A new iBlog
As anyone who has been poking around the archives over the last couple of days knows, this site is undergoing a bit of a redesign. In the process I have (hopefully) made the meta information in the sidebar more meaningful. On the individual page for each post I’ve added a list of related links. These are the 5 most recent posts I have made in the same category. And in addition to the 5 most recent blog posts, I’ve added links to the category archives. Also, all archives have a proper template now (not just the main page and individual archive pages). And they all make use of Dan Benjamin’s Better Image Rotator to display one of 7 banner images up top.
There are more changes under the hood as well, and I’ll be talking about some of them over the next few days, as I hope that this post will commence a more regular (or at least less erratic) posting schedule here.
So, take a look around and let me know what you think…
Comments
Hi Mark, I have been staring at it — on and off — all day now… and I just don’t know. It kind of feels like a half way mark (no pun intended). Different feel. I will try to come up with something sensible to say tomorrow. If you like, I can send you the link to my work-in-progress so you can get some payback!.
Gavin
Posted by: gavin on September 22, 2004 12:33 AM
Hey Gavin:
I understand your comments. I do have a bit of work to do on it, and will evolve it over time. And I’m certainly interested in hearing whatever comments you have—what you like or don’t like. No promises that I’ll change anything, though…
:)
Posted by: Mark Newhouse on September 22, 2004 11:45 AM
Tell me Mark, how did you list recent posts using iBlog - or was it a shift to Movable Type that made this possible? I’m new here but I like what I see - and that banner rolling…. awe. I mean forget the script, those are beautiful images.
Posted by: Callum Alden on September 27, 2004 06:28 PM
Callum:
Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for the kind words about the banner images.
Since you are new, a little explanation might be in order. When I started this blog in 2000, it was called “iBook, iMac, iBlog” and hosted on .Mac. At the time I used an iBook and an iMac, and I blogged a lot more Apple stuff than I do now. As the site evolved I dropped the iBook and iMac references, shortening the name to iBlog. All this time I was blogging by hand.
In that same timeframe the iBlog software was developed by someone else (i.e., not me). In November of last year I decided to give Movable Type a try, and was happy with the new flexibility it offered, so I have been using it ever since. So, despite the name, I’ve never used the iBlog software. In fact I believe my blog predates the software by about a year.
In the recent redesign of this site I wanted to list not only recent posts, but on the individual archive pages, list the five most recent posts in its primary category. The Recent Posts is easy to do in MT.
The More Like This requires a plugin. I am using Adam Kalsey’s Related Entries Plugin to accomplish that:
http://kalsey.com/2003/05/relatedentriesrevisited/
His site is down due to exceeding his bandwidth, so you might want to try again later.
Posted by: Mark Newhouse on September 28, 2004 10:43 AM
Hey thanks, you’ve inspired me further down the Movable Type Trail, i’ll check back with you when I’ve made the conversion. Cheers for the info too. Much Aprez. Callum Alden
Posted by: Callum Alden on September 29, 2004 07:05 PM