Last week, I read Thor's article on HoP about writing articles and successful blogging. One of the points that I focused on after reading was knowing what your blog is supposed to be about. So I thought about it for a while.
I'm not a tutorial guy, as I tend to progress too quickly in my work to stop and document it. I'm not a batrep guy, as I can barely remember the turn-by-turn of a game ten minutes after it's complete. I'm not a tactics guy, because I think a lot in Theoretical, but rarely transition to Practical (yes, I did just finish Know No Fear last night, why do you ask?).
This blog is more like a personal journal and scrapbook. I don't have a large readership, nor much engagement, and that's fine with me. It's really just a spot for me to pin my projects so I and a few others can look at them later on. It's also a spot where I can centrally access the blogs I follow on a regular basis instead of using browser Favorites. The blog is sort of a personal Instagram/Pinterest thing.
So, I decided to organize the blog layout around that knowledge.
I changed all the colors to a more work-friendly layout, as black backgrounds and teal lettering scream "not work related!" to passers-by of your cube or desk.
There is also now a series of Completed Projects links across the top of the page. For now, it's limited to Ultramarines and Miscellaneous, but I'll add Raven Guard later. If anyone knows how to make Blogger turn those links into dropdown menus that lead to separate pages, please let me know. Once I get more completed projects up, I'll need a less linear way of navigating from project to project. For example, on the Ultramarines link, I'd like to have a dropdown menu for the Command Squad, and another for my upcoming Librarian. I'd like to split Miscellaneous into Tyranids and Assassins.
So the blog should read more like a journal and photo album now, as opposed to a chronological line of brain spew.
I really like the theme change. Lighter colored sites are just easier to read and navigate.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see something I've said rub off on someone :) I agree with your approach too and feel you've chosen the right focus. It doesn't matter what you focus on as long as you're aware of it and make it apparent to the reader and that's now the case. Nice work.
Thanks. That was my thought too, lighter means easier to read. I'm thinking about replacing the charcoal background of the header with a close-cropped picture of one of my Marines, either his eyes or a weapon or something. It'll be the only real color on the page aside form progress pics.
DeleteI think I figured out how to make dropdown menus in Blogger using the HTML gadget. I just have to sit down and write out all the CSS and HTML for it.
Hi.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog from Thor's blog (and seeing you on a few comment threads :) ). I like your stuff and your blog looks nice and fresh (did not see the old one but this is very easy to read and navigate).
Always good to know why we blog and have that set in our minds, as sometimes it can get lost in what we think will attract clicks or what the reader may find interesting (although this is important), rather than what we find enjoyable in our own hobby :)
Hey, thanks for the comment. Sorry I took so long to reply. I have a bad habit of neglecting my GMail notifications.
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