Written on 1:18 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Blogger, New Editor, Try Out
Blogger recently updated it's post editor, a long-overdue revamp. One of the nice features is the break function, which in the past, could only be implemented by tweaking your template.
This is a test of that functionality, which if it works well, will mean that you won't see the rest of this post until after you click the "Read More" link below.
(the rest of it, in the full post)
Read more!
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 1:01 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Widgets, Gadgets, Esthetics
There are mixed opinions about the use of widgets on a blog. While they can add esthetic value to your blog, the drawback is usually that it increases page load time.
Pablo Picasso Art of the Day - among the countless gadgets/widgets you can find to decorate your blog with
In the previous version of myAsylum, I'll be the first to admit that I kind of went overboard with the widgets, plus other bits and bobs that I had included in the sidebar, especially those involving graphics, making the blog really slow to load.
As this is an experimental blog, there's more liberty to try things out. Today, I added the Date and Time widget (from Widgetbox) at the top of the sidebar. There are a couple of versions of the code, based on either JavaScript or Flash animation (relevant to Blogger). Myspace users can also add this widget quite easily.
(where to find widgets, and more, in the full post)
What's a widget, anyway? Essentially, they are encapsulated applications that you can embed in your webpage or blog without the need to do any hardcore coding. In fact, the code is loaded during pageload, and what you have in terms of actual code you have to include on your site are essentially pointers to where in cyberspace the actual code resides, what executable is required (for example, Flash), etc.
There are countless widgets available on the Internet, from the useful (like the date/time application), to the most worthless and waste of bandwidth types - like the one below the Time/Date widget.
Where can you find widgets? For a start, check out this wiki devoted to widgets, called Widgipedia (of course, what else would you call it?). Then, there's Widgetbox, mentioned earlier, where I found the Time/Date widget.
Google and Yahoo! have their own collections, too, called Gadgets and Widgets, respectively. I've used the ones from Google before on myAsylum, but not the ones from Yahoo.
Beyond that, just do a websearch for the terms "gadgets" or "widgets"... the choices are endless, truth be told. But my advice is this: pick, choose, experiment, and change often. Widgets can be fun things to have on your blog, but they do slow down load times, so don't go overboard.
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 4:14 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Blogger, New Feature, Blog List
One thing about blogging is that once you are comfortable with a particular platform, it's difficult to make the switch. myAsylum started on Blogger, and on Blogger it remains. No reason to switch, truth be told - especially when improvements and new features are constantly introduced.
The latest feature released for general use is the new Blog List. It's pretty much like a link list, only better, and more suited for use as a blog roll. I've implemented it here, but am still considering whether or not to put it on myAsylum.
You can see a 3-entry example at the top of the sidebar on the right.
(how to implement, and more in the full post)
Blogger has also released a How-To video on YouTube, as part of its Blogger Help series.
Unless you're totally uncomfortable with doing anything with your layout, it's actually a cake-walk to implement. No messing around with coding whatsoever.
So, why am I still considering whether or not to use it on myAsylum? Well, for one thing, the blogrolls currently are hidden until you expand them - this is not something Blogger does as a standard, and is a custom tweak. I've not had time to see if this can be done with the new Blog List or not.
What might be a better thing to do is to feature a few blogs at a time, as feature blogs, and select the post-snippet function which the new widget supports, but which I did not enable.
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 11:14 AM by Walski69
Technorati tags: TagName01, TagName02, TagName03
After searching long and hard, testing, failing, testing again... I've finally found the template that I'll unleash for myAsylum.
What myAsylum looks like... for now
It's called Bloggerized Adsense, created by Isnaini, an Indonesian Blogger expert - terima kasih! Of course, there are some tweaks still to do, but the major test has been completed - that of including the expandable post code. For future reference, the instructions can be found here (note to self: expand the widgets first).
(more template thoughts, in the full post)
The only issue I have with this particular template is some of the spacing. Visually, it looks a little off. But no matter, these minor details can be tweaked later.
Another thing about this template is that the header image is configured via the Blog Elements GUI, which means that any change of layout later will cause the loss of this config. So, the image prepared for the new myAsylum look will only be put in after the template has been updated. Here's a preview:
Nice, no? I decided to retain the 4 ancients in the header graphic, for visual recognition continuity. Maybe one day they'll fade away... but for now, they remain. After all, they are the Committee!
And now, time to devote some human bandwidth to the April 1st prank... the kittified myAsylum... heh heh...
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 4:29 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Widgets, Blogger, Widget Data Save
This is a good guide on how to retain your widgets and (more importantly) widget data when you change layouts.
I've done some testing and it should work, provided that your widgets have data to begin with. The last test done was with widgets sans data, so obviously nothing appears - there should be a few linked lists after the Provider tab on the left (via the Hello Kitty template).
(Hello World, and Kitty, in the full post)
Depending on when you actually read this post, i.e. using which template, the Hello Kitty references may or may not make sense. This post was done while testing out the Hello Kitty template (it really is a cheezy template, but fits a specific purpose - which I won't devulge here).
In any case, the trials and tribulations suffered here will prove to be a good way to ensure that the main myAsylum template migration(s) can be done without much pain and suffering...
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 3:18 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Layouts, Blogger Templates, Top Tab Concept
A word about templates and the widgets that occupy them.
If you're ever thinking of changing to a new template, there are some things you should keep in mind. Custom widgets (like the HTML code widget) don't port across when you do a save/restore. For HTML, only the wrapper gets copied, but not the code. So, make sure you save the code in a text file before you do any moving of widgets between blogs.
That's the reason why a lot of the stuff that used to be on this blog has disappeared. And which is why it's always a good idea to try the changes on a test blog (like this one) before unleashing the finalized layout in the main blog.
(more layout considerations, in the full post)
I'm also seriously considering reducing the number of AdSense ads, or at the very least relocating them on the page layout. One of the readers commented that myAsylum is too busy - and I tend to agree. Ad hoc changes over time do that to ya...
One layout I rather like is this one: Delectio (from eBlog Templates). I like the layout, but not so much the color scheme. I believe I will retain the dark aura of myAsylum. What I do like about it is the use of the top tabs, as a means to unclutter the main blog page(s).
The layout search continues...
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout
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Written on 3:08 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Layout Change, Background Image, Experimentation
myAsylum has been using the same layout for almost a year now. And it's probably time for a change - drastic change.
As usual, the changes will be tested out here first, before unleashing it onto the main blog. For today, a background image has been added. This may or may not (likely not) be the final image that will be used. I'm still toying with the idea.
What I might do is unleash a very cheesy layout just for April 1... then unleash the actual new layout a day or so later... we'll see. Time is of the essence. Essence is of the chicken...
Posted in
Blog Design,
Thoughts
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Written on 9:43 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Media Player, Testing, Hawaii 5-0
Read more!
Posted in
Blog Design,
Playing Media
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Written on 12:24 AM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Video, Dugong, Baby Dugong
Been a long while since anything's been posted here. Blogger recently provided the functionality to test run new applications they're developing for the platform. It's called Blogger in Draft.
This is a test of some of the new features introduced to Blogger. Just a post to test 'em out. This is the new Video gadget.
Most of you following the main myAsylum blog will probably have seen this before on YouTube. It's about the death of a baby Dugong (Manatee) that was found injured, and kept in captivity at an island resort off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia. Presumably, the videos are stored on the Blogger servers.
Verdict? Not too bad, except that the sound reproduction isn't all that fantastic. Had the same problem with YouTube when I uploaded it there. Plays great in Windows Media Player, though. The other bad part is the time it takes to upload a video. Looks like myAsylum will probably continue to use the usual method - upload to YouTube.
On the sidebar, you'll see a poll, which will be set up after this post has been completed. I'll be testing some of the new functionalities, as and when they're released.
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout,
miscellaneous
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Written on 12:44 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: myAsylum, Redesign, New Blogger
Finally the task is now complete, and the new layout has just been implemented on the main myAsylum blog. There are still a few tweaks to do, but the biggest headache is now over.
Walski can now concentrate on content, which has been neglected for the past week or so.
And what is to become of this blog? Well, it shall remain as Walski's testing and playground to try out other bits and bobs. Maybe this blog may evolve into a blog-design related site... who knows.
One lesson learned, however. Doing a full template save does not save widget contents. Perhaps what Walski forgot to do was to expand the widgets first before saving - maybe that's the reason why a number of things did not copy across to myAsylum as expected.
That, therefore shall be the next experiment... and another thing Walski just noticed... the timezone settings for this blog are incorrect as well... oh well, live and learn, eh?
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout,
miscellaneous
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Written on 2:21 AM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Layout, Blog, Blogger
One of the features implemented that should enable this template to go live is the Expandable Post Summary feature. This post tests it.
(let's see if this works, in the full post)
If all goes well, this portion of the post should not appear on the main page.
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout,
miscellaneous
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Written on 11:39 AM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Blogging, Layout, Design
Changed the layout to 3-column, and adjusted the coloring. This looks closer to what the envisioned new myAsylum will look like. Target implementation: by January 21 - myAsylum's first anniversary.
Posted in
Blog Design,
Layout,
miscellaneous
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Written on 6:16 PM by Walski69
Technorati tags: Miscellaneous, Rantings, Thoughts
This be the new look, trying to be just like the old look... in time, it will happen. In time.
If that didn't make any sense whatsoever, I don't blame you... This blog was created as a companion site to myAsylum, where I test changes to be made to that site before implementing them.
These would include changes to templates/blog-skins, new widgets, new CSS/xHTML/HTML constructs, etc. Occassionally, it will also touch on neat services that I may consider adding (or have added) to myAsylum.
While not a technology blog, per se, it does touch on blogging technology. Since knowing how to manipulate scripting languages is a pre-requisite to creating attractive looking blogs (or at least I think so), I created this site also as a means to learn more about programming in these languages.
The template used here will change quite frequently, as and when I find new neat layouts to test out... So don't be surprised if the next time you happen by for a visit, it will look like a totally different blog!
Posted in
Blog Design,
miscellaneous,
rantings,
Thoughts
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