Thursday 10 June 2010

Blog Changes

I thought it was about time that I got up off my lazy arse (and sat down on my lazy arse) to give the blog a bit of an overhaul. As you can see it's changed a fair bit ... and not just cosmetically.

I've also changed the comments system too which will now enable you to upload images and YouTube clips into any of your postings. Some of you may have used the system on other blogs and some may not but please give it a whirl and see how you get on with it.

I'll still be arseing around with the template for the next day or two, so please bare with me and feel free to ask any questions and/or leave any suggestions or comments about the new set up. Your feedback would be most welcome either in the comments here or via email to the usual address.

Thanks ;-)


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54 comments:

Conan the Librarian said...

Is that you in the top left corner? I expected a moustache...

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Now there's an idea, perhaps I should grow one. I could do with all the hair I can get these days. Unlike your good self of course ;-)

Subrosa said...

Auch Gotty, I find reading black backgrounds much harder than light colours.  Otherwise the design is very pleasant.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

NIce one Billy, that worked a treat!
Clicked on the pic and I got the full size image ....although the sight of that twat nearly brought up my brekky.
I'll have a play with that later ;-)

Billy Blofeld said...

Tought I'd try your new image upload facility.

This particular image seems suited to etching "tattooed words" onto Ed Balls forehead......

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Cheers Billy!
My reply is up there ^^ somewhere. Fuck knows how it got there though.
Maybe I'll get the hang of this soon ;-)

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Oh dear Rosie, I do hope it doesn't put you off too much.
Many thanks for your feedback though, much appreciated ;-)

Ampers said...

Hi subrosa, don't you use Google Reader with RSS? It is dark on light in that, you need not actually read this at all with RSS feeds and can come straight here to read the comments with one click.

Fiale said...

I like the new look, much more gravitas.

Ampers said...

There's one YouTube image I just have to share with you as it is sooo funny
http://www.youtube.com/v/NOzR3UAyXao" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140

Anonymous said...

Looking good Grumpy but some bloggers whoo use this template overload it with widgets so it either takes ages to load or crashes completly! (And yes, I do have a good fibre-optic connection)
Cheers.

Banned said...

oops.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Many thanks ;-)

GrumpyOldTwat said...

"because it's owned by China"
Funny as fuck but oh so true!

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks Banned and thanks for the piccy, even if it is taking the piss .... so to speak.

Captain Haddock said...

Like the make-over Gotty .. but not sure about the black background .. a little "funereal" perhaps ? ..

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks for the feedback Cap'n.
I fancied the dark look for a change and thought it would show up the graphics a little better. We'll suck it and see for a while, eh ;-)

(oo err missus)

Indyanhat said...

Coo F... me sideways I wasn't expecting that/this when I clicked through, wow GOT!!

I think I can understand the ned for change though, as the old order has gone its time for a new face to address new problems with!

I like the ability to add images etc how do you get that mate!!!

Headline is sound too, yup all in all I think I like it!!!

Catosays said...

Like it so far, although as others have said, the black is a tad funereal!

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Cheers Indy, yes I think that feature is going to be fun.
It's all built into the 'Echo' commenting system which I was put on to by TheEye and Spidey also uses it too. It's free and a piece of piss to install. Go grab it!

Ta for the pic. Filth. Love it ;-)

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks Cato and I take your point (as with the others) about my 'dark period'. We'll give it a go for a while and if imore people don't than do, I might even change it.

Now how democratic is that. Parliament please take note ;-)

Oldrightie said...

Hi, Gotty, very smart. Keep up the good work, the left are mobilising behind a Banana.

The Grim Reaper said...

Testing, testing...

I have to admit I found the blog increasingly slow to load in the past. My computer actually crashed on one or two occasions trying to load the blog, regrettably! This one's much, much quicker. So far, I'm liking it a lot.

The Grim Reaper said...

We should put you in charge of the country.

You couldn't possibly do any worse than these cunts if that's your view.

Dazed-and-Confused said...

Or a fucking "Hob Nob" in Jacks Straws particular case.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks OR and I'm glad to see that we now have 5 bona fide fuckwits that will give us hours of mocking pleasure during the PLP leadership campaign.

Leadership? That's a fucking larf for a start!

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks for letting me know about the loading speed Grim. That's one of the reasons for the change and hopefully I won't be the cause of any more crashes.

Apologies for that ;)

cosmo smallpiece said...

 I thought some fucker had died when i tuned in... I think its better black Gotty

microdave said...

Scared the crap out of me as well!!!  But I have to agree with The Grim Reaper - this is MUCH faster to load, the old design was really crawling. I don't greatly mind the dark background, another site I visit daily is the same. However this comment system has drawbacks - the default character size is TINY, my eyes are struggling... And there's no preview facility - always handy to check things out before pushing the button, and making a pratt of ones self! The tiny images can be "clicked" to show the full size, but the YouTube clip Ampers posted (Damn funny!) is also tiny. I suppose that's to keep the page faster. There's little option but to re-load on YouTubes own site to see them with a larger size.

I'd better change my name to W.O.T - "Whinging Old Twat".....

GrumpyOldTwat said...

That'd be Democracy in the UK .... probably.
Thanks for the feedback!

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Cheers for the input MD.
Don't worry about being a W.O.T. it's still better than being a G.O.T.
Already spoken to my chief technical director (aka TheEye) and he may have a little tweak that will enlarge the text. I agree that it's a tad tiny too. Not sure about the preview but if it's possible then it'll be done, otherwise I guess you'll have to post and delete, then re-post maybe? Leave it with us for now.

Glad you are seeing an improvement in load speed too.
Niiicccee!

Anonymous said...

dhsh

microdave said...

Bollocks! that was me - I just typed a few characters in to see if it was any different, and hit the "Post"  button by mistake....

If I remember correctly TheEye told me that there was no option for a preview, as I had said the same thing to him.

Seems a little odd getting all the sidebars as well, instead of just a minimal box for comments, but so long as it doesn't get "bloated" over time it loads pretty fast.

Does this version have the option for the anti-spam W/V, or are you going to take a chance.....  Some of those made up names were good all by themselves!

Banned said...

Love that and will pinch it, if you don't mind?

Banned said...

Just below that is a blank box with bits of  "Internet Explorer cannot display the page...." just as it did this morning. (Under 'G.O.T. recent posts', not complaining, just saying).

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Apologies for that Banned. I can only test it in Firefox and Safari. Perhaps if anyone else has had a problem seeing that widget, with IE, then they will let me know. Strange though, it's an official Blogger widget and so is the the basic template. Hopefully it's just a short term hiccup?

GrumpyOldTwat said...

No worries MD, just waiting for the 'wise one' to get back to me with the tweak.

Sorry but yes, WV is not required with this system. A shame in one way, with regards to the fun words it sometimes threw up but less hassle for the most part ;)

Anonymous said...

Gotty, this change-for-change's-sake ain't, IMHO, an improvement.

You're not some surplus Council Worker who has to be seen to be doing something, anything, to justify their existence.

Please revert back to the previous, legible, easy-on-the-eye colour scheme.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Well that's me busted then!
Thanks for the comments and sorry to hear that you're so disappointed.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Well that's me busted then!
Thanks for the comments and sorry to hear that you're so disappointed.

Joe Public said...

Will you revert to a single page of comments?

It's easier to continue scrolling down a long page, than to have to click to different pages. It also helps when a commenter needs to refer to previous comment(s). [Try starting a comment, then back a page to check a fact, then return to finish your part-composed comment. ooooops - its disappeared, hasn't it!]

There's a well known saying - if it ain't broke, don't mend it.

Corrugated Soundbite said...

<span>As we're on the subject of aesthetics, has anyone clocked Palin's tits?</span>

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/10/article-1285570-09E774A3000005DC-438_468x347.jpg

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Oi Oi saveloy!
She gets my vote ;)

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks for the comments JP
There's an option to alter the number of comments before it goes to a new page and it's on my to do list, so I hope to sort that one. I've been on a sharp learning curve and just haven't got around to the fine tuning yet.

It was a bit broken and did need a little fixing, especially with regards to page loading speeds. Hope you can give things a chance to setttle down a bit ;)

The Grim Reaper said...

Just don't overload it with widgets and crapulence that adds nothing to the blog and you can't go far wrong.

The Grim Reaper said...

If Gotty was working for anyone, it would be a cuntcil, not a council. ;)

It's a work in progress, as he says.

microdave said...

Maybe she's got them to help steady herself if she uses a gun like the one modeled by Captain Ranty's "Leetle Friend"...

Now that WOULD be scary....

microdave said...

I uploaded a picture, but it hasn't appeared.

Here's a link: http://i46.tinypic.com/o6bogo.jpg

GrumpyOldTwat said...

She certainly seems capable of handling a decent sized weapon (fnarr)

rinky stingpiece said...

I don't like this new comment software - it takes too long to load up - too much Java. Don't fall for the flash multimedia bullshit, a blog is about content and atmosphere. The old blogger posting isn't great, but this is shite.

I don't think much of your spelling either: "bare with me"; "bare"?! FFS.

GrumpyOldTwat said...

I was seriously considering following a few of the other bloggers but decided a change was as good as a rest instead. Apologies for the shite comments system but I thought it was worth giving something new a go. Maybe it's a machine or broadband speed issue?

As for the spelling 'mistake', I dooo know it's there and I would have changed it if I had wanted too. Thanks for your feedback.

Bunni said...

I love the new layout, and it's great that you have comment thingy too!
I hope you are enjoying it too, Cheers from Bunnikins.  8-)

GrumpyOldTwat said...

Thanks for the kind comments Bunnikins!

Gradually getting used to it all now ...... I think ;)

rinky stingpiece said...

<p>Sorry to report, the blog is still pretty "unusable"... so much stuff loading up for so long, and I'm on proper broadband.
</p><p>It just lags so much, I can't really endure it.
</p><p>Surely the point of a blog is content, not flashy crap - your site built it's rep on the content not all this.
</p><p> 
</p><p>Burningourmoney blog uses this comment software, but he seems to have less stuff littered all around. I think you've succumbed to the social media faggerati who seem to want to early adopt everything at the same time - reminds me of the sort of grotesque American personal websites of the 90s just packed full of animated crap for the sake of it.
</p><p> 
</p><p>I would just cut all the fat off and make it nice and zen. I don't see what all the shit down the sides adds to the content. Why on earth anyone wants to read or use shit like twitter is beyond me; labels, archives, links to this and that, it's just gobbling bandwidth to no obvious end. 
</p><p>Stick to what you do best - entertaining pics and epic bile.
</p><p> 
</p><p>How about just starting minimalist, and then adding things that people ask for on demand?
</p>