Layout Change

Notice something? I went with and modified the blog layout and template here to mark some new changes. These are changes that I am hoping provide a new look and flow to this blog. So I will use my time here to discuss changes I've made and what I hope to accomplish with this layout. Feel free to have a look at this post and learn about my new layout and how you can utilize everything.

--- Explaining the New Layout ---

First of all, it is painstaking hard work to make a template from scratch. So what I usually do is take a good template and modify it to my liking. That's what I did. The blog template is called "Olympia." It is a Blogger/Blogspot blog template adapted from Wordpress. If you noticed, a new color is part of the "John's Blog Space" layout- the same crimson red from my "John's Shop Space" blog. Each blog will eventually take advantage of the new layout. Also, each blog will (of course) look unique with their own colors and features.

Here were some of the things I was looking for in coming up with this blog template:

Elegance.

I wanted the blog to appear elegant and useful. One thing I've taken advantage of is coming up with a unique header image for each one. I do have some bigger plans for the big splash graphics for the blog. For now, I am still mostly using and utilizing this time to make the most of this layout.

Simplicity.

I wanted to try something that seems more simple than the previous layout. It may appear minimalist for the most part, but I wanted this blog to appear a bit faster. Most of what could have been used with images (such as the sidebar) was mostly not used. I was mostly looking for performance gains in the progression of this blog.

I forgot to mention that I had a change of pace in making blog posts. For the longest, I've resented using summaries for blog posts. I now realize that having summarized posts on the main page and in archive posts can actually make the site run faster. Usually, I wanted my main visitors to find posts they most enjoy without having to leave the main page. But if you're going to view a blog post, you are basically reading at your own discretion. You made the choice to read the full post. So welcome to the new train of thinking I have here. You can now view any post that interests you if you are so intrigued by the brief intro to each post.

Usefulness and Function.

You now have the chance to better interact with me and my work. The new dropdown menu at the top of the page now connects you better with me and my other blogs. I found a package that allows for sub-menus and picture usage. Here is a look at each element of the dropdown menu...

• When you look at "About Me..." a picture of me now shows. The sub-menu allows you to visit my social network so you can better get social with me. You can access my many different accounts online. So if you enjoy my work, you are always welcome to show your further support elsewhere online.

• "Follow and Subscribe!" is your quick pass to subscribe or follow me and my blogs. You can connect with my work any way you please using this dropdown menu item. Just clicking on "Follow and Subscribe!" allows you to follow this blog through Google FriendConnect. You know, I can always use more Followers. The other options allow you to subscribe to my blog through FeedBurner and even follow this blog through Bloglovin'. With my other blogs, you will be able to have the same ability to connect to those as nicely as you could with this one here on JBS.

• "Visit My Other Blogs" allows you to connect with my other blogs. Click on the graphics to visit those blogs; or if you allow the sub-menu to open, you can subscribe to or follow my other blogs.

• Each blog has an extra dropdown menu item unique to each blog. This extra menu features material you can nicely access. Here on "John's Blog Space," the unique item is "John's Corner." Of course, John's Corner is my blog post series where it is just me talking with you one-on-one.

• "Contact Me" does what it says- you can message me online if you like. The reasons for contacting me are to say hello to me, ask some questions, comment about this blog, proper inquiries about things (like copyright issues), blog topics you want to suggest to me, and more. You can chat with me via E-Mail or through my Facebook fan page. One important note... no matter what you send- PLEASE no spam or personal attacks.

Potential Mobile Benefits?

In a way, I also chose this layout to better suit my mobile audience. I am hopeful this new layout will be a nice one for mobile viewing. I mostly say my blog is best viewed in its desktop version. However, I want both my desktop and mobile versions to be viewable and enjoyable.


The blog template still needs work. So while you may see the new layout changes, I still need to edit everything to make the entire blog stand out. Everything you see will mostly be a work-in-progress as I try to get everything up and running properly. You could say that this blog template follows the concept of mi casa es su casa. Unless you failed Spanish in school, this of course means "my house is your house."

If you care anything about supporting my material, you now have more ways to do so by utilizing the new layout of this blog.





I hope you get to enjoy this blog layout I've set up here. This is all still a continuous work-in-progress. I will continue to edit this blog to where I am happiest to promote and showcase this blog and its posts proudly.

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