I am updating the interface for the blog together with an upgrade to WordPress 2.5. Even though I like the simplicity of the previous design, I think it is time for a new change.
I still keep the 3-column design similar to the previous template, with an extra column on the left to hold extra meta-data about the post. The layout is based on the 960 Grid system and it works perfectly at bigger zoom factor and font sizes in both Internet Explorer and Firefox. You can try increasing the font size with Ctrl + (pressing Ctrl and “plus” key, Ctrl + 0 to reset to normal). Personally, I always read blog at 150% or so since I want to be able to sit back and scan through the text, instead of concentrating on just reading the letters. Also, the previous layout tends to break in Internet Explorer when the posts have different sizes. With the 960 Grid, this is no longer an issue.
There are a few ads now on the page. I am not trying to be the next John Chow, but at the same time, I want to start monetizing the blog more. Consider this an experiment. The revenue will directly go into the hosting fee and other good causes. I would like to see the blog become a small passive income source I love writing about my passions about investment, technologies, and other interesting aspects of life. I hope you enjoy my stories, and at the same time support the site as well.
If you want to advertise on my site, now is an excellent time to do so. Be sure to check back as I will post the statistics about traffic to site and advertising details on a later post.
There will be bugs within the blog as I have quite a few posts and pages, especially pages formatted to display code snippets. I will go back and correct them as much as I can. Going forward, it is my goal to keep the posts at the highest quality, in terms of writing, contents, and graphic illustrations. I’ll go for quality and quantity at the same time.
To sum up, here are the changes:
Technical:
- New design based on 960 Grid system
- Better layout and cross-browser support
- Scalable fonts to help you read the blog easier.
Updates and Improvements
- Permalinks will be updated to use post titles instead of numeric numbering. This will help Google and other search engines index the pages better.
- Begin to monetize with ads and banners.
- Officially offer advertising opportunities. Contact me for more details
Any comments and suggestions are welcome.
Sincerely yours,
Alex