• This text should appear in the "Index Top" section

    What's "index top"?

Genkiness - a groaning table of web resources

While looking for GIMP tutorials (because I’m so profoundly and perfectly clueless), I came across Genkiness. Lots of resources for web design and management in many categories. Easy navigation; many authors - or rather links to many articles, each with a good sample/introductory paragraph; and no “contact” or “about” page - or any advertising. This may be my first stop in my “how do I….?” question research. Would be happy to hear from /about them so we can give credit where credit is due.

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in design resources | Tagged | Edit

testing flash uploader etc.

This should yield a gallery of 12 thumbnail images. But we’re not sure.

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in WordPress Plugins, images | Tagged , | Edit
  • "Index Insert"

    Need to know where This text will show up - and we'll be looking for it.

Testing Pre-Publish Reminders Plugin

We’re testing the Pre-Publish Reminders plugin - written by Nick Ohrn, based on a suggestion and request by Lorelle Van Fossen of Lorelle on WordPress. We’ve added four questions:

  1. Is there an image in the post?
  2. Is there contrary evidence, information, arguments, our readers should know about?
  3. Is there additional evidence or further resources readers will want to know about, either to check our work or to pursue a subject further?
  4. Should we schedule a followup to this post?
  5. I should have added “Has this post been tagged and categorized?” - at least one category, because “uncategorized” is the least helpful category there is.

The checklist - with checkboxes - is right underneath the “tags” and “categories” dialog boxes. Wonder if I could make it “mandatory” that when posting, the box has to be actively closed. We’ll play with the settings and update later.

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in WordPress Plugins | Tagged | Edit

Yet another open-source good Samaritan

While in this eponymous sandbox we’re beginning to understand Ian Stewart’s WordPress theme/structure/paradigm Thematic - and the more we figure out about it, it seems more flexible and easier to use. I think Thematic is going to be the theme for Popular Logistics and other sites I’m responsible for, perhaps with the addition of Mr. Stewart’s “themelets” (I think he means to suggest a blog/CMS as a perfect omelet, cooked perfectly and served for a leisurely brunch; rather than “like Hamlet” - which might be to say an indecisive young royal with a vengeful streak). But don’t rely on my rendering, which is very likely to be inaccurate and misleading. Check out Travailler, A Professional WordPress Theme, or any of his other themes - and challenging discussions about design. Go to ThemeShaper and the work speaks for itself.

In the other sandbox - TestLab - the site is up - but if I try to get to my WordPress dashboard, I get a “fatal error” message. I called BlueHost - at their peak hours, midday New York time- and I think this is the first time they weren’t able to answer a question or solve a problem. (But since I’ve asked so many questions and and had so many problems - I’m still staying with BlueHost for the duration).

So I went to the WordPress support forums - and within an hour had one helpful set of suggestions, which I’m going to try later this evening, once Lucy and Zoe are satisfied that I’m actually home, and haven’t been out in Prospect Park all day playing with other dogs.

The good person who proposed a solution to my problem turns out to be one Richard T. Bui, who is not only a man of many talents, he apparently excels at all of them. (I’m afraid that if we learn anymore, we’ll learn that he’s an outstanding cabinetmaker, and was the original basis for the character McGyver, and so on). He writes WordPress themes and plugins from scratch. I’m going back later to plunder several pages, at least these:

Useful WordPress resources” (this is an exercise in understatement)

A very sweet website about his domestic life, including his very photogenic wife and cat (I don’t want my cats and dogs seeing his animal shots or we’ll never hear the end of it; “Why can’t we have good portraits like that?“)

And has a practice (is that the right word) as a professional photographer - quite amazing. I believe the following is a rare image of a cat performing a hapkido or ninjutsu move to put a much larger human being into a headlock:


Domestic shorthair overpowers adversary. Photo by Richard Bui.

Domestic shorthair overpowers adversary. Photo by Richard Bui.

Domestic shorthair overpowers adversary. Photo by Richard Bui.

1
| 1 Comment | Posted in Designers we like | | Edit

Two beautiful new designs from Randa Clay: coincidence, or …

Randa Clay’s site has a beautiful new design. The prior design was brilliant - but I like the new one better. And, she’s had, we’ve been told, a beautiful new baby boy. At the same time.

We’re not normally suspicious (well, a little, since we do live in New York), but think about the timing. It suggests several possibilities:

  • Randa Clay is such a good designer she was able to do this at the end of her pregnancy - and maybe actually in labor - wow! OR,
  • As soon as young Master Clay was born - in a Dickensian work-house kind of way, she made the newborn redesign the site.

We hope that’s not what happened. [Here at the Popular Logistics Sandbox, we frown on the use of infant and toddler labor in site redesign. Also the use of animals as uncredited designers; we've already spoken of our suspicion that the most-photographed canine web designer in Brooklyn may have some uncredited role in the work of one of the most prominent web designers in the world. ]

We’ll hope, though, that credit will be given where credit is due. And that no one on the staff here has to get pregnant and go into labor to become a great web worker.

Mazel tov (Yiddish: “good luck”) to Randa and her new baby. (And the site redesign is great, too)

1
| 1 Comment | Posted in Designers we like | Tagged | Edit

Updated: Image Caption Plugin from Channel-AI.com/new theme from ThemeShaper

Caption: johnny automatic magician and floating lady

Title: 119712090794408990johnny_automatic_magician_and_floating_ladysvghi
Caption: johnny automatic magician and floating lady

Image Caption Plugin from Channel-AI Community Blog. This is - to quote Mr. Burns from The Simpsons - “excellent.”

UPDATE: Let’s see if we can avoid the run-on title issue.


by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

Theme Shaper: New Header Image

by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

But - with WordPress 2.6 - once we’ve selected a size - “medium” in this case - we seem to be stuck with it. And we’re getting the ALT text - not the caption test.

Once more - we’ll try it as “full size” :


("Caption") by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

("Title") Theme Shaper: New Header Image

("Caption") by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

I don’t quite understand why - with size value set at “full” - it doesn’t even fill the column. But - it’s still an improvement - and allows me to properly credit people - not just in a formal way, but giving people right under the image credit - which is only right and proper.

So let me not forget to mention Ian Stewart, the proprietor (”the man behind the curtain”) at ThemeShaper, a place where interesting discussions - perhaps best described as the intersection of the planes of code-writing and graphic/information design - questions like The Next WordPress Default Theme are discussed.

Plus - some excellent stuff, including LaunchPad, a domain parking theme that looks better “parked” than many sites look (some of mine, for sure) all the time; and - this is not an exhaustive list - his latest theme (or perhaps it’s a “style” of or based on the Thematic framework - Travailler.


Travailler - WordPress theme by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

Travailler by Ian Stewart

Travailler - WordPress theme by Ian Stewart of ThemeShaper

And for those of you who are still upset about the French as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” - lighten up. He’s Canadian; and as those of you who have been paying attention may recall, the Canadians are our ally, perhaps most notably in Afghanistan. (Also be nice to them because their dollar is now worth more than ours).

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in Designers we like, WordPress Plugins | Tagged , , , , | Edit

SideBlog plugin test

This is a test of the Sideblog plugin. Is any copy showing up in the sidebars? the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s back. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and infinitum; ad nauseum.

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in Uncategorized | | Edit

Naz Hamid’s website

Just stumbled on this site NZRN - an amazing designer - also articulate and funny. Check it out.

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in Designers we like | | Edit

WPRemix.com and CSSACE.com -

R. Bhavesh is the proprietor of CSSACE and WPRemix. Aa I’ve been evaluating and comparing themes, one invaluable resource has been WP Zoom’s article, 45 Free Premium WordPress Themes with Magazine or Grid Layouts. Bavesh’s (Mr. Bavesh’s?) “Free WP Premier Theme” theme is what I’m looking at now - so far, quite impressed:

Premier theme by http://cssace.com

Premier theme by http://cssace.com

Bhavesh is also the author of Bizfresh, available in a free ($0) or paid ($15) version at PremiumThemes.net. Actually - the difference is the credit line - you’re buying a license not to use it. Although I’m generally averse to wearing things with logos, we haven’t taken the manufacturer’s logo from our case, my keyboard says “kensington” the CPU says “Dell,” and I can think of another few examples. But a blog template designer? Free or not I like the idea of the designer name appearing, discreetly but clear, in a footer, say. This is how people build their business - and with rarew exceptions - site/blog design will never be “overcome” by the additio of one designer or design group name and link. Also worth seeing is Newsweek - which has a free version - but a paid version still in the works.

So - if I use one of those themes on one of my regular sites - I think the right thing to do is keep the credt and sed the money anyway.

BizFresh WordPress tTheme

BizFresh WordPress tTheme by R. Bavesh of CSSAce.com

He’s also got some samples of user interface design work; I particularly liked this project.

Plus - some actual “premium” themes - but all very reasonaby priced: WP-Remix (”the Master Theme for WordPress”): it might not be the only “master theme” - but it looks like it’s up there with Sandbox, and K2, and BluePrint - my guess is that it’s nearly as flexible as those - and nearly all of those features are in the admin menus - and don’t require editing any CSS. A similarly flexible theme, recently announced, is SimpleSite - on the related PremiumThemes.net. If I understand correctly, SimpleSite grew out of having a need for a flexible framework on which to build many individual themes. And their many themes can be seen in this gallery. In other words - if you’re looking for themes - free or, if not free, very reasonably priced, visit these three (interrelated) sites:

1
| 1 Comment | Posted in WordPress Themes | Tagged | Edit

“10 Free WordPress Themes That Blow Many Premium Themes Away”

“10 Free WordPress Themes That Blow Many Premium Themes Away” - and they’re not kidding. And I’ve been shopping and shopping for a theme - most likely to exccess - and there were several thems that I found very appealing and hadn’t seen. And I haven’t even looked at 60 Best WordPress Themes For Freelancers, or Shutter Themes (”Show off your photos in style”)

Best WordPress Themes itself runs on Simplicity. From the main page - one can access most if not all of the themes they like - organized as follows:

One-column | Two-column | Three-column

Magazine | Photo Gallery | Specialized |

Premium | Resources

Found this great resource at ThemeShaper (”experiments in theme design”) , whose Thematic theme was selected for the “Free Word Press Themes that Blow Many Premium Themes Away. Themeshaper is operated by one of the following people:

0
| 0 Comments - Leave A Response | Posted in Uncategorized | | Edit
  • MiniPosts (plugin)

    Testing Minipost Plugin
    Are we still working, then? Let’s see. (0)

    Why doesn't the Minipost plugin seem to be working?
    “Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?” (0)

    'What Say You?'
    The nosferatu do not die like the bee when he sting once. He is only stronger, and being stronger, have yet more power to work evil. This vampire which is amongst us is of himself so strong in person as twenty men, he is of cunning more than mortal, a female vampire? for his cunning be the growth of ages, he have still the aids of necromancy, which is, as his etymology imply, the divination by the dead, and all the dead that he can come nigh to are for him at command; he is brute, and more than brute; More... (1)

    'How will you do this bloody work?'
    This turned my blood cold, and it began to dawn upon me that I was accepting Van Helsing’s theories. More... (1)

    'either werewolf or vampire'
    I must say they were not cheering to me, for amongst them were “Ordog”–Satan, “Pokol”–hell, “stregoica”–witch, “vrolok” and “vlkoslak”–both mean the same thing, one being Slovak and the other Servian for something that is either werewolf or vampire.  More... (0)

  • KatesGasis Sideblogin 1 testing

    • Et tu, plugins? "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?"

      - #
    • There are so many options (padding, opacity, rollover text, making the text wrap, etc.) - and more than one way (html, css) to get you where you want to go - it's not a surprise that different people have different explanations. So - either I was right - and it's pretty complex --or I'm very dense, it's simple, and I don't get it.

      Either way - RT of Untwisted Vortex: Living in a Different Land has an explanation that's getting me closer, and, taken with the comments - I might be beginning to get it. Maybe. RT's got a great blog - and maybe the funniest footer going. (He also claims to be a retired Marine; all the ones I know - they go off active duty, they collect the pension checks, some of them even stop invading countries - but they're always Marines, and they're hardly ever retiring, even when they are).

      So I'm going back there for some CSS instruction; but first I've got to get my theme selection for the main site sorted out. This weekend. Much testing. In the meantime - check out Untwisted Vortex - and his post Working with Images in WordPress.

      - #
    • I was minding my own business at IAMWW - the home of the IAMWW and Moo-Point themes - when I spotted a post called "57 Best WordPress Resources." Since Mr. Wilkins' blog is the most uncluttered thing anyone's seen on their screens since Zork or the original DOS WordPerfect - it was hard to miss. This 57 Best WordPress Resources post is on a site I've never seen before, Blog Themes Plus. The first dozen or so I've already seen - excellent lists/posts from Smashing, the brilliant ThemeShaper (Ian Stewart), Brian Gardner, Justin Tadlock, the aforementioned Mr. Wilkins. And other excellent designers. So it's pretty comprehensive. Charity Ondriezek - not there. Alas. Still - pretty good list - and I'm not through it yet.

      Still haven't quite found the right theme yet  - for several things I'm working on or maintain - partly because the really good stuff - including some of the above - still requires the odd bit of  customization that's a bit over my head. But in the looking, comparison, and testing, I've learned a lot.

      - #
    • Testing the highlight author comments plugin by Rob Marsh. Available here.

      - #
    • Now testing the Statement theme from Blog Oh! Blog.

      Keen observers may notice that we've removed the "theme switcher" plugin from our sidebars; we believe this may have contributed to a crash - and want to run another test - after mastering the backup/restore functions in WP 2.5.1 - to see what effect it has on stability, if any - and to figure out how to control it. Having a theme switcher at the user end is exceptionally useful when designing things for others, or collaboratively, and we'd like to reinstall it.

      - #
  • Meta