Tenth Musee

As you may know, we’re fairly regularly encounter people who rip off our work, be it writing or design. I think any designer worth their salt has had at least one thing stolen from them somewhere. Or they will, eventually. I used to get really super upset about it, but now I just calmly issue them an email and if I don’t get a response, I send their host a DMCA violation notice. That usually does the trick. No sense in getting all riled up about it — unless they’re actually touting themselves as professionals and attempting to get jobs based on our work. Then I absolutely won’t stand for it.

But never — never! — has anyone ever sent me an email like this. Never ever and I’m rather glad because I’d probably have some kind of rage aneurysm and collapse muttering really classy things like “I’ll cut a bitch!” or similar.

Lawrie (@indextwo on twitter) gave me permission to repost this letter he posted on Facebook. Umar can suck it.
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I have a client who wants to use Windows Live Writer, so I wanted to give it a go to see if it would deliver. As much as I loathe Internet Explorer, this particular Windows goodie is pretty awesome. As I type this, it looks like I’m writing it on my live blog, not within WordPress, but on my actual blog as if I could actually do that.

With this… I can!  Let’s try uploading a photo:

Huh. This is interesting.  I’m not sure if these effects I’m seeing in Windows Live Writer will show up and my images don’t seem to be floating properly, but we’ll see what happens when I publish.

Carry on!

Ok, I’ve since published this and I must say… I’m pretty impressed. I checked out the html code within WordPress and it’s not a big hot mess. And I’m editing it right now within WordPress and it’s keeping all the effects and styling. I don’t know if i’d use this all the time ,but for clients who really need this kind of WYSIWYG type interface, this would be a lifesaver. Kudos, Windows Live Writer!

Bloggers, I need your opinion! I pose a question that is beginning to really vex me from a user experience standpoint. I’m talking about “previous/next” navigation. Riveting, I realize, but I’m looking for answers and who better to ask than bloggers themselves?

As an old school blogger who started off using MT 1.something, I’m accustomed to the front page of the blog being the most current entries, obviously, and the link for a previous or older entries/entry being displayed on the bottom right of the entries with an arrow or similar indicating “to the right”.  Like I’ve got on this blog.

Over the years, especially with the success of WordPress, I’m seeing it done in the opposite and it’s beginning to confuse me quite a bit while organizing client sites.  In my opinion, you view the most current entry, then “flip back” like a reverse book to read older entries.  And, to that end, the link by default would read something like “older entries” or “previous entries”, not next entries, which I’m seeing linked on the left with a left arrow.  This seems to be WordPress’ default setting.

Uh… this doesn’t make sense to me.  I’m not trying to be difficult… maybe that’s what the kids are doing these days. I don’t know. But if I’m looking at an individual entry, to me, the most recent entry would be “to the left” and should read “newer entry” or “next entry”.  And vice versa.  Why would I go to the right?

So, what do you think?  What makes sense to you?   What do you use on your blog?  I want to make sure the navigation makes sense to users, regardless of what I think.

Thanks for your input!

Hey, We Wrote That!

Kathy and I decided to forego SXSW this year so we could attend a conference that allows us to meet n’ mingle with our clients and other lovely people likely to be potential clients and friends… BlogHer.

We were supposed to go together, but she’ll be delivering another kidlet right during that time, so I’ll be flying solo.  I was just going to go to hang out and observe, but I’ve reconsidered and decided to throw my hat in the ring to host a panel, but not really a panel because it’s just me. A session, they call it.

I wanted to call it “When Your Blog Has That Not-So-Fresh Feeling”, but I decided at the last minute to call it “Blogging with Moxie”… you know, what with the book n’ all.  I figured I could go over topics from the book and do a lot of Q&A and maybe some on-the-spot blog critique and tip-offering, if anyone was interested.

Or I could just sit there and drink coffee if no one shows up.

I’m not stuffy, in case you hadn’t noticed, so my session won’t be either. It’s not going to be boring, it won’t be explicit insert tab A into slot B, it won’t be overhead projectors with code all over it.  It would be more intimate, more relaxed, fun, if you will.

I’m open to questions and basically… dishing.  About blogging. And all the merriment that comes with it, like the obvious design tips and some technical stuff like, what exactly does an RSS feed do? which blog platform is right for me?  where should my ads go?  But also things we’ve gleaned over our six years in this business, like how to handle blog drama, blog etiquette, choosing a topic, how to keep people enchanted with your bad self… that sort of thing.  I’m considering some kind of game or quiz and of course… prizes.  Everything is better with prizes.

If you are going to BlogHer (or even if you’re not), I’d welcome your input on my session idea. You can let BlogHer know you’d attend by visiting this link.

Well, my new design is up.  I’m still tinkering with things around here: tweaking this, adding that, finessing this, stroking that. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with it.

I’m sure there will be some of you that won’t care for the new look, prefer a lighter background, want bigger text, like more contrast, wonder why my ‘banner’ is way down at the bottom, wish Brad Pitt were your husband… whatever the case may be. And that’s ok, though Angelina might take umbrage.

So why this look?  Because I wanted to do something different. Because I wanted to experiment with textures and depth. Because I needed to break out of the box a little and at the same time, rekindle some of my joie de vivre! And because well… I like it like that.

*cue Tito Nieves*

Some of you may have noticed I’m taking a break from my long-term relationship with Expression Engine and having a fling with WordPress. It’s not because I don’t love Expression Engine anymore (I still use it for clients).  I just needed to feel the tingles again. You know what I mean?  If WordPress doesn’t sweep me off my feet, I’m sure EE and my blog will meet again… when 2.0 comes out.

If you are so inclined, please check back again to see if any changes have been made. Or, if the look is just not your thing, update your feed.  Muchas gracias.

I haven’t done it yet, though. But let me tell you somethin’ kids, these panels are HUGE!  I went to “How to Be a Web Design Superhero” this morning and it was filled to the rim (not with Brim, though. That was me. Caffeinated and slightly nervous are a classic combo).  It was a great panel, though with Andy Budd and Andy Clarke. It was entertaining and it made me feel better, really, about my process as a designer and how we do things.  We utilize most, if not all the “superpowers” they outlined in the panel, which was reassuring.  But equally and possibly more reassuring was hearing that these two designers also are growing and adapting and learning to better handle clients or critique or whatever… just like we do.  I mean, I assumed that. We don’t live in a vacuum, but it was nice to hear it, straight up like that.  I think that everyone is really their own worst critic, no matter how confident you are in your skills.  It is also nice to hear that many of the designers I admire may be like me, not formerly trained.  Sure, I had a year of design school way back in the Stone Age, but I quit, knowing I could do it on my own.  Comforting, somehow.  It lets me feel like maybe, someone I admire someday may admire my work in return, however remote the possibility.

So, I’m having a cup o’ joe and taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi they’re offering over here at the convention center.  Mike‘s back at the hotel. He’s still feeling under the weather and I’m working on catching it. I think I’m just staving it off until I get home.  Fortunately, working from the couch in my bathrobe is something I do best. 

I still haven’t run into anyone I know. At all. ANYwhere. Really makes me feel out of touch. I wish I had more time in my everyday life to connect with colleagues. I feel like sometimes we’re so busy that we don’t get a chance to come up for air and really network.  Obviously, being busy is a plus, but balance is really the key, I think.  We’re workin’ on it.

Our panel is at 3:30 CST.  I haven’t seen Susie, Peter, Paul or Lisa yet.  I suppose I may have and didn’t know it, but I’m fairly conspicuous with my pink bag and pink shoes and look of complete “holy crap!” so I’m sure they’ll find me. We have to meet in the “green room” at 2:30, which I’m looking forward to, mostly so we can chat about what we’re going to say. “How to Make Money with your Blog Design Skills”… what do I say? What do I say?  Add one part coffee, two parts photoshop. Shake and serve with a CSS garnish?