As I write this posting, this blog is about to do a visual switch, and by the time you read this, the switch may well have occurred. On the content front, nothing has changed. The same postings as always, the same inadequate and still unupdated links (these I will fix Real Eventually Now), the same comments.
But, there's now colour. I have in mind those blackboards they use nowadays, which aren't black any more as blackboards once were, but green – although if I really followed through with that idea I suppose I'd have white text on a much darker green background. The comments section now looks more consistent with the front page, and the archives have likewise been greened. As before, I've gone for serviceable and legible and easily loaded, rather than for outstanding beauty that you have to sit and wait for.
My more serious purpose is to have a blog look that will serve as the basis, with colour changes, for my other blog also, thereby proclaiming the two of them to the world as the brother-blogs that they are, this one being the sensible older brother and the other being the dodgy artistic one. My Culture Blog is now, somewhat embarrassingly, a visual mess, co-ordination between front page, comments and archives being non-existent. So my next blog task, once I am reasonably satisfied with the look of things here, will be to get that blog sorted. Then, I have in mind to be sorting the permanent content of both blogs, the links in other words, and also to find time to sort out the categorising of postings properly, which are now a shambles on both blogs. Then I'll be free to concentrate on the daily content. But I still only promise a post (and maybe more) every weekday about educational matters. All else is merely me guessing how things will unfold.
By all means comment on the new look of things if you wish to, but my understanding of graphic design is that it should satisfy not consumers but producers. If I like the way things now look, and I do, then I'll be happy topost lots of good stuff, and that way you'll like this blog because you like what it says. That being so, you'll learn to like how it looks, no matter what you now think of it. Far better a good read in visually undistinguished circumstances than stuff which looks as pretty as a picture but which is a poor read. Many are the magazines and journals whose days of glory coincided with a decidedly quirky visual appearance, and who went down the drain as soon as they started looking prettier.
Nevertheless, I hope that you also like it.
"those blackboards they use nowadays, which aren't black any more as blackboards once were, but green"
But Brian, green boards have been around at least since the 1970's. White boards are the thing these days. Well, they are in class rooms with computers (such as the classrooms I use) -- you don't want chalk dust floating in air and screwing up all the expensive electronics.
Thus, white boards with dry erase markers. No more chalk dust. No more screech of fingernails on the blackboard. No more white chalk dust on your shirt when you inadvertantly brush against the board -- instead you can now have multiple colors of dry erase marker on your shirt. Hmmm. No more broken chalk -- instead you have markers that have dried out and no longer work. And worry that someone will mix a permanent marker in with the erasable ones. And cheap white board wears out quickly; the surface goes bad and it gets more and more difficult to wipe it clean.
Okay, so maybe chalkboards aren't so bad after all, except computers still don't like the chalk dust.
I got to see the new format this morning (okay, afternoon to you, but morning to me) and I think it looks good -- nice and clean, easier to read.
Visually, I like it. And being quick to load is good. The only problem is that I took several goes to successfully link. Temporary, I trust?
Natalie
My "server" was "down" (I do love all these technical terms, don't you?) this afternoon, which seems to happen for a brief while every few weeks. This time it seemed to be down for about half an hour or so.
All should now be well.
Thanks to you and Jim for the kind words about the new appearance.
Green and white the colour of the Pilgrims*.
You made a good choice.
White text on a green background, certainly online looks rubbish. See the side bar of http://morgenpost.berlin1.de/ Yuck!
*No, not the Puritan Taliban who thought James I wasn't burning enough Catholics. I mean Plymouth Argyle (http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/sport/clubs/argyle_news.shtml) the team who I would support if I followed football!
I like the look of your blog.
