Poll: Form and Function

[thefourthvine]

So, I've finished tagging all my entries. Notice my index posts that allow all of you, including anonymous users, access to all my tags.

Notice that they look fucking awful. And the print is tiny, so I'm not even sure anyone will use them. Plus, I seriously do not want these to be the top entries in my journal for however long it takes LJ to put a "Tags" link on the info page; looking at them depresses me, and I'm probably the only person who actually looks at my journal regularly outside of a friends list.

But, on the other hand, I did tag all those posts. I have no idea what the point was if I can't find a way to let everyone use them to search by fandom and theme. So this poll is asking, basically, for you to identify the lesser of the evils, because they all look fairly evil to me at this point.

And while you're here, could you weigh in on other appearance aspects of this journal? I mean, if I'm going to pitch a major wobbler over the hideousness of my index posts, surely I could also spare some time to worry about the fact that my journal is, well, pretty darned hideous? And that it may also make other people's friends lists hideous?

I mean, OK, I'm going to spare that time anyway, so I guess what I really want is for you to spare enough time to form an opinion. I would greatly appreciate it.

But mostly, please god someone tell me what to do about this whole tags issue, because - the horror. The horror. My dogs are averting their eyes from the screen, here. Dust mites are scoffing at my primitive grasp of website design. It's all very very bad and wrong. Help meeeeeee.

[Poll #518389]

Comments

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

I wish your comments page was the default LJ comments page instead of your LJ style. Mostly I use ?style=mine, which gets me there, so it doesn't matter much, but like right now? I've got your style (which is by no means awful - at least the comment box is white and the text I'm typing is black).

But you did ask.

Also, you should rec more Ocean's 11 fic. *g*

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Tag? What? Where?
::oblivious::

[wistfuljane.livejournal.com]

Have you considered changing your layout and adding your tags links to the sidebar? If you changed your styles to s2 Component or Flexible Square, there are codes to add additional sidebars if you go over the 30 links limit - which you will considering all the theme lists and fandoms. And I could help you with adding those codes, if you like.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

See...I had no idea it was even doing that. I went through the laying-out-your-LJ process once, shortly after I created this, when I was still a free user. And then I never did anything to it again, on the possibly-correct grounds that I am so unskilled at design that any changes I made would only make things worse.

But, see, back then I didn't understand what most of the choices would mean in terms of every day use.

And, wow. There are many options in there that I totally do not remember even seeing, let alone choosing. Although I suppose it's relevant that virtually all of them are set to "default." Exploration of layout styles is in my future, I'm thinking.

I believe, however, that I have fixed this specific annoyance. Possibly. Let me know if that doesn't do it, because, seriously, I feel like I'm looking at the entire "Customize" area for the first time, and so it will take at least thirty minutes of giddily experimental clicking before I really come to grips with it all.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

I'd totally help you do a new layout, I'm very layout jazzed at the moment.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*points*

Down yonder, just below this post, if you click over to my LJ. I deliberately forced this entry to appear ahead of everything, so that it would be on top; that will change, very soon. Basically, as soon as I make a decision about the sheer hideousness that is currently infesting my journal.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Yup, you've changed it. Thank you. *g*

And yeah, I haven't fiddled since I switched to S2 so I could see all my icons on my own posts in my own LJ. I don't really care that much about customizing my layout, which is good because I find S2 incredibly daunting.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I have changed my layout to Flexible Squares; I seriously love what I have, as I like things simple simple simple. But it looks like hell in my laptop, so I'm easily swayed by tempting promises of links that will be prettier than my current tagging horror.

And I would love some help with this, yes. Love it.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

My comment about your layout is pretty much, "Eh. Whatever makes you happy."

I tend to look at your posts on my FList (which is the most basic of basic black-text-on-white-background-layout) but when I do look at your LJ, I like the soothing colour scheme.

As for the tags, they don't appear too ugly to me (but my screen's on 600x800 resolution, so that might be part of it). And I've just skimmed through your old SN recs, which has proved that the fandom-based tags are a godsend.

(I get in the mood for a certain fandom, and the only minor complaint I used to have about your recs was that despite the great summaries and the funny, I couldn't just pick a fandom and find a bunch of recs for it. But now I can!)

If it really drives you nuts, maybe you could just put one short entry at the top of your LJ, and link to the lists of tags. That'd work well.

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Er... I totally had a brilliant solution to your problem if you didn't have approximately two hundred million bazillion different tags, which I did not realize was the case until after filling out the poll. So ignore my brilliant solution answer -- I say just wait until they have a better tag listing function.

What I'm also hoping is that they'll have a combined-tag function in the future, so you can look for stuff that is tagged, say, both food-fetish and Ocean's-11 -- so you only get Rusty Eating Candy fic, or whatever. Know what I mean?

And, just to give you an idea of how much of a dork I am... I have already figured out how to accomplish this programming-wise in my head.

[wistfuljane.livejournal.com]

=)

I can understand the need for simplicity, but customizations with most s2 styles won over that.

If you have chose Flexible Squares, customize your layout with the color schemes and the options you want. And then we'll add a theme layout based on your initial customization by going to advance customization > your layers > Create layout-specific layer > type: theme > layout: flexible squares > create and then copying your initial customization by going to advance customization > your layers > your layers > name: user > edit > ctr + a and copy and going back to your layers > name: theme > edit > paste under layout id & etc.

Erm, if any of these is unclear, let me know. This is just step one.

[wistfuljane.livejournal.com]

Here are the links if I am confusing you: creating a theme layer (http://www.livejournal.com/community/s2flexisquares/914.html) and adding more boxes to sidebar (http://www.livejournal.com/community/s2flexisquares/2205.html).

Another thing, you might want to increase your layout width, one of things LJ still need to fix about Flexible Square is that sometimes your post might spill over to your layout (see your poll).

Yes. Tell me when you want to ready for step two.

[eliade.livejournal.com]

Not sure my answer to #1 is relevant. I couldn't figure out what you meant by "tag index." I do see that tags on the top of posts are kind of messy. Eh. I actually haven't figured out the point of tags yet at all, to be honest. I haven't been paying attention. But your LJ is grand. Also, memories work fine for finding things, yes? I'm all confused and probably confusing. Ignore me!

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

About the layout and all else I say, Whatever makes you happy, dear. :)

[manasseh.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel any better, I just used your tags to find and read a ton of Master & Commander fic.

...Okay, that really only made me feel better. Still, the tags are not completely evil, just ugly. But, to echo the above comment, do what makes you happy.

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

I am pointedly ignoring the existence of tags. But really, that isn't half as hideous as some of the customized journal layouts I see. I say, do what you like.

But, you know, simple and soothing colors are better.

Yeah, yeah, lot of help that is. You can wallpaper it with dayglo neon sunflowers and I'll still read your recs.

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

(wandering in from friendsfriends, avoiding housework)

You can make URL shortcuts for each tag, and put them as Links over on the sidebar:

http:\\www.livejournal.com\users\chrismm\tag\graphics

is the real URL. Prettier link like so:

Graphics Posts (http://www.livejournal.com/users/chrismm/tag/graphics)

It's still a little unwieldy, and you'd have to add Links as you add tags, but it's prettier and easier to understand.

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

Of course, now that I look closer, and realize that you have 3,293,003 different tags, um, my solution is prettier, but a hell of a lot of work. So maybe not...

[apatheia-jane.livejournal.com]

the more links I click at work, the more will show up on history, which I can't delete.

Therefore, no cut-tags. Makes it easier for me to skim thru at work & then seek out the places I want to go later.

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

Obey me. I have a brilliant solution to this problem, which I will relate to you in the comments so that you may worship me as I deserve.

Put links to the Tag entries on your User Info page. You could combine this with one entry of links at the top of your LJ. Or you could just create a sidebar/header with links (see the FAQ on overrides, there's a tutorial too (http://www.livejournal.com/users/howto/4516.html)). That way the info will be easy to find, but not take up huge gobbits of space at the top of your LJ.

I have no problem with the length of your posts, but then I don't usually read you on my flist, I come and actually look at your LJ. Cutting polls or other oddities would probably be polite, as they aren't your primary thing, and people may or may not be interested. I quite like having the rant at the top and then a cut, so I can decide if I'm interested or not. But, really, you're entertaining and I don't mind one way or the other.

As for layout. A change is always nice, and I can understand why you want one, but really? It's all good. I don't come to your journal for eye candy. I come for the text :)

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

And, I should probably have said that I haven't actually played with Tags yet, so the advice is all based on previous stuff I've played with, and could possibly be incompatible with Tags.

[flambeau.livejournal.com]

Psst, you forgot to reset the date on this post, so your tags aren't on top in your lj. You're still living in the future. ;)

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Nope, that was very clear - thank you - and I've done that. What next?

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

At this point, I'm just trying to get my tags at the top, or at any rate somewhat separated from my post, and my links list on the sidebar long enough. But since it took me roughly 4 hours of color blending and experimentation to get the current color configuration, well, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a look at it and just...see if it looks all right. Because I seriously would not know, and at this point I think I could've ended up with neon orange and neon green and still gone with it, just because I couldn't stand any more color modification.

Basically: suggestions? Hints? Comments? I clearly need a lot.

*weeps for lost simplicity and cleanliness of old style*

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

(I get in the mood for a certain fandom, and the only minor complaint I used to have about your recs was that despite the great summaries and the funny, I couldn't just pick a fandom and find a bunch of recs for it. But now I can!)

See, yes, exactly. The memories feature drove me insane, because with a five-tag limit, I couldn't possibly tag by fandom, and I need to be able to search by fandom even more than most users. (This would not be a problem if I was absolutely consistent with updating and maintaining my recs database. But...well, it is a problem. Yeah. Moving on.)

So, despite the ugliness of the tags, and the fact that I have had to change my layout to try to make good use of the tags, still, I love the tags. Not unconditionally, mind you, but there's definitely love in there.