Saturday, 31-Jul-2010 07:33:13 CDT
This web site is a personal endeavor not subsidized by the Sauna. Donations are used solely to help cover the site's out-of-pocket maintenance costs. Any amount, however small, will be greatly appreciated. Mike
All Pages
• Access:
This is an unrestricted open site which requires no registration or membership. However, in order to limit "spam" and potential "hacking", we are blocking access from a number of sources (mostly outside of North America) known to attempt to breach the security of web servers. We also reserve the right to block access from specific IPs or entities which have abused or are likely to abuse our online resources. If you are getting unexplained consistent security errors when trying to access our site from a specific terminal or location, email us with the details and we will investigate.
• Recommended browsers:
For best viewing experience, use a recent civilized browser such as Firefox, Safari, Camino, Opera, Chrome or similar. If you must use MS Internet Explorer, upgrade to the current version (presumably IE7/IE8 or newer). The builtin browsers in recent PDAs and phones are usually adequate but may not support all features.
• Static background:
The brick wall used as background should remain static while you scroll up and down the page. That feature may not work properly with some browsers.
• Favicon:
If you are using a Firefox-family browser, you will see an animated favicon instead of the static one. If you don't know what a favicon is, don't worry and move on. Users of Mobile Safari (iPhone, iPod, iPad and related devices) who boookmark this site will see a custom "WebClip" graphic.
• Timestamp:
At the bottom left of the header image, the current date and time are displayed.
• OPEN sign:
Whenever the Sauna is open for business, the subtle "OPEN" sign at the top right corner of the header image gets turned on (glows red and blinks). Clicking on the sign always goes to the "Info" page.
• Overlays:
On most pages, you might see a semi-transparent "floating" overlay announcing the special of the day or some similar reminder.
• Watermark:
Most pages have a semi-transparent background picture of the Sauna "under" the text.
• Footer:
At the bottom of each page is a footer showing when the page source was last updated on the server, along with a copyright reminder and our "SUDO CUM SOCII" motto. For no particular reason, clicking on the Latin motto will load a random page from our site (very possibly one you didn't know existed). Clicking on the "
![[help]](images/help.gif){kind=small}
" icon at the bottom right of the footer on most pages will take you to the relevant section of this page.
• Menu:
At the top and bottom of each page is a menu from which you can go to the other pages. Moving the mouse over a menu entry will cause that entry to change color. Click to go to that page. When the "Guestbook" entry is red instead of the usual black, it means that at least one new comment was posted in the past few hours.
• Headings:
The heading text has shadows when viewed in a compliant browser (this does NOT include MS Internet Explorer).
• Go Home:
Clicking on the header image from any page always returns you to the Home (index) page. You will also be automatically redirected to the Home page from any page after 5 minutes.
• Bug?: "The bug you would fright me with I seek." (W. Shakespeare, Winter's Tale, III,2)
Yes, there is one. Every so often, it will appear on most pages when and where you least expect it. Try clicking on the pesky critter...
• Tools:
Apache server on a Linux box, a text editor (BBEdit), Photoshop Elements, a pinch of Perl, a jigger of Javascript, and a heap of HTML coding on a tiny netbook running Mac OSX. All features are implemented without requiring Micros*ft, Flash, Java, ActiveX, popups or cookies.
![[top]](images/smarrow.gif){kind=small}
Home (index) Page
• News:
Just below the header picture, a message containing some Sauna news (schedule change, specials, etc.) may appear.
• Ticker:
If your browser suppports it, you may see a scrolling "ticker". To stop the scrolling, move the mouse over the ticker area. Scrolling will resume when the mouse is moved away. To hide the ticker, click on it.
• Random banner:
Above the bottom menu, you'll see a randomly-generated banner containing either some "Sauna Trivia" or a not-so-subtle "come on in" message. To display a different banner, reload the page.
• Greeting:
The custom "Good morning/afternoon/evening" greeting is dynamically generated each time the page is loaded.
• Attendant:
At the bottom of the left column, you may see a small message indicating who your attentant is (when we're open) or will be (the next day), just in case it matters to you.
• Man:
As you and I would, the man in the right hand column blinks every so often.
• Mini panels:
The small panels at the bottom display different messages depending on the day of the week and the current temperature.
Info Page
• Weather:
The current downtown Duluth weather (Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point) is displayed via a Perl script that directly reads and parses NOAA's National Weather Service hourly bulletins. If that data is unavailable, the script will attempt to get the weather for the Duluth International Airport.
• Webcam:
While waiting for the webcam, a pseudo-random weather map (forecast, local temps, radar) appears. The main image should display and refresh automatically every 15-30 seconds. If the image is missing or seems static, try refreshing the page. Follow the links to other local webcams. Webcam sites tend to be very fickle and those links may not be active at all times.
• Calendar:
The calendar starts with the current month. Click on the arrows on either side of the date display to quickly show the next or previous month.
• Random banner:
Above the bottom menu, you'll see a randomly-generated banner containing either some "Sauna Trivia" or a not-so-subtle "come on in" message. To display a different banner, reload the page.
Webcam Pages
• The webcam links point to various local sites showing current views of Duluth. We only link to webcams publicly available and accessible by anyone with Internet access. Most pictures are automatically refreshed. Webcam sites tend to be very fickle and those links may not be active at all times. We have no control over the material provided by the webcam sites.
Specials Page
• Current Time:
Pointless Perl script displaying the approximate current time as words.
• Day-specific:
The wording of the various specials may vary depending on the day of the week ("today!", "tomorrow!", etc.).
Location Page
• Directions:
Clicking on the camera icon will open a new window with a picture of the Sauna taken from Superior Street, making it easy for you to find us.
• Distances:
Mileage is approximate, from city center to city center, using the most common route. Click on the city name to open a new window with MapQuest directions and maps.
• GPS:
Use the coordinates provided, or download a POI file for GoogleEarth (".kmz"), Garmin (".gpi") or TomTom (".ov2").
• External links:
All external links open in separate windows over which we have no control.
Guestbook Page
• Scrolling:
The guestbook entries are listed in reverse chronological older with the most recent first. If all goes well, you should see a vertical scrollbar to navigate to the end (oldest) entry. Even browsers that don't support scrolling should still show all entries, but if yours doesn't, please let us know.
• Comments:
The comments are automatically pre-screened when submitted, but may also be reviewed (and removed!) manually after the fact. Inappropriate content is deleted. The email addresses and URLs optionally provided by the posters are not validated. If your comment seems to have disappeared, please email us.
• Archives:
Only the last 50-100 comments or so are directly available. Older comments are archived but can still be accessed for a while from the link at the bottom of the active entries.
Add Comment (addguest) Page
Since guestbooks are heavily targeted by "spammers", that page includes extensive "security" measures. The page can only be accessed from within our site. Specific IP addresses are banned from access. All activities on that page (including errors) are logged.
• Identity:
At the bottom of the page, you might see a panel displaying your current IP, ISP, and other information provided by your browser. That data is logged internally but not made public in any way.
• Rejected:
Unless you correctly answer the simple "math test" and provide both some comment text and a name (or nickname), the entry will be rejected. You will be given a chance to correct the error, clear the form, or return to the Guestbook.
• Accepted:
When your comment is accepted, you will be returned to the Guestbook page (you might need to refresh to see your new comment).
Chat Page
The chatroom is primitive but functional. It works best if you make prior arrangements with someone else to "meet in the Sauna chatroom" at a specific time. We do not monitor, log, or filter chatroom contents, and you can feel free to express yourself as openly as you wish. The chatroom uses the free IRC Chat services of the irchighway.net server. When you enter the room, you will see a list of other people (if any) currently in the chatroom. Type your message and press the ENTER/RETURN key to send it to the room. To exit, simply navigate to another page or close the window.
• Chatroom (advanced):
If you're not familiar with IRC chatrooms, try a few simple commands such as: • /msg <nickname> <message> (send private message) • /nick <newnick> (change your nickname) • /whois <nickname> (info about a nickname) • /clear (clear the chat window). For additional help, click on the
("menu") icon at the top left corner of the chat window.
• NOTE:
The chatroom is unmonitored and unrestricted. We have no control over the contents of the chat window. Some visitors may use language or discuss topics that you might find offensive. Should this happen, simply close the window or move to another page.
Gallery Page
• Thumbnails:
Click on a thumbnail to see the corresponding full-size (500x375) picture. If your browser doesn't display the pictures, try the "LOW TECH" link at the bottom of the page.
• Background:
The initial picture used as background was stitched together from a badly mangled black and white period photograph.
• Pictures:
To minimize bandwith usage, we use relatively low resolution pictures, but they should suffice to give you an idea of what to expect. For a clearer view, come visit the Sauna!
FAQ Page
• Arrows:
The animated red arrow pointer may not be able to keep up with cursor movements or may not appear at all on some configurations, but it can be safely ignored.
• Answers:
The "
" link after each answer takes you back to the list of questions.
• Cartoon:
The chubby guy’s eyes move.
• Feedback:
The simple "Ask Mike" feedback form is intended for short messages or private comments only. If you fail to provide a valid email address, the "Ask Mike" button will return you to the form. If your submission is successful, you will be taken to the site's home page.
Links Page
• Listings:
All links point to external sites over which we have no control. If you would like your business or organization listed, please contact us.
• Directions:
The "
" link next to some listings brings up a separate window with directions (from Yahoo!) to that location.
This (secrets) Page
• Toweled guy:
The header image is an animated GIF. Every minute, the frame containing the actual picture of the man is displayed briefly.
• Sound:
With most browsers, you've probably heard it by now. Pathetically cheesy, I know, but I couldn't resist...
• Navigation:
Clicking on most page names (headers) takes you to that page. The "
" icon in each section takes you to the top of the page.