Update: *Holding my breath*
I have increased the font size AND changed the font type to Trebuchet – not just because ‘Trebuchet’ has to be one of the sexiest words (and nastiest war-weapons) in the English Language (even if it’s French!) If I’m waffling on here it’s because I’m on a cheesecake sugar-high; the perfect antidote to coding stress. You really should try it.
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Okay all it’s been a while since I’ve moved to Wordpress. I think I’m all comfy now with this dashboard of tricks, but there’s still some things I’d love some help or feedback with.
- I have this plugin activated that’s supposed to send a commenter an email the first time they leave a comment. Is this working? I really hope it is, because I do want people to know I love their taking the time to leave their little mark here at Misc Mum. Sometimes I even write one of my ‘own’ but I can’t do that each time, sorry.
- Some people have mentioned that they find the font too small. Indeed, I’ve had this thought too. Is there somewhere in the template pages that this can be modified painlessly and with little chance of me buggering everything up and leaving a Misc Mum hole in the websphere the size of Chernobyl? (Leigh helped yesterday with this a little, but I still don’t know which style sheet. If someone could take a screen shot of theirs – edited down to just the few lines I’m interested in – that would be awesome! If not, no matter.)
- Adam thinks my sidebars are too cluttered. I went “Huh?” I thought they were okay.” What do you think?
- I’ve added the Similar Posts plugin too, the one down the bottom which leads those willing to other ‘like’ posts, matching certain words and tags, etc. I don’t know how it comes up with the matches it does, but I like the eccentricity. It’ll keep me on my toes.
- I’ve activated the MyAvatars plugin, but I can’t seem to get it to work.
If I think of any more, I’ll add them in. Thanks everybody.
7:52 am
Personally sidebars are completely off my radar [good for me!] As for the plug in things, I download them onto my desk top and there they sit as I can’t figure out the next step. When the desktop is so cluttered that I can’t find anything any more, then I delete them all!
Cheers
8:57 am
I don’t know if it is working (the email). Is it only supposed to be for a new commenter? If I get an email I will let you know.
The font is a bit small, but I can read it. Probably because I have good eyes though. I like the idea of a screenshot to show you where to change things. I think I need someone to do that kind of stuff for me too.
I don’t even notice the sidebar clutter. I suppose that there is alot of stuff there, but it isn’t confusing.
9:39 am
While I can’t help you with the technical stuff (I am with Wordpress.com) I have had a look at your sidebar and noticed you don’t have a subscribe button that I can see. So I am suggesting you add something MORE!!!
TBH I don’t tend to look at sidebars anymore. If there are ads I don’t look at all, so if there is something you want me to see, then it needs to be at the top without an ad surrounding it. Does that make sense?
And it would be nice if there was something personal at the top of the sidebar, a picture or something. But that is just me. I like to ’see’ who I am talking to
OK, just looked again and found the feed buttons…… DOH!
Hope this helps some Karen, and doesn’t come across as complaining or anything. If I hated your blog I wouldn’t come back
10:11 am
[...] at Misc Mum has asked for some Wordpress help and feedback. I thought rather than just reply in her comments, I’d do a post incase others might find [...]
10:16 am
Hi Karen, I was going to leave my comments here but I’ve made a post out of it with my feedback. If you’ve got any questions about it please let me know.
10:24 am
Your font size can be changed in two places under presentation/theme editor under the style.css.
I’ve placed the primary font size under the body tag. It is probably .9em, you can safely change it to 1em.
If you only want to change the post font size and not the entire site, check the .post area for a font size, and you can define that by adding:
font-size: 1em;
10:32 am
If you want to hit the e-mail icon next to my name and reply to me, I can tell you if your comment responder is working.
Comment responder is to reply to individual comments – it sends an e-mail to your guest as well as posts it into the comment thread. I think you were thinking of comment relish, which sends that initial mail to first-time commentors.
10:50 am
Leanne – thanks hon, I would’ve come to you first, but I figured you’d be sick of hearing from me!!
(I keep stuffing up the ‘favourite posts’ page, people, and I go to her “heeeelllllllp! For a bit of explanation)
Comment relish is what I was thinking of, was it? Hmm…will have to investigate.
Jen – thanks so much!
Kelley – re: feed buttons. Some people have siad they’re not big enough. I like them. In fact, Alister Cameron has some very similar, and I think if that’s good enough for him, it is for me.
11:27 am
Acutally, no its the ‘blogroll’ page I stuff up…..
11:29 am
Ooh! Also, if anyone knows how to get all my proudly supporting graphics to the same uniform size, I would be most grateful……
11:32 am
Hey there
I don’t have wordpress so can’t help with plug-in stuff.
I have a very old-fashioned screen, so it cuts off most of your sidebar stuff anyway – I tend to use sidebars (in my reading) as checking out blogrolls and history – I have a handy button on my toolbar that means I never have to search for anyone’s feeds – which is how I tend to read most of my favourites…
I tend to click on the “notify me” box if there is a discussion I am interested in or feedback I want. I have been visiting here for a while now, so can’t remember if there was anything in the beginning or not…
11:49 am
Okay, it’s bigger. But I think I want to change font style now?
1:37 pm
It won’t be easy to get your proudly supporting graphics to the same size because it will make some really large and some unreadable. If you could get gifs with transparent backgrounds for the Cancer Council and Amnesty and Autism Spectrum, it would tidy things up a bit by getting rid of the white background.
1:47 pm
Yes, it would. Right about now I wish I was a photoshop princess *sigh*
Thanks for your help, Jen
3:50 pm
Isn’t that a pain, trying to get the ole’ blog to look just right?
And if you’re a fan of all things trebuchet, there’s a clip on YouTube where a millionaire built one, just ’cause he can. And he tests it on such sundry items as cars and upright pianos. Good times…
4:00 pm
I’m a fan of small (but not ridiculously small) font. Most people have a scrolly mouse these days – they can just scroll and make it bigger if need be.
As for the sidebars, I like simple sidebars. Yours is more complex, but I wouldn’t call it “cluttered” – it’s just fuller than most because it’s not just one column. Then again, I don’t really look much at sidebars because most of them are just ads and I don’t do ads!
8:05 pm
I think your blog looks wonderful!
I love the colours you’ve chosen. Nice and soothing.
I went looking for the feed buttons after reading what Kelley had to say and it took me some time to find them. I tend to add blogs direct to my bloglines so I never actually went looking when I first subscribed. But if you look at my site you’d see I’m a fan of BIG subscribe buttons. LOL. Well, Snoskred is anyway as she made me the beautiful pink button!!!
I didn’t think your sidebar was too cluttered. I do have a question for you though. Are you happy with blogher ads? I’m half way through the application process with them and would be interested to know from a bloggers perspective. Are they worthwhile having? Are they good to deal with? (I’ve had to contact them directly a couple of times and from that angle I’ve found them good). Also, do you have them in the first sidebar by choice or do they require that? My layout is similar to yours in terms of where my sidebars are.
8:23 pm
Lightening – Blogher ads are great. They’re such accessible, friendly ladies (unlike *cough* some others I could mention!) and they’re the only one who’ve paid up for me as yet to tell the truth. Yes, they do ask for the most prominent positioning in columns, but they have so many different kinds of sizes to choose from, it’s pretty easy. Finish the application!
9:59 pm
Dang, late to the party!
I signed in with a different email addy, I don’t know if that will identify me as “new”.
Just a couple of things. I’m prone to agree with Kelley on the RSS button, I know we spoke about that way back, but Alister probably does attract the more experienced blogger…
With regards to the graphics, I agree that trying to make them a uniform size could well make them go wonky. You could perhaps try centering them?
No sure about the avatars – haven’t used that in a while.
11:37 pm
I’d much rather you did come to me, really – I’d hate to think that you’re unhappy with your design.
If you hit the little envelope next to my name when you replied to me/my comment, I did not receive the notification, just so’s ya know.
2:22 pm
Holy Guacamole! Meg! Everyone! I just made up some code to centre my buttons there on the side and – *staggered* it worked first time.
Adam was bragging he made some indepth algorethmic code work last night, but this is EVEN better, lol.
2:26 pm
Hehe
I think that looks neater.
10:32 am
Misc mum – I have another question about blogher. How did you send them your application? Did you fax it? If so, what number did you use? I’m having trouble and also having trouble getting an answer to my enquiry about it (unusual as my last 2 enquiries have been answered very quickly). Thanks.
10:36 am
They made consessions for me in that respect – I did not fax it, just filled in paperwork online and saved as a pdf? And then emailed it? (I can’t remember). All I remember is that we got around it somehow. They will get back to you shortly, I’m sure. Hang in there!