Last month I have decided to create my completely custom Blogger template. I've had a few of different reasons for trying this out, but the main goals were to make it simpler for posting different format posts and also to offer an easier way to consume the content.
Indeed there were many other reasons behind my decision to invest time into creating a custom template: starting with the fact that I wasn't satisfied with the templates and their 'semantic' HTML and probably ending with my curiosity on seeing how complex would it be.
While I'll not walk you through my experience, I'll just tell you that the it was absolutely horrible, main causes being: 1) the documentation is most of the time wrong, 2) the user group is full of completely useless monkeys, 3) most of the time your best bet will be JavaScript (nb while I do like JavaScript I don't think that using it for customizing a template is a decent option).
Anyways, more or less I have finally got what I was looking for. But at that moment I have realized that I was trying to hack a system to make it behave and look like already existing solutions: Tumblr, Posterous and maybe others that I haven't heard of. After observing my own posting habits, but also how my visitors have consumed the blog, I have decided to experiment more seriously with Tumblr.
In just a couple of hours, I've been able to completely setup my new Tumblr: Think differently big. And in case you are wondering why it took me so long, I'll tell you that I've spent a lot of time just deciding which one of the absolutely gorgeous Tumblr themes to use, revamp the chosen theme HTML (nb while I completely suck at almost everything related to design and CSS, I am a maniac in what regards displaying information and HTML), integrating Tumblr bookmarklet with Google Reader and testing MarsEdit support for Tumblr.
At least for the next month, all my posting activity will happen over there, so now I'm inviting you to my Tumblr experiment: Think differently big. Thanks!
5 comments:
Don't forget to integrate a commenting system via Disqus and perhaps give Soup.io a try.
Disqus integration is already configured and I just need to include it on my template.
I haven't heard of Soup.io before. At first glance it looks like Posterous or Tumblr. I'll definitely take a look. Thanks for the suggestion.
Disqus comments are now enabled on my Think Differently Big tumblr.
I've also set up the Soup.io A Lifestream of Differently Big Thoughts.
Are you using an existing Tumblr theme? If so, how did you modify the html? Thx!
How do you integrate all those things? I want to use tumblr but I don't get how to manage it. when I enter an entry of my blog the 'disqus' does not show up.
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