MelonLand Forum

World Wild Web => ✁ ∙ Web Crafting => Topic started by: Melooon on July 12, 2022 @953.41

Title: Making a start page?
Post by: Melooon on July 12, 2022 @953.41
Iv been thinking of making a start page for my browser for a while now. (Like the first page that loads when you open a browser)

I wanted to make something that was actually useful.. so it should have links to key sites that a person might wanna check.. maybe it could pull in info from status cafe, or spacehey or the neocities recent updates or something..

Then maybe even it could be customisable so some of this stuff could be modifiable and others could use it as their start page too..

So Im looking for ideas, what should a web revival start page look like, and what would it have on it? Whats your dream start page or have you already made one for yourself?
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: cinni on July 13, 2022 @49.86
here's one i made a few months back! though it turns out i see it a lot less than i thought i would because it only displays when i start the browser & not when i make a new tab pffbbt (i have a browser with 6,666 tabs open at all times so) but alas!!! i have a weather widget, a duckduckgo widget, links to my more frequently used sites (i end up just typing it in the browser anywho..) and some rss widgets! i have been thinking about giving it a redesign tho..

(https://social.yesterweb.org/system/media_attachments/files/107/613/009/826/838/944/original/f525886ca2e9e240.png)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Obspogon on July 13, 2022 @56.61
i've also been thinking of getting a startpage. How do you start?
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: cinni on July 13, 2022 @297.62
i've also been thinking of getting a startpage. How do you start?

depending on the browser you use, there should be a setting to set a custom start page url. then i would recommend hosting the page somewhere on your domain (not all browsers support local files). OR, you can use a service like protopage! https://www.protopage.com/ (https://www.protopage.com/)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Melooon on July 13, 2022 @514.00
here's one i made a few months back!

This is majestic! It's exactly what I was thinking with the mix of news and buttons and a search. Its also making me wonder how I can mess with the concept though.. Id like to add a sense of depth, or movement to it.. like making all the icons monsters in a field or something.. I dunno :tongue: thanks for posting, this is a great reference!
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 13, 2022 @588.58
Oh my God cinni that's so beautiful. I think I am going to get inspired today :pc:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: morrysillusion on July 13, 2022 @843.15
oh this is such a nice idea! i dont know why i hadnt thought it of it. i had been trying to customize my start page before and had been using addons on firefox like speeddial in the past. but boy, yeah, i should get on making my own start page after seeing this!
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Swiftpaw on October 23, 2022 @744.62
I hope it's alright to give this thread a bump, but I've started working on my own start page. I was wondering if anyone knows how I might be able to embed a simple RSS feed reader?
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on May 23, 2023 @763.55
I was inspired by this thread and the other HyperCard one that mentioned Decker (https://beyondloom.com/decker/index.html).
So I thought making a start page for the browser would be a neat way to get into using it + learning Lil!

This is what it looks like (Gif; if it doesn't move, wait a little):
(https://daintyeco.neocities.org/forumuploads/decker.gif)


You can see it for yourself here (https://daintyeco.neocities.org/newtab/). You can even play around with it a little and doodle on it if you select the pencil, however it won't change the website in general; just for you.

I am still working out on how to make it check the current date and adjusting the calendar; for now, it is stuck on whatever I selected before exporting the HTML.
I also have a version without the calendar.
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: tenkai_no_perusona on May 23, 2023 @910.59
I've made one for myself. Very, very simple, but fits the overall retro look I've imparted to the rest of my OS, and has been useful so far:

(https://i.imgur.com/MlIsWlT.png)

I was inspired by this thread and the other HyperCard one that mentioned Decker (https://beyondloom.com/decker/index.html).
So I thought making a start page for the browser would be a neat way to get into using it + learning Lil!

This is what it looks like (Gif; if it doesn't move, wait a little):
(https://daintyeco.neocities.org/forumuploads/decker.gif)


You can see it for yourself here (https://daintyeco.neocities.org/newtab/). You can even play around with it a little and doodle on it if you select the pencil, however it won't change the website in general; just for you.

I am still working out on how to make it check the current date and adjusting the calendar; for now, it is stuck on whatever I selected before exporting the HTML.
I also have a version without the calendar.

This looks incredible!

Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on May 25, 2023 @225.30
@tenkai_no_perusona (https://forum.melonland.net/index.php?action=profile;u=201) thank you for the kind words :smile:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: TheFrugalGamer on May 25, 2023 @600.63
@Shvek, I'm a big fan of Decker, so I LOVE the use of it to create a custom start page! You've done a great job here!

Also, I guess I should post mine. I've got everything almost how I want it, although I've been thinking about adding a theme switcher just for funsies:

(https://i.imgur.com/D9K1F2P.png)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: qrunchy on May 25, 2023 @689.79
Oh I LOVE this idea!! I never thought about doing something like this... I once had a "start page" that was just scolding me for browsing and telling myself to go do something productive LOL but this seems way more fun.

Might have to work on making one now. The examples y'all have posted look so nice! Gonna bookmark this thread for future reference :eyes:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Lyonid on May 26, 2023 @963.74
Every single one of those LOOKS SO AMAZING!! We definitely need a Decker thread. I love this tool so much.

I tried making one myself as well! Here's the link! (https://unartur.neocities.org/start/) I really want to come up with something to fill the second row with. As much as I think about it, there's not much more I am doing on my Browser! Time to find more hobbies!  :tongue:

(https://i3.lensdump.com/i/ka71Ko.png)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on May 26, 2023 @215.74
@Shvek, I'm a big fan of Decker, so I LOVE the use of it to create a custom start page! You've done a great job here!

Thank you :smile: I hope I will improve a little more, it's really such a versatile tool and the possibilities are endless if you know how to code the contraptions.
Your start page looks really cute!

Every single one of those LOOKS SO AMAZING!! We definitely need a Decker thread. I love this tool so much.

Agreed. I would love to see what everyone else comes up with. Especially because we can share our prototypes with each other!

I tried making one myself as well! Here's the link! (https://unartur.neocities.org/start/) I really want to come up with something to fill the second row with. As much as I think about it, there's not much more I am doing on my Browser! Time to find more hobbies!  :tongue:

(https://i3.lensdump.com/i/ka71Ko.png)
Looks cool! This made me notice though that my Firefox seems to ignore your custom font. On your entire website, too. Only realized because of your screenshot.
Maybe you can fill the second row with important dates (just gotta edit that every now and then, I guess) or checkbox for ToDos, or maybe you got friends in different time zones and display their time zones there? :smile:



Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Lyonid on May 26, 2023 @432.16
I would love to see what everyone else comes up with. Especially because we can share our prototypes with each other!
Looks cool! This made me notice though that my Firefox seems to ignore your custom font. On your entire website, too. Only realized because of your screenshot.
Maybe you can fill the second row with important dates (just gotta edit that every now and then, I guess) or checkbox for ToDos, or maybe you got friends in different time zones and display their time zones there? :smile:

Thank you for the notice and ideas! I have absolutely no clue how to fix the font though. T_T I also thought about a list of links to the websites of other people - to check out what they're up to! Or just a fancy search bar smh. So many possibilities.
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on May 26, 2023 @442.96
I also thought of some more ideas (may be interesting for people making theirs)
- embed of your favorite song or music video
- a canvas element you can draw in, like a mini MS Paint
- picture of the week/day/month
- pictures of your pets or loved ones
- random joke button
- interesting counters of your life (so many days until vacation, so many days since i graduated, etc; I recently made a page like this for my site, but still need to implement a clock into the shelf where I can link it..)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 05, 2023 @783.91
I think I will work on a little public start page on Libre Town now, one that anyone can use as their homepage, with links to all kinds of starting points to kill time or browse the web in.
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Corrupted Unicorn on July 15, 2023 @819.63
I've been reading this thread and it inspired me a lot  :ozwomp: Made me think about how start pages are one of the very first things that people see when they get on the Internet and also made me think about this video clamoring for better designed GUIs (https://youtu.be/AItTqnTsVjA) and how overall, programs and machines should service the user and make things easier for them, and also be highly customizable so everybody can adapt it to their needs  :4u:

So in the end, I made this custom thingy for my start page:

(https://corruptedunicorn.neocities.org/images/oldgraphics/mindosxampl.PNG)

It's inspired by a dream I once had (https://corruptedunicorn.neocities.org/dreammythos) about "The Operative System of My Mind", only I gave it a more retro web flavor instead of the smartphone-like interface it had on my dream  :4u: (Windows, Mindows, MindOS.... hah). Almost all the icons come from Kidpix stamps and this is overall meant to be like an agenda where I get to keep track of things I don't want to lose sight of.

It's a very personal thing so I can't share the start page itself, but I'll go over the details under the spoiler, for those curious about the buttons and stuff. Still a WIP but I got some good ideas on what I want on each.

Spoiler
The idea is that by clicking any button on the sidelines, I get to open a subpage on the iframe on the middle, sans a few exceptions. By default, is the same plain starry background, but here on the screenshot I'm showing the petsites. Scrolling down there's a GifyPet and I plan to put a few silly widgets to tinker around whenever I get time and learn how to put them.

 :pc: Mind Games: Oh, this one is a lil' bit tough to explain. Do you ever come up with little games only for yourself so you can accomplish tasks in a more entertaining way? This is where I keep track of them, change their rules whenever things in my life change, etc.
 :defrag: Art: This is where I keep track of my art projects!  :dive: I put them inside a random generator list (now you know why I was asking that in the Help section!) in case I get stuck and I add to them whenever I come up with something new but can't work on it right at the moment.
 :pc: Web: Same as the Art button, but this time for ideas I have regarding my website. I keep having so many...
 :defrag: Recipes: Recipes is a bit different in the sense that it opens on a new tab and has the format of a book (which I found on other websites and I find it super cute but I still need to tinker with it to make it my own). It's a list of recipes arranged according to their "theme" (soups, desserts...). It's also different in the sense this is a page I'd like to add to my main website in the future.
 :pc: TV: It's yet another random generator, this time for shows I'd like to watch. I could still add movies here... this whole colum is overall lists of things. Same goes for Retro Games and another icon you see when scrolling down, Books (but that one will be a list, much like the recipes)

-----------------------------------------------

 :defrag: Home: brings you back to the main start page :)
 :pc: Work: I plan to put here a list of links related to my job and places to find work. One of the reasons I like making a start page is that I get to put all these links together with no other distractions. It's very easy to me to go typing at the url bar only to end up somewhere completely different to what I intended  :drat:
 :defrag: Explore: Links to sites I tend to check out, non-mainstream search engines and any website I might find useful or interesting to check out
 :pc: Pet Sites: You're seeing it now! Links to all the pet sites I play or wish I could play more. Keeping track of my virtual pets, you know? :P
 :defrag: My site!: A quick link to my own website, a virtual home for me & my creations outside of my own mind.

------------------------------------------------

 :pc: What Day is Today?: Basically, this is how I keep track of the routine I'd like to follow. Includes checkmarks for things achieved and a little writing space to take notes and explain to myself why I couldn't or didn't do the things expected.
 :defrag: Wisdoms: Here I want to put knowledge I find on the Internet, overall life advice that is good to keep in mind.  :unite:  Maybe it'll be a list, or I'll arrange it by categories, if that's possible.
 :pc: Worldbuilding: Probably a place to write worldbuilding ideas, both for worlds I have already created and ideas for new ones. This is probably gonna be less of an organized place and more of somewhere I can dump my streams of consciousness into.
 :defrag: Habits: To keep track of habits I want to acquire. Maybe not the "do X every day" kind, but more of the "after I do X, I do Y". Habit chaining! You should look it up.
 :pc: Contacts: Exactly what it says, a contact list of my friends, family, and other people I want to keep in touch with more often. Phone... phone is not doing it for me, okay?
 :defrag: Projects: A waiting room for all my long-projects! Those that will take longer than one or two afternoons, and those ideas I do not have the skills to bring them to reality yet. I actually made this one on paper first: along with each project description, it had a cute drawing of the representation of said project waiting, as if it was in a train station or an airport.

------------------------------------------------

 :pc: Ambient Noise: An external link to my favourite MyNoise (https://mynoise.net) setup. Great for drowning out the noise of passing cars and hyperactive children  :tongue:
 :defrag: Jams for Work: An external link to a playlist composed of sweet jams that put me in the mood to get some stuff done (it's all Lento Violento)
 :pc: Quest Log: A fancy name for a list of pending things to do. You know, mundane stuff like "buy glue" and "check out X store to find Y"
 :defrag: Goals: Here's where I want to put my life goals. They say it'll be easier for them to come true if you write them down and have them somewhere visible. This is as close as I can get.
 :pc: Resources: This is kind of like the Wisdoms page, but instead of general life advice it's about practical stuff like how to fix things and what to do if you need help with something. It'll probably be a list of links as well.
 :defrag: Wishlist: A list of things I wanna purchase in the future, but also a list of people I'd like to support if I ever had enough money to become a bit of a patron, like artists and people who put out there good things in the world  :4u:
[close]
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on July 15, 2023 @835.83
So in the end, I made this custom thingy for my start page


Oh I really love your start page! The design is super cool and so many useful things! You've clearly put a lot of thought into it and I really like that you made your dream come to life :4u:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 18, 2023 @547.28
Seeing everyone's start page encouraged me to make my own! It's pretty simple for now, but I'm sure I'll add to it and build upon it in the future!  :dive: Love what everyone's shared so far!

(https://awhe.neocities.org/img/starttab.png)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on July 18, 2023 @617.08
Seeing everyone's start page encouraged me to make my own! It's pretty simple for now, but I'm sure I'll add to it and build upon it in the future!  :dive: Love what everyone's shared so far!

(https://awhe.neocities.org/img/starttab.png)

Ah I saw it in your diary portion of the website and was looking forward to you posting it here :4u: it's so pretty and I love how cohesive it is with your sites, too. One of the links made me giggle a bit :happy:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 18, 2023 @628.44
One of the links made me giggle a bit
LOL, I can only guess which... I actually have a few more links to add today, so I hope I can edit it in secret so that no one finds my chosen links :evil:...

Thank you very much for your kind words too!! :transport: Seeing everyone's own flavours here is very inspiring...!
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Salty on July 18, 2023 @639.33
i love making start pages! I change mine up every year or so. I often use Github/Gitlab as inspiration. I particularly like this one (https://github.com/kencx/startpage), but my current Debian setup uses a fork of this (https://github.com/BachoSeven/startpage) one.  :innocent:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: starbreaker on July 18, 2023 @725.58
Seeing everyone's start page encouraged me to make my own! It's pretty simple for now, but I'm sure I'll add to it and build upon it in the future!  :dive: Love what everyone's shared so far!

(https://awhe.neocities.org/img/starttab.png)

Is that your artwork in the screenshot?
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 18, 2023 @730.46
Is that your artwork in the screenshot?
I wish! My friend sent the image to me, actually. It's from a "Groundwork of EVANGELION (https://evangelion.fandom.com/wiki/Groundwork_of_EVANGELION)" book, and this (https://www.tumblr.com/immloveanime/722794478027620352/groundwork-of-evangelion) is apparently the post they found the art from! The art is so gorgeous though, and I really love the styling of it...! :dive:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: starbreaker on July 18, 2023 @732.11
OK, that would explain why the girl looked kinda familiar. I've watched Evangelion but I'm not enough of a fan to recognize Asuka every time I see her.
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: shevek on July 18, 2023 @811.33
Haven't been using my Decker one in like 2 weeks because I was kind of sick of it; it still exists and is up, but I was yearning for something more lowkey and easier on the eyes. Mimi's post finally gave me the kick in the butt to make a new one :ozwomp:

Accidentally sent that post too early >:(

here (https://daintye.co/startpage):

(https://daintye.co/forumuploads/startpage.jpg)
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: pinkvampyr on July 18, 2023 @873.67
oooo i'm definitely inspired to make my own startpage now too...
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Memory on July 18, 2023 @879.11
These examples are all so pretty and organized but the concept of a 'start page' is so quaint to me, it implies that the person actually closes the browser window every now and then instead of making the computer live in a constant state of ram-consumption agony where the tabs have been open for more time than human history can recall!? :ozwomp:
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: Zunne on July 23, 2024 @628.83
was thinking of modifying an already existing minimalistic startpage, with new links and a search bar ig
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: greyskieshappymind on August 23, 2024 @241.40
I made my own startpage after switching to Librewolf. Instead of using a Firefox account to sync bookmarks I put them all in the startpage which loads and stores from my Nextcloud. There's been no bugs with doing that and having it private means I can keep sites for local services there.

Right now it's more like a list than a page but after seeing these I think I'm try freshening up the visuals :]


i see it a lot less than i thought i would because it only displays when i start the browser & not when i make a new tab

Idk what browser you use but mine has a homepage button in the top navbar, so I just open a new tab and click that.
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: candycanearter07 on August 24, 2024 @988.87
i'll be honest, i never thought about making a start page before!! i always just used tabliss, but making my own could definitely cut down on how many tabs i have peretually opened :D

one thing i will definitely try to carry over from it though if i do get to making it is the cool literature clock (https://github.com/lbngoc/literature-clock/) feature that displays a cute little quote from a book that also shows the current time tho i would need to parse the javascript manually so thatll maybe be difficult
Title: Re: Making a start page?
Post by: candycanearter07 on August 24, 2024 @759.95
hey!

so, i actually threw together a little pokemon themed welcome page! its pretty basic but i like how it looks ^^ also its the first time ive used imagemap (the buttons on the poketch switch it between displaying swatch time and the links) if you want to use it too i put it up on my neocities here (https://abslimeware.neocities.org/personal/webboot/)