If you happen to be reading this directly on my blog page, rather than through a reader or whatnot, then you may have noticed… some changes.
I’m unsure whether or not I like said changes just yet, I ended up changing my theme by accident1 and then just rolling with it.
The itch to try something a little different had cropped up though, as it does every other year or so. I think the stimulation to actually do it — I was already thinking about it though — stemmed from a conversation started by Pete, copied over there on the right.
…Combined with Paeroka doing some tweaks to her look.
And mixed in a pot with wanting to potentially move away from ‘Flash bang white’ as the primary background colour. Although honestly, at first, I thought I was going to do an all-the-way dark theme.
Instead, I settled for going for a more metallic palate, with silver and platinum as key colours.
Sitting in front of it, writing this now at an unholy hour of the morning (OK, it’s 5am, but still that’s really something for me), it certainly does possess less of that ‘Rar, I’ma blind choo’ effect going on. So mission accomplished in one respect.
I’m just not quite sure yet whether the colour scheme, the theme itself, or some combination of the two is not quite sitting right with me yet.
I think I’ll give it some more time though to settle in, although feedback always welcome too. Maybe it’s just about how blocky everything is, but then… I am literally using a theme called ‘Blocksy’, so perhaps I cannot complain too heartily about that. xD
This was posted during Blaugust 2024, the annual blogging event hosted by Belghast. Blaugust is an event aiming to welcome new blogger blood into the fold and revitalise those who’ve been at it a little longer.
The Blaugust Discord is still available to join in, year-round!
I just want to re-iterate I wasn’t talking about YOUR blog!!
But for this theme I do have comments, and it’s about comments. Having the comment box so far down the page makes me worry that some new readers might not realize you welcome comments. I know you do so I went looking for the comment section and probably most folks will find it, but it was just the 1st thing that jumped out at me.
Haha, I know! Still got the ball rolling on the thinking though. :) And the biggest factor, probably, was the itch to change it up again had already started.
Agree with you on the comments positioning though. Only obvious thing I can see to do is to remove the extra related posts box down the bottom. I only wanted to keep one of them longer term anyway, but the issue seems to be that the inner content box will run, at minimum, the length of the sidebar.
So removing the inner related posts box (which is the one I would ideally remove, I think) it wouldn’t help in all cases.
I’ll give it some more thought.
I like the new look, particularly the muted background color. I would echo Nimgimli about the comments, though. I couldn’t find the comment box at all until I found the tiny “1 comment” link and pressed that, which then opened the option to add a comment of my own.
Then again, commenting on most blogs has become more and more difficult of late. It used to be quie straightforward but now everyone seems to want logins from other platforms, a mechanic that I’m increasingly find just doesn’t work. Then there are those that want passwords and I keep getting asked to fill out capchas. Quite a few blogs don’t even seem to allow comments at all. It’s very anoying. I might have more to say about it at some point but I’ll refrain from hijacking your comment thread to soapbox!
Yeah, comment box position is a bit of an issue. It does exist without a link, but it’s alllllll the way down the bottom.
On a longer post that runs at least the length of the sidebar, it wouldn’t be such an issue (maybe, the related posts banner might still be a barrier for some to seeing the comments below it).
I think as much as I prefer the bottom related posts block, it’ll have to go.
I like the new design, with the exception of having to scroll so far to find the comments- but that’s already been commented on. And the fact that I’m writing this indicates that it isn’t that hard to find them.
I too occasionally get the ‘itch’ to change my blog theme/design. And I’ve accidentally changed it a few times e.g.: tested a new theme and then started modifying the new one so much I couldn’t really go back to the old one. It is a process… not a good process, but a process ;)
I have deferred my main site re-design until after #blaugust2024, though. I shall resist the temptation!
Probably wise not to try to do a blog theme refresh during Blaugust. xD
Although saying that… I don’t think this is the first time I’ve done exactly that. Hah.
Yours would be a bit bigger in scope though potentially, than just changing a theme and setting it up, so again, makes sense.
Will be curious to see what you ultimately land on!
Changing themes is a Blaugust tradition for many of us I think :)
Belated reply on my part sorry, but yes! I think so. Just a nice time of the blogging year for a general rejuv along with the boost in writing. :)