This issue, in profiles is:
The Smashing Pumpkins Collection
For our anniversary issue, we were
able to get an interview(by email)
with The Smashing Pumpkins Collection
webmaster, Steve Hemming.
1) How long have you been a
webmaster? Was the Smashing
Pumpkins Collection your first site?
I have been a webmaster since early
1995, The first site I created was called
Valhala it was about Myth and Magic Figures,
which then developed in a site with Myth and
Magic and a small section on the Smashing
Pumpkins. This was hosted on Geocites at
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/5360/.
The Myth site was then taken over and
redeveloped by my girlfriend Dawn and it is still
online today, even thought it is not updated or
maintained anymore. The current address is
http://www.smashing.force9.co.uk/myth/
(Soon to be http://www.spc.org.uk)
2) How does it feel to have come from a site
on Geocities to the most popular Smashing
Pumpkins domain on the net?
That question is really hard to answer, I’m not sure
if the site is the most popular but, great I think, I
have accomplished what I set out to do. It has now
became an addition which sometimes I wish I could
quit.
3) Are there times when you just want to give
it all up, times when you'd rather just do
something else?
Yes you bet, once every couple of weeks, mainly
when I get stupid emails to Billy and then more
asking why I have not replied, I get 100+ emails
a day regarding the Site and the Pumpkins, 75%
are quality emails the rest are like this :
Subject: PUMPKINS BREAK UP!
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 10:17:09 PST
From: "********" <********@hotmail.com>
To: webmaster@smashing-pumpkins.net
“Yes, it appears that our worst fears have been
confirmed.
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS ARE NO MORE! This after
it was announced that James Iha was leaving the
band to pursue his solo career, and that he was fed
up with "egomaniacal" Corgan. Adore will apparently
be the last Iha pumpkins album, but reports say that
Corgan and D'arcy will no longer continue either.
Well, we can't say it's not been great hearing them.
Farewell and Godspeed former Pumpkins.”
And also when people E-bomb me for not
giving away commercial fonts. ?
4) What is the most rewarding thing that has
come from running the site?
1. Getting emails from other fans/site visitors
saying what a great site it is. Like when I had
almost decided to close the site due to the
e-bombing incident, I got like 800 email in 5
hours pleading for me to keep it online, that is
when I realised that 100’s of people log on and
go to the site first thing everyday for the latest
news etc.
2. Win the second prize in the UK Web Awards
in 1997 for Best Personal site was a great moment.
I was actually glad that I didn’t win, I think the
personal attention would have been to much, I’m
quite a private person really.
3. I was in a local bookshop today flipping though
a book called the Guinness Rock???? And under
the Smashing Pumpkins section it listed the site
address for more upto date info, that is rewarding
to see.
5) In the old days at least, was there anyone
or anything in particular that inspired you in
making the site (like another SP webmaster,
etc.)?
The reason for starting the site is explained in
question 8 but as for people that inspired and
encouraged me, It was all the fault of 2 people;
Chris Carmen (http://www.smashingpumpkins.org)
for the encouragement when I thought my design
work was crap, he helped to give me confidence
to carry on in late 1995, and Helge Loy who was
running a site called the Smashing Pumpkins
Junction with a section of links to SP sites, he
rated my work 2 stars after I had spent 2 whole
days working really hard, so I immediately
restarted designing the site in a fit of anger,
the new design took the whole weekend but
in the long run, it forced me to work really hard
and produce something worth visiting. His site
is still online (http://home.sol.no/floy/links.htm)
even thou’ it has not been updated since
December 1996 when I got re-reviewed with
3 ½ stars. With these comments:
“The Smashing Pumpkins Collection is
constantly improving, this site features a great
and fast layout. Contains a lot of stuff, info on
heaps and heaps of boots, albums, singles,
videos, promos etc. Also has lyrics and links.
There's also a JAVA puzzle game there, plus
some handy downloads for all of you SP-freaks
out there. Great site which deserves a visit
...or ten.”
In October 1996, I got the chance to do some
web design work for an ISP in the UK, and they
got me the domain
http://www.smashing-pumpkins.net registered
for me, this was when the site really took off.
6) How long have you been a Smashing
Pumpkins fan?
Since 1992 when my brother lent me a taped
copy of Gish.
7) If you had to choose, what Smashing
Pumpkins song best reflects your
personality?
Drown and Today. The lyrics say why!
8) What do you believe to be the most
important aspect of your site?
Hopefully the depth of information it has
(1000+ html pages)
The main reason for creating the site in the
first place was to run a small site with just
the Visual Discography, When I got online in
early 1995, there was like only 5-10 pumpkins
sites online anywhere and even though there
was a discography online it did not have images
of any releases, which I found a shame because
it would have helped to know what you are
looking for in stores and at Record Fairs if you
had seen the cover/s. By that time I had
become a huge collector of World-wide releases,
promos, videos etc, and having just got my first
flat bed scanner figured what the hell, I would
try and make a site showing the covers and
artwork for what rare items I had.
Having done this much, people would email and
ask for the lyrics, then tabs, then the news
section came along, which was half hearted
seeing as I live in the UK and not much SP news
would get here.
I have just found a backed up copy of the October
1996 Smashing Pumpkins Collection which is online
now at http://www.smashing-pumpkins.net/1996/
9) What is the future of the Smashing Pumpkins
Collection and you yourself? What's next?
Site Improvement I would like to make given the
time and resources include:
1. Including Realaudios of old and new Interviews
2. Including Realaudios of old and new Concerts
3. Database the whole discography section, which
whole mean easier searching and easier updating,
but that is a major task and I need a server that
would support databases,etc
4. Add a search engine to the site, but most I
have tried take to long due to the site of the site
and amount of html pages to sift through. (last
Java search engine I tried, took 20 minutes to
search all document containing Zero and that was
with a 128K ISDN line.
5. Include all the 1000’s of photos and images of
the band I have gathered over the years.
6. Add cgi stuff, but I would have to learn to
program first but I really don’t have the time.
What Is in the future for me? Who knows….
I keep thinking about writing a book on the
band or creating a multimedia CD-Rom, but all
that takes time and money something I don’t
have really.
10) Do you have any advice for other
Smashing Pumpkins webmasters on
making good sites?
No! if I told you that my site wouldn’t be
so popular…? These are a few things I
think are important, really we should ask
the visitors to the site. These comments
really apply to all website not just Pumpkins
fan sites.
1. Make the site original, there are loads of
topics to cover, don’t just copy someone
else’s site but with your images.
2. Keep the site fresh update as often as
you can, let visitors know what has changed
so they don’t waste time on loading the same
page everyday looking for updated info. Who
is going to keep visiting if it states Last
updated September 1997?
3. Make sure all the links are working (use
programs like LinkBot (http://www.tetranet
software.com) to check out the site regularly.
4. Keep the layout simple and easy to
navigate (offer different forms of navigation)
5. Don’t use frames unless you really have to
(they are a pain, yeah)
6. If the site has a lot of info (html) dump all
the Java and animations, if the site is small
make it fun to visit use the Java and Flash etc.
7. Keep the pages small in file size so they
load faster and link to larger images rather
than putting them on the same page
8. Use a html editor like Homesite
(http://www.allaire.com) then you really will
get what you wanted in the browser.
9. Don’t put MP3’s online unless you can
afford the law suite.
10. Get feedback from the visitors, so you
what you are doing right or wrong.
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The Smashing Pumpkins Collection is
undoubtebly the most popular SP
site today. But what makes it such
a popular site? The biggest reason
has to be its amount of content:
original creations like screensavers,
the comprehensiveness of the visual
discography + songlist,etc. The
discography/songlist sections are
the biggest part of The SPC, there
is almost every release-official and
unofficial in it. The downloads section
is also pretty massive with original
screensavers(also some by other
authors I believe), fonts, desktop
themes, cd player ini file, and more.
Also, The SPC's news section is quite
current. Not only that but the site
includes pretty well every SP video in
real video, rare real audio, a large
image section, merchandise values,
trading post, and a whole lot more. The
design is also good for the most part.
This site is a definite must for the
SP newbie and the avid fan.
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