I apologize to all those who have had themes
and features changing before their eyes.
You guessed it.
I’m undertaking a major site reconstruction,
so please bite the bullet and hang in there.
I have installed the commentluv plugin
and I need some people to try it out so
I can be sure that it’s working.
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Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Looks quite simple, but clean. All those keywords/tags at the top are a little bit distracting? Don’t you think they would be better at the bottom, with an image header at top?
NathanKPs last blog post..“Things Hoped For,” by Andrew Clements
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Thanks so much for your feedback. This theme has an amazing number of options and I have yet to work out what they are and how to implement them. I agree that the categories at the top of the theme could be replaced with a header but I have yet make a decision on that yet. I’m glad to see that they commentluv plugin is working.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
t h i s isa t es t! h ell o.
cranelegss last blog post..759. gibberish
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I agree with Nathan, the categories/tags on top are distracting. I still like some links up there, maybe a “editors picks” links for the best posts? This would help the first time visitors to get to the meat and bones faster. Of course you have a lot to choose from, but you’re in a better position to do so than the newbies! :)
Maybe you could also change the colour of the borders of those blogcatalog widgets to suit the theme a little better.
Apart from that, I like the theme a lot!
Sebastynes last blog post..God has a narcissistic personality disorder
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
@cranelegs
Hello there and thanks for dropping in. I can see commentluv is working fine. Yay!
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
@sebastyne
Once I remove the categories from the very top and make a header to go there I will be able to make the colour changes in the widget borders to match. At this point I have a theme that has a whole control panel of options that I haven’t even figured out how to use yet.
I enjoy your blog and forum posts so I have added your blog to my links page.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Things are looking good with the comment luv set up. I have been thinking about putting it on my site too, but right now it just seems like too much work. :)
~K
Nov 17th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
@K Fields
I don’t understand why the commentluv plugin didn’t display the title of your last post.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
looks real sleek. i like the header categories.
bloggernoobs last blog post..Bloggernoob, a year of making money online
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
gotta say i like the tag list at the top of the page. i could imagine it maybe getting a bit unwieldy in the future, but for now it looks nice.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Three things:
1. The posts at the top are too “busy” for me.
2. It’s also inconvenient as a user to scroll back up to the top to read a post.
3. I’d also like to see more color.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Yo, timethief!
Hmmm…can’t think of anything to write, so I’ll do a classic irritating link-dropping comment.
Yr blog is verry interresting. Pleease putt me in yuor bloggrol. I wil put yoou in mien
YogaforCynicss last blog post..I Hate the Internet
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Yo, timethief!
Hmmm…can’t think of anything to write, so I’ll do a classic irritating link-dropping comment.
Yr blog is verry interresting. Pleease putt me in yuor bloggrol. I wil put yoou in mien
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Oops…the double-post was actually a mistake. I didn’t wanna be THAT irritating….though it’s interesting that the comment luv worked on the first but not the second….
YogaforCynicss last blog post..I Hate the Internet
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
*pokes the comment*
Hello, is this thing working?
*pokes it again*
If you’re reading this, then yes, it is. If you can’t see this, let me know :P
Nov 17th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
TT– Funny thing about commentluv, I’m wondering if it’s having issues. I have used comment luv before when leaving a comment on an article and have had no issues. However, the last time I used it I got the error “A feed could not be found at http://domain.com“. I am getting the same error here now. Per the plugin home page you (me) either don’t have to code in your (my) blog..or you have to manually submit your (my) site. That opened up a whole other can of worms for me as It wouldn’t verify my site.
ANyhoo.. Looking forward to the new layout — Good Luck!
Befuzleds last blog post..Soaps - Quick Gifts
Nov 17th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Wow, I think its great! This is only my second or third time at your blog, but I like the clean look, it’s simple and well presented. Commentluv is a really good touch that will encourage people to comment. Its tempting to do some thieving myself - of the plugin!! I’ll try not to though, don’t worry, I have a shred of pride, somewhere.
SpiritualBloggerss last blog post..2012 - Era of Light
Nov 17th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Well .. if you want a few suggestions, you know I’ve got lots of pennies lying around and able to toss in my 2 cents! ~~
HART (1-800-HART)s last blog post..When I Grow Up - I Want To Be Just Like Mommy
Nov 17th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Hi TT … I like the layout of this blog. Clean and simple. And it loaded lightning fast for me.
I think the only suggestion I have would be to add a simple, clean and graphic header instead of those categories up on top.
And now that I’ve finished typing that, I see that you said this exact same thing above!
Andreas last blog post..Nate’s definitely going to Heaven; he’s done his time in Christmas lighting Hell
Nov 17th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Hello,
I came over from BlogCatalog to see your new site and to check on your commentluv plugin. I’ve been thinking about adding it myself. I do agree that your new layout and design are very clean but a little color might be nice. Maybe a banner with some color or a picture?
RecycleCindys last blog post..Yellow Barbie Plarn Dress
Nov 17th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I like the simplicity. I know you’re going to change the top but I don’t find it distracting and think I’m more likely to search through categories if they are at the top.
Nov 17th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
When I commented yesterday, you had a much different theme which to be honest I thought was much better. Clean and simple may be a trend, but a lot of blogs have started to look bland and similar.
ian in hamburgs last blog post..Letter to my friend about Turkey - Part 6
Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:51 am
The template is nice but a background header image at top will be more beautiful.
You need categories,recent posts on side bar.You can also have recent comments on side bar.
You can submit to few more directories.
You have not monetized the blog.
umeshs last blog post..Building Blog Traffic
Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:52 am
The template is nice but a background header image at top will be more beautiful.
You need categories,recent posts on side bar.You can also have recent comments on side bar.
You can submit to few more directories.
You have not monetized the blog.
Nov 18th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I’m kinda with Noob on the header categories. I like them. It’s something new. If I came upon a new site, and could see that more often in the header, I’d quickly see if there was anything I was interested in.
Pentads last blog post..The Economic Crises. Family Finance Tips. Including Your Children.
Nov 18th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hey, there. I thought I’d join the crowd.
If I could weigh in on the labels at the top of the page, I don’t think it would be as distracting if the “this time this space” were in a slightly larger font or if the labels themselves were in a smaller font. I just wonder which is more important for your readers to see and use and remember.
As you know, I’ve undergone a ‘cleanup’ of sorts on my own page (it’s good to know I’m not alone!) I like the dark side borders, too. They frame your content nicely.
Well done! :)
Midwest Moms last blog post..One Way Ticket to Frugal
Nov 19th, 2008 at 5:20 am
I feel you Timethief, I’m having a wrestling match with my blog’s look at the moment too…Yours is looking extremely clean and clutter free, very minimal - I like it! I don’t mind the tags at the top of the header so much, I think it makes the content easier to get at, more “approachable” and also seems to soften the look - it is a little bit hard at the mo. Perhaps a header image would help, but with such a minimal theme it would have to be subtle. Right now I think the drop shadow in the header text looks a bit fuzzy in comparison to the rest of the site, kind of difficult to focus on! Maybe a flat text in a thicker, wider font would look good? (sorry if that isn’t clear or if I’m just nitpicking) But anyway the minimal look is very fresh and organised and in comparison my site is like a kindergarten after the kids have all gone home :D Good luck with it all, I hope you have fun!
Nov 19th, 2008 at 10:35 am
TT, I like the new look. However, I must agree with a few of the other comments about the keywords having ‘top billing’. Your blog has a depth that is so much more than keywords. I say: demote the keywords, and give your title “This Time~This Space” top billing - Love, Nards
Nardss last blog post..Song of the day: What I Did for Love - Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban
Nov 19th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I really like this template , clean, easy navigation. I think it’s GREAT just how you have it. It’s a rather big undertaking to change templates isn’t it?
PEACE!!!
Moon-Writer
Allison Whites last blog post..Throw your OWN beer cans away! Please!!!
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am
@bloggernoob
I like them too. I’m not aiming to waste and prime blog real estate above the fold on decorative images. My aim is to have a search optimized blog with high reader access to all my pages and with high value. Who knows? Once I get the whole thing sorted I may choose to monetize. If so then I’ll be snuggling up to you for tips. :P
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
@loverofjazz
We are on the same page. The categories at the top of the are clickable links that provide readers with instant access to all posts in the category. They are not “tags”. However, many bloggers don’t seem to know the difference between the two. Thanks for checking my blog out & for commenting too.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am
@Pam Beers
I really appreciate your feedback and I’m responding to each point you raised.
1. The posts at the top are too “busy” for me.
Those are “categories”. Most bloggers tuck them away in less accessible places. The reason they are at the top of this blog is to provide readers with instant access to all my posts in any given category.
2. It’s also inconvenient as a user to scroll back up to the top to read a post.
I can reduce the number of post excerpts on the front page to reduce scrolling for readers and once I’ve done more work I may do this. It’s important to understand how your blog looks to the search engine spiders because some stop indexing after they reach 100 links on your front page. I will be reducing and rearranging to achieve that less than 100 links on the front page target.
3. I’d also like to see more color.
I agree and will be introducing more but not in the layout. The color will be in the images in the posts with the text wrapped around the images. This is for three reasons. Color can be distracting and in a blog they tend to draw the eye away from text. I want reader eyes focused on the text. Large unbroken blocks of text are not reader friendly so injecting white space through formatting using blockquotes, bullets and ordered lists, as well as, images is an important strategy to employ to retain the reader’s attention all the way to the end of the post. Lastly, I don’t want a blog theme that looks either like “hobby blog” or like a “commercial blog”.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:40 am
@yogaforcynics
I enjoyed your humor. I’m puzzled why the commentluv didn’t “take” on your first comment. I’m glad to see it worked on 2/3/
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am
@Omar
I don’t know why the commentluv plugin did not display your latest post. :( I’m hoping you will post again because it does seem to be working.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:46 am
@befuzled
It’s weird that you had that error message twice because the commentluv plgin did display your latest post. %(
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:49 am
@spiritualbloggers
I certainly do hope that you get the plugin for your blog too. I noticed it on other blogs and used it to click through on post titles that I found interesting so I assumed others would do likewise if I installed it on this blog. Here’s the link http://www.commentluv.com/download/ajax-commentluv-installation/
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:51 am
@HART
You can lay money on the fact that once I have the basics in place I will be consulting with you. This has been a neglected blog and I have a lot of work to do on it so do standby but don’t hold your breath. :P
Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:54 am
@Andrea
Thanks for your feedback. I’m not really leaning towards having an image header and you can read the other comments to find out why. Thanks for responding to my request. I appreciate it.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Hi umesh,
The template is nice but a background header image at top will be more beautiful.
Hmmmm … I’m not leaning towards having one at this point.
You need categories,recent posts on side bar.You can also have recent comments on side bar.
The categories are at the very top of the blog. The recent post are now in the sidebar and recent comments will be placed in the sidebar later today.
You can submit to few more directories.
I agree and will be doing this for both of my blogs in the future.
You have not monetized the blog.
I have never monetized a blog. After this one is search engine optimized I may do that though. I’m undecided at this point.
Thanks for responding. It’s much appreciated. :)
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
@Tamera
Well we are on the same page but others beg to differ with us. I will start out with leaving the categories up top and see what the reader response to their use is. If they aren’t used then I will replace them with a graphic header or simply eliminate that whole “block” and mover the content upwards.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Hi timethief–I haven’t been around much this week because I have been so busy teaching! I think your site looks great–although I admit I liked your other one also. I agree with the comment that a little more color would be nice (but you did say you were going to introduce more). I find this clean and easy to navigate, which are my primary criteria in blog viewing!
Take care–
Melinda
Melindas last blog post..Continuing on a Spiritual Path
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
@midwestmom
If I could weigh in on the labels at the top of the page, I don’t think it would be as distracting if the “this time this space” were in a slightly larger font or if the labels themselves were in a smaller font. I just wonder which is more important for your readers to see and use and remember.
It’s interesting when bloggers the term “labels” because I always know they have blogspot blogs when they do. Both the “categories” at the top of this wordpress blog and the “tags” are picked up by the search engines thereby providing greater access to posts to all readers doing searches.
Since you commented a new blog title and tagline has been posted that’s in larger and different font than the categories have. I believe the title which is reflected in the url now stands out much better than it did before.
Thanks for commenting. :)
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
@recyclecindy
I’m so glad you came to check out my new layout and comment. I hope you don’t mind me referring you to my replies to other comments about color and a header. If you scroll up you are sure to find them. Here’s the link to get the commentluv plugin Here’s the link http://www.commentluv.com/download/ajax-commentluv-installation/
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
@cooper
I like the simplicity. I know you’re going to change the top but I don’t find it distracting and think I’m more likely to search through categories if they are at the top.
Yay! We are on the same page. :)
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
@ian in hamburg
I have tried two themes previously and had problems with them. Although the immediate predecessor to this one was attractive it was a resource hog. The theme did not pick up the blog title and tagline from the -> settings -> general page as one would expect of a wordpress theme. The blog title was also not permalinked. The images which were presized prior to uploading did not always display after uploading. I could go on but suffice to say that this theme I have now is web 2.0. the other ones were not very web 2.0 savvy.
This theme is compatible with 2.6.3 and 2.7 and has multiple additional plugins for advertising, a gallery, a feature video, etc. It is extremely flexible and can be customized in many ways. One example is that I can select which sidebar to display on various pages and can have different sidebars on different pages. It’s not always the front page display that I’m stuck with. I can even move the sidebar from left to right. Also the size of the sidebar will accommodate a video and I can use a text widget for short posts or notices that amount to “asides”.
I’m tempted to go on and on extolling the virtues of Jason Tadlock’s coding and creative and innovative Visionary theme but I just give you the link instead. http://themehybrid.com/themes/visionary
It will take time but in the end I intend to have a clean, search engine optimized blog that has no “tat” of any kind whatsoever.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
@Bird
Right now I think the drop shadow in the header text looks a bit fuzzy in comparison to the rest of the site, kind of difficult to focus on! Maybe a flat text in a thicker, wider font would look good? (sorry if that isn’t clear or if I’m just nitpicking
The header lettering has been done again since you saw it. I like the shaow effect and gradient colors. I hope my readers will like them too.
Nov 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
@Nards
Oh my … it appears we will have to agree to disagree about the placement of the categories at the top of the blog. I’m sending you my love to make up for this collision of opinion knowing that you have a sense of humor and will laugh out loud when you read this. :P
Nov 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
@Melinda
Thanks for weighing in. There will be more color but only in the posts. I don’t want to inject color into the layout. I’d like to stick with white for now. :-)
Nov 21st, 2008 at 4:03 am
TT, I did laugh out loud! However, you remind me of my sister…once she digs her heels in…well….
I got heels too, ya’ know! Ha! Ha! and so….
I’m sticking with my original opinion…Move the keywords! Promote the title!
Extra love and hugs to you too my dear lady! - Nards
(Move the keywords!)
Nardss last blog post..Song of the day: What I Did for Love - Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban
Nov 21st, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I like the side bar with the small photos and a caption of your stories. Great! The top is making me cross-eyed. It’s rather pretty and all but I cannot focus on it. Thank Goodness it’s Friday.
Theresa111s last blog post..Morality … Through The Roof!
Nov 21st, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Hi TT, love your new theme…all looks very clean and uncluttered. I’m interested in CommentLuv as it looks like a neat addition.
Please stop by when you have a chance, I have an award for you!
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hey, timethief, no worries if CommentLuv decided/decides not to work for me. There’s more to commenting than just placing a link to one’s blog ;)
*looks around*
I really like what you’ve done with the place. To tell you the truth, I was finding it difficult to read your posts before the theme change. The text was too light and I needed to highlight it to read. Now, it’s perfect.
Nov 27th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Hi TT, it’s great to be back here. Your site is looking lean and mean - in a good way - and ready to tastefully kick bottom! It’s very easy to navigate too, so I’m happy about that. What with all the changes here of late, I’m glad to see that it’s only been to make the site better! :)
Tony Singles last blog post..Out of Step [Trottersville #80]
Nov 27th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Hi Tony,
Thanks for dropping in and thanks for the compliments. There are more changes to come but they will have to wait until things slow down at work.
Best wishes to you and Cassie too :)
Nov 28th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Wow! You’ve really made some amazing changes here girl! Very impressive.
Nov 29th, 2008 at 9:43 am
@drowseymonkey
There are more changes to come but I’m operating on slow mode right now as work is very busy. Thanks for the visit and comment too. :)
Dec 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Yup definitely looks nice. Good to see a site growing in all respects!
lvss last blog post..Technology: Problems and Prospects
Dec 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Hey do you think one shouldnt change the look too often? I mean visitors probably get used to one look and may not like change?
lvss last blog post..Technology: Problems and Prospects
Dec 5th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
This is a very versatile theme with many built in options I have yet to use. It can easily be customized and changed yet again. I like it clean looking at this point. I may adjust some things later. Thanks for dropping by and letting me know what you think of it.
Dec 27th, 2008 at 8:19 am
You did it TT! You removed the keywords (and promoted your title)! LOVE the new look! Love YOU! - Nards
Nardss last blog post..Song of the day: Peace Love and Understanding - Nick Lowe
Dec 27th, 2008 at 10:10 am
The plan to move the categories was in the works so to speak and more changes will be coming. I’m glad you approve. They were not removed for appearance reasons. They were removed because search spiders stop crawling and indexing when they reach 100 links on your front page. :)