Blog Theme Wishlist

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Time is ticking

If you’re a reader who actually visits librarisaurus.net, I apologize. I realize I have totally changed the way this place looks at least 3 times in the last few months. What can I say? I’m picky. Especially when it comes to stuff that’s a) online and b) being read. I keep finding themes for WordPress (my blogging platform) that I like and customize, only to find that a vital part is missing or just wrong. So, like a good little webster, I’ve decided to make a list of what I want in a theme before I launch into a new one.

1. On front page: 1 full post, plus the excerpts/first bits of about 5 more
2. Easy to read and use comments w/ gravatars
3. Wide enough for 500px photos
4. Clean, simple design
5. Easy to edit, i.e. CSS & functions in main files (missing in this current theme)
6. Updated for WordPress 3.*
7. Meta information like tags, categories used
8. Archives/Categories/Tag/Search results in excerpt format
9. Has to look OK if a post doesn’t have a title (I have about 200 posts without titles and haven’t gotten around to editing them yet)
10. Coding is clean, can edit the “loop” easily
11. Good “Previous Post” and “Next Post” navigation

I’m thinking of investing in Thesis but I’d like to know more about what it’s like under the hood, as it were. I do love how you can have columns of posts on the front page. I could make my own theme, especially since I always spend a few hours customizing whatever theme I use, anyway. I know the WordPress code well and usually end up adding/changing most of that stuff in the list by hand anyway.

 

7 comments

  1. Halsted
    December 6, 2010

    I wish I could help, but I change my own theme about every month or so because I’m in the same boat. It’s great that you’ve made a wish list. If I see anything that fits the bill, I will send it along!

    Reply
  2. Jen
    December 7, 2010

    I found it, I found it!
    (I think)
    (I’m pretty sure)
    (At least until tomorrow morning)

    NO, I think I’ve found it

    Reply
  3. Halsted
    December 7, 2010

    Oo, I really like it! Good find!

    Reply
  4. Halsted
    December 9, 2010

    By the way, how did you get the number of your Twitter followers listed in your sidebar? I like how unobtrusive it is, all texty like that.

    Reply
  5. Jen
    December 9, 2010

    I have no idea — it was part of the theme, their own widget called “Sight Social” (the theme is called “Sight”). It’s neat, huh?

    Reply
  6. Jen
    December 9, 2010

    I tried grabbing code from the functions.php and widget itself but fell down a PHP rabbit hole…

    Reply
  7. Halsted
    December 10, 2010

    O wow, I totally broke the world when I tried to mess with that PHP. Hah! I will just have to figure out another way. Thank you, though!

    Reply

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I'm a Children's Librarian by day and asleep by night. I'm constantly observing the world around me and I need a place to store my not secret findings.

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