Hi all, I'm very excited to unveil an updated version of GardenStew! I guess you could call it a new design but I'd personally call it an 'update'. As you can see some aspects of the design are different like the top menu and the site is now aligned to the left rather than the center. The forums on the home page have also been re-organised slightly to make the structure more natural. But enough of the reshuffling talk, here's the new stuff: You may have noticed on the home page a 'Featured Topics' box. Topics that are of a high standard (like tutorials and very informative topics) will be highlighted as a Featured Topic on the home page and will be moved to a new Featured Topic area. Here's the cool part - the member that starts a Featured Topic will receive a shiny new Featured Topic Star to add to their collection . They look like this -> . The number of stars will appear beside each of your posts and also on your profile page. I hope collecting them proves to be addictive! Your star will be rewarded through a private message by a new 'virtual' member - the Featured Topic Bot. Your profile page has also undergone a facelift. You are now able to keep better track of your stats like forum posts, blog entries, blog subscribers and Featured Topic Stars. Also you can now personalise it a bit. You will be able to add a bit more about yourself in the 'A little bit about me' section. You write this on your 'Edit Profile' page. Another great thing about your profile page is that you are able to choose ithe whole colour of GardenStew by using the 'Choose your colour' links. Now you can make the site colour match your mood When a member visits your profile page they will see your personally chosen colour. There are other minor changes but these are the main ones. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the new Featured Topics and the profile personalisation. Feel free to add feedback and also report any errors you may find (there are always one or two with new versions ). Enjoy all! // Frank
I hope to use that space in the coming weeks Sharon. I have been looking at this new design for weeks while I've been working at it and I hardly notice the right side anymore
Due to the terms of service for the new version, I will not be posting any more pictures at this site. This, in particular, bugs the hell out of me... I make money off my pictures, and I cannot afford to hand someone an unlimited, irrevocable copyright to them. It's been nice, but I think I'll go somewhere where they don't try to claim right to someone's creative property simply because you chose to share it.
No I have to clarify this Dan. This does not grant copyright to GardenStew, the images are 100% your property. It simply means that you are granting permission to display the images on the site. One of the reasons I don't allow image uploads to the site is for this reason. Using PhotoBucket or similar means that you have full control over the image and you can move or delete from you PhotoBucket account as you see fit, which in turn will stop the image from appearing on the site. Let me just stress: I have and will never claim copyright to member's photos Absolutely never. Hope this clarifies it Dan.
That may be, but that is not what your terms of service say. It says considerably more than that. If you read it, this... ...is an extremely broad permission. By giving someone something this broad I would, in fact, be giving them the right to do whatever they want with my work. Even if you intended just on this site, that is not what this agreement says.
Dan,I have just updated the Terms to clarify that it's text content not image content that it covers. Sorry again for the confusion.
What a lovely surprise I got when I logged on tonight!!! As far as I can tell everything looks just fine Frank. I've already edited my profile to add a little information - nice touch - as it makes things less formal!! Will explore more tomoroow if I get the time but definately looking very smart and crystal clear. :-D
Thanks Eils, I just noticed the extra information on your profile page. Nice to see horse hair getting a mention BTW try the colour changer on your profile page, it's real nice.
Wow - lots of changes going on, but they look like good ones. I'll have to go see what's up with this color thing, hm! Good work, Frank!
I love everything, except the gray at the right side. With a wide screen monitor, it's driving me nuts to have to resize the window each time I visit the site.
