The Pigeons' Rule

Construction works are over! As you may have noticed, I have been adding several new features to the site this days. Here’s a list with all the improvements:

New Stuff Is New

• I have added the ‘New Stuff’ icon, which I’ll use to indicate a section has been updated. Since I’ve been tinkering with all the sections lately, right now the little blue star appears next to ALL the menu links.
• I have added character avatars to be used on comments. If you already have a Gravatar and you prefer using it, just don’t choose an avatar form the list. Same thing if you’d rather use a geometrical avatar. You’ll see what I mean when you leave a comment.
• I have created new ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’, ‘RSS’, ‘Buy Strip’, ‘Read from Strip 1′ and ‘Share’ buttons.

Navegation

• With this amount of characters and one weekly update, I know the story maybe a bit difficult to follow sometimes, so I have added several features that should help with that:
  • I have added ‘Prev 10′ and ‘Next 10′ buttons to the Navigation Bar. For example, from strip 36 ‘Prev 10′ takes you to strip 31, then 21, and so on. ‘Next 10′ takes you to strip 41, then 51, etc. This provides an easy way to skim through the archives.
  • I have created the ‘NKOTB?’ section. If what you want is a reminder of the plot, or a quick overview, you may use this section, named after the renowned boy band. You get visual clues and a short description for each strip. Read in succession, they form an overview of the plot.
  • I have numbered all strips, to make navigation easier.

Facebook

• I have vastly improved facebook integration.
  • The ‘Like’ button is now adequately located right beneath the comic, unambiguosly related to the strip, and not the site, current post or whatever else (This had been bothering me for a while).
  • You can now leave a comment right after clicking that will be published on your facebook wall.
  • On the right sidebar, I have added a Live Chat feature (you need to be logged in in facebook to use it), a Recent Activity box, featuring your friends’ TPR-related facebook activity and a TPR on facebook box.
  • Also, you can now use your facebook login to leave comments on the site. Most of these features are due to Otto’s great ‘Simple Facebook Connect‘ set of WordPress widgets.

Content

• I have added Sammy and Mr MacKrull to the cast list (Yay!).
• I have updated all the sections’ texts.

Reorganizing

• I have rearranged the website sections. I merged the ‘About the Author’ and ‘Contact Juan’ sections into the ‘About me’ section. I also created the Blog and ‘NKOTB?’ sections, as explained above.
• I have given the blog its own section and removed it from the homepage. The only post shown beneath each strip is the one related to that specific strip.
• I have completely reorganized the sidebars layout.
• I have reduced the size of the whole layout slightly and centered it to make it fit in a 1024×768 display. Granted, 1024×768 is a display definition in decline, but we were almost there anyway, and it was a pity not to serve those users properly.
• I have solved the layout problem that caused the top of the building to vanish on some pages.
• I have removed the calendar, but you won’t miss it, since I have improved the navigation in a few ways (see below!).

Suggestions, bugs and comments are welcome!

Due to national festivities here in my homeland, there will be no new strip today (you have a bunch available in the Archives, though. Now might be a good time to get up to date with Mateo’s twisted story. You may start, like, right here).

Next strip will be posted on Wednesday 13th, as usual. Hang in there!

Today’s strip might run a bit late. I’m getting married on Saturday and the arrangements leave me time for NOTHING else. I wil try my best to post the strip throughout the day. However, I hope you will understand and excuse me if that’s not possible.

It won’t happen again. This is the last time I’m getting married, I promise.

The Pigeons’ Rule started off at the end of March, although we have barely been “on the air” for a couple of weeks, since the first few months I worked in obscurity, no publicity at all. Visitors to my site included me and the Google bots. I have around 30 posted strips, which is nothing, but enough that ideas are forming in my head of what the strip is about and who the characters are, so that I can work inside that frame. Also, little by little I try to tinker with the site to make it better.

Which brings us to the ‘Forums’ issue. Despite stadistics saying that things are peachy, that visits are increasing, the forums have been opened since March and we have had a whopping total of 3 comments . I thought they could work as an alternative to comments, and that they would provide a cleaner site design buuuuuut I was blatantly wrong. My fault, certainly. It is much easier and straightforward to leave a comment than to go to the forums, register, create a thread, etc. I fully acknowledge the drag. I’m yawning myself.

I’ll leave the forums open for now, since I believe in them as a better and more permanent way to build a community, and I do hope that some of you -the bravest- rise to the occasion. However, from now on and also for older strips, I’ll set comments to ON.

A short post to remind everyone that today’s the last day for the little contest of undisclosed award. To win this awesome award, tou need to guess correctly a reference in this strip. In the comic-post entry for that day is the rest of the info. Not too many people have guessed right, so you still have a chance…

And you may vote in our little poll at the bottom right of the page, if you’re so inclined. Absolutely no charge for that.