Blog Clutter

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UnspeakableI have a variety of gadgets and widgets along the side of my blog that are nothing more than boondoggles. It's time to chuck out what is unnecessary. Since I've finished the Web Project of DOOM and have started moving on to new projects, I have cast a weary eye at my blog design. You may recall it didn't always look so bland, but six years of adding and adding onto it produced a monstrosity that apparently scared some older browsers into fits. So I deleted everything one day and went with a default Blogger template.

So boring.

I wouldn't allow myself to redesign the site while I had deadlines and more important projects to worry about, but now I'm a little embarrassed about the state of things around here. After all, I did used to be a web designer. (See my latest design)

This blog entry may very well be an archive of sorts. I'll be moving most of the binary tchotchkes here. When I've figured out which gadgets I think are truly necessary, I'll dive into the redesign.


Feel free to let me know what you think, btw. I'd love the feedback. What do you think of the ones I've left on the side. Do you like knowing what I'm reading and listening to? Do you care even mildly? And how about the Google followers widget? Does it give you a thrill? Do you find it useful, or could you live without it?

Update 9/30/09 1:54:51 PM: I've moved the plea for feedback from the bottom of individual blog entries to the top of the footer so that I won't ever forget to beg again. There might be some redundancy with those entries where I did remember. With 480 subscribers as of today, I'm hoping a cleaner design will entice more of you to pop by the site and share your experiences in the comments section. Either that, or I'll offer to pay you…





Twitter Ephemera

Muse: Follow @DouglasCootey
Madness: Follow @SplinteredMind




The Absentminded Artist


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Comments

Karina said…
I don't know you, but I kind of love you. Well, in a completely plutonic way of course. I've read only a few of your posts, but I've found myself laughing at your wonderful humour (yes, I'm Canadian) - although, if you follow on Sitemeter or Analytics, you'll see I live in Georgia, the country not the state.

So, let's just say that I'm not a fan of many things going on on blogs - so if you got rid of some useless stuff - good for you. What you have on the side right now seems manageable, anything else and I think I'd have a seizure. I suppose I should stop here and consider that you might not appreciate my blunt "feedback" as much as I would. Nevertheless, it so remains that I love your writing and I will continue reading, as long as you continue posting of course.

Thanks for improving my rather disappointing evening searching for good blogs!
October 08, 2009 12:38 PM
D.R. Cootey said…
Karina ~ I love you, too. Your comment made my day. I don't mind your "blunt" feedback at all. I appreciate it.

Hopefully, I can keep writing articles that continue to improve your evenings. Can I count on you to let me know if I don't?

~Douglas
October 10, 2009 1:58 AM
D.R. Cootey said…
Hmm, Karim. You just posted that the other day. Now you get spanked.
October 13, 2009 1:51 AM
Karina said…
You know what I don't like about commenting on blogs? When some lovely people such as yourself actually reply to comments, I tend to forget to check them - or perhaps I've just given up on checking. I wish there would be some way that blogs would notify me when someone replies to the thread. Perhaps there is a way but I just don't know about it?

Completely unrelated, but I just put a butterscotch candy in my mouth. Now, I love butterscotch candies, but not when they taste like mint. I think something is wrong here, but I digress.

And you can definitely count on me to let you know - I don't believe in sugar coating things, well - unless we're talking about candies, then it's ok.
October 16, 2009 3:18 PM
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