Wednesday 17 June 2015

Blog survey: Sidebar

Since I’m still tutuing with the blog look and layout here, and since you lot are the folk who read this blog, I figured I’d ask you a question or two about what you prefer.

Today: the sidebar: what do you like?

Specifically, do I have the things in the sidebar in the right order. I have, in descending order, and after much consideration:

  • Recent Posts, so you can quickly head to other recent pearls of wisdom that might interest you more than those at the top of the page;
  • Tweets We Like, so you can get a regularly updated feed of hot topics and pithy comments, albeit slightly below the fold.

So that’s above or just above the fold. Further down:

  • Tip Jar, so you can show me how much you love my work (or, as at present, how much you take it for granted – but feel free to prove me wrong Smile );
  • Recent Comments, so you can see what each other is saying (it’s further down the page, sure, but I figure if you’re interested in comments then you’ll be reading down this far anyway);
  • Blogs We Read. giving you the latest posts from my own most read bunch of blogs (even further down, but there you go);

And then you scroll down even further, past stats, sponsors, searches and subscription gadgets, until you light finally upon

  • Facebook recommendations from your friends;
  • Popular Posts this month and for all time; 
  • a cloud full of Topics; and finally
  • Cue Card Libertarianism (whose links have strangely died, so I’ll have to fix that) and what’s left of my Blog Roll.

So, in your opinion…

  •  do I have the stuff on my sidebar in the right order?
  • what else should I have, and what should I get rid of?

13 comments:

Greig McGill said...

Just my preference, but I like to see recent comments first. It's how I see if I've missed anything. This is somewhat ironic, as it's often the comments (the trolling, sneering ones) which drive me away to a stiff drink and a hiatus from reading.

I'm also amused by the collectivist phrasing of "Tweets We Like". ;)

Paul said...

Probably best not to put tweets from yourself in the 'tweets we like' column.

Mark Hubbard said...

Continuing the trend, I never read the tweets bar on any blog, that's for Twitter. :) Otherwise menu bar for to me.

Peter Cresswell said...

But what if I like therm. ;^)

Peter Cresswell said...

Rationalist. :^)

Andrew Bowman said...

I don't read/notice the side bar.
It's like those news feeds that scroll along the bottom of some TV broadcasts, I just ignore them.

Anonymous said...

Testing Comments.Using 'Firefox and duckduckgo.com with cookies turned off both, any comments disappear hitting Publish or Preview
Seems to work o.k. using Google Chrome with allow cookies, a.k.a. spyware. Perhaps needs reviewing for a Libertarian site.
For CAPTCHA to verify I wasn't a robot, needed to press tab to see more pictures.
I'm quite uninterested in Twitter or Prattle. I always came to your site 1st, [read it] then easy links to another site with even easier links to blogs I wanted read
Peter

Greig McGill said...

Do you mean in an existential sense, or with the comment placement? ;) Yes to both actually!

Peter Cresswell said...

Even happier now?

Anonymous said...

I notice google summarises your site as "Libertarianism, Snooty art, and Ayn Rand". ~ Interesting
It's the Header that is not quite right, especially as you've dropped Statue of Liberty. Looking at other Libertarian sites gave no ideas on what might suit this site. ~Laissez Faire had big bold "Freedom. Self Reliance. Action"; enough to catch your eye and tell what site is about - IF name didn't compute.
Does your "...promoting capitalist acts between consulting adults" also need an upgrade?
There seemed to be possibilities of a replacement header under google's clip art or images for "Freedom" (but not for "Liberty")
Thank you for blogging all these years. I come away better educated or entertained, and so feel better. And good on you for updating your site, to better retain or attract new readers ~ must have been quite an effort.
Peter

Peter Cresswell said...

"Libertarianism, snooty art, and Ayn Rand." That's not a bad summary. Where does Google do that?

I've always thought "...promoting capitalist acts between consulting adults" was pretty clear: a more potent version of Reason's 'Free Minds, Free Markets,' or at least a reminder than freedom is as important in the bedroom as the boardroom.

Appreciate that Peter, thanks.

Anonymous said...

If you do a search for Libertarian blogs, you see the google blue "g" next to your site name, with the above synopsis
Regards, Peter

Rick said...

Whatever happens, let the good colour scheme return as soon as possible! Currently, viewed from chrome, the blog looks like a pregnant panda bear (black, white, bit too wide.)