Notes on the Blog Re-Design
The blog is being redesigned by myself in conjunction with Russel Crawford. It’s being modernized and will be tweaked to perfection over the next couple of months. I’ve already reversed the comment thread stream from the template default of LIFO to the more conversational LIFO as was requested by various grousing users. I am keeping nest replies intact. The rest of the scheme will be changed as necessary. I want to thank readers for their input. Suggestions for cool plug-ins that you have seen elsewhere are welcome. The underlying name of the blog has been changed to the Dvorak News blog due to indexing engines seeing the blog as porn for using the word “uncensored.” The graphic will remain and it’s still officially DU or Dvorak Uncensored. It’s just that it will no longer be indexed as such.
Thanks for you patience.
I am afraid that splitting comments onto multiple pages is a bad thing that will limit my participation, if any.
Also not being able to turn off notifications (I tried the link, it didn’t work) is one mistake I will not make again. Maybe that was just because I did it before or during an update.
It’s good to be King.
Every ham fisted f*ckup can be called modernization. But what do you “think?”
Did you ever clear your mind and engage your own blog as your users might? Post to and follow a blog entry for a few days to gauge your own personal blog experience? What did you think?
Why engage a third person who never did that either?
Why not poll your users — or did you poll your targeted/desired audience==apparently and after school class of expectant teenage girls?
What was it again that made Steve Jobs so great?
——–Yea, verily.
((Edit: Nesting is a choice with pro’s and con’s. Do you personally like it/prefer it/or did the girls? Adding the time stamp will help following posts.))
How do you know what you know and how do you change your mind?
after a good four years, i have noticed that i am visiting the DU site a lot less since the redesign.
Me too….
Its been said a few times now in variation: what is the “purpose” of these changes? Modernization is meaningless.
It seems to me the goal should always be “to make more money.” I don’t know the mechanics and contractual provisions for how that is done but I’d guess, and I really am guessing, that the more visits per day the better? Or is it clicks on links elsewhere in the blog? That is what “should” drive a blog unless its a public service with independent financing?
If its to generate comments which assumedly attracts readers who might click on links, I’d think making the blog a pleasure to read and post to would be the presentational goal of the blog? How is that measured/judged? Complaints about readability? A Poll. Independent Research. Expert Opinion not biased by potential paid work?
Since I don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, I’ll repeat what makes a blog a pleasure to me:
1. Chronological Posting of comments. That encourages people to read the thread before commenting.
2. Number the comments. Its the easiest if not the only way to quickly follow a poster/idea. Numbers getting out of sequence within threads is irrelevant to that process.
3. Bump the popular threads back up to the top.
4. Have the Notification of Responses apply to either the thread as a whole or one’s own personal post. If can only choose one–make it the later. These posts are current only for 2-3 days and easy to check that.
5. Maintain the sidebar of most recent comments/commentators with links to the threads.
6. Have your editors comment more. They know what has been posted, are generally well read, and have seen it all. Agreed with or not, their experience is valuable.
Note, I’m going for the functionality of the blog–not the aesthetics. And I am using a triple monitor desktop system. Easy to enlarge the type with “Cntl + ” but I see the tradeoffs with the various formats.
Is it not possible to give people their choice based on what platform is used? I haven’t seen any choices that some here have referred to. I only assume that makes a difference.
It really does all come down to the “why.”
The “Older Comments” thing is counter-intuitive. SOP for that kind of link is to expand the list, not switch to an entirely different page. If you have page 1, page 2, etc, then make the link say that.
But why even bother? Just make them one long page. It’s text so the html overhead/page load time is nothing.
Same goes for the home page’s two columns. That’s an unusual setup, can’t recall seeing that ever before. Single-column, then two, then one. It’s spastic.
And yes, make the comment text black. I’m ok with the blue background, but the pink text vibrates…don’t put red on blue.
Loose the pink and pastel colors, Perez Hilton.
Clunky layout and coordinating color confusion do not equate with getting tweaked, they equate with a bad acid trip.
Hi John,
It was a bit of a shock the first time I saw your new layout…
However I must say it looks nice.
I am still working it over in my mind as I REALLY liked the OLD format.
Keep up the good works…
Jery
Back again after reading other people’s comments.
My main points are:
Really like the old layout in that I could SEE what every article
had to offer.
I could go BACK to catch up on previous articles I missed.
Just my 2 cents…. maybe more later.
This is the same thing I dislike. In the past you could just scroll down and read the basics of every article one at a time clearly.
Not so much anymore.
I like a darker theme. It’s easier on the eyes and to read. I feel like I am on the T-Mobile site with the purple/pink. It looks ok but your old one is nicer.
You say “porn” like it’s a bad thing. 😉
……
“default of LIFO to the more conversational LIFO” Hmm….correction required methinks.
In what universe is this an improvement? Either clean this up or go back to the old.
John,
Maybe I’m adjusting to the new design but I like the recent changes.
Did you change the colors? Mainly the reds and the text in the main article and comment sections look much better.
I think you have the button for older and newer comments backwards.
Ignore my last sentence I am backwards sometimes.
The site redesign is looking way better today – 10/13/11, much more coherent and easier to read, stick with the single column layout & don’t be fooled by Gawker…
I like the colour scheme, easy on the eye after so many black or vivid colour schemes.
I’m gonna PS you a new donation image, current one sux:)
Kant stand it. Centered is much better. Baby blu sucks. OMG why do people screw with things that are working fine?
Much better, as of 10/13/11.
Anyway commentators could apply their own icons?
20111017
Like the New ( new ) design. Reminds me of the old design with
better graphics.
Also like being to go back and catch-up on missed items.
Thanks-a-Bunch John
Jerry
I like the new layout just fine, it’s just that background color reminds me of the ambiance of Wal-Mart and Progressive commercials.
Here would be my sleepy take on it… but than again I like coffee colored backgrounds and coffee colored women… and coffee for that matter.. This is something a bit darker put together in my Paint.Net session. Background color I used is #917769. Let me know if it’s so bad it makes you spew coffee. Lol.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/dexton8/ScreenShot001.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/dexton8/ScreenShot003.jpg
Use Disqus or something other than the current commenting system. It’d be much easier for more users to use. How about just black and white? That is generally how you tell it anyhow 🙂