FIRST!!!!
I know, I know, you don't like purple. Or black. And that font over there is too small to read. And don't even get you started on squares, they're almost as bad as having to walk around with a rock in your shoe. These are all valid complaints and are being taken very seriously. Or at least, somewhat seriously, because there was this one email that was very passionate in its hatred of this change, and she was all DIE! DIE! DIE! and then there at the bottom was her signature followed by a quote from Jesus.
I'm going to let Jon talk about all the technical issues surrounding this redesign and why we decided to go with a different content management system, because all I did was draw up a design in Photoshop and say MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THIS. He has been knee-deep in code for almost two months now, and the only way we were able to launch the new design this soon and not, say, after we had both died of old age is because he had help from two expert developers, Ben Durbin and Bill Bostick. The amount and quality of work that they did was indispensable, cannot recommend them enough, and mostly I just want to thank them for all the support they gave Jon because without them he would have gone completely bald.
Yesterday as we neared the final stretch I decided to take Leta out to run some errands so Jon could project manage those last few tasks without being distracted by the sound of her body tossing itself on the floor. He briefly got up from this desk to kiss me goodbye when I noticed two giant sweat stains underneath his arms, and I was all, are you running on a treadmill while coding my website? Isn't that complicated? And he's all, yes I'm running on a treadmill, WITH MY BRAIN.
So what did I hope to accomplish with this redesign? First and foremost, I wanted to be able to post bigger photographs. That was a huge problem with the previous design, and for years I could only post photos that were 450 pixels wide. Which is why I always posted vertical photos, just to get as much out of those 450 pixels as possible. Now the width is almost double that, which gives me so much more freedom with the camera.
Two, I wanted to start a Daily Style section, some place to store my thoughts and photographs on the design of things in everyday life. When brainstorming ways to incorporate that into the site it made sense to make it a feature like the Daily Photo and Daily Chuck, mainly because I wanted it to include a photograph I'd taken of the object myself to emphasize the fact that these are things I use, these are things in my home.
Three, the Daily Links section has moved from the sidebar into the main content column. This is to give those links more emphasis, and sometime this week the background color of those entries will change color a tiny bit to differentiate them from the other posts. Also coming this week: a "previous" and "next" button at the bottom of all the posts for easier navigation and a redirected RSS feed (so you won't have to re-subscribe to it).
Finally, I'm hoping to be able to open comments more frequently with this redesign. In recent months when I opened comments my server would crash under the 17 million scripts that ran to publish a single comment, and often people would think that their comment hadn't published only to have it publish ten times in a row. That had everything to do with how the pages were built, and we think we've solved this problem.
Soon we'll find out because I'm going to open up comments on this post to get your feedback, and I just totally winced writing that. Please be gentle for I am a delicate flower. Also, before you leave a comment you are required to watch this video. Twice. (video is not completely safe for work, but worth getting yelled at for it)
Also also, while comments are open, is there any question you'd like to see answered in the FAQ? Other than SHOW US YR TITZZ!!!!!!!!!! Because that question is getting old.
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Heather talks about public tantrums (from kids) on today's Momversation.
- Bedtime, Leta lingering defiantly in the hallway. Jon: "If you want fart stories, you better get in bed RIGHT NOW."
- RIP Louis Mortimer Armstrong: http://bit.ly/1R4tv6
- Hugs and kisses to you, too! RT: @Monkey_Tree: @dooce he probably committed suicide because he was tired of LISTENING TO YOU WHINE.
600. Tammy Mellish said:
It's as if you've just pulled the Christmas lights out... I'm totally ready to celebrate! Thanks to Jon for all his hard work, and to you for continuing to entertain your fans. And to Leta, just for being Leta.
601. emelle said:
Looks fabulous. Don't change a thing.
602. Anonymous said:
I love it. Dont go changing anything.
603. Valeria said:
The new design is great. I love it. You and Jon and those who helped you did a great job. Don't mind the people who complain; obviously, they're just looking for a reason to vent their own frustrations. You can't please everyone. However, I think you came pretty close with this redesign. Looking forward to more pictures!
604. Anonymous said:
I also love the redesign and larger pictures. I'd also like to see some Photoshop tips (an earlier comment mentioned wanting to know how you darken the corners of photos)!
Nice work!
605. Amber said:
I love the new look. I think it's great!
Now can we see your TIZZZZ?
606. Naomi said:
I like it! It's clean, well laid out, and a lot better organized. Drupal is a nice system. I like receiving the links by rss too. I think the font on the top navigation and sidebar is a little blurry, but it's not unreadable either. Captcha kind of sucks, but it's understandable that you have to include it.
607. MamaLana said:
Lovely! I really like it. Bravo for getting it finished before Thanksgiving; have a happy Turkey Day!
608. littlerobothead's wife said:
My husband adores Drupal! He made an entire company bow to his wishes, and some fabulous expert came in to seal the deal.
Married to a web developer, I know how harrowing this process can be, and I for one am a huge fan (one of many, obviously).
Did you make him make the site IE 6 compatible? Now that's a pain in the ass. (or so I'm told every night at dinner. Something about soul breaking...)
609. Lizb said:
Love the new look too. I once used purple and black on my humble msn blog. (Now that you know purple and black is available over there you might change Dooce immediately!!)
Oh and by the way... it was SO obvious that that was Leta's first effort at writing her name. I have my son's first version of his on my fridge!! Anyone who couldn't tell straight away is mad!
610. Have the T-shirt said:
Well, definitely not first, drat!
Love the video...too freakin' funny.
I love the new site too and especially if it allows comments to be opened more often.
I read everything tecnical that Jon said about the development and my head almost exploded, really, posts like that should come with some kind of a warning.
611. Anonymous said:
I think the redesign is great. The colors are just fine and I love the new "daily style." Anyway, as long as I get my daily dose of Chuck, I'm happy.
612. Jessica said:
This is one of the nicest Drupal sites I have seen. And I'm jealous because I have sat down with it on a few occasions and after a couple of hours of banging my head, I wander off thinking I must be Very Special indeed. Beautiful job! And as a librarian, I LOVE that you are using reCaptcha.
613. Melissa said:
Since you have over 500 comments, I doubt you will see this. That said, I like it. It's your blog by the way, do what you want. People don't like "the purple." Jeez. You are extremely talented; who cares about "the purple." You need to start writing short stories or a novel or a column. Well, I guess the blog is like a column. Maybe a short story or a novel. I check your blog multiple times of the day because you frequently make me laugh, and I can relate. I'm not LDS or a recovering LDS, but I spent a good deal of my youth hanging out with an LDS youth group. The nicest, scary people you will ever meet.
614. QueenBee said:
Okay, for reals? LOOOOOOVE the design. Anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot. (They may have already in this comment field, but seriously. Who's gonna read all of the 59 billion comments to find out?! NOT I!!)
Love love love the design. Everyone who worked on this is a genius. Including you. And Jon. GENIUS I TELL YOU!
615. Sarah A said:
Personally, I found the new color scheme exciting. Purple and black are a combo that may make some wince in pain but I love it. And no, I don't have a dungeon in my basement.
616. jantzie said:
Love the redesign, love your content and writing style, love chuck, love everything.
I have been enjoying all the usability and content nuggets deposited in your comments, good luck with satisfying the world.
PS I enjoy all your SLC culture references; as a fellow salt-lakian, I feel you. See you at Target!
617. wn said:
Congrats on the cool redesign...it's good shit, kudos to the Mr. Armstrong as well!
618. taerin said:
Well, I for one like the purple, and I second the request for your pumpkin pie recipe. The site looks good, very organized and not all jumbled and chaotic.
Also, Chuck looks like a deer in today's pic. :-)
619. heathabee said:
I love the new layout and the colours (PURPLE IS AWESOME!) and the bigger photos in the dailies! Initially I wasn't crazy about the links postings in the main part of the site, but hey, it's your site, your design! And really, who am I? I'm glad to hear they're going to have a dif. background colour, but I would have sucked it up regardless!
<3
620. Cee Kay said:
Well, being no. 617 isn't that bad either considering there have been a number of occasions when i have wanted to leave a comment for one of your posts and haven't been able to. Not a big deal though, but I definitely would have liked to :)
Anyway - I like the new look! I happen to like purple and black, though not together (except maybe on Halloween :D)
621. Leslie said:
I can't fathom that there are already almost 600 comments, but there ya go.
Love the new design!! Anybody who says it isn't up to par is jealous. Chuck looks fab in purple!
I blame you, however, for my new addiction to College Humour.
622. Great Dane Addict said:
Oh.My.God. I finally get to leave a comment. I've been reading your blog for years and always miss the opportunity.
First of all, I mostly read it for Chuck. I heart Chuck. In fact, I just got his calendar and cried when I opened it. Well ok, I didn't, but I wanted to. I mean, here is CHUCK!, all in my face and I couldn't believe it.
Secondly, I love your stories about Leta. Yeah I don't have kids, but I have a niece who is almost exactly one year older than Leta, and every story is about exactly something she did one year ago. But funnier because of how you wrote it.
Ok, so those aren't the real reasons I read your blog. I mostly read it because it makes me spit out whatever I'm drinking and than I look like I'm foaming at the mouth, and my co-workers LOVE that. Because it's better than when I cry at work after I read about how someone abused their dog - or whatever.
In reality, I could care less how your site looks, as long as I'm able to read it and see pictures of Chuck. So no complaints from me. Ever.
623. Kristin said:
I love purple. Always have. Still loved it as a teenager even after a certain Young Life, Christian youth-group leader claimed that purple was the color of whores. To my face while I was wearing a purple dress. Needless to say I am no longer involved in organized religion. I digress...
The only aesthetic change I would make is to the size of the titles of the new posts. They are a bit large and draw attention to the fact that I am not on a work related site while at work - heh heh.
Jon deserves some new clogs after all this work.
624. Cee Kay said:
Why does every comment display number "1"? Some glitch?
625. Mindy said:
I only watched the video once. Am I going to hell? I like the re-design.
626. Anonymous said:
well miss popular!! you open your comments and you get 616 :) i actually like the new design, but again the black and purple is kinda halloweeny in my mind.
627. Lana Wood said:
V332nU
Man I wish one of those "pop ups" had been for depends becasue I pissed myself laughing.
I do not want to see your TITZ, I've already seen Chuck full frontal, but maybe Jon could show us some skin, a little somethin somethin for the ladies...
I love purple, AND black. It seems easier to navigate as well, and clearer what is where with all the assorted buttons in a nice little row there. This is very good for internet retarded people like me.
When I tried to watch the comments video the first time, I don't know what I did, but I somehow clicked into BLOW JOB tv. I was sittiing here in my favorite cafe', with my hands over my monitor, trying to figure out how to turn it off, which reminds of a story about camp...
P. S. I see the little formatiing note here, but when I preview my comment all my comment got squished together, not sure if this is a site glitch, or a U.S.E.R ID10T error.
628. Ezada said:
Personally I'm digging the design. Purple stripe socks/Tights are Sooooooooo Chucks color! Very Cute!
Looking forward to seeing the Style Pictures!
Have a Spiffy Day!
629. BettyCrockerAss said:
The new redesign reminds me of your house...
Clean
Simple
Tons of style
Congrats!
630. Juliann said:
I think the new site looks fabulous! I love that I will now get the daily links as part of the RSS feed. Looking forward to your Style photos - I am design challenged so I literally have to find things I like and attempt to copy them (and, well, you are not design challenged). I bet you must be excited about having comments back - I can't wait to read what all the crazys will be saying!
631. Jenguin said:
Awesome redesign!
632. Haley said:
I don't care what it looks like as long as your writing stays the same. Actually, that's not entirely true. But I do like the new layout. Yay, Jon!
633. Chris said:
Loved, loved, loved the video. Thank you for that.
I think the site looks great, and I'll continue to visit every day.
634. Wacky Mommy said:
617th! or possibly 620th!
I love the squares, they're SHARP.
635. Meg said:
LOOOOOOVVEE (imagine sing-song voice) the new look! Keep up the great work and creativity!
636. Melissa said:
Congrats Heather :)
SUGGESTIONS:
1) On the Masthead page I'd like to go directly to a page that displays smaller versions of past mastheads with links to "embiggen" and any other related info. Maybe 5-10 per page so they can be glanced through.
2) This comment page is doing some screwy things with your ads on the right. It might be the number of comments per page messing with the browser memory.
Take a look:
Mac Safari 3.0.4
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/seemelissasphotos/random/foroth...
Camino, Opera, Firefox, and Netscape (Mac) had inconsistent results with this comment page. Sometimes some or all ads loaded, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they loaded initially, then disappeared. In Safari this page always looked like the screencap above regardless of the number of page refreshes.
3) And now that I've tried to preview this comment, I have a #3! :) The preview shows one long run-on paragraph with no breaks or formatting. I guess we'll see if that's how this ends up posting (FYI: I put no html coding in this. Just the link address spelled out in full and "regular" line breaks, but no tags or codes of any kind.)
637. Anonymous said:
It's showing full post text in the feed now, FYI.
638. Melissa said:
Yup. I'd have to say that the "Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
Lines and paragraphs break automatically." part of the comments is not working! Lol!
639. Ames said:
change messes with my head...but i know its inevitable.
i will slowly get used to it and when i do, i know you're gonna change the format again.
love ur blog no matter how u present it.
640. Lisa said:
I LOVE the new design. The black and purple? FABULOUS. But then again, I am a Baltimore Ravens fan. I do miss getting the daily pictures in my feed, though! I know Jon said he was going to take care of that.
641. Little Sausage said:
I love your new banner! I'm getting used to the new layout, and it's growing on me. Kind of like a new pair of shoes that have FINALLY stopped giving you blisters so big they can be seen from Mars. Good job!
642. Ranger said:
Being swept along in a new-look vortex: fear of change rides with me. I will endure the hurricane for the superb content. With which I am content ...
643. Sadie said:
I like it! I didn't read all freakin' 616 comments before me, so I don't know if everyone else agrees, but I'm the most important to you, right? ;)
644. Melissa said:
Testing a line break.
Testing a line break.
Testing a URL http://www.dooce.com
Another line break.
*Ok my last "run-on" comment was posted in Mac Safari, this is posted in Camino. Still run-on. But I see earlier comments by others had line breaks so do what you will. :)
645. [michele] said:
Well, I hate change, and I hate the new look, but... I *heart* reading your blog so I'll deal.
646. Lovebuzz38 said:
You are a great designer. Love the new layout!
647. Julie said:
Lovely! I noticed the larger photos immediately... before you ever mentioned it, so your goal? Accomplished. You two do everything well!
:-)
648. Ericadaun said:
OMG Heather! I love, love, love your new page. I think the new photos are fantastic, and I especially like the new Daily Style photo. I think you do amazing work on this website, it is by far the most sophisticated and sleek blog I have read on the internet. Keep up the great work!
-Erica
(I liked the recent photos off the top of the SLC library as well!)
649. Brea in Santa Barbara said:
I shouldn't have been surprised to hear that people were complaining, but I still was. It is my good fortune when I click on my favorites tab and see a new post from you. You, john and Leta RULE but I save my true admiration for Chuck. I just received his calendar yesterday...awwwww!
650. Leticia said:
I like it...but its just going to take some getting used to. Here are some comments
-- it feels like the masthead or the header section takes up too much of the screen. The content doesn't start until too far down. And, is it me or does it magically grow when you hover on the buttons. It seems to get longer.
-- i like the way the comments are color coded so its easier to read. and awww shucks, all your commenters are #1. nice.
-- i don't know how i like the navigation of the subjects being at the bottom. I was wondering where that went, i couldn't find it at first....but i guess now that i know i could get used to it down there.
-- i love the daily style section.
-- i like the colors and the font selection.
-- YAY. fresh design.
651. Imelda said:
Loving the new look and content! Well worth the wait, and sweat!
652. marie said:
Hi there! Just wanted to tell you that I stumbled upon your blog after googling leaky garbage disposal back in 2004. Kinda weird, right? Your post on buying a garbage dispoal from Best Buy came up... I think. Ever since then this site has been part of my regular reportoire of reading each day :)
Nice redesign. The masthead is so big! That might take some getting used to but it's great you were able to upgrade for all the reasons you mentioned.
653. Ms. Karen said:
I like it, although I must admit it was nice having the links off to the side in a nice group so I could go back and hit them all a couple times.
But, purple rulz, I can squint at the small font, and the content is fabulous as always.
Um, the word verification thing? Nice touch, but...but...I can't read it and I'm a human visitor... I think... (p.s., the video was all kinds of awesome)
654. niki said:
Much better and cleaner and YES BIG PHOTOS! *licks*
are they all taken with the canon nowadays?
I too am unsure about the squares, especially with the text beside them, I think it makes the composition a bit unnecessarily big and clumsy? however... I am frequently very wrong in these things. so don't mind me.
So glad that the ads aren't on both sides - they made the previous layout look cluttered.
655. Mackenzie said:
Love it!!! Love every bit of it! Sure there are little pieces that need tweaking but overall I call it a huge success :)
656. Tammela said:
The new site design is marvy. You and Jon can take great pride in your work. Dooce rocks.
657. Lor K said:
I am so excited that I get to comment~I have been reading your website for about 10 mos, and I love it. I have enjoyed getting to "know" you guys, and I can't remember how many times I have burst out loud laughing at one of your stories. I also really like the new look. Look forward to reading more.
658. Maddy said:
Love the new masthead design- easy to use
Love, love, love the bigger pictures.
Love the new style section.
Hate the Ads.. they are extremely distracting.
Do not like Daily links at the bottom of page. I will now ignore them.
659. Katherine said:
I love it. I love the masthead and the pictures. I'm curious about how you went from English major to designer- maybe that can go in your about this site. And I think that picture of you is super pretty. Congratulations! Nice work!
660. Erikka said:
My favorite color is purple, so this is definitely not a slam - the top with the black and purple is just a smidge dark. If you don't change it, I'll still like and read your site, but if you were already thinking this and teetering on the edge of change until it was confirmed - consider it done.
Cheers!
661. Anonymous said:
Love the idea of a style section. So far I found one of the cutest purses I have ever owned AND a new rug, just by reading my morning dooce. You have good taste.
662. Katie said:
I absolutely love the new design! You are so clever and creative. Your daily photos are my favorite...I was so glad when you made Chuck part of your daily pics, and I love the new Daily Style. Oh and your picture? Yeah, my husband totally thinks you're hot.
I can only imgaine how much hard work this was for all of you. Great job!
663. Lottifish said:
Umm...I LOVE purple.
664. Anna said:
I like the new design! I like how you've kept it all nice and clean-looking and still incorporated more content/features. Very nice. And yay for comments!
665. Anonymous said:
It looks fine, really. Quite clean and while it will take a small amount of getting used to (reading daily does get one in an expected rut) all the reasons for the change were quite valid (hell, it's your site, not ours, you could put up devil worshipping baby-eaters if you wanted).
Kudo's to Jon for all the hard work. Looks good to me.
-Chuckles
666. Jen said:
I don't have anything of value to add, just wanted to comment because I've never commented on dooce before and I LOVE DOOCE and most of all I love Chuck and his fakey "yearbook smile" on the front of the calendar. Long live Chuck!!
667. Jessica said:
Wow, mama! I've been reading your site for a looooong time and I feel strangely proud of you for all the good work and effort you put into this really cool redesign. Well done!
668. Krista M said:
Great job. Well worth the wait!
The colors are hot and the new format is so much more cohesive. Keep up the great work...you reassure me everyday that I don't have to be June F-ing Cleaver to be a good mommy!
669. Betsy said:
Wow - I just surrendered countless minutes to reading all 600-some comments...and I was reminded by Eyebrow Girl of an acronym I once held near and dear:
LYLAS.
All I can say is, used in this manner, it's apparent that - Heather? She really doesn't.
670. Amber H. said:
I love the redesign, love the bigger photos, and am looking forward to Daily Style. The only thing I'm not so keen on is the integration of Daily Links into regular content. I like being able to read your posts and then being able to look to the sidebar for more clicking. (It also makes it easier to go back and find that link for forwarding to friends.) Small complaint, though. Kudos to all involved for a fantastic site!
671. Shelly said:
I read your site every day. I don't mind when you change the layout, colors, etc. It's your site, you can do what you want with it, and as a free thinking individual, I can choose to read it or not. And I choose to, regardless of whether or not I like the layout..which in this case I do, but it's irrelavent.
672. 180/360 said:
Love the redesign. I think you and Jon are incredibly talented people! I would love to hear more about your photography. I see that you will address the black surround, but I was wondering if you use premade actions or if you do it all yourself? Your photography is phenomenal either way!
673. Sara said:
For your FAQ - Could you explain why you call Chuck the Former Congressman? Is it because he looks like such a statesman? I realize I'm comment 623 or something like that, so you may have just stopped reading these by now, but just in case, I've been reading your page for years, and love it, but for some reason, I don't remember how Chuck got his nickname.
Also, I apologize if this was asked previously, I didn't have the time to read the last 622 comments.
674. Trish said:
I love the new look with black and purple. I'm sure this is in one of the previous 600 comments but just in case:
All the comments are numbered with 1.
675. Anonymous said:
Rob-
I love Cockeyed but could you put in more purple and black?
Thanks
676. Liz said:
I also like the new design. But I'm a fan of purple AND squares so don't trust my judgment.
677. Ashley said:
You know what- I have been feeling like Dooce.com was getting stale. This redesign has re-energized me in my love for Dooce!
Great work, scots!
678. EasyDiverChris said:
I know I'll be able to navigate through whatever you and Jon concoct for the layout and look of this place. I'm just glad you're writing at all. The photos of Chuck and Leta are fun and certainly add to your blog's character.
679. *~Erica Cake~* said:
I shall not go unnoticed being the 660something comment... BECAUSE I'M STILL IMPORTANT.
I love the site, I love your writing, I love your photography, I love your family, I love your dog, I love your history.
I am not a stalker... although all the LOVEs might make you think that.
Rock on Dooce!!!
680. J. said:
Gosh, once they allow gay marriage, I'll probably try and marry your website.
681. Max's Mom said:
I really like the new look. Very clean!
I've not ever commented, but I love your site. Hope you and yours have a nice Thanksgiving!
682. Mel said:
Personally I think the new layout is great. Links are more noticeable which means they are easier for me to find and click on. Great things all around.
683. InfamousQBert said:
i have to "second" the general sentiments of the smattering of comments i read. i'm pretty okay with the new design, but i do miss the separation of the daily links. i didn't even realize that was what those little posts were until i read the comments here. i liked being able to see them quickly and easily find the ones that had been there for a little while as they moved down the list.
but, that's just the opinion of one little reader. i'm sure the design changes will grow on me, much like the fungus that is this site's charm.
(oh, as i'm trying to post this, the security words are actually pretty hard to read, just fyi).
684. Jcat said:
How did you learn all the photoshop tricks? Is there a photoshop guru stuffed in one of your file cabinets or is there a good how-to book you recommend? I enjoy working in photoshop, but I'm completely overwhelmed by it.
685. Another Heather said:
I was just perusing some archives and I wondered... whatever happened to the How to Charm Me/How to Annoy Me posts? Those were entertaining.
Overall, I like the redesign. Big pictures = good. Big pictures of Chuck with things on his head = better.
686. Anonymous said:
I love everything. You are one of my favorite bloggers. I always look forward to your posts. I have to say your new pic isn't my fav. and I couldn't figure out why. And then someone mentioned the eyebrows in comments and I have to agree. Your eyebrows look fierce but a little too fierce for your light hair and skin in the pic. I do think your hair is really cute though.
687. Beverly said:
I love the new design, I do not understand what all went in the whole process. Just so I can follow your life with the funniest baby, Leta...
688. Anonymous said:
OH and I do miss the how to annoy/charm me posts too.
689. Eliza said:
Love the redesign. The haters are all wrong.
I've never left a comment before--mostly leaving one now to assist with the troubleshooting of the comments section.
Just doing my part to assist the DooceNation.
690. Anonymous said:
OMG I am in love with your new layout! And I LOVE purple! And black! And the font! It's just AWESOME!
691. Kiraa said:
Oh! I love it. Good job guys.
692. Anonymous said:
I LOVE the new site! I wouldn't change a thing. The layout, colors, etc....All Awesome. Great job guys! :)
693. Madame M. said:
SIX-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THIRDDDDDDDDDDDD!!111!!!!!11!!!!!!!!
It looks nice.
I like purple. And puppies. And ponies.
And my captcha is very poetic: "guaranteed devoid."
694. HDC said:
I like it. Part of the reason I like coming around to your site, other than your wonderfully entertaining writing, is to see how your design skills are always evolving. And your designs themselves are always different and so unique. No bland blogger pages here!
People can't handle change. Let 'em fuss. They'll get used to it. Pooh on them for being grouches anyway.
695. Ev said:
Heather,
For the FAQ, please: Why is Chuck called "the former congressman"? (And please don't say, "Because he's no longer a Congressman"!)
696. Ev said:
And I meant to add, love the new design and Leta and Chuck are looking as beautiful as ever. You and Jon, too!
697. Jodie said:
I'm impressed by the redesign. I like purple & black. Love the photos of Leta, Chuck (same name as my hubby), Daily Photo, Style etc. And I keep coming back for the same reason as many have said, you are a great writer. And you make me laugh with your brain-searing comments about life. I can't believe how many comments you're getting on this post. Congrats to Jon et. al. on the hard work of the redesign!
698. Anonymous said:
SHOW US CHUCK'S TITZZ!!!!!!!!!!
699. MiMi La Rue said:
I think the new look is great. It's not SO different from what was here before, and I do like that it is easier to find archives, photos, etc. I'm sorry that some visitors are stressing you guys out. Jeez. It's not even such a big change!!!
700. Ariel said:
Actually, I love purple. Good job on everything!!
701. Kristin said:
Lurve. Trust. It's all good.
702. hellohahanarf said:
welcome to your new home!
703. paula said:
I guess I am just a fuddy duddy- I don't see any real difference except in the colors? But don't go by what I say, I can't even hear the difference between my husbands expensive kick-ass speakers and my car system- and I only think HDTV looks a little clearer... so, uh. yeah. Purple is nice.
704. Cassie said:
Wow almost 700 comments? Have fun reading them all! I thought I'd add one more to the bunch...
LOVE THE LAYOUT!
705. Carey said:
I really like the new page. The colors are great and the picture of Chuck is one of his best. I have a question though. I have only been a devotee of your site for a few weeks (what I was missing!!). I have read a lot of it, spending hours each day when I wasn't working, becoming enmeshed in your life. How did Chuck get the name former Congressman? I can't find it on your site.
706. Rick said:
I read your post first in my RSS reader, and initially thought to myself, "Uh oh... how bad is this design going to be?"
So I popped open the site, expecting a "failure pile in a sadness bowl" with a lot of good intentions thrown in. (How easily I'd forgotten how awesome your photos are, and how your eye for composition would never allow a sadness bowl to replace your site)
I love it!
I'm only meh on purple, but it works here.
Great work, gang!
PS: I didn't read all the other comments - so I imagine someone else has pointed out that "lines and paragraphs break automatically" doesn't seem to be working yet.
707. Linda R. Moore said:
Actually, it's a lovely design. Purple is my favorite color, and I love squares. So there.
708. V. said:
Love the pix, love the links, love the crazy bravery of trying any kind of redesign, let alone such an ambitious one. But really, the main draw here at Dooce is the wonderful writing about your (what did one reader call it - stupid and boring?) life.
709. Mel said:
Lookin' good :) Well done!
p.s. My awesome captcha: "cartoons illegal"
*lol*
710. Rebecca said:
I heart your new design!
Love from Dallas, TX <3
711. Prozac-Mommy said:
It'll take some getting used to...but change is always good.
I can't wait for all of the new photos! I love them!
You make me laugh,
Amy
712. Prozac-Mommy said:
It'll take some getting used to...but change is always good.
I can't wait for all of the new photos! I love them!
You make me laugh,
Amy
713. Anonymous said:
I love the design and layout, personally, I think it's a lot easier to navigate. I also love the "Daily Style" and I'm really glad you have more picture options. Your pictures are part of my day, every day!
714. Amber said:
Stuff I Love:
1. The masthead, square "daily" area, and navigation buttons at the top.
2. The white with subtle shading. I'm sure there's a design word for this, but I don't know it. But I like it!
3. Photos are bigger, better.
4. Fonts are great! There seem to be two kinds of people in this world: those who can mix & match fonts well and those who cannot. You are of the former.
5. I'm REALLY looking forward to this section.
Stuff I'm Not Sure About:
1. There seems like a lot more empty space. And I have to scroll around that empty space more to see stuff whereas before I didn't. Maybe this will pass.
2. I don't know how I feel about this new idea of putting daily links in with everything else. It frightens and startles me in unnerving ways.
One Thing I Don't Really Like:
The first thing I see when I open the site is a big surly ad asking me if I want to earn my Master's Degree at a podunk college near my town. The ad has no style, it's just big letter typed in thoughtlessly contrasting colors with a dropbox for me to choose between airplane repair and bookkeeping. I don't mind ads on blogs, but one thing I appreciated about the previous design is that your most prominent ads - the ones that usually contained some sort of flash animation - were balanced, stylish, contemporary, and even sometimes down-right artistic. They deserved the first slot, blocking your more recent posts. Why are they now buried beneath a crappy ad that looks like it appears on the homepage of MySpace next to ads for mortgage refinance and debt consolidation? The only way readers even see the other (better) ads is if you've posted something long enough to make them scroll down. So that's kind of a bummer.
But overall I like it - it was well worth waiting for.
715. Helen said:
I think the new design is just fine, my mother of autistic sons brain might be twitching a bit because the 'stuff' used to be on the left and now it's on the right and WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THAT?? Otherwise, it's your blog...do what you will with it ( how magnaminous of me)
I am resisting the urge to comment on every single post for the past 3 years just because I CAN, I so often long to post but can't and emailing seems so stalkery, when all I want to say is 'ha ha! you're great' or ' Beautiful girl you have there.' So, you ARE great, your girl IS beautiful and you are so clever to be able to support your family this way. Oh how I wish I could!
716. marymuses said:
The new design looks great, and I am particularly excited about Daily Style.
Also, I'm loving that everyone is first today. Perfect.
717. Usedtobeme said:
I like the new layout. Very pleasing. I'm also glad you'll be able to open comments because sometimes I just need to say hell yes, or OMFG are you serious? Ya know.
718. Peggy said:
I like the new look very much.
Jon did a great job.
719. Dee said:
Happy to still be here, watching the continued renaissance of your blog.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving! We love ya...
720. southerngirl said:
I'm really looking forward to your "hate mail on the new design" post.
Love the design, love the large photos (Abandoned is gorgeous),loved the Internet Commenters video.
721. Carrie said:
I like it, Heather.
What DOES p0wnd or whatever mean?!
722. Jessica said:
It's fabulous, Heather. I love your "Style" idea, as you have great taste and I've never seen anything on your site and thought "Ew, I would never own that." Congrats, and have a lovely holiday.
723. germaine said:
I love black, I love purple... but that doesn't matter... It's your site... do what you want, say what you want! :)
Have fun! ~G
724. Krista said:
Your photos are amazing so this was well worth the wait. Fantastic job and I LOVE THE PURPLE.
725. Sally said:
It's lovely! It is a little whacked in Firefox, though - I had to click to IE Tab to get the full view of the redesigned goodness.
726. Franca Bollo said:
Oh gawd, it's your site. Do what you want. If others want green and yellow and a larger font let them build their own. On first hit, looks good to me. Congratulations from someone who's struggling to redo their site.
727. kim said:
I love it. Plus, it's your website, screw what everyone else thinks. LOL
728. cghipp said:
Looks like the comments display is not working quite right. Other than that, it looks fantastic!
729. martha m said:
I like the new design. It's quite nice. I love the larger pictures as well. Well done.
730. lemonade said:
OMG! my first comment on dooce.com!! do u know how excited i am??!!
love the new design heather and the new daily style page, but its pretty hard to find something specific in the archives..
731. karen said:
liking the new design, especially the larger area devoted to displaying photos. great video link today! and if you want to laugh some more, check out this guy, for real, dude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5j4McFzies
732. Cati Basmati said:
FINALLY! I haven't slept since November 1st, because of my fear that I could miss the launch :-)
I love the new design, especially the 'daily style'-section. Your new finds, pictures and observations in that field have always been welcomed with a loud joyous cry, startling my boyfriend each and every time. So now I can have a daily peek and enjoy those pics maybe as much as the daily chuck pictures! But then again... nothing beats Chuckles...
733. Stacy said:
I love the new look! I would like to know more abut Leta and school and how you are adjusting to her being away more often. Also, how will you possibly be able to read 700+ comments on eah post?
734. Cassandra said:
Your website is amazing. The upgrade is wonderful. Lately, I've been absolutely devouring your blog, and I appreciate your work.
735. Alyssa said:
It looks lovely. Though I am quite distressed at not seeing your tits.
Baldness causes sweating. And sweating causes baldness. So either way, our husbands are fucked.
736. Phoenix said:
I love the new design. It's purty.
737. acidspit said:
I don't mind the purple and the black, but I think the row with your photo, daily chuck, daily photo, and daily style are too big (tall?) I really liked the old design because it was small enough to fit everything without looking cluttered, and it looked really clean and neat. Maybe I'm just adjusting to the change of the new look, but it seems too "i'm a new blogger" which DUH I know you're not.
In general, the masthead area in black seems too big.
And is it possible to put your photos above the ads? (Maybe not though, since the advertisers are paying to be seen...)
738. jill said:
purple is the devil. and the very idea of integrating links with the main content is simply unholy and your eternal soul will burn in the flaming pits of hell.
kidding. love your site, you, your family, and will marry the congressman when the law finally allows it.
739. j² said:
longest page...
ever.
740. Gillian said:
I like it too! Purple - preetttyy. Black - Nnniiiceee. Chuck - hhaanndddssoommeee. Oooohhh, aaahhh.
Sometimes when I'm bored I'll read dooce archives, since I only started reading this year and that leaves SIX YEARS of reading fun. So here's my constructive criticism - I can't jump to a year/date in time. Being pregnant now, I've been reading a couple of old posts a day from back when you were pregnant with Leta. I like to read about what other mothers go through. But now it's hard to find, I have to guess what page it's on. I think. I haven't, you know, scoured the page for hyperlinks to August 2003 or whatever. But I didn't see them right away, so you clearly are not catering to the dumbest of the dumb (or, alternatively, the girl who checks blogs quickly while at work and doesn't want to get caught).
FAQs are pretty comprehensive, I think.
Love the daily style. And the new pic - foxy! And, um, you can blog about whatever you want but please don't sho me ur titz. Without fair warning. Thank you! Gillian
741. Tammy said:
Well, I'm not the biggest fan of purple and black, but my adoration of squares more than makes up for it. Heh.
Seriously, dude, it's your site. Make it look however you'd like, and fuck everyone else.
742. Polly said:
i like the redesign. my only comment is that i liked it when you didn't have comments. it set you apart from this totally viral world that is the internet. kinda like: f*ck you, you can't say sh*t, cuz my writing stands on its own. now igits like me can put their two cents in. that's gonna be a lot of pennies, heather!
743. Daly said:
I like the look of your new site and the sexy font! Good job, Heather!
744. Shelly Trapped inIowa said:
Love your blog and the new format. Screw all those who are fussy and resistant to change!
745. JA said:
Love the new layout and color scheme...great job by the both of you.
Thank you.
746. I Am Tall said:
I like it, tho I burnt my toast. Did your new website burn my toast? Is there an option somewhere to turn this off? Like a pop up menu or something that I have to tick? It burnt bad, like black, not just well done. So I couldn't eat it, I tried. It tasted like fire.
So apart from the toast burning and the cough, but I had the cough before the page changed so I don't think it was that, unless you implimented some kind of coughing option into the previous page that I just didn't notice...
I like it...
Hi.
747. Blue State Cowgirl said:
Love the new layout and am amazed at its functionality. But where are all the new pictures in their expanded pixel glory? Except for Daily Chuck and Daily Pix, not seeing any. Thought every entry would have a picture at this point. Pix and MORE PIX. That's what's needed.
748. Carole said:
Where are the links? I can't see them. I count on you to keep me funny and hip. Please help!
749. rabbits said:
hey, purple is the hottest colour this year. hello.
only problem? with a link bar and tabs open, i can't *quite* fit your picture on my screen as a whole.
750. Ariel said:
I like it.
751. Bonnie said:
i think your site looks good..........i dont get how people would complain about how you set up your site. i still dont understand how so many people read your blog. now....i know i occasionally read it and i dont know you, i think i came across it googling for something related to babies or book about babies, something. ive read things you wrote about peoples comments/emails to you about things they think u do wrong. all i know.......is if you have time to critize strangers lives that you read about online you obviously have no life of your own. anyways......i find your blog amusing, and i like the new radiohead cd myself. just wanted to leave a comment cause i dont know you and i have no life of my own. jk.....my babys asleep so its a good time for going online.
752. Mags said:
Not going to comb 700+ comments to see if this has been requested yet (soz! love ya!) but I would really really really like it if you could pop in a Home Page link - you know, when I get going through all your dailies or I just start trawling the archives for stories featuring the Saga of Chuck & GEORGE!! and then I want to find my way back to your most recent wisdom. A Back Arrow Click or two is okay, but sometimes a girl just wants to go right back where she started from directly without all the tiresome multiple clicking nonsense. My tendons.
So, to sum up, add a HOME PAGE link throughout, your site is looking great, and please with more stories about Chuck & GEORGE!!!
753. Mandy said:
I love how the first commenter said first. and i liked that video. I like the black, although I'm not a fan of purple. go figure. and is it just me, or is this faster?
754. Bronnie said:
I think the new looks is great!!
And I totally love the "daily style"... wish I had thought of that!
I also love that I can comment without having to log into that other thing :)
Yay for you!
755. Tyrun said:
Alright, so you already have a ton of comments, but I thought I'd add my own thoughts: LOVE the new design. Didn't really have a problem with the old one, but I love the new functionality and layout.
Great job!
Oh, and I received my Chuckles Calendar yesterday, made me lol :) I love chuck so much, wish I could just take him home with me.
756. Kara said:
Just a quick comment - I liked the old drop down menu of the archives better. You could pull up all the entries by subject matter rather than by date.
757. Alison said:
I think it looks great. And thanks for the link to that video. Made me laugh, it did.
758. Sara said:
*hoping this won't get unnoticed in the massive amount of comments*
Jon, check this link, IE is messing Dooce's fonts up.
http://www.maratz.com/blog/archives/2006/10/23/ie-7-quirks-round-one/
759. Lizzi said:
Love, love, LOVE the new design. Woohoo Jon! And Heather ... I'm sure you had SOMETHING to do with it ...
760. katie said:
wow... do you really read over 700 comments? If so, that's amazing! Thanks for entertaining me so often!
761. Marla said:
I love the new design. Two thumbs up, it was an effort well worth all the work.
762. Jessica said:
I'm not sure if you made it to be like this but when you go the next page of comments, the numbering starts all over again. It does it on each page. Just thought I should let you know just in case it wasn't meant to do that.
763. lindsay said:
Love it, congrats on the launch.
764. Lisa said:
I think the new design looks great!
765. witchypoo said:
Already a gazillion comments in a few hours!
I wonder what would happen to your server if you ran a giveaway?
You know you wanna.
766. A Seattleite in Paris said:
The new site looks wonderful! If people don't like it - just ignore them.
767. Skorky said:
Here's a question for your FAQ: What does "nubbin" mean? I've been following you for a few years now, and haven't figured that one out.
768. Kristina said:
I'd prefer for the daily photos to be updated in the morning (what a great way to start the day), but it's your blog so do whatever you'd like :)
769. Rita Arens said:
I just posted some thoughts on your new design here: http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/surrender_dorothy/2007/11/in-praise-....
770. Tina said:
Love it! Keep up the awesomeness.
771. Laura said:
Um, I like the new design - a lot.
772. ~A said:
I steal peeks at this from work. When I'm having a bad day your writing fortifies my will: when you're a mess I'm not alone; when you're high on life I've something to aspire to... (Of course, when I'm having a good day at work I may skip the site but, if I don't, I'm usually encouraged in my good mood and that's nice, too.) (...also, I never have a bad day at home; my life might turn to $h*t in a moment but that's my life taking a turn - "bad days" are only a work occurrence.) whatever.
All this is to say that I'm only happy that those big, dumb-looking ads on the right (Uni. of Phoenix, I take it, does not have a design or marketing class to draw from for help.) are firmly on the right. Flashing I'M READING A BLOG AT WORK AND NOT WORKING AT ALL RIGHT NOW ads tend to betray the "I'm busy" face I try and maintain while not working at work. A person doesn't even have to pass behind my desk to notice the ads on my monitor - they need only notice that my eyes are reflecting PURPLEGREENORANGEREDYELLOWWOWOWOWOWOW! So, yeah, that I can drag my window over to the right about 4" past the edge is good enough for me. Do whatever you want to the colors, etc - just don't stick ads between posts, please. Otherwise, good job; you two make me happy. :o)
~A
773. B. said:
I'm just getting on the bandwagon. It's comment day over at the Armstrongs! woo hoo! Great site design. It's very clean looking... when's the free template coming to Drupal?
774. Michelle said:
Bring back the previous and next buttons in the archives!!
775. Kay said:
I LOVE the new design! Purple is my favorite color and the whole page looks cleaner. It rocks.
776. Milf Gone Wild said:
I absolutely love the new design..
As for my FAQ: What's your favourite leftover turkey recipe??
777. Lori said:
Me, me, I have a question! Under categories, what does "nubbin" mean?
Thanks in advance!
778. Danielle said:
I'm a big fan of the header. It incorporates so many of my favorite design elements - purple, curves and stars. And of course, a goofy pic of Chuck is enough to bring a smile to anyone's face, right?
Good job on the redesign, Jon. Big kudos to you.
779. Angela said:
I love the re-design, but I'm disappointed that the daily photos no longer show up in my blog reader. I loved that google reader gave me the photos mixed in with your posts - meant less clicking around your website. But, since it's such a pretty website, I guess I'll have to get over myself and visit it from time to time, rather than relying on my butler/reader to bring it to me.
780. Dylan said:
The new site is awesome! I love what you two have done with it. Congrats!!! Now go have a drink on me!
781. Allison said:
I like the navigation at the top. Colors and design are clean, stylish and appealing. Easy to navigate. On a laptop, the font of your post is a little small. Love the change!
782. jen c said:
the new site is fantastic; the old site was fantastic. i have a feeling that pretty much anything you put out would be fantastic. thanks for all the entertainment over the years.
783. Jen said:
I like pretty much everything about it...I was sad yesterday when I couldn't find the links archive, but now I know why! Keep up the beautiful work! Oh, and that video? So awesome. FIRST!!!!!
784. missinsidegirl said:
I love the new site. Congrats on getting it up!
785. Linds said:
I LOVE the new layout Heather! Great job :-)
786. Shash said:
Great job on the new design! Love it all, and can't wait to read more. Tell Jon that he and Ben and Bill did a fantastic job. Those bald patches? TOTALLY WORTH IT!
Buy those men some hats, Heather!
Shash
787. Kelly said:
First comment for me... ever. You husband is going to kill me, but I really don't see a difference. I like the new site, and I love your photo.
788. Jess said:
I like the new design - and the larger pics. *thumbs up* More Chuck, please!
789. Jess said:
I like the new design - and the larger pics. *thumbs up* More Chuck, please!
790. Tiffany said:
It looks awesome -- very clean design & I love the new daily style picture
791. Teresa said:
Your blog is the only reason I go to work some days, so I can read it during my lunch break. I was sorry to hear about your miscarriage and I hope you are doing well. Keep on keeping on, and I will keep reading.
792. Eva said:
I love this! I love the bigger photos. Beautiful design!! :-)
One minor quip: the archives. They're like hundreds of pages long, and there's no way to view by month or year (unless I'm dumb or blind, which is possible).
But well done! Kudos to Jon.
793. merseydotes said:
I like it. It's very streamlined, which makes it easier on the eyes and easier to read. The big photos are really nice.
Can you move the recent flickr photos up above the ads? Or somewhere else higher? They are very lost down there below the blinking colors trying to get me to go to the University of Phoenix.
Also, how does one verify one's identity here?
Please, please, please bring back "How to Charm Me" and "How to Annoy Me." Please. Please?
794. miriam said:
very cool. i like purple. i like black. i like pictures.
keep it up.
795. Michelle T. said:
It looks lovely, and is so much easier to read (is the text different?). Great job to both of you, and it was worth the blood, sweat and tears it took to make.
The new pics are HUGE! I love them!
796. chistranger said:
Love the design, great job guys. It is unique, funky and very dooce. congrats.
p.s. love the links section tooooo
797. E-Lo said:
I'm just excited to see that tutorial on how you get those darkened edges on your photos... More photo tutorials - you take such wonderful pictures!
798. Suz said:
Hey...for the FAQ - wondering if you touch up/photoshop your pics? I was showing my husband your site the other day and he insisted they were touched up, but I insisted it was the camera/photographer! Please settle our debate. Thanks!
799. Shannon said:
I quite like it, actually. I prefer the body being on one side with the ads etc. to the other side. I find it cleaner. Lala.
800. Gabi said:
UGH! You will never please everyone so don't bother trying, just be sure you are happy with your work, that is what matters most. Anyhow, site looks great, no doubt, you will change the masthead with the seasons giving the nitpickers fresh content to critique, gotta give em somthin to do dontcha. You could always go with a mint green and beige combo in honor of our good friend Prozac.
PS. Now can we see your hot ass!!!!!
801. Anonymous said:
Big Pictures Good!
802. Mary said:
It's your party and you can do whatever you want to! Change can traumatize creatures of habit, but the faithful will soon happily reprogram. Glad the work is over and you can go back to witty prose and reading the fan mail. Anything that lets you post bigger photos (because yours are so amazing) is a good thing!
803. Moria said:
The web police totally blocked me from viewing the video from work. Now I'm even more curious!
804. Spanky said:
I heart Dooce!
805. Austin said:
I think going with drupal was a great idea. Its super-flexible, although templates are a gigantic pain in the ass. The site looks nice, I'm glad you can do what you want with it :)
806. Jeff Milner said:
Just a nit-pick which probably doesn't matter anyway, since Arial and Helvetica are so close but in the CSS Jon has #left h1, #left h2 {font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;} instead of the order you picked here body { font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;}
807. Tanya said:
Congratulations on the new design. I enjoy your writing very much, that is why I keep coming back to your blog. But I do hope you will continue to change the masthead. I don't know why, but I look forward to see what you come up with every month.
808. debbi said:
i love your blog and especially chuck
809. Kelda said:
How does your hair always look so damn cool and like you didn't try at all and you wake up all glowy like the sun goes to sleep in your hair and gives it gentle kisses all night long?!
The site is beautiful too, though I did like the snippets on the side about what your listening to (over and over and over), what's putting you in stitches on youtube and the fabulous artist your obsessed over - at least it's not Britney Spears, anymore. Maybe?! Poor girl needs to be left alone. I'm a clicker, not a scroller I guess.
I'm wearing a sweater today that matches your site beautifully and I'm obsessed with stars - my favorite doodle. We have good taste?
810. vanou said:
Love the new look, less crowded.
I just too changed my blog recently to allow for bigger pictures.
Good job to everyone involved.
811. Mindy said:
Congrats to you and Jon on the new design!
I really like the new, larger pictures and the fact that you are writing a bit underneath them. I hope that you continue to give us a little background or blurb on the daily photos. Not that the photo itself doesn't tell a great story, it's just nice to hear a little more about it from you.
812. Tami said:
Love it!! I think you and Jon did an awesome job, it was worth the wait. Now Jon's brain can rest for a few days, it deserves it! Happy Turkey Day!
813. Cissy Harklerode said:
Hey, Heather.
I love your blog! I found it one day from cuteoverload.com (list of nominees) I read the ones you had, then I went and read the entire archive of blogs..It took a month. I love it that much. =P
The redesign... Hmm, honestly, I opened the page and was caught completely off guard. "OMG, WHAT HAPPENED!?" Then just as suddenly, i thought, "Oh, she and Jon got the new updates going"
it's lovely... I don't know that I like this one better than the old one yet... But I do like it, and it's not like it matters, as I will read your blog religiously until you stop writing it...
Love you! And you sweet little family. Best wishes for the future!'
Cissy
814. Sweet Yet Sassy said:
Have been a faithful reader for a couple of years. Love the content first and foremost. The new layout and design are nice. I like the purple mixed with the black and of course the Congressman always adds a nice touch! ;)
Love Daily Photos and Daily Chucks. Looking forward to Daily Style!
815. Andrea said:
I love the new design, love the purple and black, and I don't have any problems with the font. Of course, I'm stuck using IE6 instead of Firefox because I'm at work (shh! don't tell!), so that may be part of the difference.
Oh, and I love the bigger pictures, too! Thanks for keeping me entertained for the past year and a half or so!
816. Anonymous said:
Looks Great! I know you mentioned scrapbooking any possibility we could see some of your layouts or possibly you could post some tips and ideas?
817. Billi said:
I love the new design. Purple rocks~!
818. Nenette said:
Love the new design...
It's all perfect... although the purple can be a tad more purply...
xo,
nen
819. Keara said:
Eff the haters, I think it's fabulous.
820. Alexandra said:
I love the new design, but I must say that I miss having the links have their own little space, so I could keep better track of what's new. Congratulations on getting this up, though!
821. Sarcomical said:
i understand wanting to be able to feature your photos more, and you should because obviously that's a big part of what your talents are. hope the new setup helps you guys out on the admin end. ;)
822. Susie said:
Congratulations on a great job, Blurbodoocery!
823. itzkeri said:
I like it! Keep up the good work!
824. deborah said:
For the FAQ page...What's the magic to getting so many readers? BTW How many readers do you have?
825. Michelle said:
the new layout is beautiful and I already love the daily style section. congratulations on the completion!
826. JLJ said:
I love the new site. It's so pretty! I especially like the fact that we are all FIRST!!! right now. It reminds me of the way I turn 29 every year. At first, it's funny, then bittersweet, then ....
No seriously. I really love the site changes, the new sections, the photo upgrades, etc.
One thing, probably me: I'm a little disconcerted visually by the ads etc to the right (for some reason, I want to see them on the left), but then, it could be I'm just really tired and very right-hand oriented. (Wow. That sounded kind of suggestive. An accident, I swear. Although now I'm going to have to use "right-hand oriented" in a conversation somewhere and see what happens.)
Or, it could be all those drugs and those dirty martinis I've been imbibing ... hard to say.
I also love the purple and black. And I know Baby Jesus loves it. Purple is good unless it's that dinosaur.
Aw, you know, it's always great here. That's just the way it is.
827. Raquel said:
Love the black, love the purple, love all! It's a very clean, simple yet attractive re-design.
good job guys!
828. Nat W said:
I like it.
829. kitt said:
Yay, Drupal!
Not sure if you're using it, but the Akismet http://akismet.com/ module http://drupal.org/project/akismet should help a lot with comment spam (not that you have any now, which implies you might be using it).
830. Coleen said:
How is it that I just discovered your blog?! Love it!
831. Jenn said:
I like purple. And black. And squares.
The new look is great!
832. Michelle said:
Q: You take an amazing amount of pictures, what organizational system do you use?
833. Loreli said:
What do I have to say that 800 people haven't already said?
Let's try this and sorry if this is the 604th time you've heard it. I knew that most of your subscribers, myself included, would react poorly to the new design simply because it's change. Change is welcomed by very few members of the human race. So I'll do my best to be grateful that we can see bigger pictures and get some style and even perhaps be the 801st commenter from time to time!
834. Shylah said:
I happen to like purple.
And Drupal rocks. And I sent you an e-mail about Mormon underwear. *snicker*
835. Manda said:
Love the new design. Thanks for keeping me entertained.
836. Annette said:
yah comments! wow, you are clever, funny, a great mom, and very popular!
837. Chris said:
Congrats! Looks great. I've already forgotten what the old format looked like. And that's not a figure of speech. I've actually already forgotten. That can't be good.
838. Loreli said:
*Make that 834th.
And apparently more people want you to know that you're loved than admit they don't like chane... or I have to shift my whole worldview.
839. LesG said:
It looks great, guys! You're always so revolutionary.
Maybe in your FAQ you can give "how to be a blogger" tips. I'm kidding. I can't believe I even typed that.
Nice work!
840. Katie said:
I'd love to see your list of favorite Etsy sellers. You find such beautiful things there.
841. Darci said:
Rockin' new site...very much enjoy the flow and the addition of the Daily Style and comments. Though you are a delicate flower I know you can handle it.
842. Jonathan Dobres said:
Love the new site. I realize that the purple/black combo is likely to change come January, but let the record show that I think it's great. The color combo, not the record. Though the record is nice, too. Even though it sometimes incriminates me and proves that I'm often wrong.
I could say something less than glowing about the main navigation buttons, but then again, I could also shut up.
Great work!
843. juneyor said:
Hell I don't really care what color it is as long as you keep giving me a reason to screw off work.
844. Chloe said:
I have been awaiting the change to your site and love what you have done. What a wonderful husband you have to have made it all possible:) I enjoy your writing and will continue to be a faithful reader!!!
845. Amy said:
I like the new look! I also like the idea of opening new windows when the links are clicked. I love the photos too and had to laugh at Julie's comment about your camera. My dad is a photographer and HATES IT when someone asks about what kind of camera he uses. He can take good photos with ANY camera. Anyway...got a giggle.
846. Making My Own Fun said:
You know what? I'm commenting just because I can. Not because I have anything even remotely exciting to say. I've been reading for probably a year and have only ever had one chance to comment (because, obviously, your site is all about ME). So, yay! Here's to the comments section! (Oh, and the new design ain't half bad either. I think I may have to start running on the treadmill with my brain as well - might get it out of its current funk.)
847. Catalina said:
Love the new design....you guys are brilliant !
848. Karen said:
Looks soooo wonderful! Wordpress?
Also, thanks for Muscle - my 3 yr. old is running through the house singing "I AM AWESOME" (the wrong lyrics from "Sweaty."
849. lisa-marie said:
I love the new design - the purple, the curvy font, the squares, everything! It's awesome!
850. sadbookaboutadog said:
I love you. I love the new layout. I love it all. Except--I have a slight problem with the font size of the post titles. I think they're a teency tinsy bit too big. Two reasons: they're bigger than "Dooce" at top and they look a bit weird when they spill over to the next line. That's all. I know it sounds nit picky, but they that's what struck me.
Cheers!
851. Erica said:
I felt very comfy-cozy in the old design (and it was your only design I've known), but I do like the spaciousness of this one. And I adore the Style pictures - except I don't completely adore that whenever you mention a particular Etsy store or something similar by the time I get there there is nothing left for me.
You, my dear, are driving an industry of sorts. Creating a mini-universe. The next Google?
And, I see you're using reCaptcha! Very cool.
852. Tahoe Jenn said:
A much overdue thank you for proving to my boyfriend that I'm not the only one who likes to dress up (he says humiliate) my dog. Oh, and the new design is fab.
853. Karen (miscmum) said:
I just wanted to say: "Keep up the great work!"
854. Anonymous said:
Not sure how/why this is happening, but I have a Mac running Firefox, and when I tried to open the comments, it not only locked up the browser, but kicked my whole internet connection (this happened twice, so I don't think it's a fluke)...
855. Laurie Shocaroff said:
I love your blog and I've been reading it for over a year. I'm completely amazed that a woman from Utah raised a mormon can be so much like a woman from Indiana raised a Catholic. I love your honesty your willingness to let us inside your head no matter where that may be. I love your letters to Leta, I too have written to my 9 year old since she was a baby and thought about binding it and putting it in a book and giving it as a present to her when she has a child. Your sense of style is amazing also, I'm so glad to see the new section up, I just recently decided to follow my heart and go back to college and obtain a degree in design and fine arts! I also have enjoyed reading your problems with depression, my ex-husband has bi-polar and unfortunately it destroyed our marriage, something I'll never get over. I was so sad to hear about the lost of your baby recently and I'm hoping you are getting through it as well as possible. Thanks most of all for touching my life with your words. I'm so glad the comments were opened I've been wanting to say hello and tell you, you rock for a long time!!!
856. jaz said:
Hi Heather
I love what you have achieved here..
> Streamlining the text to the side
> How quick the photos load
> The white space creates a nice fresh space to the pg..
> Also dig the "Daily Style" , hopefully comments will open soon on this it will manifest into a great space for comment and discussion..
relax and thank u Jon!!
857. Trysha said:
I like the new page. I am digging the Daily Style section.
858. RzDrms said:
no new daily pix today?
859. cristina said:
I like purple and black together, and the new design too.
860. Crys said:
I for one, am totally in love with the new design - black an purple colors included. Oh and I especially love the idea of larger daily photos.
861. RzDrms said:
wait! now they're appearing. :( even though i've cleared my cache and history tons of times today. confusing.
862. Erin said:
I love it Heather. So chic! The comments section is crazy though....we are all showing up as number 1...Go us!!!
863. Lotus (Sarcastic Mom) said:
Holy jumping vaginas, Batman. I love your new design. You, Jon, & the other gentlemen did an excellent job.
Moreover, that video made me pee a little. And it's not just because of my weak kegels, either.
The 2nd time I watched it, I caught the chart at the end, "Amount of Friends You Had in High School." Freakin' brilliant. I don't know if I will be able to resist posting this myself.
And it's way gay that the first commenter didn't sarcastically type, "FIRST!!!" but actually did a real life version of it.
I had a little spasm when I read that comments were open. But that's just because you can't type anything without my vagina turning it into... oh, nevermind.
PS: I'm feeling all insecure about being "not verified."
864. cagey said:
Coming here by way of Rita Arens at the Surrender,Dorothy blog (http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/). She just wrote a very thoughtful, touching tribute to you - she talks about how with everything going on, you have still managed to keep your voice and be true to yourself. A very nice post.
I am not a daily reader here, but must say that I will be adding the Daily Style to my reader - looks interesting.
865. Tracy said:
Love the purple, love the black, love the squares, love everything!
I really do enjoy reading your blog! It's wonderful!
866. Kimblahg said:
No way I'm reading through all those comments so sorry if I'm being repetitive. I like the resdesign, particularly the ads all being on the right now. And I like purple. The only thing that is bugging me is the size of the post title, it seems like it needs to be one or two sizes smaller.
(One more thing. When I just submitted this, it didn't like my URL without http:// in front. No biggie but most sites don't have a problem with inserting your URL starting with www.)
867. tyler said:
very nice change. I wish I was smart enough to pull something like this off.
868. Tita said:
I do indeed love the new, wider photo possibilities. The bevelized, dropforeshadowed and gradientified (all official design terms) ads are hideous but of course I know that is not the fault of dooce. Great redesign.
869. pretty crafty thing said:
I think your new site looks great and I am finding it easier to navigate for me. Good job, great work! Always an inspiration
870. Lizzy said:
Finally I was so glad that I can comment now.. I used to always wonder how can i... and now its easy! oh and i totally like your new web page.. i think its looks great!
871. Skipper said:
If I had to read these, I would be curled up in a little ball, shrieking in circles in my head that only I could hear. Just perusing 50 random comments was enough to make me understand that there are enough conflicting messages here to choke a god damned horse.
What came to mind is it doesn't matter if people like the layout, they'll get over it. Doesn't matter if they like the font, or the photo of you (that's really shitty of them to say though). Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, and everyone's looking for reasons to talk out of theirs, including me.
Just do what you do. People will not abandon you. You are not our hostage. We love to read your thoughts and the way you look at the world. Your words have value to us. People hate change, but life is change (am reminding myself of Princess Bride here for some reason).
I recommend that people lighten up, read the heartfelt, real words that come free of charge, right to your screen and at your own convenience. And unless you have helpful advice (this is of course debatable) as to how to fix a specific problem, then say thank you, if you must say anything at all. My opinion. From my own asshole.
872. Teryn said:
Looks great -- and I love the big photos!
873. kate said:
I think it looks great!
874. AG said:
Oh Heather, the redesign is gorgeous. I love purple and black and squares and it's all great. Kudos to you for the design, and kudos to John for being able to figure it all out! Nice subject line, too. ;)
BTW, I was so excited when you'd taken a picture of the barn in Herriman and posted it the other day. My family founded Herriman (I am descended from the Butterfields) and my grandparents lived there when they first got married; everyone in my family, including my father, is buried in what has become our family cemetery there. That barn could have been my family's at one point--who knows!--but I thought it was so cool that you posted that picture.
875. Tim from Los Angeles said:
thank you
876. Sara said:
Is the font small? It doesn't look small to me. This is going to be the same as everyone else's comments, but I figure positive comments are always good! I hope they help soften the blows of the hatemail and stupid comments left just to piss you off. :)
Love the new look. The only thing that isn't spectacular is your links posts don't look different than your regular, but y'all are working on that so awesome! The purple is nice. Don't know what the big deal is about the purple. How could anyone not like purple?!
Props to Jon, yourself, and everybody else that had a hand in the redesign!
877. solaana said:
Not first. But, I like it, love the new daily design feature. The ads are big but since that's how you get paid, go to. I also feel like the new masthead could use some glitter gently raining onto my keyboard, so if Jon could work on implementing that most important part of any website, really, I'd appreciate it.
Congrats!
878. Amanda said:
so, i LOVE CollegeHumor, and have seen that video about 2938472394872 times. i'm glad that you appreciate CH as much as i do.
879. SlamorSpike said:
I like the new look. Masthead reminds me of grape Ne-Hi.
880. Anonymous said:
I like the links on the side bar. That way I could browse them without moving anything.
881. bean said:
Hi Heather! I think you're awesome. I'm an Australian midwife with 2 babies (a 4 month old and a one week old - we're a lesbian couple). Our 4 month old has a torticollis too (they're everywhere, hey?!). Sorry you've had a crap time recently. Your bloggy humour helps me get through the hard days... Thanks.
882. Christine said:
Love the new layout! Great job!
The video was HILARIOUS!!!
883. Anonymous said:
Cool. I miss the links on the left side, but maybe I just can't find them. Other than that, the site looks just fine. I really like the larger photos.
884. Shylah said:
I happen to like purple.
And Drupal rocks. And I sent you an e-mail about Mormon underwear. *snicker*
885. Flikka said:
Well I love the new redesign! :-) Well done guys!
886. Friday said:
I love what you've done with the place; it's beautiful. I work with content management systems all day so I can appreciate how difficult it must have been to get it to the manageable state you now have it in. And it's always a work in progress.
887. nae said:
Heather this new site is amazing! Congratulations to you and Jon!
888. Nielle said:
wonderful! fabulous! I'm very impressed. I'm a beginner with Drupal and reading Jon's comments about how much work it was (for an experienced coder) I'm not too sure how I'll fare. But it's good to know it's a CMS worth learning. I SO enjoy your photos and stories... thanks for bringing so much joy the world. Happy Thanksgiving!
889. Slee said:
Uhhhh. Can I get a tag index up in this mofo??? The archive layout is rough without one.
otherwise, nice.
Verrrrry nice.
890. Dawn said:
I like the redesign. And even if I didn't, who am I to complain? I don't pay to read your site, and I read it because of your wit and way with words, not purple and black and squares.
891. Whitney said:
I really like the Daily Links in with the rest of the postings. Wonderful!
892. Anonymous said:
why does every comment have the number "1" to the lower left of it? Are we all that important or mentally offbalance that you have to make us each feel as though we simultaneously posted the very first post so that we don't subsequently explode with anger and send venom filled emails?
Seriously, love the new design. Much cleaner. Plus, its rather cool that you have an evil look on your face in the bio pic. Rather as though you're saying "Screw you Bartlett High, and all your stupid patriotic colors and meaningless land debates".
Daily style is great too.
893. Foundmercy said:
I wasn't gonna comment but then I saw the Daily Chuck and had to. My comment is: WOW. I didn't think Chuck could look any more adorable, but the bigger photos have done it! He's got the sweetest little doggie whiskers!! =D
894. Ariel said:
Daily style is gonna ROCK MY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!
895. Claire said:
I think the redesign is nice! The color scheme kind of makes me think of Milky Way Dark candy bars, which may not have been what you were going for, but is delicious. Can't wait to see more of this Daily Style feature.
896. edyth said:
Wow, comments are back! That is exciting. :)
897. Terry said:
I got your Chuckles calendar today... love that doggie's face. Such a cool dude.
Lulu has good delivery. Many thanks.
898. Sylvie said:
Well, as a big Dooce fan I have to say congratulations on your new website. It is great in the way it is organized now and I really love your design section...so I am coming twice
a day now probably! on the feedback side of things I found the ad a bit in "your face" when it comes to the top right box but as I understand this is what pay your bills and you can't decide what goes on it, I am located in France and the ad is some nasty flashy window XP, so be it!
Great work! I hope you celebrate the relaunch you two you certainly deserve it!
Sylvie ;-)
899. J from Ireland said:
Hi, Love the new design and love your blog, so honest and funny, Fair play to you!