@BT I know next to nothing about Boulez (shaky would not even begin to describe my knowledge of French culture), so it's on those connections that I'm hoping to learn something from you.
Re Themes:
I like both Saphire and Viberu better than Contempt. I think I like Saphie a little better than Viberu.
More specifically: With Saphire, it's not just that the header is more interesting, but also the rounded corners and dark blue background make me feel less as if the center column is floating in the middle of a larger page that wasn't fully designed (the gray background with contempt gives me that feeling - as if the designer didn't know how to make their blog fill my whole screen) (The more I look at Contempt in comparison with other options the closer my reaction is veering to contempt). Could the Oscar Wilde quotation be split in a different place on this one?
With Viberu I like the use of the full screen width for the same reason given above, and it's clean (though the header on this one does not say "creativity" to me, it's more businesslike), but I don't like that no images from the articles show on the main page (is that a setting?)
I could live with either with some tweaks
@GP:
The way the text splits can be fixed (most often by using two pieces of text). It's a bit more work than I care to do for the rough selection. When we are down to a couple of contenders I'll do some tweaks.
I think most of the themes are fixed-width. Fixed-width themes tend to behave better. Most users prefer to pan the page rather than having it squashed and the layout breaking.
In Vibreu and the other MagPress themes, the image needs to be set for each post as part of the pre-publication process. If any MagPress themes make the cut I'll add images to some of the posts. If we want that look, folks have to commit to coming up with a legal-to-use image for every post.
I think I saw some more rounded themes in MagPress. Take a look on magpress.com and tell me which ones you want to see the site in.
If Vibreu makes the cut I'll add images to some of the posts. If we want that look, folks have to commit to coming up with a legal-to-use image for every post.
Album covers are great for that.
I'd be fine with Connections Reloaded and Rindo too. Not sure I like having the tags above the post like in CR, though, and still prefer Viberu.
Hmm, they all have their merits, though in terms of how they appear right now, without any changes, I'd prefer Sapphire and Connections. The latter has a width advantage, though I'm not fond of the way the tags are presented. I like Rindo too as long as we can ditch the swirly bits on either side. As it stands right now, Viberu looks too much like a tech support blog for my liking.
@Nereffid - I agree about Viberu suggesting something more technical than artistic.
Although I suggested Rindo I'm not over-sold on it - it was just the wider use of white space that looked a little more expansive and spacious than what we have now. (It's the same thing I like about themes like Coraline or TwentyEleven- crisp and clean.
Connections is nice at the top; I find the pale green for the dates and links perhaps a little too pale, but I'd probably get used to it. I am slightly inclined to think that having an image in the header as Connections does could make the page a little more memorable/less anonymous...but then again are there dozens of other blogs with the same image if they used the same theme?
The idea is to select the presentation we like best visually. Details like where the author and tags display are straightforward to change in most themes. Solid color is usually easy to change. Elements that are images require creating a new image. Aspects like the shapes used in the header, posts, and sidebar are the hardest to change because it is deep in the design and everything is interrelated (the pieces have to match up).
GP: The image in those themes can be changed. I've shyed away from the themes that prominently feature a picture in the design--What would we choose? If you mean the layout minus the picture I see where you are coming from. I'll look for something like that to add to the demo. How do you like Tarski? I used that on a site and only changed the contents of the sidebar.
Re: legal-to-use images, is adding album covers (as I already did in the Noto piece) from label sites or retail sites considered fair use for a review (surely folk won't sue you for promoting their album)?
@Dr Mutex, I was headed towards the same thought about pictures - unless one of us could come up with a good one that made us distinctive.
GP: That's a question for cafreema. My take: Using an image of an album cover in the context of a review is fair use if it is an accurate representation. From a business perspective a record company would have to be insane to harass a review of an album for using the album cover.
e.g. #108 or a horizontal strip from #115 or from the top of the bottom third of #150, or #229 or #383 or the top inch of #404 or the middle of #408...
Permission granted with pleasure - just don't ask me to select or cut them. Are the versions up sufficiently high res.? Let me know if you need something more.
I would think that in most cases, you would have to cut them - the "Connections" theme, for example, uses a 741 x 143px banner image, and most (if not all) of your work there is pretty much standard-frame rectangular, isn't it? Not that that's a bad thing, of course.
It seemed like that might be OK, though, since you were posting a lot of detail-sections of each image too...?
Looks to me as if cuts could be made from a number that are up there. Shall I have a go in the next day or two and post some possible selections or does anyone else want to have at it?
Of course those aren't all the possibilities but I did quickly scan through all of the pictures looking for ones that might look good as a horizontal strip. The capture and proportions can of course be improved. Any of these catch anyone's eye?
1 (possibly a slightly different crop), 17, 20, 21
I also thought of wrapping the post list and sidebar with some of those spindly creations (i.e. they would be the side borders).
I looked for more themes based on the feedback on the others. These are all MagPress themes. Some of these are 3 column themes. I think 3 column themes are too busy. I've changed 3 column themes to two columns before. Sometimes the theme has a switch to only use 2 columns. I didn't see one in Crema or Costello.
I've been away at a conference for 24 hours (and no wireless!!) - my goodness, things are moving on. I like Crema, but feel Music is Good should be bigger. Of amclark's strips, I prefer 1 - nice range of colours there. But Music is Good is coming on really well - congratulations in particular to Craig and Dr Mutex for all their input
Comments
Craig
Craig
Re Themes:
I like both Saphire and Viberu better than Contempt. I think I like Saphie a little better than Viberu.
More specifically: With Saphire, it's not just that the header is more interesting, but also the rounded corners and dark blue background make me feel less as if the center column is floating in the middle of a larger page that wasn't fully designed (the gray background with contempt gives me that feeling - as if the designer didn't know how to make their blog fill my whole screen) (The more I look at Contempt in comparison with other options the closer my reaction is veering to contempt). Could the Oscar Wilde quotation be split in a different place on this one?
With Viberu I like the use of the full screen width for the same reason given above, and it's clean (though the header on this one does not say "creativity" to me, it's more businesslike), but I don't like that no images from the articles show on the main page (is that a setting?)
I could live with either with some tweaks
The way the text splits can be fixed (most often by using two pieces of text). It's a bit more work than I care to do for the rough selection. When we are down to a couple of contenders I'll do some tweaks.
I think most of the themes are fixed-width. Fixed-width themes tend to behave better. Most users prefer to pan the page rather than having it squashed and the layout breaking.
In Vibreu and the other MagPress themes, the image needs to be set for each post as part of the pre-publication process. If any MagPress themes make the cut I'll add images to some of the posts. If we want that look, folks have to commit to coming up with a legal-to-use image for every post.
I think I saw some more rounded themes in MagPress. Take a look on magpress.com and tell me which ones you want to see the site in.
Album covers are great for that.
I'd be fine with Connections Reloaded and Rindo too. Not sure I like having the tags above the post like in CR, though, and still prefer Viberu.
Craig
Although I suggested Rindo I'm not over-sold on it - it was just the wider use of white space that looked a little more expansive and spacious than what we have now. (It's the same thing I like about themes like Coraline or TwentyEleven- crisp and clean.
Connections is nice at the top; I find the pale green for the dates and links perhaps a little too pale, but I'd probably get used to it. I am slightly inclined to think that having an image in the header as Connections does could make the page a little more memorable/less anonymous...but then again are there dozens of other blogs with the same image if they used the same theme?
GP: The image in those themes can be changed. I've shyed away from the themes that prominently feature a picture in the design--What would we choose? If you mean the layout minus the picture I see where you are coming from. I'll look for something like that to add to the demo. How do you like Tarski? I used that on a site and only changed the contents of the sidebar.
@Dr Mutex, I was headed towards the same thought about pictures - unless one of us could come up with a good one that made us distinctive.
I'd been thinking about talking to amclark2 about incorporating some of his paintings, so I'm all for that.
Craig
It seemed like that might be OK, though, since you were posting a lot of detail-sections of each image too...?
Correct me if I'm wrong, amclark2.
Craig
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I also thought of wrapping the post list and sidebar with some of those spindly creations (i.e. they would be the side borders).
edit: also 7
Crema 3 column theme.
Costello 3 column theme.
Peava
I've also added these to the main list above.
Of the 3 new themes, I'd go for Peava. I agree with Dr Mutex, 3 columns seems too much. If Crema had 2 columns I'd be happy with it.