Well, I have been feverishly busting a groove on dreamweaver all weekend and this is the result. I was never too happy with the old template, it was similar to the time I did the squelchy with a girl underneath the pier in Colwyn Bay, in that I gave away too much information. Hopefully this one will be better liked than the old one.
A couple of things I feel I should mention though:
Bye Bye Blogroll
Probably the biggest decision I had to make was to take the blogroll off of my front page. There are two reasons for this, which I feel I should explain before you bite my heads off.
The first reason was that it was becoming a bitch to keep updated with new blogs. I am all for spreading the linky love juice, but I felt guilty removing people or not adding people and showing favourites. I tried keeping it to a “friends and personal nature”, but as I enjoyed more “Blogging Tips” blogs, I was unsure on whether to add them or not.
The second reason was that if I truly put all the blogs I read on there, it would stretch for a billion miles. Fact.
So, in that respect, there’s now a new Links Page on this blog, which takes all my feeds from my google reader and puts them there. See if you’re on the list! (You probably are).
Arrivachi Adsense
Inline Adsense was driving me insane (as I no doubt it was you too), so I’ve shifted it to different places. It’s all very well people saying “You get more clickthroughs! You get more clickthroughs!”. Personally, I think my blog layout is worth more than a dollar a day, so they’re gone.
I still have Adsense, just kinda tucked away in various places. I’m still playing around with the placement.
Oh, and for all of you guestbloggers – I now have implemented an Adsense Revenue Sharing Script, so that for every post you write over my holidays your adsense will appear instead of mine. How boss is that? If you want to become a guestblogger for my trip around europe: sign up here. I will be biting at people to get them writing.
Missing You Already Mybloglog
I do love Mybloglog, but it’s widget is more than a little annoying, espeically if it is down. With that respect it’s gone, Instead, I’ve expaned the “Me Elsewhere” bit of the site, to include links to the Mybloglog Page, as well as links to my Facebook and Myspace.
Piss off Plugins
I also removed a lot of the redundant plugins. It was turning into a bit like my facebook page, just full of random plugins and general shitty stuff nobody clicks on. What’s left now is a lot more streamlined.
What’s New? You
I do not hide that the one thing I like more than anything on a blog is comments. I love it when the square bracketed email arrives to announce that somebody has commented. With that said, I feel that the community aspect of this blog has been a bit quieter recently. So, to perk it up a bit, I’ve added Threaded Comments, which basically means you can reply to other comments, as well as your own. It may end up spammy, it may end up fabulous, only time will tell.
What do you think?
The question is, what do you think? This is probably the last major redesign in a while because I myself am happy with it, if you spot anything missing, or there’s something you don’t like, please please please let me know, so I can sort it.
What’s next?
Well, the plan is to redo the forum to match this design. That’s a job for another day though. I’m off to bed!
EDIT: Forgot to mention: I didn’t design the logo. Adrian from the Digital Point Forums. He does them for a fiver, and they are rather good. Click here to find out more.
Comments: 40 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
*borat voice*
It is niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!
I no longer feel like im being raped by adverts whilst trying to read ur blog
Also greatly approve of the cutting down.
Only downside i can see is that filthy welshness you’ve incorporated into your banner
am impressed you took the hit and cut down the size of your rss buttons! disappointed its a non-breast version thou
It’s nice. I like the little box in the top right hand corner. I just got rid of my blogroll too.
Wow, does that make you sort of a comment slut then?
I really like the new theme, and the nice menu, but I miss all the plugins and redundant stuff.
I was liking the last change but I really like this.
I especially like the dark box at the bottom of the post.
It will be interesting to see how your heat map changes with the new layout.
What’s up with everyone changing their design all at once? Must be the change of seasons
I miss your pic in the header! But I love dragons too. The new design looks very clean and easy on the eyes. You took down your mybloglog? Wow! Glad you didn’t get ride of the little favicon ad thing it is so cute. I’m trying to think where I could add it on my blog since I just like it so much.
Hey from one developer to another I’m going to have suggestions of course :c). The upper top RSS box padding should match the padding as your logo does so the spacing looks right, especially on the right of the box. Also down at the very bottom your link to other posts is squished. I’m just a padding freak!
Great job on your new design. It certainly is the season for updating and getting new themes. Makes me want to update what I’ve got going on a little bit. I’m tired of having one long sidebar.
Yeah the new design looks really good. Clean and easy to navigate. Good stuff
Poins taken!
I know what you mean about the related posts. On the test version the titles were all 1 line. Will have to drop it down to three.
You were busy today! I love the new theme – very clean and I like the dragon.
Yeah well, actually I didn’t design the logo. Adrian on the digital point forums did. So blame him.
(Though i did request something “Welshness”)
I haven’t removed that much. I condensed Share this (which I may put back at some point, we’ll see how it goes), and nobody bought me a beer so that was a bit redundant.
Thanks Angela. Interesting that generally people are getting rid of their blogrolls. IMO it just was a pain keeping them updated. Nobody’s too upset, are they?
Thanks, I feel it was worthwhile getting a headache.
I didn’t design the logo by the way, as mentioned above in the comments Adrian from DP Forums did ($10, so couldn’t complain), but a little bit of tinkering gave me that look.
i’m deeply upset….
although i can’t talk cos i havent had a blogroll in a long time! yes trendsetter!
I resent the fact that you call yourself a blogger
Hee hee the comment slut comment made me laugh.
Aah, white. Nice. I much prefer light layouts to dark ones! Just wondering what the right hand side of the black box at the bottom is meant to be used for? Anything? Or did you just want a spare box?!
There’s a cunningly placed google adsense box there. Of course, you’ve probably got an adblocker activated
Very nice job, very clean looking.
I think the spring cleaning of widgets & plugins is something everyone should do on a regular basis-it’s so easy to build up a huge amount of them, until your blog starts loading like it’s 1999…..
If I could add my 2 cents worth..
1) your main nav bar seems a pixel or 2 too wide for your container
2) perhaps, drop the content down a few pixels to match the gap between header/feed links and nav bar.
3) The JPG compression seems to have hampered the image quality of your header, could a loss less GIF do the job? it doesn’t look like there’s more than 256 different colours in it. Sorry, i’m a pixel perfect obsessive. almost OCD like.
finally…
4) the sidebar seems a bit too small and cramped for my liking.
apart from all that, i like it and I may well be calling on your wordpress knowledge in the coming days as I finally complete my own wordpress theme and get my site up live.
Ya I like it too… nice dragon. I never had a blogroll to begin with but I think that’s because I’m used to building non-blog type sites where outbound links on the main page can be pretty valuable. Hold habits die hard I guess.
So… Canada vs. Wales this week. Be afraid. Canada to win. (I’m hoping the power of positive thinking kicks in…)
I’ll be adding the reply plugin as soon as I upgrade my reseller account, I’m angerrry with my host!
So you actually use blogroll.com?! I was thinking you just called it that and used wordpress, seriously, use wordpress to manage the links and do what I do – show them randomly: http://www.cactuus.com/how-to-show-random-links-in-wordpress/
Still think it needs a dark background!
I used WP’s internal blogroll manager. I **may** do what you have suggested though
Nice long post with good content, nice looking blog layout, enjoyable read.
It looks much more professional now .
Was gonna say its not much different to the old one I thought!! but then again I’m not a techno minded person and only read your blog and not look at anything wlse (Ignorance is bliss – if I don’t understand it – don’t use it!!)
I struggled to find the archive stuff – like to go back and see my write up from the staff v fans game and show mates, work mates and family!! (just to show I can still play a bit!!)
Does look good though.
Nice, I keep meaning to do the same myself but never seem to have the time.
Regarding a Canada win: Pish
The new logo is very Welsh so two thumbs up
Nice and clean. Love the fonts too!
This is nice. I wouldn’t mind knowing how to do the threaded comments thing myself. Sweet.
I use Brian threaded comments. It’s simple to install – just one extra template
I do like the redesign. We are about to start a redesign over at Random Encounters of We also. We need to clean things up.
I really like the new look! I especially like the threaded comments as it makes it so much easier.
Very swish.
Like I said before. It looks great. The ads aren’t up in my face anymore and I quite like the header you got designed for you
I like the clean layout but I’m afraid my Englishness takes unavoidable and inbuilt offence at the Welshness of your dragon! It’s nothing personal.
You could even say it looks tidy, tidy (sorry!).
I especially like the new RSS, email and technorati buttons top right – looks great but is it possible you can use those same fonts across the site? Apologies if I’m being a dullard here and you are already doing this – my eyes are feeling a little bit addled at the moment.
I like it! Very clean but not sterile.
Sorry for the late comment, I’m still catching up on my feed reading.
hey it’s nice you’ve done a little house keeping there, don’t worry cleaning is not a gay thing! it’s.. it’s… well it’s a little gay, but it’s a nice gay..no! it’s really nice…
I like it – much more clean cut