dirk: Change Is Coming (to Simtropolis) Version 6.0!

[Firebird 40]

Funny thing is, the first thing i did when i saw the new banner was start clicking all over it.

And, to my surprise, an interesting classic Christmas song starts playing.

Seems Dirk always chooses the classics.

[ky72x 13]

Looks like the new banner was well worth the wait! I remember these seasonal ones from 2005, when I had just joined the site.

[PhilsCafe 8]

That's one very pretty banner, one of my favorites so far. And I love the song too, it's so festive .

But for me, it still covers half of the buttons (I'm using FF3), just thought I'll let you know. never mind. Btw, I'm listening to that song for like the 5th time now...

[deathtopumpkins 43]

It still covers the buttons for me... And only sometimes shows up...

[Cockatoo 2,257]

Yep, It covers the buttons in up Firefox 3, but not in that other browser.

Nice banner though, really clever. But I still don't understand why everyone associates Christmas with snow, I mean it'll probably top 35

[Kevin 101]

I think it reflects the weather outside dirk's house... which, seeing as how it's Canada, has got to be snowy.

And I'm using FF3 and it works fine.

[panthersimcity4 162]

It appears the new banner is eating up the buttons!

Very nice banner though!

[Cockatoo 2,257]

Strange? I can get it properly posistioned in IE, but not in firefox. So it's got nothing to do with browsers?

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Well now it appears to be working for me in FF3... strange...

[patriots_1228 51]

Cockatoo, in the northern hemisphere its winter, christmas grew up in the northern hemisphere, so, figures

for example, we got 2 feet of snow this weekend, christmas is thursday.

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Originally posted by: Cockatoo-210893 Yep, It covers the buttons in up Firefox 3, but not in that other browser.

Nice banner though, really clever. But I still don't understand why everyone associates Christmas with snow, I mean it'll probably top 35° C sometime today (which is about 1,000° F for all you Americans). Am I missing something here? Maybe I'm on the wrong side of the world... quote>

The snow association comes from the Victorian Britain where the modern Christmas evolved from. Back then global warming had not prevented a decent snowfall and snow actually happened every winter here back then.

Pretty much all of the modern Christmas Traditions stem from Victorian/Georgian Britain.

[Cockatoo 2,257]

Haha, I was kinda trying to put across in a sarcastic way (because it's always so damn hot here around every Christmas). Funny how that never works on the internet...

I'm not totally stupid - the seasons are reversed from Northern to Southern Hemispheres. Still, I'd love to have a white Christmas someday.

[bwatterud 7]

I like it, but yeah, it blocks the buttons in Firefox.

[Zelgadis 638]

Blocks the buttons in FF3? That's strange. I see them perfectly.

Looks good. I reckon he uses classic songs since they're in the public domain now.

ISF

[JakeMD 107]

Happening to me too:

Only its half the time, so it must be a small coding error... 

[Firebird 40]

It was a coding error, but its been fixed now. Clear your cookies/cashe, and reload the page. It should be fixed after that.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

It covered up the buttons at first for me, but now it doesn't.  (on Firefox)

Edit: Fb posted while I was typing this lol. 

I hope to have a white Christmas this year.  There's no snow on the ground yet but still have a few days! 

[patriots_1228 51]

Actually tonks, most american traditions at least stem from Germany i believe .

[beebs 129]

While all you guys hope for a white christmas, I'm sitting here wondering why I can't have 35C weather and sun beaming down on me on Christmas Day.

Love the new banner though!

[un1 41]

Looks like ST wasn't the only site that had a banner change...

-un1

[sim-Al2 4]

Cockatoo- I've expierenced tempertures higher than 35° C, so yes, the humor in that statement is severely lacking. Howabout 47°? That was a real fun day.

[hamsterTK 93]

Glad I live in North America.

Even here in southeast Texas it snows on very rare occasions at least. Tonight it might sleet

[Duke87 1,070]

Interesting thing of note here - the song is done differently than last year. Last year, the song ("Santa Baby" by Ella Fitzgerald) was stored as a seperate mp3 file, opened by clicking in the appropriate location on the banner. Same thing was done for the New Years Song ("One More Kiss Dear" by Vangelis).

I do believe I raised the point about how that was in blatant violation of copyright law since it meant that anyone who knew how could just download it.

This year, there is no separate mp3 file. The music is incorporated in as part of the swf file - explaining why it's so large (2.79 MB compared to the 100 or so kb the other flash banners have been). Now, one can still download the swf file, but that doesn't then directly give them the music in audio format. Still, extracting the audio from it would be an easy task for anyone who wanted to do it, but really, this is as good as it gets without streaming the music (which still isn't pirate-proof, mind you).

Other thing of note: if one downloads the flash file (https://www.simtropolis.com/stdec.swf) and looks at the properties, one finds that it was last modified Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 5:28 PM.

So unless dirk has been messing with the clock on his computer, this has been planned for at least two months.

EDIT: What manner of ninjitsu is this? I post and all of a sudden the file changes to https://www.simtropolis.com/stdec2.swf

And now it's modified October 24th at 12:05 AM (up late improving it, eh?) and has dropped to 368 kb. The music's still in there, though.

[Explodingsims 3]

Well, That's an interesting new change.

It looks a bit empty for some reason though.

[bwatterud 7]

Originally posted by: Zelgadis Blocks the buttons in FF3? That's strange. I see them perfectly.quote>

I see them now too, so I guess Dirk fixed whatever was wrong. 

[Haljackey 17,385]

Hehe... Nice work Dirk and the staff, the Christmas banner looks great!

That has got to be the best snowman I've ever seen! Frosty is no comparison

Merry Christmas everyone!

Best,

-Haljackey

[buildsolid 4]

Originally posted by: sim-Al2 Cockatoo- I've expierenced tempertures higher than 35° C, so yes, the humor in that statement is severely lacking. Howabout 47°? That was a real fun day. quote>

agreed boxing day last yr

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Originally posted by: Cockatoo-210893 Yep, It covers the buttons in up Firefox 3, but not in that other browser.

Nice banner though, really clever. But I still don't understand why everyone associates Christmas with snow, I mean it'll probably top 35° C sometime today (which is about 1,000° F for all you Americans). Am I missing something here? Maybe I'm on the wrong side of the world... quote>

 

Are you guys having a BBQ for Christmas too?   I reckon Queensland would be a great place to spend Christmas!

christmas is thursday. quote>

What!   ZOMG!  You guys have Christmas on the same day as us too?

Well actually we will have Christmas first since we are on the otherside of the International Date Line...  but I promise not to scoff all the food.

[Danlikebooks 6]

Argh, it would be nice to get snow (actually, I would hate it, I hate the cold) on Christmas here, in Cincinnati, when SUPPOSEDLY the Midwest is going through a massive blizzard.  Why does the snow ALWAYS skirt around us (probably Kentucky's fault...)?

[TV-VCR 15]

Originally posted by: Danlikebooks Argh, it would be nice to get snow (actually, I would hate it, I hate the cold) on Christmas here, in Cincinnati, when SUPPOSEDLY the Midwest is going through a massive blizzard.  Why does the snow ALWAYS skirt around us (probably Kentucky's fault...)?quote>

Same thing always happens here. If a storm is coming, it typically either A - splits up so that it passes right by us on each side or B - does something stupid like S-curves around us.