Ooooh Aaaah – A Little Help, Please

“Ooooh Aaaaah my copy of “The Magicians’s Curse” arrived!”

I had so much fun hosting #SoCS yesterday. If I hadn’t had my post written by the end of the day on Friday. I would have gone with the caption in that photo.

But, my real reason for today’s, rare (and I promise to keep them very rare) Sunday post, is to show you, as opposed to show off, my new theme. And, to ask you your thoughts.

Note: I have reset back to the previous theme. So, no need to proceed. Thanks to all those who commented and took the survey.

I’m including a survey and I’m rerunning some old pictures of Maddie (cause I need all the help I can get).

Before you take the survey, take a look at the new landing page (it will open in new window).

One other thing, I changed the comments to have the newer ones on top, After minding Linda’s store yesterday, I found that I liked that.

Update: I should mention that I like the old theme, but I can’t make it show excerpts of posts on the landing page. After answering several comments, I find that I don’t like the comments are presented when I’m editing a bunch. I like to see them in the order they arrived and I’m scrolling my fingers off.

Thanks!

 

“Can we go back out?” – I had to include Maddie
Maddie – her hair isn’t always the neatest thing.
You’ve seen this – this is Maddie’s idea of a game.
Maddie loves wrapping paper
Most mornings, Maddie brings me a toy to encourage me to come sit on her couch with her
Maddie loves the guest cook
Here, I have a toy. Sit with me.
Maddie loves to sit in the evening. She can sit here for an hour.
Maddie was pretty tired after a long day.
Here’s someone who likes the fact that I’m a nice guy.
Descending Mt Maddie with the ball

82 thoughts on “Ooooh Aaaah – A Little Help, Please”

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    1. Thanks. I liked the old theme too, but I want to be able to show excerpts on the main page and it doesn’t offer that feature. Anything specific you don’t like? I can customize colors, fonts and css

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  4. Well, I certainly do understand wanting to incorporate new features and to just try something new, but I prefer the old theme. This theme seems very heavy (not sure I can adequately explain what I mean). The old theme had a lot of white, but more importantly, the way page elements were positioned let them “breathe”. When I scroll this theme, it just feels heavy, and forgive me, a bit boring. And I don’t like how the header image is so small. A header, by definition, should cover much more of the top of the page. When I see the header area in this theme, it actually makes me think of a time when websites weren’t customizable and you were stuck with something primitive and basic. Here’s the template, now drag and drop your own specifics. I don’t get any of your personality coming through with this theme, Dan. And it’s not just colours or fonts. It’s the layout and the sizing.

    I did vote for new comments on top, though I typically don’t care for that. If you were writing research-based posts where people would be commenting with a lot of questions, then I’d definitely want new comments on the bottom, otherwise you’d find yourself answering the same thing over and over. With old comments on top, hopefully new commenters will read the other comments first to see if their question has been answered. But I think that your blog could work equally well either way, so if you prefer new comments on top, I say go for it.

    I read in a previous reply you made that you wanted to be able to show excerpts on the main page… in theory, I like the idea. I don’t like how it looks with this theme, and I personally do prefer it the old way. Perhaps you could achieve a measure of what you’re after by using widgets on the old theme instead. Add a certain post to the sidebar as a text or image widget, or something like that. Just a thought!

    I know that we all do tend to like our routines and what’s familiar to us, but in this case, strictly from a design perspective, I personally found your old theme to have a nice crisp professional appeal, and this new theme, forgive my bluntness — this is not a reflection on YOU, I’m speaking only of the theme’s design — looks more like an amateur put it together. This all feels a bit too minimalist and uninviting. And definitely not enough images to balance the text (not in the post itself, but everywhere else). This theme seems too basic for the kind of “a little bit of everything” blog you curate, Dan. :-/

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    1. Thank you Wendy. I appreciate the detailed comment. I asked for this help, because I’m not really happy with this theme. Maybe I can modify the old theme a little and get what I like. I like the header that I had, because I really like that photo. I put this where the “logo” goes because the full header looked really bad on in this theme. Well see how this goes today. I’m going to try and decide by this evening and have a theme in place for tomorrow’s post.

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      1. I wish you the best of luck, Dan. Because at the end of the day, I really do believe that the only person who needs to be with happy with how the blog looks is YOU. It’s really a shame that WordPress limits functionality depending on the theme. I suppose I understand, but seriously, why can’t EVERY theme be equipped to do all the same things? Come on, WordPress.

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  5. I like the old theme. But then change is hard for me,Dan. I always come around but…..I still like the old theme better. Only reason I prefer new comments on the bottom is I like to scroll down to read what others write. It just seems weird to me to scroll up. Maddie, as always, is so cute.

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    1. Thanks Lois. I like the old theme too. I was hoping to find an updated version of it. I’ll see what folks think. Also. I’m not sure I like the comments this way. It was good yesterday, popping in and out of Linda’s page, but this is a bit of a pain when there are several.

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  6. I like it because I like the appearance of previous posts on the landing page. In case I missed something it is easy to find. I love newest comments on top. Less scrolling. I love Maddie!! 💕

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  7. I too liked the old page. I like to see the current post at the top of the landing page and get confused with all the posts listed in box form. If you visit mine you will see all the posts listed in chronological order with a teaser on each. I guess it’s that I visit you whenever you post and have no interest in making a one stop reading marathon like some folks do. Anyway, do whatever works for you. I do like the latest comment at the top.

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  8. Dare I say I’m a simple person, and I liked the old page. I read each of your posts as they come through so I’m not one to be needing to find something or read backwards. I’m not crazy about a landing page although through this process I learned what it was and learning something new is always a good thing. My #1 question is what is the conversion utility to the left of ‘about.’ You’ve really got me stumped there. But, it’s okay because you showed Maddie which always makes everything better. Get off the computer and get outside so she can sit and check out the bunnies. Gorgeous day here but a little humid. :-)

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    1. Thanks Judy. Maddie snd I were out early. I’m off the computer until tonight when it seems I’ll be recovering my old theme.

      The conversion utility is a utility I wrote for US bloggers wanting to add a formatted temperature string to there post. You can try it, it’s free :)

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  9. I thought I did something to make it so large. Well done! I don’t use my phone for blogging at all, so for my laptop everything wide is a plus. Nice big letter, comfortable feel, great stuff. As for the landing page – I rarely go there at all and prefer post-hopping back whenever I lag behind, but I’d prefer if there was a photo accompanying each post. But it’s not a biggie. As for the last comments – I have them on the bottom so it’s just a thing to get used to. All in all – good move! (Except calling gorgeous Maddie ‘not neat’.) ;)

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      1. It’s not just the font, it’s all of it, the entire surface! I love it that it’s so large now. But I never understand blog themes where everything is crammed in one half of the screen’s surface. I guess they look good on the phone… On the other hand – my sister saw my blog on my laptop, and said: Ohhh so this is how it was supposed to look! She has never seen the split screen feature of my blog because the phone doesn’t support it. Anyway – if you ask people about it, you will get all kinds of answers. The choice will still have to be yours.

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  10. I like the new landing page and I’ve actually been playing with this for a while myself. The problem I’ve been having is getting the sidebars to work on an opened post … a problem you don’t seem to have. After seeing your’s, I may need to revisit it again :)

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        1. I didn’t like the proportion. The sidebar seemed way too wide. I liked the landing page, but my wife didn’t like the “boxes” I did like the font. but I couldn’t figure out what it was so I couldn’t apply it to the old theme.

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            1. I didn’t think of them as boxes, and I liked having the recent posts out there, since most regular readers visit the page from email. I am going to play with creating a page that has the recent posts, and then use the “Static Page” option for the landing page. That way, I can test it without going live.

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  11. I like this theme, its minimalist, kinda. And I think the front page looks nice, its easier to find posts reather than just scrolling forever.

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  14. Voted! I like the font on this page, but don’t really like the landing page. I like to read posts as they come in, and not have to figure which is newest or oldest on a busy page.

    I like the comments newest on top too.

    At the end of the day it’s your blog so do what works for you. I’ll read you no matter what. :)

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  17. First: AHHHHH!!! My book is in your house!!! :D Thank you so much, Dan! It’s lovely to see a picture of it. :D
    Okay, deep breath.
    Obviously I’m a fan of the comments at the top. It did take a while to get used it though, so keep that in mind. Then again, most often I reply to comments in the pop-up box attached to the bell at the top right of the screen, so it doesn’t matter to me where they are on the page.
    I like the new theme. It’s very clean and simple. I think what you really need to consider is whether it reflects the way you feel when you’re read. The landing page is a very handy thing to have, though. I like it. :)

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    1. I wish I could have kept the landing page, but it’s not available on the old theme, which I moved back to. It was an interesting experiment, but it didn’t work out.

      The book is on the pile of summer reading, but it’s in the house and I’m happy to own a copy.

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  18. Hi Dan! I see that I missed all the excitement. It’s good to experiment with our blogs now and then, so I hope this didn’t feel like an exercise in futility to you.
    You probably saw that I closed comments on my post this evening,but I don’t want to leave you out. The new series doesn’t have many make characters, so let me know if you want to be included. :)
    Anyway, have a great new week. Hugs.

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    1. I was just over at your place and saw that I was too late. I’d like to be in but I’ll follow along regardless.

      I’m almost back to normal here. I lost all the widgets but I can get them back.

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        1. If I use my middle initial instead of first, I’d be “Luna Stargazer” if you need a scsry character (since I’m late) you could go back to first name and use “Stranglevine Starquencher” I rather like that.

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  20. I missed it, so I have no opinion on the theme, but I did vote for preferences. I am super partial to black script on white screen, because I have eyes. Otherwise, I really don’t care about themes.
    I got Linda’s paperback this weekend, too :D
    Maddie, Aw, gush-gush, Maddie, heart-heart!

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  21. Cute pictures of Maddie. I’ve thought about changing my theme and keep chickening out because of all the things that don’t carry over well. I hope the survey was helpful, but it seemed like the answers were divided on just about everything. :-D

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  25. Confession time. Mostly I notice themes when I don’t like them — if they’re jarring or distracting. This one is pleasant and easy to read, so I hope you like it. But my *favorite* part of this post are those sweet dog pics!!

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    1. Ha ha – thanks for the comment. I think people generally know what they don’t like, more than what they like.

      Some people say Maddie should have her own blog, but I’d worry that this place would turn into a dust bowl without her and the bunnies.

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  27. Hi there, only 6 days passed but I must say, I think people enjoy new formats, Dan. As one who took 3 years of essays, reviews and long wordy posts, who finally realized (well Felicia nagged me ;) ) new is better! Now, I happen to like new comments first when I’m visiting but haven’t switched mine over yet. I like your “can do spirit!”
    I will follow you until one of us or both quit! :)
    I happen to be getting ready to set up a week in late July where parks will be featured. One has an Irish Setter named Mickey. It will include a link for your blog since it made me think of you and Maddie, plus your family. 🎈 😊

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