Code is Beautiful?

I think not.

My hubby has been studying computer stuff regarding HTML and XML. I thought he was learning Greek... I took a website design class when I was working in Salt Lake, and it was fascinating, but still not very clear. I got how to use the software, but wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.

Now I've been trying to update my blog, I like a fresh face once in a while. Especially since I started a new one relating to food -- I wanted a template that pictured food. All I could find was pizza and chocolate. Now, while I like pizza -- if that template had been around 5 years ago I would have been thrilled -- and love chocolate in moderation (can you tell I'm not young anymore?), I didn't like the look of either of them. I also wanted to get a different look for this blog, thinking it was time for something less "in your face"...grin. That hasn't been working either.

You see...I've found that the way things look make a big difference in how many people read your blog, or visit a web site. Remember how many times I've said Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Well that's definitely true when it comes to the internet.

Think about it. How many times do you go to a site and find it cluttered with adds, flash items, bright colors, etc. My first impulse is to close it down. I don't like sites that shout at me. I like ones that are easy to navigate, and easy on the senses.

I've been frustrated being tied to what someone else can create (especially when I have to see what's available for free...grin). Why can't I design my own? Not that I'm good at that sort of thing -- I think I've bemoaned my lack of creativity before. I may be an artist, but that doesn't mean I can come up with stuff off the top of my head. (grin -- I wish!)

So, I'm stuck with what I can find, or else I play with what I've got. I found a couple that I thought I could work with, but they aren't loading onto blogger like they need to. What's a girl to do?? Well, I figured I'd open my Dreamweaver program and see if it could help me. While it opened the code, it just tells me that there is problems with it and I'm not sure I know enough to figure it out.

There are loads of different pages out there, lots of people with apparently endless hours of time to spend on this project. It's amazing. For example, take the LDSNeighborhood site. It's extremely easy on the eyes, easy to navigate, and fun to walk around. For contrast, look at this site. This site's moving top bar and barrage of photos and items may be some people's dream, but this would drive me crazy. I wouldn't go to their site very much...if at all.

I realize these are two very contrasting view points, but I'm trying to illustrate a point. That's what I do...grin...illustrate. My, am I in a mood today...lol.

I thought perhaps you haven't been able to visit all the bloggers that grace the ldsneighborhood site, so I'll highlight a couple of them today in an effort to illustrate the different looks of each blog. Most of them used the regular Blogger template. Some of them have modified things.

First on the block, from left to right of the neighborhood, is New Neighbors. The blogger for this section is Cheri Crane, talented poet and photographer. Her blog is the green dot theme, which I have used as well, and is fun and light.

Next up is Health and Food. We have Keith Fisher and Candace Selima here. Keith blogs about wonderful, yummy things to do with Dutch Oven cooking, and has a customized header on his blog. Candace blogs about assorted health tips and her blog is a great template that looks like blue jeans.

In the Music block, Julie Keyser is the blogger, and today has a guest blogger. It looks very interesting, and I like the customized header on her's too. Great job, Julie!

And last for today, but NOT least, is C.L. Beck with the Write Up My Alley blog. Her's is a regular blogger style, and one that I have also used in the past. I like the soft green -- I think it's relaxing and doesn't distract from her hilarious blogs!

So anyway, that's all I've got time for today, but I hope I got you thinking about the beauty we find on the internet and how complicated it can be!

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The Beauty of Code

I got to thinking about the internet and websites today, as I played around with my browser. I usually use Firefox, and it was on the fritz, so I had to go to IE. I don’t like IE - I’ve never been a big Microsoft fan – call it the rebel in me. But it gave me options to install a theme, and once I got looking at them, I wasted a good half hour or more finding one that I wanted. I now have a dolphin for my cursor...

It made me wonder what other people look for in a website. Have you ever thought about what it is that draws you to a place on the internet? Take yourldsneighborhood. What is it that you like about the site? Myself, I like the artwork. It’s fun without being cutesy. Sort of like a scrapbooking style, you know? I like the different sites in it. It makes me feel at home.

Believe it or not, there seems to be an art to websites. How can it be art when all that makes it up is code? It’s what you can do with that code. There is a type of HTML that’s called CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). It’s amazing in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing. If I had loads of spare time, I would love to learn how to use it correctly, because I think the sites that use it are outstanding. Check out this site, and look at the different styles they came up with, using the same content.

Since I do not use (or understand as clearly as I’d like) HTML on a daily basis, I am thankful for templates and programs that do it for me. I used to work with a program called Dreamweaver for a job I had in Salt Lake. As part of my job, I created the schools website. Actually, they had one before, but no one was keeping it updated. So, I created a new one. I kind of like it – you can see what I mean, here. I first heard about CSS at that point, but I didn’t have the time to delve into it. It still fascinates me.

Along with that, it occurred to me that I haven’t promoted my own website on my blog. I don’t know why – but for some reason it never entered my brain. Go figure. I kind of like my website – it’s not as fun and interactive as some I’ve seen, but it works for me at this point. One of the biggest tip offs that I hadn’t been promoting it, is when I looked at my stat counter.

0. A great big 0. Nada. Zip. NOT ONE VISIT in the past six months. (Of course, I also discovered that I hadn’t added it to my new blog when I changed templates, and there wasn’t any record of anyone going there, either -- sigh)

I could really get depressed, but I figured it’s simply an example of lack of promotion. No one knows about it, so no one would go visit. And, since I don’t keep a blog there, it’s kind of boring for someone to visit and then go back. With a blog, they want to go back and read (if they like what they’re reading, anyway). So, I’m going to promote my website this time. I’ve already added a link on my blog page (did you even notice?) and now I’m going to have a little bit of fun.

We’re going to play a game. The first five people to tell me the answers to my questions will be the winners! I’ll even mention who you are on my blog, so you’ll be sort of famous. If I had the right materials, I’d send you a prize, but that is kind of up in the air right now. You’ll be playing for fun and curiosity. You know you want to...

First question: What is the name of the painting that I won a ribbon for at the County Fair in 2007?

Second question: How many stories do I outline on my writing page?

Third question: What book did I do the illustrations for?

Fourth (and last) question: What is the general color of my website?

I’ll let you know on Monday’s blog in a week how the response went...

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