I just looked back through the last few posts to verify I had not recently whined about my new Frankenstein monster, also known as the web site image map. While I have indeed "discussed" the logo creation at length (breaking news: it's been enlarged to 750 pixels wide and 100 pixels high) I have yet to blather - wait, I need a better word - I have yet to prattle on about the image map. Obviously I will be rectifying that now.
Yesterday I put the finishing touches on the image map for the main page. This map will only be displayed on the front page; the buttons (also revamped with third change in size) will serve as tools navigation within the site. I took at least three-dozen pictures inside and outside the resource center looking for the best shots to use. Problem is, the center is oddly shaped and finding good shots with ample lighting was challenging, to say the least. I finally narrowed the field to five and cropped, sized, and auto brightened each of them. Text was added to the pictures, a task easier said than done, and hot spots created on the image map and corresponding welcome text image. With the exception of the text on the photos it was ready for testing. I slapped it on my university web space and gleefully headed home.
Anxious to see how it appeared on my lovely monitor, and slightly apprehensive concerning load time of the images using dial up (yes, I said dial-up, I'm a creature of habit), I booted up my computer. Success! It loaded quickly and none of the hot spots on the map worked. Yes, yes, yes, bloody fabulous. I was instantly overjoyed, made note of changes to make, and emailed myself the options as work. It was very Scarlet O'Hara of me, but I kept thinking tomorrow is another day, plenty of time for another map.
This morning I was blissfully on my own for several hours, if you count a room full of students working on computers alone, and redid the image map and hot spots. I redid the table holding the images, inserted the images, and posted the page. It worked on my desk computer. I checked a gateway by the door. It worked on the Gateway. I checked the Dell on the other side of the room. I worked on the Dell. I asked a student, one of my regulars, if I could check the page on his computer so I could see that it worked with someone else's login. I worked on his computer. I restrained myself from shouting "success" at the top of my lungs; I do work in a library after all, and continued work on the links page while counting the hours until the ultimate test. Up next, testing my home computer.
About a half an hour ago I turned on my lovely six year old HP Pavilion, connected to the Internet at a whopping speed of 48,000 bps complete with 4.79 speed dial savings, and pulled up the page. Success! Woooo-hooooo! Tomorrow, I await email responses from the university web master and a friend who is a graphic designer. I have requested professional input before moving along.
As the song goes, sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. Today was a good web day and I was the windshield. Maybe a bit dirty and smeared, but the windshield none the less.
Tags: Image maps, Library web sites, Trouble-shooting web issues, Blog sarcasm
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