Just a note that I clicked on a new lesson yesterday, but instead of the page loading as usual I just saw a bunch of HTML coding for the page that would have normally loaded. I can read the course content in the code, but no images load, so I don't think I will be able to progress next week to the new lesson!

The page is: (URL deleted by MAS)

Thanks!

Yes, I had a glitch while working on the updates. All fixed! Sorry for the trouble. It was happening for about 12 hours before I saw it.

  Wanna see something cool?
This page changes quite often because its a test page where I am working out details of the design update. It is just a dummy page so ignore the error messages, odd colour fonts and mismatched content.

http://www.fire-serpent.com/tantratest/2018formtestcent.shtml
 

Ooooh pretty! I like the changes, and I especially like how it still "feels" very much like the original pages, but now refreshed somehow. Really looking forward to the update.

Thanks for the quick fix!

 Thanks and YW. I noticed the glitch before I saw your note actually. Thought I got away with out anyone noticing. 

  You notice the link is .shtml?
  I do not want that for the lessons. The bit of code I added to the server back end to tell it to read .html as .shtml, I put into the wrong place in the file, so it also told it to read .html as plain text!  It was affecting all the html pages on the site except the .shtml files I was working on, and this tea room. Fortunately, not for long!

  Since around 2006 I have been working on a black background, green tabbed boxes design with two or three columns. This tearoom was designed to match it. About a week ago, I asked a grad student which they liked better, new or old lesson pages and they admitted a sentimental attachment to the original. I would not have asked unless I was already questioning the design when it came to the lessons.

  I thought of posting a poll but as I was writing it, I could feel the vote already. Members love the simplicity, and I realized that the black background design did not actually contribute anything to members experience of the course, it actually distracted.  The single column and simple green pages were much better for focusing on the content, and on the energy flowing.  So I scrapped most of a design I have been messing with for about 12 years lol ... though I will still use it for the other non-lesson pages.

  The design on the public pages looks so dated, people email to ask me if the course is still live before registering. Those pages really need a facelift... I just sort of assumed to carry the new design through the whole site but when it came to the lesson pages, I got stuck in a wrong idea that I think has bogged down the whole project for years. Like I took a wrong turn and got stuck in the mud and could not figure out why my wheels were spinning but I was not getting anywhere. The lesson pages wanted a vote and I had not noticed.

  Once I trashed the black background design for the lesson pages and turned instead to refreshing the original design, the pages took on/had a mind of their own, telling me how they were supposed to look. Fire Serpent would not let me move Him off to the side like on these tearoom pages.  Wanted more space too. I kept fussing with where to put the video play button and then it turned into a winged snake eye below my name lol... when I was setting it up I was thinking jewel in a filigree setting.

  I tested 3 different fonts for the school name. Calligrapher, which is the font of the school name on the top of the  FST logo for these pages, Times which is the main, and Magick, a variation of zapft chauncery that is used on the banner of the main public page. Could not decide, made an image file of each, stacked them all at the top of the test page. Stared at the screen until it gave me a sign. The school name in Magick font, made the kundalini shakti rise up off me like steam with sparks, and the other two did not.  Strange way to make design decisions eh?

  FST is 60 lessons soon, a few new ones have been added and the course intro has become the first because people tended to overlook the important info in the study guide at the bottom of the members index and go right for the first lesson. There will be no pacing wall/mystery curtain after it. I will be removing about 8 of the curtains so the course can be completed in one year, it just tidies up the membership info.   Most people take longer, 3 years is pretty typical.

  I babble geek when I am coding.