Site: Fantasy's Realm
CSS: http://www.xecu.net/fantasy/main.css (This is bigger than most pages on my site.)

I would like to request a site crawl. I know that most of my pages are valid HTML and CSS, but that doesn't make them right. This site makes extensive use of serer side includes, most subsections' navigation are included (each subdirectory has a ssi.shtml file except gems). I know that several pages would be better served with scripting, but I can't seem to wrap my head around javascript (all javascripts on my site were written by others) and Perl is just driving me wild.

One of my bigger problems is that I have too many headers in use. I really need to strip the header tags off and replace them with something else, but I am still debating on which block level element to use in their places. There should really only be one <h1> on the pages, but I have several scattered all over the place. I would like to start fixing it by using SSI if else statements, but I am not sure how to write them to detect a file name. (If the filename is index.shtml do nothing, else do something.) A glaring example of where I have a heading misuse is on the front page. I am using an <h2> for "If something does not work, please tell me." I know that is wrong, but I can't figure out what block level element would be best suited for the task.

Another problem is that I need a better form handler, my current one is FormMail.pl. I can't figure out if I can configure it to help block the tons of spam I am getting from all of my forms. I would really like to have something like a simple math problem added to my forms to ensure that an actual human is filling out the form. I looked into a few capchas, but the ones I found all require iframes. With all the effort I put into removing frames from my site, I do not want to add any.

On one page I have a javascript that is causing so many errors, but I am not sure where to put the CDATA tags to have the validators ignore the script code. I tried inside the <script> tags and outside. Both caused the script to load improperly or not at all. That page is a mess in a big way, and I am currently at a loss of how to fix it stylistically. The other pages int hat section are causing me even more headaches because I am still trying to figure the best way to strip off the tables.

There are probably other problems that I can not see because I am too close to it. So, please crawl throughout my site and post your thoughts and suggestions on how to make it better.

Thanks in advance!

Content disclaimer: There is a small adult section of my site, you have been warned.

<!--#if expr="\"$DOCUMENT_NAME\" = \"index.shtml\"" -->This is index.shtml<!--#endif -->

Google 'extended SSI', 'conditional SSI' and XSSI.

pandy...thank you, thank you, thank you!!! That helps so very much!

I just couldn't find a list of things like $DOCUMENT_NAME and didn't know where to start looking. I just fixed those pages with your solve. I feel so much better about them now. I appreciate it!

You only need to remember one SSI directive for that kind of things. Try it!



What do you mean when you say "request a crawl"? From a search engine? Don't they come uninvited?

Have you ever heard of a dungeon crawl for role playing games? If you haven't, it is basically where a group of people role playing going through a dungeon room by room. I was asking if, time permitting, some people would crawl all over my site and give me any suggestions for improvement.

No, I hadn't heard of that, but I understand now. Thanks for explaining.

So, has anyone crawled through my site yet? I really need the opinions.

So... Leave one of the h1 elements (the one that serves as a header for the whole page), and change the others to h2 elements (or even h3 elements, if appropriate). What's the question?

Maybe <p><strong>If something does not work, please tell me.</strong></p>?

Which FormMail.pl are you using? If you're using Matt's FormMail.pl, then you could be setting yourself up as a relay for spammers, which will get your account frozen/canceled. The NMS scripts are secure replacements for Matt's scripts: http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/scripts.shtml

Ultimately, you need email filters.

If you're a small target, then almost anything is good enough. Add a field to the form, tell them to put something in the field, and then change the script to reject any submission that doesn't have the correct something in the field.

If you're a big target, then almost nothing is good enough. But then you'll have a team of engineers trying to keep ahead of the spammers.

Frankly, I think the best way to deal with CSS or JavaScript is to put them in external files. Then you don't have to worry about the interactions between (X)HTML syntax and CSS or JavaScript syntax.

About the headings, I am not really sure I had a question, I just know that I am using them too much. Some would yell at me for it, so just telling you all in advance that I know that it is wrong. I am debating on how to fix it. Do I move the h1 heading to the top of the pages at 100% width and have the two divs under it? If I do that, most of the section index pages would be rather empty especially the main index page. What do I put there to keep that space even mildly interesting visually?

The FormMail.pl I am using is NMS FormMail Version 3.14c1. Ever since I switched over to it from Matt's the spam has gotten worse. I keep adding spammers to my junkmail list in Outlook 2003, but they keep coming.

I was hoping that I could keep the javascript on that one page there, but if I have to go external I will.

I am currently brainstorming for new ideas for my site technically and stylistically. I am hoping to pick your brains for suggestions on improvement in either. You are not as close to this as I am and would have a fresher take on it. Luckily, it wouldn't take too long to write any new markup in those pages since I use SSIs all over the place. I just need a few new sets of eyes to tell where I can improve. That is why I asked for the crawl. I know that it could be better, but I am way to close to see how to get it there.

PS. I have started a seperate thread on my definition list styles.

This might work, but it will make your form javascript-dependent (at a minimum, provide a NOSCRIPT message):

1. Change the name of the server-side script to something else than "FormMail".

2. Leave the FORM element's ACTION attribute empty.

3. Let a javascript give the form its ACTION attribute value (ideally put together from a couple of separate pieces).