Power to the People!
I've been spending a bit of time recently thinking of new ways to mess around with this blog's template. After all, I won a Blog God award as a result of my frequent blog template changes, so I have a reputation to uphold.
The thing is, I like the layout. I like the Halloween ninjas. Aside from the top navigation bar, which is not all that useful anyway, I'm actually content with my current template. I know, it came as a bit of a shock to me as well.
So then I decided that I should work on some usability improvements. I sat and thought, what do people complain about on this site? The answer? The link list.
There really isn't a good way for anyone to sort links. I like RaJ's randomized approach, because it's probably the most fair way to do it. I had originally thought that sorting by the date of the first comment was also pretty fair, but then Elasticwaistbandlady went and complained about how the only chance she has to move up on the list is to hire a hit man to take care of those linked above her.
Now that I think about it, has anyone heard from Wendela or Katie lately?
Anyway, while I assume she was joking about the hit man, her concern about the order of links is valid. After doing a lot of thinking, drinking a couple liters of cola, eating some mini-danishes, and doing some soul searching (in that order), I could not find a fair way for me to decide in what order the links should display.
Then the answer, like my mama's hand after I talked back, hit me: I don't have to decide how to order the links. I can let the readers decide.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce sortable links (beta 1). Click and drag the links on my sidebar to display in whatever order you want (it's best if you click and drag the white space to the right of the link text, not the link text itself) . As long as your browser stores cookies, the links will remain in the order that you put them.
I still have a handful of kinks to work out (primarily how IE displays mouse cursor coordinates in the status bar), and I haven't tested it in EVERY browser. But it generally seems to work. I assume this means that, if she wasn't joking, Elastic can now call off the hit man. I hope he offers refunds.
Comments
I said:
Oh, and for now, this only works on the main omarphillips.net page, not any individual pages within the site (like on a comment listing page). Working on that.
jazzy said:
um, but the link list isn't about us. it's about you.
you're the popular kid in class and we all want to be your friend.
so we want to know what your link list is gonna look like when you can sort according to favorites (which we know you will)...
I said:
Hey, quit trying to make this political.
On my screen, I have the links display horizontally so that you're ALL at the top.
Rhonda said:
VERY COOL! Can I hire you to design my blog now that your template is perfect? ;)
P.S. Are you personal friends with Ken Jennings? Because I think I might move him to the bottom. His "smartness" makes me feel inferior. ha.
Lianne said:
Wow. I'm impressed.
However, the other thing I would like is a glossary for the little icons besides the links. Checks, whatnots... I don't get it.
Becky said:
(supressing another tantrum)
cop. out.
I said:
Lianne, the checkmarks, which will return shortly, were just indicators that you had visited the site. Instead of changing the color of the link text, it put a checkmark. The gold club and silver club, those are secret.
Rhonda - I don't know him, though I do know that he (or whoever administers his site) visited this blog at least once.
Becky - Sheesh, I can't win! For that, you're moving down a couple of spots on my list.
jazzy said:
okay. if they're horizontal. who is first? who is on the top row left?
Radioactive Horizon said:
Cool! Will the arrangement get retained when I browse from home vs. work? Oh wait I forgot, I don't do this at work.
glo said:
This is so cool that I'm just freakin....amazed. But since I was #1 - I'm really not changing much - except to know that I can move elastic anywhere and she can't know about it. Muahahahaha!
seventeen syllables said:
You are some kind of blog god.
Tayster said:
Funny, I went to move my name to the top and didn't see it. (This is not an attempt to get my name on there, I'm just stating a fact.)
Now I have to put someone else on top. I'm currently taking bribes.
Silandara said:
You're welcome to work on my blog template. :) It needs it (I'm told it's not readable on Pocket PCs - oops). I don't think they can handle all of the CSS.
Jonathan said:
I think the last person to post a comment should be put on top - So at this very instant that would be ME(if i had a site worth linking to, which currently I do not)!
Of course as soon as the next person posts I will get pushed farther and farther down. Which leads to the bonus feature of this idea - if someone doesn't post their name will be pushed to the bottom. Then we all can see who posts regularly and who doesn't.
BTW- Wanna add something really cool? - How about spell checker for the comments editor?
cadiz12 said:
maybe it's just me, but i don't see what the big deal is about the order. i mean, the youngest kid doesn't magically get to choose to the be the oldest. and neither is better or worse than the other, no matter the order; they each have perks.
however, the fact that i can change them around to my liking is mad cool. can you see how we're changing them around, omar? cuz i have a very specific criteria.
I said:
"i mean, the youngest kid doesn't magically get to choose to the be the oldest."
Spoken like a true older (oldest?) sibling.
cadiz12 said:
you are correct, oldest. HOWEVER, if that situation were possible, i'd gladly switch; the youngest is spoiled rotten, gets to do everything at a ridiculously young age, and by the time the parents get to him/her, they're too tired to come down hard for discipline. and, they don't have to 'try and be an example' to anybody.
carrotjello said:
I was the youngest for 8 years, so I guess it's only fitting that I feel left out. *sob*
wendela said:
Your template is great and I hope it doesn't change. Much. For at least a few days. Doesn't matter to me where I am on the list- just happy to be there. And alive.
All this long time I've been away doing speaking engagements due to my blog god award. Elastic had set up the gigs for me at all-you-can-eat family-style buffets. However, I now see there may have been another motive. I just thought that guy Guido in the dark sedan who followed from town to town was some sort of groupie. Now I see I'm lucky to have made it back without cement shoes.
Syar said:
it goes UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN....WHEEEEE!!
yeah, I'm the youngest (sort of) and would not like to be professionally assassinated so this is way cool.
elasticwaistbandlady said:
I'm number ONE! I'm number ONE!
With all the money I saved by cancelling my contract with Paulie Walnuts, I'm going to buy you something really nice for Christmas, Omar!
girl_spit said:
I must say with all honesty, that your customizable links list is supa-rad. Oh yes, I said it. Btw, I also love your little ninjas.
Lia said:
I like the wee Ninjas. I've always liked your template. But I'm with Jazz on the links list. I don't want to order the links; I want you to put me in first place.