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********************************************************************************************************

iRacing.com Fansite Kit
http://iracing.com

All graphics included in this kit are free to use and modify as you see fit. We only ask that you keep a
link to iRacing.com or iRacing.com/Leagues somewhere in your completed site. 

This package is intended to help you get started, assuming you have basic knowledge of html and css markup.
iRacing.com does not provide further support for the design or implementation of this kit.



*********************************************************************************************************

ABOUT THIS KIT

The purpose of this kit is to give you a head start on your iRacing.com League site or or iRacing.com 
Fan site. The template was designed in Photoshop and coded in standards compliant CSS and HTML. The 
content should  be suitable for a blog type website, and can be translated to work with a CMS such as 
Wordpress, Joomla, or similar.

In addition to this "skeleton" html/css design, this kit also includes a theme to use with Wordrpess.


-------------------------
RECOMMENDATIONS
-------------------------



OPTIMIZATION

CSS
The CSS has been coded to make it easy to change and modify. It is generally recommended that you 
"minify" your CSS code for quicker page loads. YUI Compressor http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/compressor/ 
is a popular tool which "minifies" your CSS, often times greatly reducing the size of your stylesheet. If 
you are unable to install this on your computer, an online generator is available at 
http://refresh-sf.com/yui/

Javascript
The template does not include any javascript, though it is common to place all javascript calls at the end
of your HTML before the </body> tag. The idea behind this is to get the browser to load the page content 
before the scripts, decreasing page load time. It is also possible to optimize your javascript, though 
sometimes this could result in errors. Again, YUI Compressor is a good option for this.

Graphics
The existing graphics have been optimized to the fullest extent, but when you customize the template, you 
may find your graphic files to bee too large. I generally use 8-24bit PNG files for most of my graphics, 
and JPEG files for photos or complex graphics. Make sure when you save a JPEG, to use "Save for Web" or as 
similar. This will allow you to tweak the file size and format. After saving you should use a program to batch
optimize your files. On the PC, Irfanview http://www.irfanview.com/ is a good option. On the Mac, ImageOptim 
http://imageoptim.pornel.net/ works well.



CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Wordpress http://wordpress.org/
Many of the public iRacing sites are built on Wordpress . Wordpress is a free, open source PHP-based
content management system. Wordpress offers extreme flexibility and customization options as well as a 
large user community. Because of the popularity of Wordpress, there are thousands of useful plugins that you 
can use with your website.

Joomla http://joomla.com/
Joomla is another popular free platform for content management and creation. Like Wordpress, Joomla is well 
documented, and has a very large user base. There are many useful extensions available to customize and 
enhance Joomla to your specifications.

Expression Engine http://expressionengine.com/
This CMS costs money, but offers a premium service. The platform is completely customizable, and functionally 
can be used in many non-blog web applications such as online stores, or user-driven sites. It is used on large 
sites such as Adobe, Nike, and Ford.


HOSTING

There are thousands of web hosting companies out there, and they all offer similar if not identical services. 
It all comes down to cost, uptime and customer service. In my experience, the companies listed below have a 
good track record.

Bluehost http://bluehost.com
Best for: Web masters looking for instant website setup, an intuitive control panel 
design and the option to purchase additional professional-grade site builders.

Host Monster http://hostmonster.com
Best for: Professional or novice web masters who require speedy customer phone support and are looking for a 
plan offering unlimited email accounts.

Just Host http://justhost.com
Best for: Inexperienced web masters looking for a hosting provider with a well organized, easy-to-use user 
interface at an affordable price.

Host Gator http://hostgator.com
Best for: Small and medium sized businesses that have more complex needs and require a dedicated hosting plan.

