Today I played with my them in order to have a set up that had more options to include visuals and a lighter feel than my original. What i discovered however is that the theme that I preferred contained an error in which the footer was duplicated 3 times, all in matching columns, with no options to reduce the number of footers or delete them all together. How annoying! So, hopefully, my latest choice has eliminated that trouble and added the ability to set header and background visuals. I have also added additional pages (see About, and Class Projects) to both practice creating pages and maintaining a timeline of my class projects’ progressions.

Since the last time that class met, I have made a few adjustments to my Word Press blog.

What I Did:

I have added my first static page, since we last met.   I experimented more with appearances and added a header image to the page.  In order to allow users to access the page I created, I added a menu with a link to the new page.  Next I added another link to help users get back to the home screen.

Why I Did It:

After learning in class the difference between static pages and journal post, I decided to experiment with a page.  I added an “About Me” page because the information I wanted to share is not as timely as a blog entry.  The menu tabs link to my new page and back to the home screen, to allow the customers to navigate more easily.  When I first added the home button, I experienced an issue because the URL link I wrote was incorrect, thankfully it was easy to fix.

What I did

I added an image and text to my about me section. I experimented with different spacing between the picture and text, but class ended before I could settle on the final layout.

Why I did it

I needed more personal information on my blog. I messed with the layout because I didn’t want the text tightly hugging my image. Space makes it more readable. I chose an image of me at last year’s bowl game because marching band is my chief hobby.

What I Did

Today I made some small changes that created a big impact on my site. I changed the title of my blog from my username (joelyon18) to “Joe Lyon’s Blog.” I also changed the theme of my blog and added a background image. I changed the theme to a simpler style that was not as distracting. My previous site did not have a background image, besides the default color scheme, so I found an image online to add. I found a picture of a Navy carrier and made it my background

Why I Did It

I changed the title of my blog to give the site a more personal feel. Using my name was an obvious choice over using my username. It makes the site feel more finished. I chose to change my theme because there were features that I did not use on the old theme. It looked a little too cluttered, and this new theme is simpler. I added a picture of a carrier because I felt that it complemented my header picture well, but the background is mostly the sea. This prevents the background image from being too distracting, but its presence is a nice touch. It is still clear what the hidden image is, but it is not the focus of my site.

Today, working on this troublesome blog, I realized that I am cursed when it comes to technology. The last time I tried to customize my site, my phone refused to send the photo emails to my computer. Then, after minutes of trying to connect to wifi, I realized that it was absolutely impossible and gave up on the custom site. Today I have just spent the last class period trying to figure out why my edits weren’t saving to the site. Eventually I realized that you absolutely have to go through the “appearances” section, and that the wicked cool backgrounds on the “custom” option have to be bought in order to use them. Fortunately, I figured this all out in the last five minutes of class, found a nice background, and changed my theme colors to be visually appealing. Maybe the curse has been lifted.

What I did

Today, I focused on refining my site and adding more to my site. First, I updated by About page. I added a picture of myself and wrote a little information about me and the purpose of my website. I formatted the About page then added it to my website. Next, I added a few widgets to my sidebar and footer. I added a search bar, links to my recent posts, and button to allow people to follow my blog. I then added three more pages to my blog for future use. I added a page for each of the projects we will complete in the course and I added a site information page. I haven’t yet updated these pages, but at least now I have them and can easily update them later. Finally, I added quick links to my all of my pages in the footer.

Why I did it

I wanted to update my blog and add more aspects to my site because after last class, my site was bare and simple. I updated my About page to add a face and some background information about me to my site. A little introduction can add a little personalization to a website. I added my widgets for easy navigation around my site. I might add more widgets if I see the need for them in the future. I added the rest of my pages in order to save some time later when I am adding in the portfolio aspect to my site.