 January | 04:45

I love love love it! So stylish. Very elegant and classy. I will always love zombiebunnyboy, though.

posted by Twiggy 18 January | 05:53

It looks fanatasic!

posted by iconomy 18 January | 06:19

It's all very nice and pretty, but the lack of bunnies is a bit confusing. Can we have a bunny somewhere? Please?

posted by Daniel Charms 18 January | 06:44

Cool!

posted by sveskemus 18 January | 06:49

It's gorgeous!! I love it. And the art-focus ROCKS.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 January | 06:56

I approve this product and or service

posted by Capn 18 January | 07:41

posted by hangashore 18 January | 07:51

Ish pretty, but it just doesn't feel the same without a bunny somewhere...

posted by casarkos 18 January | 08:04

I lllllllllllike it! ≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by chewatadistance 18 January | 08:15

Oooh, yes—I too miss the bunny, but the Art work looks Fantastic!

posted by hadjiboy 18 January | 08:24

Love it!

posted by LoriFLA 18 January | 08:25

Yay, taz radio! Also, I was stupid and posted this meetup after the east coast had gone to sleep. Can it be sidebarred? Wimpdork demands ~~victims~~imeanvisitors.

posted by Eideteker 18 January | 08:26

Ack! Change! I fear change!!

Just kidding -- I like it very much.

posted by JanetLand 18 January | 08:28

Bitchin.

posted by mike9322 18 January | 08:34

This place looks so chic and moderne. Yes, modern with an e!

posted by muddgirl 18 January | 08:36

Psst, if I go to http://www.metachat.org, I don't see the right sidebar, but I do see it at http://metachat.org. Furthermore, I don't see the right side bar on the thread pages either.

posted by muddgirl 18 January | 08:38

It looks very nice in all, but it definitely needs more bunny.

posted by bunnyfire 18 January | 08:45

I love it.

posted by gaspode 18 January | 08:48

I'm a very big fan.

posted by box 18 January | 08:56

Thanks, muddgirl; we'll check out that url weirdness on the front page. We never did have the right sidebar on the thread pages, though... To me it seems sort of nicer to have a somewhat cleaner look on those pages where you are doing a lot of "serial reading", for lack of a better term.

I'm so glad y'all are mostly liking it! We've been playing with it for a little while now, and it really feels "homey" and comfortable for me. I was getting kind of weirded out going back and forth from the test site to the regular site for a while there, and definitely feeling mo' better at the test site with this design.

posted by taz 18 January | 09:02

WOW! Clean and elegante! And moderne! Rockin'. I like. Tres awesome.

posted by mygothlaundry 18 January | 09:04

WHAT IS THIS TRIPE!*

* Hey, somebody had to do it. Actually, 'tis mighty swell indeed!

posted by danostuporstar 18 January | 09:09

Maybe we could just have a little teeny tiny zombie bunny boy? For iconic continuity?

I like the new look, but not even an echo? Are we rebranding?

posted by warbaby 18 January | 09:10

dano, thank you very much for your help when I got stuck on the css. I actually meant to mention that in the post, but then of course I forgot. You were a great help, and very patient with the mishmash crazyquilt that is the combo of original template and customized css we are using. I really appreciated the assistance.

Warbaby, I never thought of us as branded... It was always my intention to change the design from time to time. In fact, I was going to change it last summer, but didn't have the heart to after LT got his zombie boy tattoo. :) I'll have to show y'all that other design some time...

posted by taz 18 January | 09:16

Looks way better. And way less embarrassing to be caught reading.

posted by chococat 18 January | 09:19

One thing I've noticed already ... it used to be that if I was in the middle of a longish page I could just scroll up a little ways to get to a nice big link (bunnyboy) to the home page. Now that the images in bunnyboy's place go somewhere else, I have to scroll up to the very top (or very bottom) to get home. Would it be overkill to add a 'home' link above the 'about' in the left sidebar?

posted by danostuporstar 18 January | 09:19

I second dano's request. I too used the big bunnyboy for the same purpose.

posted by mullacc 18 January | 09:21

Your welcome, taz. MetaChat is so very awesome.

posted by danostuporstar 18 January | 09:22

no problem at all - we can do that.

posted by taz 18 January | 09:22

It looks great!

posted by auntbunny 18 January | 09:38

I thought I had clicked the wrong link this morning! Good job guys it looks awesome. I'm gonna miss that zombiebunnyhead though. Does this mean we're not bunnies anymore?

posted by LunaticFringe 18 January | 09:38

Rock and roll! Nice work, you crazy kids. (And echoing the utility of a lack of a giant cartoon bunny for work-time reading.)

posted by cortex 18 January | 09:56

i was kind of surprised we kept bunnyhead for so long. i was worried it might be permanent.
There is still the favicon, but if we can ever resurrect iconomy's favicon option, i'd be all for that.
What happened to the bunny image bucket? Maybe putting that somewhere and the wiki will be enough for bunny continuity.
Nice wiki change btw.

posted by ethylene 18 January | 10:02

Lovely, nice and clean. Great work!

posted by tr33hggr 18 January | 10:04

Black hurts.

posted by getoffmylawn 18 January | 10:05

My back hurts too.

posted by tr33hggr 18 January | 10:06

Wow, what a surprise, but a nice surprise. I was worried I'd made the wrong click.

I love the art links.

Thanks for the effort.

posted by omiewise 18 January | 10:25

eth, ico's favicon with the hand making the bunny shadow thing? That was killergood. But she deleted it! We must importune her to recreate it.

posted by taz 18 January | 10:43

I fear change. I just peed myself a little.

posted by jonmc 18 January | 10:45

I want the bunnyhead back.

posted by essexjan 18 January | 10:52

i think she said it was an image of the bunny shadow hand just put into one of those icon maker things someone link.

posted by ethylene 18 January | 10:59

Does this mean we're not bunnies anymore?

please, please

posted by chococat 18 January | 11:01

eth, thanks for reminding me about the favicon! I can't believe this, but the link to where I loaded it up at image shack still works. I went back to this thread and found the link. I lot of people liked this favicon.

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by iconomy 18 January | 11:21

Hooray! That stupid "bunnyhead" drawing that I hate SO VERY MUCH is gone at last!

Good job, taz (and others).

On preview, awesome favicon, iconomy!

posted by interrobang 18 January | 11:23

ico, can you send it to me in favicon form? I think we should do it.

posted by taz 18 January | 11:26

very nice. thanks. I for one don't mind moving on from the bunny thing.

posted by Hellbient 18 January | 11:26

Yeah, actually, I'm tired of being a bunny. Can we be ninja pirate robots now, pleeeeeeeeease?

posted by mygothlaundry 18 January | 11:29

The absolute awesomeness. I love it. It made my day, with this horrible head cold I caught again.

But, how can we be called bunnies if there is no bunny to refer to?

posted by carmina 18 January | 11:34

Is Lipstick Thespian going to get a new tattoo every time the artwork rotates? That would be awesome.

I wonder if his tat ended up delaying the redesign?

posted by agropyron 18 January | 11:52

it totally did, agro! :)

posted by taz 18 January | 11:56

I was at the library when I wrote that first comment and now that several hours have gone past, I've reconsidered what I said before. The site still looks awesome even without bunnies.

posted by Daniel Charms 18 January | 12:00

It's not just a bunny, it's a zombie bunny.
*cries a little

posted by caddis 18 January | 12:03

OMG Ninja Pirate Robot Zombie!!!

posted by mygothlaundry 18 January | 12:19

...human sacrifice, ninjas and pirates living together... MASS HYSTERIA!

(Surely our new skin doesn't kill the bunny inside us all.)

posted by danostuporstar 18 January | 12:30

see you all in #ninjapiraterobots

posted by cortex 18 January | 12:33

Wow. Well done!

posted by deborah 18 January | 12:55

I'm with pup in that the featured things need a header of some sort.

And I'd like to see a little bunny in there somewhere.

But other than that, I like it! Thanks taz and Seanyboy!

PS. I was going to email iconomy re: the Portland meetup bump so it could get onto the sidebar, but ico, I don't see your email in your profile. Hope me!

posted by Specklet 18 January | 13:05

No bunny in the design is fine! It'll just become a mysterious meme to future generations as to why we call ourselves bunnies. It's almost better that way. It's like hunting about MeFi to learn about pancakes, ponies, hope-me's, and PepsiBlue.

I love the design, taz...fresh and sophisticated. It even has some nostalgic disco overtones. I think I liked it even better when you had this up for a minute about a month or so ago, and the font was in variegated colors, like the logo of my youthful indulgence, Dynamite Magazine. Did you reject that?

posted by Miko 18 January | 13:11

Looks great!

Now I know why you encouraged me to get my custom zombiebunnyboy done quickly. Oh well.

Maybe the ZBB could take up residence at the bottom of the page, as part of the footer.

posted by me3dia 18 January | 13:13

specks, I'm going to do something there... I just haven't decided exactly what yet - but yeah, definitely needs something. I'll probably just go with a regular heading.

Miko, I had exactly the same thought! I kind of like that bit of oblique mystery. :)

me3dia, I'm thinking bunnyboy can come back for special occasions, showing up either in the left or right sidebar somehow, and that anyone who wanted to do a special version can still do that...

posted by taz 18 January | 13:27

Special occasion bunny would be awesome.

posted by Miko 18 January | 13:44

First my guinea pig, now the removal of bunniness...

This is just TOO MUCH.

posted by bunnyfire 18 January | 13:49

Very pretty! And I am so totally in love with the shoe-tulip collage. Maybe I'll get that tattooed on me! Take that, LT!

posted by occhiblu 18 January | 14:41

The right side shows up today! Love the shoe.

posted by arse_hat 18 January | 15:17

Whoa, I didn't know where I was for a second, but I likes. Bunnyhead left? I think we all need some grief counseling.

posted by moonshine 18 January | 15:56

Love the re-design, thanks taz and seany!

posted by mlis 18 January | 16:35

it looks kinda girly...

*lights yartzeit for bunnyhead*

posted by Pips 18 January | 17:49

I fear change.

posted by sciurus 18 January | 18:22

Maybe there could be a secret zombiebunnyboy shrine where we could go to meditate upon his various excellences ?

posted by bigblueroom 18 January | 19:20

Oh, this is very nice! Very nice indeed!

Color me "most impressed."

posted by mmahaffie 18 January | 19:51

Hmmm... so now when bunnies are mentioned, people will think we are some sort of Hugh Hefner cult? What will I now call the BunnySignal? Designer's dilemma is descending.

Are you a bunny?

(heh)

posted by warbaby 18 January | 20:18

I'm an old curmudgeon and I totally hate the new look. I'm not against usability improvements, but shit.

Not my cuppa tea.

posted by kyleg 18 January | 22:15

Are you a bunny?

You bet your ass I am ;)

Nice work. It'll take some getting used to, but I likes it, and it downloads fine even on dial-up!

posted by elizard 18 January | 22:27

Maybe there could be a secret zombiebunnyboy shrine where we could go to meditate upon his various excellences ?

That's kind of a fun idea. And we could leave offerings.

posted by Miko 19 January | 09:23

Damn, the new look is fantastic! Nicely done.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 19 January | 12:26

Bravo! to all involved.

posted by safetyfork 21 January | 09:14

The only thing that would make this redesign more awesome would be to lose:

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong

etc etc.

posted by BoringPostcards 21 January | 22:35

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