Flynn's Paws: My Thoughts, My Gripes

Tag: themes

  • 20091108-Old Theme

    Sheesh! After a few hours with the `Misty` theme by Sadish, I’m trying another free theme here at WordPress.com:

    Connections by Patricia Müller

    A super classy two-column theme with widgets and a customizable header.

    Tags: custom-header, green, two-columns, fixed-width, right-sidebar, widgets, sticky-post, light, rtl-language-support

    Personal PROs:

    • Customer header sporting a cloud formation with a smile.
    • Tagline underneath the blog title.
    • Warm colors of yellow, cream and green.
    • Top navigation bar.
    • A cross-hair like fleur-de-lys image as a list-style.
    • Meta data all near the top of the post-title element.
    • Time stamp viewable on single view mode.
    • No sidebar on single view mode.
    • Post entries fully viewable (without time stamp of course)!
    • .wp-caption element stable for both content (pages and posts) and sidebar.
    • Longest header (Recommended Reading) barely in one line!
    • Image of  `right pointing guillemet` as a :before element to li, ol, ul items in sidebar.
    • Gray-colored image of LARGE double quotes for `blockquote` element.
    • Nice double squiggle curves located underneath each post entry.

    Personal CONs:

    • Time stamp viewable in single mode.
    • No sub-pages feature like the `Misty` theme by Sadish.

    NOTE to self: This blog entry has been changed to reflect the STANDARD TIME (UTC-8) of 11:15pm on Sunday, 11/08/2009! Dammit!

  • 20091108-Trying Theme

    Sheesh! After a few hours with the `Misty` theme by Sadish, I’m trying another free theme here at WordPress.com:

    Connections by Patricia Müller

    A super classy two-column theme with widgets and a customizable header.

    Tags: custom-header, green, two-columns, fixed-width, right-sidebar, widgets, sticky-post, light, rtl-language-support

    Personal PROs:

    • Customer header sporting a cloud formation with a smile.
    • Tagline underneath the blog title.
    • Warm colors of yellow, cream and green.
    • Top navigation bar.
    • A cross-hair like fleur-de-lys image as a list-style.
    • Meta data all near the top of the post-title element.
    • Time stamp viewable on single view mode.
    • No sidebar on single view mode.
    • Post entries fully viewable (without time stamp of course)!
    • .wp-caption element stable for both content (pages and posts) and sidebar.
    • Longest header (Recommended Reading) barely in one line!
    • Image of  `right pointing guillemet` as a :before element to li, ol, ul items in sidebar.
    • Gray-colored image of LARGE double quotes for `blockquote` element.
    • Nice double squiggle curves located underneath each post entry.

    Personal CONs:

    • Time stamp viewable in single mode.
    • No sub-pages feature like the `Misty` theme by Sadish.

    NOTE to self: This blog entry has been changed to reflect the STANDARD TIME (UTC-8) of 11:15pm on Sunday, 11/08/2009! Dammit!

  • 20091108-Pages Organized

    Since the `Misty` theme by Sadish is perfect (for now), there is no reason to edit my paid Custom CSS upgrade. But since the search form on the upper right hand corner crosses the top navigation bars to the left, I had to find a logical way to streamline the pages.

    Based on WordPress Mobile Edition Theme by Alex King, the three main menu selections are

    • Home;
    • Pages; and
    • Archives.

    So, I tried to model my pages in that particular order. But since this WordPress.com theme has a `Home` tab as one of the main menu selection, I’m still debating on whether to set the latest posts to display as the `Front page` or retain `Contents` as something more presentable as seen inside the front part of a typical `book`.

    The reason for creating a `Contents` page is to take the place (or hold) the position of `Home` page for some WordPress.com themes that do not have a default `Home` tab.

    As for the pages, that is straight forward. These are static and should not change.

    Unlike the pages, posts change and are presented in reverse order with the most recent entries appearing on the top of a hierarchy of older posts below. These are found under the archives.

    But I’ve created a `Posts` page as another place holder in case I can’t decide if I want the late post entries to appear in its separate page or on the `Front` (or `Home`) page instead.

  • 20091108-Old Theme

    Well, I trying yet another free theme here at WordPress.com:

    MistyLook by Sadish

    A two column white theme with top-level page navigation and large custom header.

    Tags: custom-header, two-columns, fixed-width, rtl-language-support, white, light, right-sidebar, widgets, sticky-post

    Personal PROs:

    • Top navigation bar near header.
    • Tagline underneath blog title near header.
    • Search form near header.
    • Feed subscription near header.
    • Custom header featuring a cloud formation with a face.
    • Cool colors of white or cream.
    • .wp-caption stable for images in contents (page and posts) and in sidebars.
    • Narrow column look for screen resolutions at 800 by 600 pixels.
    • Gray-colored image of double quotes for the blockquote element.
    • Warm font colors of green, brown and dotted borders for the bottom of links.
    • Square image of green color as the list style.
    • Sub-pages listed on the bottom of text.

    Personal CONs:

    • No time stamp for up-to-date snapshot of blogs entered.

    I didn’t have to edit my paid Custom CSS upgrade. The only work around is copying the time-date stamp of the `edit.php` and pasting the publish data into the slug field for each post, of which only six has been modified.

    For example, the permalink for this particular post is supposed to be defaulted as:

    But if I go back the second time and after saving the original publication, the new slug would appear as:

    That means the time/date stamp would be published on 2009/11/08 6:29:22 PM (or 20091108-62922-pm).

    Get it? Good!

  • 20091108-Old Theme

    Crap! I went back to the old theme here at WordPress.com:

    Sandbox 0.6.1 by Andy Skelton & Scott Allan Wallick

    A theme with powerful, semantic CSS selectors and the ability to add new skins.

     Tags: white, left-sidebar, theme-options, widgets, two-columns, one-column, three-columns, right-sidebar, flexible-width, microformats, rtl-language-support

    Why? It’s because the puss that is Internet Explorer keeps messing up my sidebars! It’s that pop-up window: Security Warning! It’s quite annoying.

    But with `Sandbox 0.6.1` the appearance is stable enough to view under both FireFox and Internet Explorer, which I hate.

    Will I keep this theme? Probably not. Will I stop editing my paid Custom CSS upgrade? Probably not. Will I stop blogging anytime soon? Yup: It’s getting boring again.

  • 20091108-Trying Theme

    Crap! I went back to the old theme here at WordPress.com:

    Sandbox 0.6.1 by Andy Skelton & Scott Allan Wallick

    A theme with powerful, semantic CSS selectors and the ability to add new skins.

     Tags: white, left-sidebar, theme-options, widgets, two-columns, one-column, three-columns, right-sidebar, flexible-width, microformats, rtl-language-support

    Why? It’s because the puss that is Internet Explorer keeps messing up my sidebars! It’s that pop-up window: Security Warning! It’s quite annoying.

    But with `Sandbox 0.6.1` the appearance is stable enough to view under both FireFox and Internet Explorer, which I hate.

    Will I keep this theme? Probably not. Will I stop editing my paid Custom CSS upgrade? Probably not. Will I stop blogging anytime soon? Yup: It’s getting boring again.

  • 20091108-Old Theme

    After only one day, I switched from the `Fjords04` theme back to the `Dusk` theme. Why? The former theme looked paler in color and busy, too; while the latter theme, my favorite one, looked more colorful and I ideally thought of the KISS principle – Kiss It Simple, Stupid!

    That describes me as being stupid – blind, deaf and mute. It’s a lonely world to be a shut-in. This explains why I continue to blog while unemployed and homeless. It’s no fun being a walking plant, with flesh in place of leaves, of blood instead of water and although I love being indoors, it’s safer being simple and private, using anonymity as a vehicle to express self to an audience of strangers.

  • 20091108-Trying Theme

    After only one day, I switched from the `Fjords04` theme back to the `Dusk` theme. Why? The former theme looked paler in color and busy, too; while the latter theme, my favorite one, looked more colorful and I ideally thought of the KISS principle – Kiss It Simple, Stupid!

    That describes me as being stupid – blind, deaf and mute. It’s a lonely world to be a shut-in. This explains why I continue to blog while unemployed and homeless. It’s no fun being a walking plant, with flesh in place of leaves, of blood instead of water and although I love being indoors, it’s safer being simple and private, using anonymity as a vehicle to express self to an audience of strangers.

  • 20091107-Old Theme

    Yippie! After editing my paid Custom CSS upgrade, I’ve found the free theme here at WordPress.com to be satisfactory. Check it out, now!

    Fjords04 by Peterandrej

    A 4 column theme with split custom header.

    Tags: four-columns, custom-header, rtl-language-support, right-sidebar, sticky-post, widgets, fixed-width

    Personal PROS:

    • Dual customer header sporting a cloud formation (i.e. sylph and pals) appears for both contents (and pagina) elements above and three sidebars below.
    • Tagline shows the reverse spelling to the blog title.
    • Cool colors are sea breeze blues and greens.
    • Stamps for both time and date shown appear for both single view and archive view.
    • Visibility of blog entries are shown in entirety (and not as excerpts) for both single view and archive view.
    • Three sidebars are narrow and just wide enough for clearer presentations
      • Sidebar 1 (or left) element showing primary widgets of Images.
      • Sidebar 2 (or middle) element showing my long list of blogroll (or links).
      • Sidebar 3 (or right) element showing widgets for re-searching weblog.
    • Content (and pagina) elements are shown as one page (similar to the `Day Dream` theme) when width is set to 530px.
    • Meta information are show with time/date stamps first, followed by categories and tags.
    • Wrapper element with width of 760px works for screen resolutions set to 800 by 600 pixels.

    Personal CONs:

    • NOTHING (except no top/navigation bar with drop down menu feature).

    As a result, I’m keeping this theme.

  • 20091107-Trying Theme

    Yippie! After editing my paid Custom CSS upgrade, I’ve found the free theme here at WordPress.com to be satisfactory. Check it out, now!

    Fjords04 by Peterandrej

    A 4 column theme with split custom header.

    Tags: four-columns, custom-header, rtl-language-support, right-sidebar, sticky-post, widgets, fixed-width

    Personal PROS:

    • Dual customer header sporting a cloud formation (i.e. sylph and pals) appears for both contents (and pagina) elements above and three sidebars below.
    • Tagline shows the reverse spelling to the blog title.
    • Cool colors are sea breeze blues and greens.
    • Stamps for both time and date shown appear for both single view and archive view.
    • Visibility of blog entries are shown in entirety (and not as excerpts) for both single view and archive view.
    • Three sidebars are narrow and just wide enough for clearer presentations
      • Sidebar 1 (or left) element showing primary widgets of Images.
      • Sidebar 2 (or middle) element showing my long list of blogroll (or links).
      • Sidebar 3 (or right) element showing widgets for re-searching weblog.
    • Content (and pagina) elements are shown as one page (similar to the `Day Dream` theme) when width is set to 530px.
    • Meta information are show with time/date stamps first, followed by categories and tags.
    • Wrapper element with width of 760px works for screen resolutions set to 800 by 600 pixels.

    Personal CONs:

    • NOTHING (except no top/navigation bar with drop down menu feature).

    As a result, I’m keeping this theme.

  • 20091107-Trying Theme

    Well, I’m trying yet again another free theme here at WordPress.com:

    Fjords04 by Peterandrej

    A 4 column theme with split custom header.

    Tags: four-columns, custom-header, rtl-language-support, right-sidebar, sticky-post, widgets, fixed-width

    Personal PROs:

    • Posts fully viewable (and not as excerpts) via archives mode.
    • Time/date stamps for post entries.
    • Custom header and tagline.
    • Soft colors of seabreeze blue and green.
    • Four columns for:
      • Contents (posts and pages).
      • Various widgets (mostly Images).
      • Long list of blogroll links.
      • Various widgets for re-searching weblog.

    Personal CONs:

    • Small fonts but it’s readable.
    • Four columns too narrow for long sentences in bulleted lists.
    • Usage of horizontal scroll bar to view right of side of weblog for screen resolution set to 800 by 600 pixels.
    • Width perfect for 1024 by 768 pixels.

  • 20091107-Old Theme

    Well, I’m trying yet again another free theme here at WordPress.com:

    Fjords04 by Peterandrej

    A 4 column theme with split custom header.

    Tags: four-columns, custom-header, rtl-language-support, right-sidebar, sticky-post, widgets, fixed-width

    Personal PROs:

    • Posts fully viewable (and not as excerpts) via archives mode.
    • Time/date stamps for post entries.
    • Custom header and tagline.
    • Soft colors of seabreeze blue and green.
    • Four columns for:
      • Contents (posts and pages).
      • Various widgets (mostly Images).
      • Long list of blogroll links.
      • Various widgets for re-searching weblog.

    Personal CONs:

    • Small fonts but it’s readable.
    • Four columns too narrow for long sentences in bulleted lists.
    • Usage of horizontal scroll bar to view right of side of weblog for screen resolution set to 800 by 600 pixels.
    • Width perfect for 1024 by 768 pixels.