I have just 'got' the Chiff & Fipple dots!

[awildman]

If you've been pondering it deeply for 6 years, I might be a bit concerned.

What is the purpose of life?
If a tree falls in the forest....?
Egg or chicken?
What in blazes are those 6 dots?

[Peter Duggan]

If you've been pondering it deeply for 6 years

'and I'd never really thought about it before!'

[fatmac]

I expect it was such a familiar looking object that it didn't register any great significance, the holes of a whistle & a 'keyless' appear to have a similar pattern, & maybe even a chanter, (but I haven't seen one, so can't be sure on that) - it is a subtle/clever logo.

P.S. I was just joshing with you - no offence meant.

[pancelticpiper]

Six years here and I'd never really thought about it before!

Wowza.

[eskin]

Never even noticed them before...

[david_h]

But all the same I find that the layout still works in communicating those things; it seems to have kept its edge rather well, which by definition arguably makes it a classic. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't change it.

I should have gone on to say that I think within the context of Dale's original pages it was more obvious what the dots were. Personally, now we are seeing it close to a Google add, I think being somewhat bigger and higher resolution (but still with a type-on-paper look) would be an improvement. I don't think many of us are still on dial-up connections.

[Nanohedron]

...I think within the context of Dale's original pages it was more obvious what the dots were.

I think that's a reasonable argument, but I present to you the author of this very thread. Peter's been here long before Dale ever made the decision to eliminate the whistle-centric pages of the site's founding layout, so drawing on human nature I expect Peter's case isn't necessarily going to be all that uncommon. It has to be added that despite the relative inclusivity that has evolved over time at C&F, whistle-related topics still firmly outweigh the rest. And in the end, one must admit that the name says it all. I think that counts for something.

Still, instead of the whistle-dots I suppose we could do something like this:



...but anybody and his dog might go there. I'm still voting for the spare subtlety of the dots. It's unique.

Personally, now we are seeing it close to a Google add, I think being somewhat bigger and higher resolution (but still with a type-on-paper look) would be an improvement.

Ah. I've been using an ad blocker for some time now - the pages load faster, which is important to me when I need to do Admin stuff - so that aspect of the C&F page layout has been relegated to out of sight, out of mind. Without the ad banner I think it looks great, anyway. All the same, I can't recall that I ever had any previous aesthetic issues with the logo in relation to the banner. I like to think I'm not entirely bereft of my senses. But your suggestion is worth considering.

I don't think many of us are still on dial-up connections.

Missing your point, here.

[Peter Duggan]

I'm still voting for the spare subtlety of the dots. It's unique.

The dots are great... when you get them! And that's great in its own way, so (despite my own slowness) no argument against them. They're simultaneously subtle enough to miss and obvious enough to be unmissable, which is quite a feat and why I'm saying the logo has suddenly grown on me. My 'design' arguments are about size of logo and theming of anonymous default phpBB, not the logo per se.

Personally, now we are seeing it close to a Google add, I think being somewhat bigger and higher resolution (but still with a type-on-paper look) would be an improvement.

Ah. I've been using an ad blocker for some time now - the pages load faster, which is important to me when I need to do Admin stuff - so that aspect of the C&F page layout has been relegated to out of sight, out of mind. Without the ad banner I think it looks great, anyway. All the same, I can't recall that I ever had any previous aesthetic issues with the logo in relation to the banner. I like to think I'm not entirely bereft of my senses. But your suggestion is worth considering.

With or without banner ad, ad blocker or whatever, the logo is undersized for the site and the site design (effectively now reduced to stock forum theme) both clunkily dated and far from unique. Which is not to criticise the logo, where retro charm and subtlety are not equivalent to 'dated'.

I don't think many of us are still on dial-up connections.

Missing your point, here.

Bigger graphics, bigger file sizes, longer load times.

[david_h]

Ah. I've been using an ad blocker for some time now -

but I thought they were to help with Dale's hosting costs?

Not that I ever read them. They are usually for things that I just bought,

[benhall.1]

Ah. I've been using an ad blocker for some time now -

but I thought they were to help with Dale's hosting costs?

They are. The hosting costs go up from time to time as the Board gets bigger, so the ads help. I'm not sure whether using an ad blocker makes a difference or not. Personally, I can't be bothered to use one. Apart from anything else, I'd rather see what most people see. I also find it interesting, the way the ads change depending on ones online activity. For instance, as I mentioned in another thread, just because I posted a link to The Ink Spots' version of 'Java Jive' on Youtube, ever since I've been seeing adverts for coffee! I kid you not.

[Nanohedron]

Ah. I've been using an ad blocker for some time now -

but I thought they were to help with Dale's hosting costs?

Well, it's not like I did it to spite the Board. I have simply gotten sick and tired of ad intrusion in general, especially the sort where it's audio-only, yammering at me like a circus hawker about meaningless crap I couldn't care less about. I don't see why I should have to fumble for my computer's audio kill-switch every time that happens, and it was increasing. I'd had enough.

If it weren't for that, I'd be seeing banner ads here, too. At least they don't intrude.

[Peter Duggan]

I have simply gotten sick and tired of ad intrusion in general, especially the sort where it's audio-only, yammering at me like a circus hawker about meaningless crap I couldn't care less about. I don't see why I should have to fumble for my computer's audio kill-switch every time that happens, and it was increasing. I'd had enough.

Me too, though my tipping point was The Herald (formerly The Glasgow Herald)... ancient quality Scottish broadsheet newspaper to which I've subscribed online for years and was getting so slow and painful even for subscribers (for which they've no excuse) that I just couldn't take it. And I won't whitelist sites, preferring instead to back out of the ones that say 'we can't show you our site unless you disable your ad blocker'. For sure you can't have everything for free and things need paying for, but there have to be better ways of supporting what you value than intrusive ads (The Herald please take note!).

[fatmac]

I hate intrusive ads, anywhere, I always run an ad blocker.

My previous one was letting some through, so I changed my ad blocker to a different one - no more annoying ads.

I do contribute occasionally to help with running costs if a site is giving me what I want - not a lot, as I regularly visit quite a few, but if everyone that valued the site did so, it would sure help.

[benhall.1]

I hate intrusive ads, anywhere, I always run an ad blocker.

My previous one was letting some through, so I changed my ad blocker to a different one - no more annoying ads.

I do contribute occasionally to help with running costs if a site is giving me what I want - not a lot, as I regularly visit quite a few, but if everyone that valued the site did so, it would sure help.

We'd better give you what you want then!