Cha cha cha changes in the blog
No, the blog is not down for maintenance yet I think some changes are in order.
But, I’ve looked back at 2013 according to Google, chose last year’s favorite photos and shared some lessons learned. Now it’s time to look ahead.
Of course I’m leaving in six days for three months in South Africa and although I’ve been there before there’s so much to see I could never tire of the country.
Be part of the change
As I enter six years of blogging and almost two years with the same format I wonder what you, the reader, thinks. I want to know what you like and don’t like. Colors and format OK? Easy to navigate? Does it work on phone, pad, etc? More photos or less? Personal stories? More specifics about a place? Do you like links? More posts or less? What do you want to see? I write this blog for more than just me.
Please share suggestions for changes. No guarantees that anything will change for a while. But I want to make this blog better for you. Plus if I use your idea you’ll receive a gift from South Africa.
Thanks for helping me out.
Well I like your blog just the way it is. If I could ask for one small change it would be to use a lot bigger font on your words. I can hardly read your text.
Thanks Yogi. Have you tried enlarging the page on your screen. I do that quite often. Hold down ctrl and roll the mouse button one way or the other.
The blog is yours and should reflect a format you like. The only suggestion I have is for easier navigation/reading of old posts in the right order. You do have an archive, but have you considered a hierarchy archive format where clicking on a month expands it to show all the posts for that month? This would be especially useful if you are posting sequential entries (like a travelogue) of your trips. (You can see what I mean here – http://2totravel.blogspot.com/ … you can still leave the archive positioned at the bottom of your blog if that is what you prefer.)
Thanks Erin. I’ll look into the archive suggestion. When I was on blogger I think it did that automatically. On WordPress it gives you the option to choose a month and then shows all posts from that month on the page instead of a list under Archives.
I also hate to go to Archives and find that the month is presented upside down i.e. the last day of the month is at the top of the page. It is also a pain to read day one of the month scroll up to find day two, read it then scroll up etc. That is not how we usually read a book, perhaps some of that when reading a newspaper but who does that any more. I don’t know why WordPress wouldn’t present it that way when you click on the month but they don’t.
I have ‘grown my own’ for a web site and my Archives will give you the month in date order from top to bottom. However, I did it by posting every day twice; once on the home page and once in the monthly Archive. I’m sure it could have been done programmatically but I was not up to the challenge when I started and still not.
Programing is beyond me. I’m open to suggestions.
Hi Gaelynn,
Other than the item Erin mentioned, the only other thing is that your header photo and titles still hang out to the side on the iPad. You fixed it before you changed pictures, but now it’s that way again with the new picture. Except for that, I think your blog looks great, and I really enjoy your beautiful photos.
Thanks John. I’ve set the blog to be responsive to devices so not sure what else to do.
Boy, do I envy you your trip in that country you love. One day,I hope not too far away, I would love to do the same in India. Stay longer than my usual three weeks…sigh.
I’m okay with your blog the way it is, but may think of something later.
I think next year I should start in Serbia, go with you to India, for only part of your long-term visit, then continue to South Africa. What do you think?
Well I love your blog too. And I like your pictures and the details on your trips. LOVE personal stories. Would love to hear more about what you do between Grand Canyon and Africa. It’s nice to get to know you as well as your travels. Really like that you have both your 5th wheel home and the camera you use for these fabulous pictures in your side bar for all the times I forget both of them and wonder.
Thanks Sherry. Unfortunately I don’t ‘do’ a whole lot in the between time. I tend to stay home and re-energize after the 6 month season at the canyon. But I will try to add in more personal stuff.
I’ve liked getting to know YOU through your photos and stories, Gaelyn. You know I tell you the instant something isn’t working for me – everything is fine now. (Except, after all these years I still forget to check the box proving I’m human!)
Thank you Barb. The best part of blogging is getting to know such wonderful people, like yourself. Way beyond human.
No suggestions … I’m not getting a SA present ;>) I like your format — font seems big enough and I love the big pictures. I personally almost never read archives or any of the other stuff on anybody’s sidebar, but that’s just me probably. If a post refers to a past post, I appreciate it when the blogger provides a link to it and I’m pretty sure you always do that.
Thanks Sallie. Glad you like it. I too have a tendency not to look at sidebars.
I would say keep up the good work you are already doing by keeping us informed of you daily sights and your off duty adventures. It is good. MB
Thanks MB.
I really enjoy your blog and the format you use. Its very similar to mine really. Maybe that is why. I love the way you write and how you vary the posts. I do very much the same, depending on my time. Sometimes its nice to read more info about something but a beautiful photo with a short description works just as well. Sometimes its just a change in header and colours that is needed.
Thanks Jonker. The single photo is suppose to keep me from writing so many long posts every day.
Look forward to seeing you again.