WATERMARK

a poet’s notebook

Sorry

Messing with the site. 

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I got a note from a reader saying that my site is loading slowly.  This happens sometimes with TypePad, but the fact that I have so much stuff on here doesn’t help. 

I want all this stuff. 

I’ve known for a long time that it would be better if the main column loaded first; then any delay will be on the sidebar.  Should be simple, right?  Just switch the positions of the columns.  Not.  They switched alright, but the sidebar got completely scrambled.  So I’ve rebuilt it.

But now the design hurts my eyes.  Is this just because I’m used to the original? 

What do you think?

,

13 responses to “Sorry”

  1. mjones Avatar
    mjones

    I am in awe that you are able to mess with columns without the whole site going belly-up. I would love to have my central column load first, but it took me so long to even get it up and running, I’m scared to try anything further.

    Reply
  2. yukino Avatar
    yukino

    What you are probably missing is some kind of clean demarcation between the content on the left and the sidebar on the right. There are two reasons for this.
    1) The sidebar is too close to the content. It’s hard to tell except where you have right-aligned stuff on the left, but your margin is less than two em spaces, making things look a little jammed together. You might want to increase the margin.
    2) The content on the left is not justified, so you have a ragged right edge meeting up with the straight left edge of the sidebar. The eye wants to find a line there, and it’s not finding one. There’s the possibility of full justification on the content, but your columns may be too wide for that. A subtle line might work between the two columns, or a slightly darker background for the right. It could be that just adding more space between them would be enough.
    3) It’s a bit jarring that the text on the right column starts to the left of the picture at the top of the column. Also, the shells could stand to be centered, or something — I’m not sure they work on the extreme left, at least not in this arrangement.

    Reply
  3. yukino Avatar
    yukino

    And now I see that you’ve changed it while I was writing… Well, never mind me. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    I like it. It’s a little bit to get used to, but it’s definately still clean and pretty. And the load speed for me is a-okay. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    Well, since you asked: i like the clutter, all the fun stuff in the right-hand column. It does seem as if there should be a wide margin at the top of the main column so that space to the left of the photo is blank. But I gotta say that I do not care much for the type style of your heading. To me, it just doesn’t fit the site; it screams “New Agey poetaster” to anyone just stumbling across the site. In other words, I’d choose something a wee bit less ornate. Also, the big shell in the heading should be moved left, I think – maybe center over the photo?
    You should of course take these remarks with a grain of salt; my own site’s design bores the hell out of me!

    Reply
  6. Cathy Avatar
    Cathy

    I like it. It load much faster. Besides you’re right to be different too.

    Reply
  7. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    For me, the columns are still loading one on top of the other. But now the actual content is on top. I’m overjoyed. It will make it much easier to read your site.
    As the columns aren’t next to each other for me, I can’t comment on the layout. But you might check wonderblossom for a tres spif two-column layout with the sidebar on the right.
    http://www.wonderblossom.com/Weblog/

    Reply
  8. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    I think it’s great because finally I can read your page here (it was just loading way tooooooooo slow) rather than look at it on bloglines.

    Reply
  9. SB Avatar
    SB

    Yukino: heh
    Dave: I looked up poetaster: A writer of insignificant, meretricious, or shoddy poetry; An inferior rhymer, or writer of verses; a dabbler in poetic art.
    Ouch.
    But — I like that font! It seems like a signature to me now.
    I’ll think about it. I did, however, move the shells over a bit.
    Erin: I thought this problem had been fixed; I submitted another Help ticket.
    Greg: Clearly, I should have done this long ago!

    Reply
  10. Loretta Avatar
    Loretta

    I think the site looks clean and slick. and if “slurks” isn’t a word, it should be.

    Reply
  11. Anne Avatar
    Anne

    Honestly, SB, I like it either way, although partial to the before. And i’ve never had a load problem. Perhaps you just need to get used to it, but i do know that if you’re not pleased yourself, it’ll eat at you until you adjust it to your liking. Besides, we come here for the content and the company, right folks?

    Reply
  12. Mog Avatar
    Mog

    That explains why when I hit reload the page changed. Got the two pages side by side here, not reloading the other one. Site never loaded that slow, always loved the look, very clean excepting menu has a lot of stuff in it. Still, all in all a beautiful site and I love your header font. Don’t change it.

    Reply
  13. dave Avatar
    dave

    Well, i hope it was obvious i wasn’t saying YOU were a poetaster – anything but!

    Reply

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