We're now using a new provider. The great thing is we're paying less and getting more. Although the site looks the same as it has for the past year, the back-end is completely different. It is now connected to a database (MySQL to be exact) and utilizes ASP.NET. The reason why this was done was to make modifications quick and easy for the artist. I originally had planned to use PHP for the back-end (had it all done quite a while ago), but upon returning to development after taking some time off I determined that the PHP code that I had developed would be very hard to maintain (read). After some investigation I started to use ASP.NET, and I must say I am very happy I switched over. With ASP.NET I am able to separate the programming code from the html code. The end result is that it is much easier to read, and I'm sure will be easier for me to maintain and develop extensions in the future.

The site design follows this philosophy:

• The site should be easy to navigate.
• The site should be quick.
• The site should be easy to read.
• The site should work on older browsers.

Incorporating this design philosophy also means that I can't use some of the latest and greatest features. I have started to use Cascading Style Sheets since it makes formatting the html so much easier.  I am also thinking about using a different approach for navigation since getting frames to work with all the different browsers out there adds a layer of complexity to the html, and also subtracts from the space I can use to render content.

Hopefully, now that all of the content is rendered from a database, the site will be much easier to maintain and update. I will finally be able to make changes to the html code without having to worry about moving content around. Of course this site is a work in progress, and I will incorporate new features and improvements as time goes on. Most of my improvements will be on the back-end, but even though you won't see them, the improvements will make the site easier to maintain and easier for you to navigate. I hope you enjoy the site.

Todd