To receive a copy of my ebook - Value Added Retweets, fill in your details below!The Redesign of the New Design, New Shoes and Two Important Questions
UPDATE: Errr….last night I screwed up my new template, and it couldn’t seem to post comments. So I’ve resorted back to the old one. Don’t worry! I’m trying to fix it as we speak, just it may not get done today. Until then, just imagine it’s wonderous brilliance. The questions in this post still stand though.
It’s important to listen to your readers, I feel. After all, what is a blog without readers? I’m not talking about what to post or they should dictate to you what you should do about blogging, but reader feedback is essential.
Take the redesign of this blog. It was rather popular, but a few comments stuck out. The first was Celeste, who said it was too busy. She was right too, which is why I’ve spaced out the text a little more. It won’t fit on 800×600, but really, only technologically backwards people have their monitors that small these days. The second was from Claire, who checked this blog via PDA, and it looked a bit squiffy, she found a plugin that changed the theme for WordPress Blogs, and wanted it on my blog. Fair enough I said, and now – whenever you’re away from the computer – come up with a question, and think “What would Rhys Wynne do?”, you can switch on your mobile’s WAP browser and find out there and then. To answer your question – whatever your mum’d do in the same situation.
So, it with these two moral dilemmas behind me, I come to you with two more.
First is with the new design. At the moment I have favicons displayed in the comments. These are nice , but I wouldn’t mind switching it to either Mybloglog Avatars or Gravatars. What do you think? Favicons (which are cool and funky, but not everybody has them – especially blogger bloggers), Mybloglog Avatars (which are common, but prone to spammage from some people) or Gravatars (which are cool, but very few people have them)? Ladies and Gentlemen, vote in the comments.
The second such dilema results from a purchase made last week. Last week I won Pureblogging’s 1000th comment contest, which on top of a traffic boost, I also won $100. Which is £50 in proper money. Which is £42.90 in proper money after a trip down the pub to celebrate. I used the money to make one essential purchase – new shoes, as the cheap ones I bought the previous week were just an inch too small for my massive manly feet. Yes, big feet and all. It’s a curse as well as a blessing.
So – in essence – I have a pair of shoes that I can’t take back to the shop, that I really don’t know what to do with.
Any suggestions? I was thinking e-bay but then thought that’s too boring. I was therefore thinking about a blog contest to win my shoes, but it won’t be as good as say Zac Johnson’s Schwag, and what if a tiny feet person wins them? They’d be useless!
But that’s just my thoughts, what about yours? If you were in my shoes, what would you do with my shoes?
Comments: 20 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
Testing!
Testing!
Grow up! I was having a bloggie crisis this morning. Not fun.
I dont think I want your smelly shoes ta! – I bet you can return them.
I was helping you test. No need for the meanness! Plus it meant you got a comment and we all know how important comments are to you! ;oP
I’m not obsessed with comments! Least not anymore! It’s lies, lies I tell you!
The shoes look big enough to take out a chav or two ala Random Task?
Yes but honestly, who throws a shoe?!?
You’re right..something much heavier and lethal is needed.
Is it not obvious?
Donate the shoes to your foot-fetish friend from the bay…
*shudders*
After briefly wondering how in the world you bought a pair of shoes an inch too small for your feet, I have the obvious conclusion.
Send them to Shoemoney with a dollar bill (or, ah a Euro bill or whatever you use) in it with a note saying:
“My website and I have grown out of my shoes. For bragging rights, save this for a day when you can proclaim that Rhys gave me the very shoes off his feet in admiration.”
Or word it something like that. He may get a “kick” out of it. Who knows?
P.S. If 100 people have already done this or he doesn’t like it, I had nothing to do with this.
Hmm… well you can go on DIY sites and learn how to “expand” your shoes (if that’s possible… plus, it’s not boring.).
If I were in your shoes I would try to sell them on Ebay or something
Why not just cut the toes off and then they will fit surely?
I do have to question just how retarded you are in not trying on shoes
ps. testing
I second Guy’s suggestion, go for the open-toe, Jesus-Creeper look
Thanks for installing the mobile version, it’s much appreciated (one of my pet hates are sites that implode when viewed on a PDA as about 30-40% of my surfing is done via handheld). I just tested it on both Pocket IE and MiniMo and it works like a champ.
One more thing, I vote Gravatars!!
I vote for MyAvatars (MyBlogLog plugin)!
Not sure on the shoe problem