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Is there someones website on here I could look at?

  1. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Hi there

    I am wanting to use Word Press to build a website....I have seen the Video and read up about starting one and also static pages....but is there someone who has made a website on here that I could have a look at please?

    Usually the websites I see has all the information (About work etc) on the top of the page where the main title is....I am using Quentin, so dont know if thats the reason it is at the side instead.

    I would just like to see someone's website on here, just to see what a finished one looks like

    The blog I need help with is sharonharvey2.wordpress.com.

  2. shoreacres
    Member

    Sharon - I've stayed with a blog format rather than a website <i>per se.</i> But I'm also using Quentin, and have some static pages. You might want just to take a peek and see how I have it laid out.

    The Task at Hand

  3. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Hi Shoreacres - thankyou I did yeah, and it looks fantastic :D....I have a blog already with Quentin, though I do hate that word! I want a website here....and I have fell in love with the Quentin theme as it looks most professional and elegant (I have had a lot of compliments over it :D) and so wanted a website with that design....

    I have seen many people's websites and as I said above, wondered if it was just because it was Quentins why it didnt look right (I always think with websites that the writing ie advertising whats on your website) is across the top....

  4. t3ck
    Member

    @Sharon Quentin doesn't offer top page navigation although you can use the page widget in-conjunction with the Quentin theme on the widget side bar. Or option 2 you could pick a theme with top navigation.

    I would just like to see someone's website on here, just to see what a finished one looks like

    This blog is a blog/website http://teckline.wordpress.com

  5. bokunosekai
    Member

    Does it have to be quentin?

    I'm currently using this one http://bokunosekai.wordpress.com and I'm very satisfied with it. But I haven't tried Bruno yet, probably tomorrow.

    I use different themes for all my sites. here's another http://kamekroten.wordpress.com and http://novroz.wordpress.com

  6. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Hi t3ck Yeah I realise that with Quentin....it such a nice site though and looks really impressive and also proffessional with its layout (Ie colours etc) and I have had a lot of compliments over it. I realise though it doesnt offer the page navigation (Thankyou for revealing the proper name for what I was trying to say there!) which is why I kept thinking it was not like a website, as I always associate websites with top page navigation.

    Now that sounds interesting what you mentioned - page widget in-conjunction with the Quentin theme on the widget side bar. Does that mean I can keep the Quentin theme then.....AND is it as hard as it sounds LOL! :P

    bokunosekai....As I said above I prefer Quentin for its elegant theme and look and have had an awful lot of compliments over it for my site. However, I would be open to look at others ....:)

    I do like your sites :D they are MOST impressive...I do like your first link though, that is very impressive :D and its got the page navigation at the top :D

    I did find 3 other sites (Not on here)

    http://www.webstarts.com/?aff=buildfree

    http://www.webs.com/

    http://www.webeden.co.uk/

    Are these the same as Word Press?

    Thanks for ALL your help so far, most appreciated :D

  7. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Just out of curiousity is this a Word Press..:
    http://www.consequentialstrangers.com/

    I ask because at the bottom is the word of the site and then it says powered by WOrd Press, so is it a Word press website??

  8. t3ck
    Member

    @sharon Yeah you can use the Page Widget with your current theme the widget will show up on your side bar. after you enable the widget.

    As for those other sites they don't even come close to being as good as WordPress

    WordPress can be a stand alone blog, or CMS (Content Management System) another words a stand alone website without the blog feature or you can have both a website/blog by far WordPress is more advance and more elegant looking when it comes to publishing content.

  9. t3ck
    Member

    This thread is now merged from the Off Topic forum over too the Question forum.

  10. timethief
    Member

    The characteristics of websites are as follows:
    1. The main difference between a blog and website is the communication style.

    A website is a one-way noticeboard communication style. Consequently, websites are page based structures ie. based on static pages with content that rarely, if ever, changes. Most of these mock websites will have a static front page rather than having posts appearing on the front page.

    A blog is designed for interactive communication. Blogs encourage conversation, websites do not and that’s why businesses and professionals with websites are adding blogs to them, and sometimes forums and wikis as well for complaint handling, customer feedback purposes and for collaborative purposes.

    Blogs publish current news with date and time stamps, most websites do not. Blogs are post based structures ie. based on dynamic posts that are frequently updated with new posts appearing in reverse chronological order with the most recent post on top. The information most websites provide is static, rarely updated, and the sites are often poorly maintained.

    A wordpress.com blog can be restructured to resemble a mock website (CMS - central management system) and function like one as has been previously described to you. Websites cannot be restructured to function as blogs do to resemble blogs, and that's why those with websites add blogs to them ie. to provide for interactive communication.

    2. Almost all websites feature custom image headers and a horizontal menu for static page access and sub-page (child page) access, because they are page based structures.

    Those wordpress.com themes that lend themselves well to being restructured as page based mock websites are the ones that allow for custom image headers, and also have horizontal menus for dispaly of static page tabs and dropdowns to sub-pages (child pages). The theme you point to Quentin is not among those that lend themselves well to restructuring as it lacks both of those features.

    The background color of the Quentin theme can be easily achieved by adding an image to any wordpress.com theme that allows for a background image to be uploaded into it. The fonts on any wordpress.com theme can be changed to the same ones used in Quentin by using Typekit Fonts. Nothing else about that theme is unique.

    Quentin is designed to be primarily used for blogging. It is meant to be easy to read, quick to install [wordpress.org version being referred to here] and quick to use. As such, there are no fancy “drop down” menus in the navigation or customizable headers. No configuring of typefaces. No uploading of your logo. ... It’s an old-fashioned theme.

    3. Blogs have RSS feeds, websites ALONE do not have RSS feeds.

  11. shoreacres
    Member

    @timethief - love your response re: blogs vs websites generally. Very succinct and helpful.

    As a Quentin user who's found it beautifully customizable as a blog - well, you've just confirmed something I've always suspected. I'm just an old-fashioned girl ;-)

  12. timethief
    Member

    @shoreacres
    "It’s an old-fashioned theme," aren't my words. The blockquote is from the theme's download site ie. wordpress.ORG version of it. :D

  13. shoreacres
    Member

    @timethief
    Nevertheless... I wouldn't have read them without your bringing them here. Perhaps I should explore my own theme a bit more!

    Haven't been on the forums for a while. I admire your diligence and input. Thx!

  14. timethief
    Member

    @shoreacres
    Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate them. :) The rest of what I wrote above is my own words. I wanted to be sure that Sharon clearly understood why the Quentin theme is not a good candidate for creating a "mock website".

  15. tfockler60
    Member

    @Sharon

    "Just out of curiousity is this a Word Press..:
    http://www.consequentialstrangers.com/

    I ask because at the bottom is the word of the site and then it says powered by WOrd Press, so is it a Word press website?? "

    NOPE my guess is it isn't...why....no smiley...LOL

    Ok..let me explain...a while back I read somewhere that ALL real WP sites have a little tiny smiley at that bottom.(go ahead check your site) This one, while it looks pretty legit...has no smiley.

  16. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    @tfockler60: Your reply is incorrect.

    That site is wordpress, only it's wp.org, not wp.com.

    In a wp.com blog the smiley may show up at the bottom or elsewhere or nowhere, depending on the theme, plus you can hide it with CSS.

    If you are a logged-in wp.com user, a tell-tale sign of a wp.com blog is the presence of the grey admin bar at the top. There are also telling differences in the source code of the page.

  17. timethief
    Member

    Panos is correct. "Powered by WordPress" is a link. Click it and arrive at http://wordpress.ORG. The smiley face is an indication the blogger is using the wordpress stats plugin on his or her wordpress.ORG install just like the support wordpress.com documentation says.

  18. maidiebike
    Member

    Timethief, your explanation of main differences between a pure website and a blog would be worth a standalone article/post in your blog.

    Other people could discuss /contribute further. Otherwise gets buried under original topic and lost in space.

    I have other thoughts on distinctions between website and blog technology.

  19. timethief
    Member

    @maidiebike
    G'day to you. I'm drafting a stand alone post on this very topic right now and will be including other distinctions in it too. So get ready to add to the discussion. :)

  20. patrickobrien
    Member

    Greetings Sharon ...

    I have built a small "Web Site" using The Journalist (v1.3) theme:

    http://obrien.wordpress.com/

    All pages are static -- except one which I use for dynamic updates:

    http://obrien.wordpress.com/updates/

    Best wishes

    :)

  21. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Thankyou all for your replies on this, I found them most helpful :D
    Patrickobrien, I love your site, thats wonderful :D I did find that most helpful and do like it :D

    Ok so if I stick with what I have with the Quentin theme (Though I have got the Journalist theme in my sights thanks to what I saw of Patricks :D how do I manage to stop the blog being the 'main' page.

    I understand I need to make static pages for my site to become a website which is what I want & I also understand if I want top page navigation (I always associate that with a website somehow...) I will need another theme....

    SO what I think I would need to do to stop the blog being the main page and an 'Additional' page to my site, is to build static pages THEN advertis the blog onto the side panel...is this right please?

  22. patrickobrien
    Member

    Hello Sharon

    Thank you for your kind comments ...

    The following people deserve credit for their most useful tips and instructions which assisted me in building my Site:

    Panos: http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/

    timethief: http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com

    A few points, in no particular order:

    * I have made extensive use of Widgets to achieve this layout

    * There are two version of The Journalist -- I have used version 1.3

    * I have not used any CSS or fancy Codes and have strived to keep the Site as clean and simple as possible because many of my readers are on slow, dial-up connections

    * I spent a lot of time reading "questions and answers" here in the Forums -- plus the WordPress Support Pages over here: http://en.support.wordpress.com/

    I will be away from the Internet for about a week and will check back later to see how you are doing

    Best wishes on your venture ...

    :)

    Patrick O'Brien

  23. patrickobrien
    Member

    ... oh, and to answer your question "how to stop the blog being the main page" ...

    Go: dashboard > settings > reading

    For your "Front page" option, select "a static page" -- which you must have set up prior (in my case I had already set up a static Page titled "Introduction") and this can be selected from the drop-down arrow

    * A useful tip: become VERY familiar with the dashboard ... it is your friend

    :)

  24. patrickobrien
    Member

    ... you can create a place for your dynamic content (blog/posts) as follows ...

    (1) Make a new "Page" with any meaningful name (in my case I used "Update") and leave this Page BLANK

    (2) Go: dashboard > settings > reading ... and, for your "Posts page" option, select the new Page you created in Step One from the drop-down arrow

    (3) For content to appear on this dynamic Page -- use the "Create New Post" function and your new (most recent) Post will appear on that Tab

    (4) In a separate step (and there are a variety of ways to achieve this) I also set up an Index of all my Posts and I linked this Index through my Blogroll (or Index)

  25. sharonharvey2
    Member

    Thankyou once again Patrick, and I would like to advertise your site on my mine if thats ok with you please, as I found it most helpful, which I am sure others will too :D

  26. sharonharvey2
    Member

    And I will inc the two people you mentioned also, Pano and TT who have been most helpful to me too :D

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