Well, it’s been a week, and I think I have the bugs ironed out, so I want to know what you think of the new look (If you’re reading this from a feed, you can click here to see it). Take a look around, There are new page links at the top (I like the gallery, but Lauren doesn’t). The categories are in the menu below the logo (Most Popular…) And there are some new things items in the tabs to the right (I really like the Tags, but Lauren does not share the love).
In fact, Lauren was pretty indifferent to the idea of changing things. I believe her exact words were, “Quit bothering me. Get me a soda.” I took that as permission to go ahead. There were a few things that I didn’t like about the old look, And I tried to fix those with a new theme and assorted new plugins:
- We were starting to accumulate a fair number of pages, but there was no good way to access them.
- There was no way to highlight the few posts (roughly one in a hundred) that were popular.
- I wanted to add new things (tags, delicious links…) to the sidebar, but still keep it short.
- I wanted cool gravatars like Brad’s site.
- Added a few little additions like ‘subscribe to comments’ and ‘social bookmarking’ that will never get used.
- Find some way to get our names on the homepage without being obnoxious about it.
I looked at a lot of themes, and ended up getting one from woo themes. It was pretty easy to customize, and I didn’t really have to do much to it anyway. Most of the changes I made were to get threaded comments looking okay.
I like the way the tabs turned out, and I love the way the gravatars look like little Polaroid instant pictures (I just lucked into that by breaking something else). I don’t really like the way the logo turned out at the top, so if you do logos, send me a better one.
I would really like to know what you think is worse than before (and anything you like too).
i like it! i like the gallery and the links and the tabs, makes things easier to find. i appreciate that it looks good in my browser and it’s easy to read, almost enough to use capital letters… the previous posts blurbs, in the boxes below, are cool. makes for less scrolling and my carpal thanks you 🙂
the logo, however, is a little bland and doesn’t speak the volumes it could about the wonderfulness that goes on here 🙂 don’t ever change that tagline, though, it is WAY beyond cool…
now, let’s see if my gravatar still has a tail . . . . . .
Yeah, I know what you mean about the logo. I just don’t know how to fix it. I tried a few different ideas, but my execution was too poor to tell if the ideas were any good.
My one definite thought is that it has to be bigger. Bigger is better, right?
Evil tempter! I do so want to take the bait…but I’ll behave.
DEFINITELY!
biggerbetterfaster, LOL!
oh! that share linky thing? tremendous! i shared a post this afternoon, to my facebook, and it worked like a peach!
I can’t think of any major constructive criticism. I don’t like change, so it’s taking me a while to get used to the new look. I don’t have any trouble reading the new layout though.
Here are some things in ‘stream of consciousness’ order:
I’m glad you got the threaded comments on the older posts to work again. I thought they were gone forever.
I like the colors of the boxes surrounding posts and comments and such. They’re eye-pleasing.
I don’t know about putting a whole box up for Flickr. The most recent pictures are from September.
The abbreviated form of your older posts would make someone who missed a couple of days have to click on something to read the posts. I suppose people would do that anyway to be able to read the comments though.
That’s my favorite order. The old threads were from the BriansThreadedComments plugin. The new ones are built into the new version of WordPress. I didn’t know if there would be a way to rethread the old ones either.
Lauren doesn’t really care for the flickr box either, but I told her that Brad really liked it.
Yeah, but the little older post blurbs are so cute. Don’t you just want to just pick them up and squeeze them?
Would it be cool if there were a “Stream of Conciousness” Order of monk? I would totally join that monastery.
I really dislike the lack of sodas.
Brad covered everything I would have said. Because we talked about it on the phone, and agreed on all points.
I don’t like change either, but I’ll adjust.
As soon as you get that logo looking better.
It’s like you’re related or something.
Diet Coke, please.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…..Turn and face the strain….ch-ch-changes…
I’m still looking around…but it looks good…except I agree…make the LloydandLauren pop more.
And I don’t see a share linky thing. And I don’t understand all this thread talk. And I dont’ understand the ‘subcribe’ part. If I read it every day, do I need to subscribe?
Maybe you could have an ‘Ask Lloyd’ section…for questions such as these & other computer questions some may be to embarrassed to ask publicly?
The thread stuff just means that you can reply to other people instead of just adding your comment to the bottom of the list. And no, the subscribe stuff at the top is for people who use feed readers .
I’m with Brad; I don’t like change. I can read it, so I’m happy. But I don’t like my gravatar – especially not in a polaroid – so I’m going to have to work on that.
I liked the cloud thing at the top – (LloydandLauren.com). It was light-hearted and went with “Where our wasted time becomes your wasted time”. You need something funny there. Could Lauren do a cartoon?
Lloyd had something funny, but I wouldn’t let him use it. Maybe he’ll have to put it back. It wasn’t light-hearted – it was SUPER!
I don’t like that the alternate title (or whatever you call the little caption for pictures) for your opening picture is always the same as the title of the post. I think those should be different.
I don’t like that either, but changing it seems like it might be work. That is something I also don’t like.
It’s got a new look?
I like it. I also appear to be the only one who likes change. I love all of the new categories at the top, the layout, the ease of finding past posts…nice job.
Jill is now my new best friend. The rest of you are only my second best friend.
Well, truth be told, I agree with Deborah…I could use a Diet Coke. But, thanks, Lloyd.