CPM - www.csphysmath.com

Ken Vogt · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:13 pm Post subject: The BAUT Team Pages

This is a thread to discuss the BAUT Team Pages: what you want to include; how to improve the look; criticisms; whatever.

But note that azazul is both the designer of those pages and the proprietor of this website (not to mention team founder) and so too much criticism might get one banned. Laughing

Anyhow, everyone, whether a BAUT team member or not, is welcome to post; guest posts are welcome too, if that's enabled in this section.

This thread parallels, and is not meant to replace, a similar thread in Scotsons Shack. Smile

For my part, I'll say just once that anything I post is meant only as a suggestion, and I fully understand azazul's full schedule may mean delays in replying. Career and school come before even DC. So I'll be, you know, patient. Smile

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Ken

Ken Vogt · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:50 pm Post subject:

I'm still working on a post about the Members' Section---soon I hope---but I did want to mention that if you return to the main page from any of the stats pages, including the Team Totals == Members' Section ==MS page, you are still briefly redirected: the urls still have BABB in 'em.

Also, azazul mentioned somewhere about a change to using a local database instead of the BOINC method of using User Cross-Project IDs to keep folks who are members of multiple teams straight. This is a fine idea, and I certainly volunteer to help keep the information current.

For some of us the MS page has evolved into a handy DC portal of sorts: the BOINC Online Scheduler is there, a summary of and gateway to team consolidated stats, and recently a table of project links. All of which can be viewed in one browser screen.

But I'm not sure the wider membership will use the page that way, and the presence of the BOS next to the Team Totals may be confusing? I don't know where to suggest moving it to, maybe near the bottom?

It certainly gives information not available in the "Server Status" line; more precisely, when a project server is down, their website may be down too, and so the BOS can save needless 404s.

Finally, as Team Totals evolves into a Members' Section, I think there needs to be a second link back to it from all the stats pages, maybe down with the "Home Page" link? If you've been surfing a few of the individual stats pages, you might forget that to get back to the page with links on it, you have to click on "Team Totals."

Another place would be as a mini-table in the top left corner of all the stats pages, maybe like:

BAUT Team Pages
Members' Pages
csphysmath.com

This would be similar in style to the left column table in csphysmath.com, which looks so good, IMO.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still like easy to find "Home" links near the top of a page, and anyhow, that table-in-table HTML trick is nifty. Smile

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Ken

azazul · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject:

Okay, I will make start working on some of the changes you suggested.

Ken Vogt · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:07 pm Post subject:

Hi again,

I'm sending azazul a version of the Members' Section page, it was easiest for me to do by editing in the html, and hopefully it will be easiest for him to incorporate or reject the ideas in that format.

But to aid open discussion, I'll try to indicate here the changes I'm trying out. First, I left the BOS where it is, because my thoughts about moving it came after I was done; similarly the "Home" stuff mentioned above.

OK

At the top of the page, above "Team Totals," would be the text:

***

Members' Section

This page has some information and links that may helpful be to you. Your feedback is much appreciated; use the BAUT thread referenced on the main page.

-------------------------------------------------------------

On the left below is the BOINC Online Scheduler, a real-time look at how the project servers are doing, including non-BAUT projects that may interest you.

On the right is a summary of BAUT statistics. The links above the table take you to views of the combined stats of all members and views for the individual projects. Each can be sorted by clicking a column header.

+++

In between the summary table and the links table would be the text:

***
Links

The table below has some links common to most projects, and for BOINC in general. If you have allowed no-password-required access to Your Account, the table link will also take you there directly. The script reads an encrypted cookie on your machine; that information isn't collected by this site!

BAUT Total and BAUT RAC are from the official statistics, which may be 12-24 hours ahead of the 3rd party sites listed in the table, and those on these pages.

+++

Finally, below the table of links, is a start on more links:

***
Other Links

Documentation:

The best source for BOINC and all its projects is unquestionably the Unofficial BOINC Wiki, maintained by Paul D. Buck. Recently he added Google search to the site, so it is easier to use than ever.

3rd party stats sites:

BOINCstats --enter your user name in the search box for your individual stats.

BOINCsynergy --search is at the bottom of the page.

Toby's BOINC Stats

More later ---

Software:

BoincView --Control all your computers from one highly customizable interface.

BoincLogX --creates detailed logfiles for all BOINC projects.

BoincDV --A small utility to view current project debts for your v4.4x BOINC client.

More later ---

+++

You have to work hard to imagine the real formatting of the above items, which is why I sent it to azazul in html. I tried to make it look like the main page, but I'm not so good with indents and stuff. In the "Other Links" section, the links would indeed be formatted as links. Smile

Anyway the important thing is, tell us what you want to see there!! And of course corrections to the language, spelling etc.

Hope this is helpful.
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Ken

Ken Vogt · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:38 am Post subject:

Was working on a simplification (I promise not to post it until you've digested the last one!) of the "How to join" part, and I found that the LHC@home "Join team" link resolves to

azazul · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:48 am Post subject:

I have received your email and like what you did, but since php is used to generate the html, it will take some time before I put it up. I will most likely just leave the table as is, at least for now. As you say, I don't really like the colors on the button.

Ken Vogt · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:41 am Post subject:

No problem on the Red Buttons. Smile

And no rush: see the disclaimer in the OP. Very Happy

But I didn't realize how much different php is from html; sorry to have caused extra work; I was trying to do the opposite. Embarassed

Perhaps we should totally separate the statistics pages from the links and other stuff? I notice the main page is html and if the links page was separate maybe it could be too? If so, maybe I or somebody who actually knows html could edit the links page, relieving you of some of the burden?

I mean, it seems like it would be a good coding practice to keep things that we might want to change quickly, to respond to a member's suggestion, etc., away from things that dare not be changed lightly, like the php pages?

No rush, etc. Smile

mickal555 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:49 am Post subject: Re: The BAUT Team Pages

Ken Vogt · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:12 am Post subject:

azazul made me do it! azazul put me up to it! I swear! Wink

Oops, maybe I should have said this on the other thread; I get so confused these days.... Wink

azazul · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:40 am Post subject:

Ken Vogt · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject:

That sounds excellent. Just be sure to do what's easiest for you. I'll never forgive myself if you flunk out because of spending too much time working on the team pages. Well, I'll snicker a bit at first for you flunking out of a school in Texas, but after that, I'll never forgive myself. Cool

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Ken

azazul · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:19 pm Post subject:

I have changed the names of the teams, and will get around to making the new post on the BAUT tomorrow, I hope.

Ken Vogt · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:14 pm Post subject:

Great news!

We are already listed as BAUT on BOINCsynergy's E@H list, others will follow in 12-24 hours.

boincwapstats sigs has BAUT for LHC, but these can't be displayed here, but other sig sites will follow soon as well. Smile

The links table is great for this compulsive behaviour. Smile

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Ken

Ken Vogt · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:57 pm Post subject:

If BOINCstats has it, it must be official: see sig. Very Happy

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Ken

Ken Vogt · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:56 pm Post subject:

Since azazul is going to have to edit the main page anyway to de BABB-ify it and add info for the new teams, I thought it would be OK to violate my promise not to bother him with new code. Smile

The Join instructions are just a bit confusing, IMO? For example, the here for orbit@home is closer to Einstein@Home, so it's easy to click the wrong one. This will just be worse with two more teams.

So I experimented with this: