Monday, March 15, 2010

But We Hate And Fear Change!

As you have very possibly noticed by now, this blog looks kind of... different. I've been playing around with the layout. I don't know that I'm entirely happy with it... Blogger kind of lies about how easy it is to customize things with their layout editor; the options are really quite limited unless you're somewhat more adept with HTML than I can claim to be. Still, I think there are some improvements, and it's definitely easier to tweak now than it used to be, at least in certain respects.

Let me know what you think.

22 comments:

  1. Helps to bikeshed...

    The Recently added to your library needs to be on the right column. The blue grey should be a tone lighter, and you need to use the blink tag more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I could just make the whole thing blink. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Anything different is good." - Groundhog Day

    I dunno, looks okay to me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It looks to I don't know.... mechanical? sterile. I'm not sure the word I'm looking for but it lacks warmth. But it's your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmm. Well, it is very cool-colored, but I'm not sure how to make it "warmer." :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. All right, I've fiddled with the color a little. See if that strikes you as less "mechanical."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Needs different backround rather than white.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What do you suggest? Most combinations of text and colored backgrounds I find kind of annoying.

    *pauses to go and play around with the shades of white*

    I just changed the contrast a little or something. I think I like it better now.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Though I'm normally uncomfortable with change, I think this is an improvement. Everything looks "clearer" somehow.

    I'm a fan of white backgrounds. The more contrast there is between text and background the better IMO. I've seen too many websites where I'n expected to read coloured text on a coloured background that isn't that different. Worst of all is when you're expected to read text overlaid on some sort of non-uniform background.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The only thing that screamed, "I'm different!" at me is the font, and I can get used to that. (Note that I read this after you implemented the suggested color changes.)

    I knew a couple of people in college, one legally blind and one dyslexic, who had to read things in black and white (and actually read better with white text on a black screen). I agree with JH that color would diminish the contrast and reduce readability.

    ReplyDelete
  11. One more thing: I like that you condensed the history of your previous posts, but please bring back your links to other blogs. I can't get to Geosomin's nor Fred's any more!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Whatever you did to tweak it, I like it. I think it might be the font. And my first post above to=too. ;) Sorry I didn't mean to sound critical! Anyway, I actually really like the way you have it now. Sorry Dad-I guess the white background is staying.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well, the general feedback seems to be positive, which is good to hear. And I think I've gotten it to the point where I like it now!

    JH: Yeah, colored text on colored backgrounds is just unkind. (Especially to people with poor eyesight, as Captain C mentions below.) Black text on a very pale background might be OK, but I personally don't know that I'd go any further than off-white.

    Captain C: I did play around with the font a bit when I was designing it... It was originally in Verdana, I think, and in a slightly smaller font. I find this one a bit easier to read, personally.

    As for the links, I hardly use them anymore, myself, as I read other people's blogs via RSS, and tend to rely on Firefox's ability to remember URLs if I want to go to them directly. But I can put the blog links list back in. Possibly I'll edit it a bit, though. Stay tuned; I'll get to it when I get to it.

    Kathy: I don't think I changed the font since the last time you were here. Just the color scheme, slightly. But I do think it made a real difference.

    And, yeah, the white is staying. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. All right, I added links to friends' blogs back in.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I like -It seems more "relaxing" to read. Does that make any sense?
    Maybe it's the condensed lists and that I like the font...

    ReplyDelete
  16. I always lose. You two always ganged up on me. Speaking of you two, would you email me the pic of you and the Tardis?

    ReplyDelete
  17. You could just save it from the blog. But if you want the full-sized version, I can e-mail it to you, sure. I've already made it public, though, so it doesn't have any blackmail value. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. But now clever, computer people (obviously not I) can crop your heads and put them on all sorts of bodies. Or at least you can make a wallpaper of you and Cap'n Jack outside the TARDIS, instead of your sister (no offense, Kathy).

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey I won't stand in the way of her fantasies!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.