Blogger in Draft Template Designer Review



This doll's face expresses my present feelings about Blogger's Template Designer. I love many things, but my eyeballs have been practically erased trying to figure out how to customize it for my needs. After years of messing around with HTML to try to get my blog to have 3 columns, change the background, center the blog title, etc, Blogger released a great new tool called Template Designer, where you can choose how many columns you want in your blog, etc. and ta-da there they are. Easy peasy. I LOVE so much of it. But now some of the old tricks for customizing my site won't work. So.........if you know how to do the following in Blogger's Template Designer, please let me know. I think it has something to do with CSS.

1) Center the BLOG TITLE. Why can't this be the default option? It makes more sense, Blogger, because so many people want to put their own logo or banner at the top centered. Blogger, you seem to be in love with the align to the left option. Is that something that the young and hip like to do and only older people like to center things? Am I missing something here? If I want to insert an image I'm finding ways around it by making the blog title have 0 pixels and then inserting a gadget below that, but it creates a funny space at the top. I wonder if the 19 year old Blogger Designers are laughing with glee at how many people are trying to get around this.

2) Background Images. If you're going to go to the trouble of giving us this nice new tool, please please please make it easier to add my own background image. Ning can do it - there's a little box for Upload Your Own Background Image there. Why can't this be on the background page? What's the reasoning for leaving this out.? A sweet deal with a photo company? If you really want to give a flexible tool, then this must be part of the Template Designer.

3) Blogger Navigation Bar. It's not pretty, Blogger. It's no Izod alligator - not a status symbol that people want to display. I'm using a custom domain and I don't want it to be there in such a prominent spot. Could you make this a movable thing so it's placed somewhere less conspicuous? If you really want to bring people to your service please make this have a much less visible option - like being place in a sidebar down low.

I guess I need to learn CSS.

4 comments:

When Two Becomes Five said...

I was having the same problem adding my own image to the header with one of my blogs. I do like that there are more options though. You used to be able to delete the navigation bar. Just google it. I think you have to manually go in and edit something through a secret back door or something. I'm liking your new layout so far. and I enjoy seeing what you've been up to.

Dixie Redmond said...

Thanks, Michelle. I'll be changing it 1000 times until I get it where I want it. I like this layout but would like a little more defination on the other side of the sidebars. So I'll play around until I find something that feels right.

Anonymous said...

LOL Dixie, you're too funny!

I know there is a way to hide the bar and it will only appear when you scroll over it. Now I need to figure out where I found the instructions. I'll check for them.

Anonymous said...

http://shabbyblogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/disappearing-nav-bar-tutorial.html


Here it is Dixie...give it a try :)


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden