I can’t stress enough the importance of redirects. Rather than force your readers to click on a link to go to your new website or blog, you should opt for a redirect whenever possible. My hosting company, Dreamhost, offers easy ways to redirect to other pages simply by configuring the domain. f your own host doesn’t have this ability, there are plenty of PHP and Javascripts out there to help out.
Here’s my favorite: it’s a single line of PHP code. You don’t have to know PHP or anything in order to use it:
<?php
header( ‘Location: http://yournewblog.com/’ ) ;
?>
That’s it! Copy-and-past this little bit of code into the page you want redirect to another site. Don’t forget to change the dummy text (unless you own YourNewBlog.com) and save your page with a .php extension. Automatically, your incoming traffic will redirect from your old page to your new page.
I gave my creative writing site, Writings… by Nina a makeover as well:
New Skin on Writings...
I’m using this color scheme with the Unstyled Movable Type theme. I’m glad they have this sandbox-y theme that lets me fiddle around with the CSS. I’m not too crazy about making my own MT theme, but I do like having access to a blank theme.
The most dynamic WordPress theme ever made has been the K2 theme. Based on the blockier, not-as-attractive default Kubrick theme, K2 has consistantly proven itself to be the most customizable theme offered. Throughout the years, I’ve used a lot of WordPress themes, but I always come back to K2.
Since I’m a coder and not a designer, it’s important to me to find WordPress themes that I can customize and edit without putting in too much work. I don’t want to spend more than a day re-working any theme to my liking. I leave the theme making to the designers; I’ll take over the CSS on my own time. This is what makes the WordPress theming community so fun: there are plenty of resources out there for both designers and coders.
Currently, Dusty-Designs is using the three-column version of K2. I like the orange theme. The background comes from Squidfingers with the color scheme based off that image. I used this scheme about a year ago before I took it down, but I’ve always liked it:
Dusty Designs 3-col K2
I use a two-column theme at my test blog. I think a 2-column theme best suits a personal blog. A simple content-and-sidebar concoction makes for a simple, easy-to-read site. This is another color scheme from a Squidfingers background. I like this green so much: it’s not distracting, yet it catches your eye at the same time:
Test Blog 3-col K2
My photoblog, Sophisticat, utilizes the single-column option. I believe all photoblogs run with WordPress should be 1-column: the reader’s attention should go immediately to the photograph. All information, like archives, logging in, and links, should be left at the bottom. The background image comes from Scribble Scratch — it’s a nice, cute purple-y scheme that makes me think of bubble gum whenever I go there:
Sophisticat 1-col K2
WordPress.com blogs also come equipped with the K2 theme — you can customize it, or leave it alone. Either way, have fun with the theme. You’ll see quickly why it’s one of my favorites.
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