[EV +/-] is moving to a wordpress self-hosting service
February 3, 2008
I am now in the process of moving this blog from Wordpress.com to a hosted service that uses wordpress software. The names are similar but it is a different set-up as you may well know.Nothing will change from your end, the domain website remains the same [exposurecompensation.com], and the permalinks are identical, so anything that was pointing to the blog is -should be- working the same (if you notice a problem, please let me know). All the content has been exported/imported, but I still need to move links from the Blogroll.
At this moment I am dealing with multiple activities related with the set-up, as well as learning/finding plug-ins, widgets, and themes that will define the blog moving forward. This theme is provisional, as there are things I don't like and will have to search for something else in the future. It does not help that I am not that well versed in CSS or PHP, so the process to change designs is a bit slow.
I hope the process does not cause too much hassle for you. If I may, I like to ask for some feedback and suggestions about the design. If have knowledge of some plug-ins or themes that would like to suggest, I will be glad to hear from you either with a comment or by e-mail.Here are few questions if you like to provide some feedback:
- Do your prefer themes that are more busy visually (more colors, three columns) or cleaner (less colors, mostly white and two columns)?
- If there is a wordpress theme you particularly like and want to suggest?
I would like to find plugins of widgets that offer the following capabilities. Please if you are aware of any I appreciate if you point them to me:
- Plug-in or Widget to feature selected posts from the archive
- Plug-in or Widget to feature selected posts from other blogs or websites
Thanks very much for your patience with these changes .... more soon.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Uncategorized
content rss
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 am
I prefer simple themes with fewer colours and images, and rarely more than three columns.
I particularly like the themes available at blog oh blog.
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
Oh, and re. featuring selected posts from other blogs/websites, you could use an RSS widget to feature Google Shared Items.
Just choose a widget ready theme, and in the widgets panel of Presentation, drag an RSS module (select how many you want from the drop down lists beneath the layout boxes) and put in the feed address of your shared items from Google Reader. Then, if you’re not already using Shared Items, just hit share on the posts from other blogs you want to appear in the widget.
(Of course, this is only applicable if you are already using or are prepared to use Google Reader.)
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:45 am
my preference is for a two-column interface with a plain background - i like uncluttered design. i read your blog through rss anyway, so take these comments with a grain of salt.
February 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Miguel: The current theme looks really nice, but it would be even better if there was more space for the photo images. Can the wider left column be made even wider?
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I would check out the Gridlock wordpress theme ( http://hyalineskies.com/wordpress/gridlock/ ) It is pretty nice and clean.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I found that adding a text or link widget for the sole purpose of directing your readers to “special posts” useful. For example, these could include exclusive interviews, extensive written theory and criticism concerning photography, or simply a verbose post about an image or individual. These long posts (interviews, etc) usually get the most continued traffic so it makes sense to give the reader easy access to the material he or she most likely will enjoy.
Also, three column blogs are good for placing a lot of links and information at the top of the blog without the webpage looking overly chaotic. As for the design of your blog, I think it is great for the presentation of photography. Muted colours (like the ones on your blog now) are pretty much perfect for showcasing any art, it’s the bright stuff you need to stay away form.
February 4th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Thanks very much indeed for the tips. They are extremely useful.
I will explore the different options you propose and see how I can make them work.
You are wonderful sharing information.
Muchas gracias!
Miguel
February 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Miguel,
I like your blog a lot, been following it. I think you do the right thing, an individually-hosted wordpress blog gives you greater flexibility.
About featured posts from other blogs or sites: use del.icio.us! Set up a del.icio.us-account, various subpages from your del.icio.us taxonomy produces individual rss feeds, let’s say one for “featured blog posts about photography”, one “pictures”, one “exibitions news”, whatever. Then, in Wordpress 2.3, you use some kind of plugin to display one or several of those rss feeds in the sidebar (there are several). I’ve chosen, for my blog about photography (in Swedish) to use the theme k2 which has such a sidebar thingy; whenever I see something interesting I tag it with the photo tag on my del.icio.us-page, and my blog then picks these posts up in the sidebar.