What's New on the "Salamanders Young Burn Survivors" website?
2025:
I've given the whole site a major overhaul to celebrate 25 years online.
(Yes, this site is older than YouTube, older than Facebook ... less than
10 years younger than the
World
Wide Web itself!)
Over the last 15 years, the number of people using mobile devices to go
online has gone from about one in twenty to nineteen in twenty, so I made
major changes to the coding on multiple pages of this site with the aim of
improving usability for phone browsing. I also made some minor changes to
improve usability for non-visual browsing.
I checked all the information in the Be Aware! Be
Safe! and Facts and Figures sections,
and updated it where needed, especially correcting and adding to the list
of Emergency Numbers. I also made a few changes
to the wording, simplifying it or adding explanatory notes for the benefit
of younger readers.
I removed the jigsaw puzzles (which weren't working properly) from the
Fun Stuff section, and the 'search this site'
function (unused for over 10 years). I replaced some dead links and added
many new ones, mostly to the Links: Medical
Articles page. I also updated the About me
page.
2017 to 2024:
I made a few minor changes here and there to the coding of the site, replaced some dead links, and periodically updated the About me page.
2016:
Virgin Media decided to axe their web hosting service, so, after twelve years, I had to find a new home for Salamanders Young Burn Survivors. Luckily, I had to make only a few very minor changes to the coding to get it back online with Neocities. I also replaced some dead links.
2015:
I made some improvements to the coding of the site, reviewed and exended the Emergency Numbers page, and updated the About me page. I replaced several dead links and added a number of new links, mostly to Burn Survivors Biographical Books which I then split into two, re-titling the original Burn Survivors Biographical Books 1 and adding Burn Survivors Biographical Books 2. The only other new page added this year was Jack Hunt's Story.
2013 / 2014:
I replaced some dead links and updated the About me page.
2012
saw the first major change in the content and purpose of this site.
When it first went online, most people found sites via
web
directories or webrings,
so I tried to link to every site that might be of help or interest to burn
survivors and their families, as well as a large number of burn and fire
safety sites. With most people now using a search engine, I removed almost
400 links from the Links: Medical Articles and
Links: Other Sites sections, leaving only
those which people might not think to look for and those which might not
be easy to find.
Originally, one of the main purposes of Salamanders Young Burn Survivors
was to give burn survivors a way to find and make friends with each other,
but with most people now using Facebook or a similar social networking
site, this site's "Find a Friend" and "Just for You"
pages had outlived their usefulness, so I removed them. I also removed the
Guestbook (unused for several years) and the Salamanders Screensavers
(which don't work on modern computers).
I re-wrote the html and css coding for the entire site to make it fully
accessible to anyone using non-standard
equipment, reviewed all the content, updating and re-writing it where
necessary, and replaced a number of graphics. I added four cookery
recipes, some new wallpapers, and three games to the
Funstuff section.
2010 / 2011:
I replaced a number of dead links and updated the About me page.
2009:
One person joined the Find a Friend list. I made a few minor changes to the wording and layout of some pages, and replaced over 40 dead links. The only new page added this year was Dennis Opoku Gyamfi's Story.
2008:
I removed the almost-dead Forums and Chat Rooms section. I added more links to Fact and Fiction Books, split the page into Books for Children and Books for Teens and Adults, then moved them (together with Burn Survivors Biographical Books) from the Links: Other Sites section to a new one: Links: Books & Comics. I also created an About me page, and split the Certifications and Awards page into two, creating a separate list of Awards won. I made a few changes to the text on, and added an illustration to, Surgery for Scars. I added the "Fire Kills" printable leaflet to Playing with Fire, and some new comments to Our In Tray. The site won 40 new Website Awards.
2007:
Two people joined the Find a Friend list. I added two Fiery Fonts and five colouring pictures to the Fun Stuff section, more photos to The face of a burn and Quinn's Photos, a new comment to Our In Tray, and a number of new links. I created two new pages: Fact and Fiction Books, and Burn Survivors Biographical Books. The site won five Website Awards.
2006:
I made some more improvements to the design and coding of the site. Seven people joined the Find a Friend list. I resigned the site from any involvement with web rings, and added several jigsaw puzzles to the Fun Stuff section, more information to How Hot is 'Hot'?, a couple of items to the Just for You page, several comments to Our In Tray, and a number of new links. I created six new pages: April's Story, Glenn's Story, Kelly's Story, Steve's Story, Emergency Numbers, and this Site Updates page. The site won 45 Website Awards.
2005:
Six people joined the Find a Friend list. I added a 'search this site' function, another Fiery Font, some new Salamanders Wallpapers, and a few new links. The only new page added this year was Kylie's Story. The site received APEX Certification and four Website Awards.
2004 (April to December):
I re-designed the site again in April to make the pages easier to read and more accessible. Eight people joined the Find a Friend list, and I added several comments to Our In Tray and a number of new links. I added more information about burn scars, and split the original page into two: Scars and Treatment and Surgery for Scars. Other new pages created were: Joni Marie Duck's Story, Yasmin Stalford's Story, an Accessibility Statement, and a Statement of Ethics. The site received HONcode Certification and won thirteen Website Awards.
May 1999 to March 2004:
see 'Website history' on the Salamanders Home Page.
