Blog design help

June 15, 2006

I’m heading off to South America for four weeks this Sunday and thought I’d pose two questions to you while I’m gone and for me to pick up on once I’m back from July 17th:

  1. What blog design/coding tutorials would you like to see here at this blog?
  2. What do you struggle most with or need the most help with when using Wordpress/MovableType?

Please be as specific as possible!

See also
Comments

  1. 1. I like ‘em both;
    2. MovableType;

    Have a nice trip ;)

    — SepehЯ, June 15, 2006

  2. Well, since you asked… I’d like to see some more posts about Wordpress (since that’s what I use) and creative ways to use some of the lesser known Template API commands. For example, your past post on cleaning up Trackback display was really great. I wouldn’t have thought it was even possible to filter our the trackbacks like that into a seperate list. Bending the boundaries of Wordpress is fun!

    — Sean Mcbride, June 15, 2006

  3. The themes i have found are quite good, what i miss is 2-3 columns on
    the side for banners, and they are mostly very narrow, not using screen real estate well.

    I would like to make my theme wider, and accommodate an extra column on the sides.

    Additionally I need help in managing potential custom advertisement (not Adwords etc).

    — Den, June 15, 2006

  4. desktop blogging clients for power blogging :)

    — saurab, June 16, 2006

  5. Hi, I’m a recent subscriber due to the post Blog posts in different columns, which solved quite a few problems for me, so I have to go with Sean here: more posts on these trics! :)

    — Vegard, June 16, 2006

  6. Have the most fab time, ever, Rachel, and Regan too!

    I’d like to read more about cross browser compatibility when using CSS, although I’m not sure if this can be tutorialled or trial and error.

    — Pete, June 16, 2006

  7. Maybe create a video tutorial about wordpress upgrading :)

    — Esemono, June 17, 2006

  8. First, I want to say, that your blog is my favorite. I love it really

    Second, I want to know:

    On TechCrunch even comments has another color than odd comments. I want read ‘howto’ :) And how separate trackbacks and comments

    sorry for bad English. I’m from russia and I have never been in English-speaking country

    — anonimous, June 18, 2006

  9. Hi Rachel,

    You have done a great job on MobileCrunch. Its awesome. I am a communication designer and i work for web and print medium.

    I have my blog at wordpress.com which is http://hiteshmehta.wordpress.com and recently i am working on my own total redesign of my blog… i just wanted to know from you or thru tutorials in general about how to go ahead with customized template with step by step lessons.

    I am not a coder/developer.. so people like me who can understand the tutorials easily wud be of great help..

    and with your knowledge if you can list out the advantages and disadvantages of wordpress blogging.. and are thr any limitations of using customized theme? or anything a designer designs can be very much possible to convert it as a blog site?

    thanks and have a great trip…

    — Hitesh Mehta, June 19, 2006

  10. Heys Rachel,

    I agree with Hitesh’ request. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of your tutorials in regards to the very basics of breaking down the wordpress template and personalizing it.

    http://www.devlounge.net/articles/customizing-wordpress-layout
    and http://veerle.duoh.com/index.php/blog/comments/the_xhtml_css_template_phase_of_my_new_blog_part_1/ are a couple of links that have started to way for me but it’s not as comprehensive as I would like.

    My goal really is to be able to use the WordPress system, personalize it and have it work as independent package for a client instead of delivering an expensive CMS solution.

    Ah well, I don’t know if I’m making sense but ultimately, I look forward to your great advice because your work is definitely amazing. Safe trip and may good times find you.

    — Donna Vitan, June 19, 2006

  11. New to Wordpress… Wish I knew how to password protect my entire blog. Would love for people I only know to read my blog. Don’t know how to do this.

    — Ordinary, June 21, 2006

  12. Hi Rachel

    First of all, your gorgeous! I mean you design well. :$

    Secondly, I have recently started a blog on SharePoint http://www.sharepointbuzz.com and used ProBlogger’s blog design as an inspiration. Darren suggested that I should compliment you on the design. That is partly why I am here. Your blog designs are beautiful and inspirational. I look forward to tweaking it. If you, or your visitors, have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them.

    Thirdly, what would be great is if you were able to provide templates and tutorials on how to customize after implementing them in wordpress.

    Kind Regards,

    Kanwal

    Ordinay consider using a htaccess file for password protection - http://www.javascriptkit.com/howto/htaccess3.shtml

    — Kanwal, June 24, 2006

  13. Thanks for your tutorial for installing wordpress! I would’nt have made it without that one!

    — H@@kon, July 7, 2006