i am having a bit of a hard time as to why you suddenly require extended network banners. i have a layout series [NEBULA], and i usually get lots of requests to make new ones with different color schemes. i currently have 3 of them. and my 4th one was rejected because of this new guideline. i know that my layouts are high quality and adding a extended network banner isnt going to make them any better, it will actually make them look worse. cant the rule just be "extended network banners are encouraged but if your layout looks fine without it, we will accept it" WHY NOW, why is this rule necessary, extended netowrk abnners arent supposed to have a background image. ughh so stupid and ridiculous.

Well, I agree with you somewhat. Your Nebula layouts would look a bit stupid and busy with an extended network banner, in my opinion. I think they look perfectly acceptable the way they are. But if a layout was accepted before, it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be accepted again. Different mods have different standards, I guess. Some let practically everything through while others are picky.

I do think the guideline is a good one, though. I feel that too many plain, boring, and just plain ugly layouts have been getting through. It's good to see some change happening with that. I think exceptions should be made if there's enough going on with the layout as it is. Not EVERY layout needs and extended network banner.

(You spelled "network" wrong.)

I'm sorry that you feel this way about your layout being rejected. Like I already said, the guidelines change and so it's always a good idea to double check before you submit something so that you are reassured that your submission will be accepted.

If I were to accept a few layouts that don't meet the guidelines then I will have to accept all the layouts that don't meet those guidelines.

Actually, that's not true. It's true that different moderators have different tastes, but we do have a written set of layout standards that we all adhere to when going through the queue. Very recently we were all reminded that MySpace defaults without custom extended networks, contact tables, and backgrounds are not to be accepted. Layouts missing any of those three things that were accepted before the reminder will [most likely] not be rejected, but layouts submitted after the submission guidelines were updated (which I did within the last two or three days) will be.

I agree that "tastes" is probably a better word than "standards." I wasn't aware the the guidelines were just updated and haven't submitted anything recently, so I only know how things were before. I have two approved layouts that don't have extended network banners, but yet I've had a couple rejected because of it. I, personally, didn't feel much was set in stone for awhile.

So yeah, long story short: I didn't know there were "official" changes made, and I'm glad they were.

Yeah. I know CreateBlog has a history of being inconsistent in what submissions its moderators accept, especially since submission standards were raised some months ago, but lately we've been trying hard to be consistent in acceptances/rejections. If a mod accepts a default MySpace layout missing any of the three things, they probably just forgot about the criteria, and another mod will probably catch their mistake and tell them to reject the layout.

I totally agree. I have seen so many layouts here that I would love to use, except they have an extended network banner with some stupid quote or brushes. IMO, about 50% of the layouts here would look better without their banner.

I never know what to put on an extended network banner. Most of the times the banner looks out of place. A banner also decreses the amount of people who will use it, since it adds another element that the user might not like. For example, some layouts are "guy friendly" except for their EN banner.


I was wondering, if I hide the contact table and add links or buttons, that will be ok right?

Those are probably older layouts then. If a MySpace layout with a distasteful or tacky extended network were submitted now, it'd probably be rejected. Not all MySpace layouts that meet the "custom" criteria will automatically be accepted.

Yes, that would be fine.

(Oh yeah, and sorry I haven't replied to your PM yet. I've been thinking about what you could add to your extended network and kept forgetting to reply. I'll do it soon though.)

Skinny layouts look awful with extended network banners.

exactly my point.
could you please CHANGE this guideline in regards to particular layouts.

Like, i completely understand why you require custom contact tables and backgrounds, but extended network banners are just a little over the top.

and if you guys are so against changing it to something more suitable, i was wondering if i could just make a transparent extended network banner with a border around it, because that technically is a CUSTOM banner.

i just do not want to have to redo ALL my Nebula layouts. because if i have extended network banner for this one, i will have to make one for all of them and it will be a complete waste of time because after you accept it i will just remove the extended network code from the layout.

PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS

I think you missed my post. The Nebula layouts you submitted before the reminder and guideline update will not be removed, so you don't have to redo them:


The staff is actually discussing being more flexible about the criteria for MySpace standard layouts, so please wait and see if the guideline will be changed/updated yet again. =)

I think that if a layout style is popular and the user decides to add yet another layout into the mix it should get accepted. Why else will Ju-Sun lower the standards in the first place when CB was changed?.... to get visitors regardless of how high quality CB use to be. And popular layouts will diffidently give CB more users.

Also these new standards are a tad too strict, not all layouts need a contact table, extended network banner, and a background to look good, unless the layout has poor quality images then i can see how all three are needed.

NEBULA layouts for example, high quality layouts popular and lacking extended network banners still a great layout.

MySpace defaults or myspace standard layouts?
defaults are like no CSS except a background.

I submitted THIS standard layout and it was rejected. I asked why, and the reviewer said:


ok. For one, that isn't a default layout. A default layout doesn't have any definded tables. For two, what kind of graphics would actually look good with this? IMO, a network banner would ruin it.

All my friends hate extended network banners because they look cheesy. To me, it makes the layout look like it's from some Pimp-My-Space.

When you link a rejected layout the code page will never show for a rejected or pending layout to anyone but the person who submitted it or a mod. Link the preview page instead. heres a working link.

Also i can see where the mod came from it is a rather minimal layout. But i do agree that a network banner would look off. Maybe a contact table image or a background < very light. will be nice.

although this did get rejected Ruki - the GazettE for lacking a background... which wasn't really needed but i submitted one with one.

Poor image quality = automatic rejection, no matter how nice the rest of the layout looks.

Sorry, MySpace standard layouts. It's just that I think of defaults and standards as being non-DIV overlays, haha.


Maybe they've seen too many bad extended networks, then, but there are plenty on CB that don't look like they're from that site. Some recently submitted examples:

http://www.createblog.com/layouts/code.php?id=29592
http://www.createblog.com/layouts/code.php?id=29582
http://www.createblog.com/layouts/code.php?id=28966

And why is that? Personally, I think it's because CreateBlog's standards are high, so although you may think they're too high, I think it's necessary for the site to keep its standards above that of other MySpace layout domains.


I thought the layout was okay without a background too, but like I said, I was following the submission guidelines.

well yeah i understand that i don't have to redo my old ones. It's just that my Nebula layouts have to be all identical but just different color schemes. i just like to have my series consistent with each other because I'm kinda OCD. lol. Like, i cant have my new one have a extended network banner and the other ones not have it. lol



thank you so much for considering this!

If I still made MySpace layouts, I'd definitely understand. Maybe you should just hold off on making any more until a decision is finalized. :)

Hey, sorry for the wait; a lot of CB issues have come up Backstage since I last posted here.

A lot of you will be happy to hear that the requirements for MySpace standard layouts have been lowered to needing only two out of the three criteria.

All submitted MySpace standard layouts must have a custom contact table and either a custom background OR custom extended network. However, moderators will still be making sure that the entire layout as a whole and the included custom background/extended network meet CreateBlog's general layout standards.

We don't know if we're going to re-accept layouts rejected for not having three out of three, so if any of you are curious about that, please hold your questions until I come back with more submission guideline updates.

Thank you :D im submitting one now.

You're welcome. =)