Time? Where!?
Monday, May 3rd, 2010 | 15:22 PDT
Posted by Mr. Referee
I can't believe how hard it is to keep track of time. I feel like it's only been a week or two, but apparently three months have passed since the last time anything was written here. But life slows down for no one, I guess.
Getting this project up and off the ground has been slightly more time-consuming than I had originally anticipated, perhaps because I have found myself with less time on my hands than I had planned. However, amidst a compendium of jam-packed schedules and sleepless nights, work has commenced once again!
You may have noticed a few changes in the site already (even though 99% of the site isn't actually up). I kind of got annoyed that the site wasn't layed out EXACTLY like I wanted, so I started pulling it apart. I'm pretty sure Morwen is going to kill me one of these days for doing that. Regardless, now that I've started putting it back together again, I can get back to getting everything else online. I think that this may actually make it get online quicker, but I can't be too sure.
Aside from that, I've been attempting to catch up on some anime and video games so I can begin getting some new content as well. Gotta keep up to date! I've recently been enjoying Yu Yu Hakusho and Professor Layton, plus slowly catching up on some Bleach. I've also started reading and watching D-Gray Man, which is also quite enjoyable. It's good to be back in the groove!
Anyways, my aim is to get everything ready in the next month or two, but even then that may be a stretch, as things are pretty hectic. Once it gets online it'll be smoother sailing, however.
In the meantime, I'm going to make sure that it's not three more months before anyone gives an update.
Off I go!
So, ummm, we`re a little behind....
Friday, February 5th, 2010 | 11:22 PST
Posted by Morwen
As you may have noticed, it's February and Orange Otaku is still not up and running. We apologize. But Mr Referee and I are two very busy people living on opposite ends of a rather large country. We haven't forgotten about the site, don't worry. We've got a lot done, and we're tackling the rest as we speak. Personally I can't wait for it to go live! I haven't been this excited about a website in..... 7 1/2 years? It shouldn't be too much longer (fingers crossed), but we can't give any definite dates. Keep checking back for updates!
^.^
A Day of Rest
Saturday, January 9th, 2010 | 20:09 PST
Posted by Mr. Referee
Ahhh, nothing like resting up. I know, it might seem a little bit weird to have to take a break from the work I do when I'm on break, but well... I guess it's all relative. Normally I can design and code in my sleep, but after a few days of staring at a screen, sometimes you even need a break from your hobbies.
One of the hardest parts of this process so far has been the actual development - the design, the coding, stuff like that. Usually that's the easy part, but this time I've put a lot more time into the actual development, and it's because of this that sometimes things get delayed. I've been having marvelous success so far, but every now and then I keep sitting back and wondering "what if I did it this way instead." Usually that involves tangents and research and suddenly I'm fiddling with pieces of code and breaking pages that worked perfectly before, but that's all part of the process.
Sometimes it takes a lot to get it right. Endless Vortex went through several iterations over the seven years it was online, each one aimed at trying to improve the quality of information accessibility. The aim this time is to try and get as much right the first time around so that dramatic changes are not required as frequently. Naturally, this may or may not be possible, as the demands of the viewer change like the wind.
Regardless, things are going well, or at least as well as can be expected. Perhaps now I should stop distracting myself by typing this entry and instead go do some more work though.
Break's over!
Switching Gears
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 | 0:19 PST
Posted by Mr. Referee
I've been pluggin' away most of this evening, so I figured I'd take a break and write a post. Isn't that nice of me?
Yesterday most of my work was centered around the anime section of the site... which for the longest while has been my main focus. Today, however, I decided to try and balance things out a bit and start working on the gaming section. Yep, that's right. Unlike it's predecessor, Orange Otaku will actually have a gaming section... with content! Heh, at first I wasn't too sure about it, but hey, why not? I've also been on a bit of a game information kick (now if I could only get back into a game PLAYING kick and clear up my backlog ^_^;;).
I know it may sound kind of weird, but the research put into compiling the information for the site is one of my favourite parts of the process. It's a lot more fun when you don't have a pile of things you need to do and you're kind of rushing around, but when you take the time, it's quite intriguing. Reading about the games or series in detail, the plots, the characters, the companies and people involved, the music... there's just so much that it's often refreshing to learn something new.
Well, I guess I shouldn't babble on too much. There's still lots to do, and I should get as much done while I have this excess free time, as I don't know how long it will last. My real life could kick in at any given time, seeing as how now that I've finished moving (again), I'm really only balancing working on the site and looking for real work (as the site, unfortunately, does not pay any bills). Once real work is found, my schedule will change to... well, who knows.
Until then, keep it real.
And leave comments. Perhaps some suggestions?
Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
^_^
From Old to New
Monday, January 4th, 2010 | 2:35 PST
Posted by Mr. Referee
I think sometimes people underestimate how much work goes into the creation of a quality website.
I've spent the better part of the weekend combing through files which have been accumulated over seven years of upkeep on what was known as Endless Vortex, sorting through and beginning to upload files which would be needed to build the upcoming Orange Otaku. It's actually a very tedious process, especially if you want to organize it correctly. One of the flaws that befell Endless Vortex was that it grew and changed so much over the course of its lifespan that it became hard to manage exactly what was going where. Hopefully things will be better starting from scratch with a plan.
Back to the work aspect. When Endless Vortex started, it was very small. Very VERY small. There wasn't a lot involved when it first took off, so everything after was kind of a snowball effect; you didn't notice exactly what was going on because you were just running with it as it went. Starting from the ground up again, though, I've noticed exactly what it entails. You have to design and code everything yourself. The research, the writing... it's all on you. It's a heavy task, especially when it's not your day job, and I give my kudos to everyone out there who has put their heart and soul into something like this. It takes a lot of dedication.
The transition from Endless Vortex to Orange Otaku will be an interesting one, that's for sure. I am hoping to keep the personality, and infuse it into a new way of presenting quality information with more usability. As I pound away at the keyboard over the next little while, I'm hoping to use this blog to describe some of the changes on the way and exactly what you can expect from this new site.
For now, I need to sleep while I await pending file transfers.
Welcome to the Blog!
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 | 3:26 PST
Posted by Mr. Referee
Hello all!
Welcome to the Staff Blog of Orange Otaku! This is our little corner of the online world to tell you what's going on from a developer point of view... but also from a personal level. This will be an excellent place in the upcoming days to find out how getting the site online is progressing, as well as other random tidbits from our daily lives.
If you're looking to stay in the loop, this is but one of the great ways to do it! Other great ways include becoming a fan of Orange Otaku on Facebook, or following us on Twitter. Links to both can be found at the bottom of this, and eventually every, page.
Keep checking back, often, as I'll be posting here as frequently as I can! Comments and suggestions are always welcome as well!
Until next time,
Mr. Referee
