Theme Changes
Posted on October 1, 2007 Posted by John Scalzi 22 Comments
It seems the reason I’m getting the database error you’re all seeing is that the theme I’ve been playing with is not compatible with the most recent version of wordpress. So I’ll be switching it out. Don’t be surprised over the next couple of days if the look changes more than once. Again: Patience, please.
Update: I’ve switched over to a nice, modular, compliant and Mac-tastic theme, the Mac-liciousness of which I’ve totally violated by switching the font to Cambria, one of the new Windows Vista fonts (you might not be seeing this). In any event, I think I’ll stick with this as the basic template and modify from here.
Patience? Dammit, Scalzi, you know I’m no good with that.
Do not anger the Mac Folk, for they are unsubtle and quick to anger. To be fair, so is the Windows Mob. Really, anyone who would identify themselves with a operating system qualifies here.
This is a lot like watching someone trying on new outfits in public. Fascinating. A bit embarrassing. And I have to bite my tongue (or sit on my fingers…) not to chime in with completely unwanted advice.
I’m sure you’ll get there… and entertain us all in the process, too boot!
Happy fiddling.
You’re more than free to offer advice, Alice. There’s just no guarantee I’ll listen.
“too boot” Heh! Some typos are worth keeping.
Oh, this is far more attractive than the previous style you had this morning. I approve.
I agree, cofax. Normally I’m all about black and white, but this Maccish style is quite nice. Those Mac designers earn their pay…
Ahh, much better than this morning. And I downloaded Cambria from M$’s website, which looks much better than Arial (all you have to do is download the free PowerPoint 2007 viewer, install it, and voila! you have some new Vista fonts installed on your XP box).
Your choosing Cambria shouldn’t mess anybody up–if a user doesn’t have any of the named fonts in your CSS file, it should default to the user’s default sans-serif font, whatever that is for their machine.
Yeah, I’m seeing Arial or something very like it on my XP work computer. The background is like you’re blogging from an iPod– very pretty.
I’ll believe I’ll hunt Cambria down and install it.
This theme looks great, IMO.
My only suggestion, after you settle in, would be to use similar headers & fonts on this and Whateveresque, so you’re in a sense extending your branding across your sites and they feel to the user like they’re related.
I liked the b&w version (although it didn’t seem as much like you) but I like this blue Mac-ish version too.
Happy experimenting!
You could write in crayon on the back of a cocktail napkin for all I care. Do they have that as a theme?
Yeah, but it gets smudgy after a couple of days.
Ooo, soothing. Needs flowers, tho.
I actually really like this theme. If you decide not to use it, I might use it on my own site.
But not if you’re using it. I don’t wanna be that guy.
Just to chime in: I like this theme *much* better than the one you were using this morning.
I hadn’t gotten any database errors before or after the switch to the new theme (which I also quite like), until now:
WordPress database error: [Table ‘db219275380.wp1_QuoteRotator’ doesn’t exist]
SELECT * FROM wp1_QuoteRotator
Yup, Steve. Fixed it already. When you install a plug-in that doesn’t play nice with WordPress 2.3, that’s the error you get. I pulled the plug-in.
The new look is quite sharp, although I did like the flower porn you had up earlier.
I have only one thing to ask, Scalzi. Can I get this layout for myself? (I think I’d like ONLY one sidebar, but you know what I mean.) It’s pretty cool, even though for all your sidebars the green button’s on the wrong side *grin*
Looks great, John. Even though I mostly don’t like Mac-derived themes and such, I actually really dig the theme. Which makes the following all the more painful. . . .
In the spirit of pure irony, I need to point out that The Whatever’s comment page is not rendering correctly on Safari or on NetNewsWire (which may or may not use the same Gecko rendering engine as Safari- not sure. Browser rendering engines and blogging platforms are not my forté). Half of the comments column is taken up by what looks to be an errant table or something, which pushes the comments to the far left of the column, leaving white space. The white space goes all the way down, all the way through the reply box (and obscuring the Submit button).
I’ve checked it on my laptop and my desktop, in addition to my roommate’s desktop (just in case it’s my funky-ass systems), and no joy. I’ll send you a screen shot in a bit. I’ll check it from work tomorrow, just to make doubly sure it’s not just me.
For now, I’ve downloaded Firefox just to view and comment on The Whatever. Sheesh. :)
It’s rendering perfectly on my Safari, although it is on a PC not a Mac. Hmmm. I’ll have to look into it.