Random Jottings (not travel), Uncategorized

Another fine mess I’ve got me Into

37 Comments

Intrigued by the recent email from WP I thought I’d have a look at the new themes they are offering. I shouldn’t have!

I seem to remember that in earlier days I could activate a theme to see how it would look on my current site but this didn’t happen. Instead clicking ‘Activate’ meant that I accepted the site – and of course, I didn’t like it – but I couldn’t remember the name of my old site, nor could I find it again.

Many changes of site and I’m still befuddled, left with a site that has caused me to swear and shout at the screen. It actually transported a page from the site I’d tried earlier (but with that page’s wording etc. not fitting with my content) and I had to delete the pictures and text block by block and then save the blank page!

For tonight I’ll leave it and I maybe able to get back to it tomorrow but if not, you’ll know why my site looks odder than usual.

It’s probably all my fault. I should leave well alone, but it’s like touching the surface when it says Wet Paint – Do Not Touch, I just can’t resist clicking to see what is hiding behind the italics!

37 thoughts on “Another fine mess I’ve got me Into”

  2. The WP gremlins have been hard at work hassling you, Mari. Like many others, I liked playing around with themes, but haven’t done that recently. What a pain when you can’t reverse the action. Still, it is a good challenge for the brain, albeit a frustrating one. I think this theme works quite well. You could stick with it for a while to see if it grows on you?

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    1. Most people seem, to like this theme so I’ll stick with it for a while. The photographs don’t seem to show up so well though, too much white around them I think, but maybe in future I can tweak the images so that they contrast more.

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      2. WP says about the new “full site editing” feature:
        “The Site Editor also includes a new feature called “Global Styles,” which allows you to edit site-wide settings for color, typography, and more. You’re free to change your theme’s default color scheme”.
        I don’t know if that applies to the theme background, but maybe you can find out.

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  3. Oh shoot!!!! Sorry to hear that, but thanks for the warning.
    Have you tried to go to the backups of your old site at WP? I don’t know if you can, but it might be worth a try to check it out.
    I’m keeping mey fingerrs crossed: good luck!

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      1. Mary,
        shortly after I wrote my previous comment I found out that – as it looks to me – backups are only included in the business plan. I don’t know if you have that. If so, go to the dashboard, and there to “Jetpack”. One of the items there is “backup”.
        But I agree with other commentors here: this design/theme looks very good to me, too, and your decision to go with it is the right one.
        In some other answer you wrote “The photographs don’t seem to show up so well though, too much white around them I think, but maybe in future I can tweak the images so that they contrast more.”
        I had that same “problem” with the theme of my “Pit’s Fritztown News” blog and I asked the designer of that theme for help. The solution is to create a “group block”, change the background colour for that, and then insert the other block, for example the “images block”. You can thus create background colours for any block that doesn’t come with that option by itself. If you want one and the same background colour for all of your pictures, make the empty “group block” with just the background colour a “reusable block”. That way you don’t have to fiddle around with the background colour any time you use the “group block”.
        So far, I have only tested this in a private test post, but it works.
        I hope this might be of help.
        Good luck with the further development of your new theme.
        Take care,
        Pit

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  6. I feel your pain but I have to agree with previous comments, as I think the header looks very attractive. It’s still frustrating if you hadn’t wanted to change your theme, in the first place…

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    1. I’ve always said so too, but I was lulled into acquiescence by a nice email telling me how simple it was to use the blocks in the new themes! I should have known better (but I’ve said that many times before)!

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      3. I’ve never been happy with them and share Andrew’s distrust of blocks but reading that email from WP I thought that I’d come out of my dinosaur state and really get to grips with them. How wrong I was!

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  8. I think there is a way to see how a theme will look – I meddle regularly but always decide against the change. I think it’s called something like ‘live preview’ – ‘activate’ always goes straight ahead and applies the new theme.

    But actually I’m going to be controversial and say I actually prefer this new look! The page seems cleaner and easier to read. It may need a bit of fiddling to adjust to your liking but I think you might have made an unintentionally positive mistake, on the whole 🙂

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    1. Such positive feedback makes me feel much better. I’ll go along with it anyway and I’m sure I’ll get used to it but the fact that you prefer this look helps a lot! I did try ‘live preview’ but this only showed me the WP theme writ large, not my content on it. The first one I tried then carried over half of that theme to the others, including this one, and I had to delete it paragraph by paragraph. Obviously it was a mistake, or a flaw, in the process.

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    1. I’ve made a few changes over the years – just because I can! Stupid, I know. I do wish we could go back to the system where it was possible to see how one’s own blog would look if changed.

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      2. When I clicked on the option to ‘see’ the theme it merely showed me how it looked in their layout, not with my content as it used to. When I clicked on Activate, that’s when it took over. Never mind, I can’t do much today anyway, my eyes are playing up so I’m closing down now – enforced away day from computer!

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  13. I have to say, your Header looks rather attractive. I’ve obviously had a narrow escape as I used to like to fiddle with new themes when they came up too. I seem to remember a theme I once used going out of stock or availability, however WP put it? Maybe live with this one and see how it adapts to future posts? I haven’t backtracked to see how older posts look.

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    1. I’ve got to leave it for now, my brain is frazzled. As you say, leave it and see. The header is my favourite hotel in Thailand, the Dusit Thani Hua Hin (tai-chi on that beach at 6.00 a.m got me up early)! Nick and I spent a winter holiday there for many years before he died and it is on that beach that his ashes are scattered. I’m hoping to get back for one more trip at least, but it all depends on Covid.

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    2. I can’t find the old theme, I stupidly didn’t think to keep a note of the name and as to the flaw, I have a suspicion that I’m to blame along the line somewhere. I have no faith in my ability to cope with WP and its funny ways!

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