I think I've finally gotten LJs S2 system to let me do what I want with the blog layout. There was teeth gnashing and googling aplenty, but the journal looks more or less the way I want it to. I may still fiddle a smidge with colors (I'm not sure the visited link color is readable on the sidebar links, for example), but the big stuff's more or less done. No, it's not an "oh my god look how different it all is!" change, but then, I liked the color scheme I had going on the in old system, so I just tried to apply it to the new layouts.

Tags are pretty rudimentary for the moment, since using them will involve my digging back through all the old entries I think would do well with them and adding them manually. Not hating myself, I'm going to take my time and muck around with that as I go.

I've looked at the "new" layout in IE and Mozilla for PC, and when I get home I can check it on Safari for Mac. If anyone's so inclined, feel free to let me know if anything's not working or just so hideous to look at that your eyes burn, and I'll see what I can do. Not sure I'll be able to replace those burned out eyes, mind you, but maybe your sacrifice will help others, and in the meanwhile we'll pray for a good cornea donor...

Tags: blogs, design

Apparently, Livejournal has added tags for organizing / categorizing entries. Which, yay, because I've been wanting something like that for a while now. That means, though, I have to switch to LJ's newer layout system. So if things look ugly(er than they usually do) 'round here for a little while, that's probably because I'm wrestling with getting the new system to look the way I want it. Hopefully it'll be a relatively painless affair.

Tags: blogs, design

It's that time again, when I get my butt in gear and update my links. This time out:

The Power Pack(ed) Fansite changes URLs yet again. I'm guessing this is the internet version of all those power switches. Am I right?

One new online comic makes the sidebar: Rich Burlew's Order of the Stick. The premise ("What if characters in a roleplaying game knew what the rules were?") has a limited audience, I'll admit. If you don't have a basic knowledge of how roleplaying game mechanics work (D&D specifically), most of the punchlines fall pretty flat. My many giggles on perusing the archives lay bare my dark past as a high school gamer
(and occasional dabbler since), but it's a shame I'll live with because I'm hopelessly addicted to this strip now.


In blogs, I've noticed three new regular stops I'm making:

I want to steal The Pickytarian's visual art criticism vocabulary. I'll settle for burying him under the three extra people's worth of bandwidth I can send his way.

David Welsh is the self-proclaimed Precocious Curmudgeon. He has a nice balance of manga and Western comics commentary, and he's linked to a fair number of columns and blog entries I've found interesting but would otherwise have missed.

Two Davids this time out. The second is David Carter. And while he's christened his place on the web Yet Another Comics Blog, I find it a nice oasis of thoughtful reviews and intermittent industry commentary that always maintains a level head.

Tags: blogs, design, recommendations

Finally did some more fiddling on the links at the sidebar. Weeded out stuff that's no longer updating (which I should have done a while ago. Good god, I still had Jounalista listed, for goodness' sake). Also, given how many Power Pack posts I've managed of late, I added a Power Pack section. Louise Simonson's missing because I couldn't find any kind of official web presence for her (actually, most of the artist links are only to their online original art sales sites, as that's all I could find in the way of "official" sites). Marc Sumerak's site is missing because it seems to be infected with a virus at the moment (Norton was very agry with me when I went there), so I'm holding off until that's cleared up.

Powerblogging, like it or not, should be back in the near future. I took a break around the holidays to recharge (even I, crazed as I am, can only talk Power Pack for so long before I need to give it a rest). It also gave me the chance to reclaim my own comics to scan from, so I shouldn't have to crib them all from The Power Pack(ed) Fansite, and can maybe even contribute a scan or two. blogging gods willing, I think I'll have enough to fill in the gap between now and the (hopefully not postponed again) launch of the new series in April.

Update: Marc Sumerak's site isn't giving me virus warnings anymore, so he's joined the ranks on the sidebar.

Tags: blogs, design