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Need help understanding a couple of things

  1. absurdoldbird
    Member

    Sorry the title of this topic's a bit vague, don't know quite where to start. I've got a second blog, here:

    http://nearlyapie.wordpress.com/

    and am using the Vostok theme as I wanted the posts (which are all images) to show up without people being distracted by info on either side. The thing is - I finally managed (after a lot of hassle) to get various widgets into the left and right footers, but I cannot for the life of me understand what the other footers are for and how to use them there. There is Right Footer Widget Area, Left Footer Widget Area, both of which I'm using okay, then there are these: First Footer Widget Area, Second Footer Widget Area, Third Footer Widget Area and Fourth Footer Widget Area. What I want to know is this: as it's a very narrow theme, where would things appear were widgets to be put into any of these (1st,2nd,3rd,4th) footers, and - how do I do it? I'd really like to put as much info, links and stuff as I can in this new blog, but can't see how to do it.

    The other thing is this: do the images seem too big? I use a tiny monitor still (very old one) so can't really tell how they're looking to other people. I know one can make them larger or smaller but I'm just wondering if they are too big to load and also, if I were to make them much smaller, if the 'text' (in the images) would be visible. I've set it so that only three posts show up per home page, so hopefully it won't be too much, but I just can't tell.

    Many thanks.

    Val

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

  2. timethief
    Member

    The main page for available in house widgets here at wordpress.COM is found at this link > http://en.support.wordpress.com/topic/widgets-sidebars/ By clicking the links for the individual widgets found on that main page you will locate descriptions of what each specific widget is for and how to install it. If you don't feel your blog will benefit from using any of them then don't install them into the footer boxes for widgets.

    As far as the size of the images go I have no comment to make. Each person has their own opinion of what the best image sizes are.

  3. hallluke
    Member

    If I were you I would have fewer posts per page, perhaps only one considering your images are huge. Currently your widgets are hidden away at the bottom and visitors aren't likely to scroll all the way down to view them. I'd suggest you resize your images to the width of your blog which is 520px rather than 600px before you upload them. This will reduce the file size and speed up loading time. You might even consider smaller sizes as an individual image won't fit on my screen unless I scroll through it.

    lh

  4. absurdoldbird
    Member

    @timethief. Thanks. I've seen that page before, it didn't help. It's the meaning of those 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th footer areas in the Vostok theme that I don't understand. And, when I click on them, and try to drag something there - nothing happens!
    Apropos the image sizes, it's the load-time that concerns me so I'm really asking for some opinions. Thanks for yours.

    @hallluke. Wow! I hadn't realised they were so big! Thank you! I'm actually having some problems doing them in Photoshop at the moment, they appear huge before I flatten them, so something is amiss. I have actually reduced them in the image editor here, but obviously not enough.
    As for not being able to see the whole image unless you scroll through it - that is intentional as they are supposed to look like blog posts!

  5. harrythehandyman
    Member

    my opinion for whats its worth :) add the "read more " button to your posts they are far to long for the front page . make an about page and move " this is me " into it . and your left sidebar is very busy for people to read . i have the same theme as you and i like it and never new there were footer widgets . visit my site to see what i mean about the above , harry

  6. absurdoldbird
    Member

    @harrythehandyman - thanks for the input. I've got two blogs. The one that has the same theme as you is my main one not the one I was asking about in this question. Yep my sidebar is very busy, but it's mostly for me, people don't have to read it (though they usually do).

    The footer widgets are in my other blog - which has no sidebars at all. Have a look.

  7. ludusnaturae
    Member

    I have actually reduced them in the image editor here, but obviously not enough.

    I think that 600px width is a good size to upload vertical images. Scrolling is inevitable when this images has that hight, in order to see the text and other details (without changing the orientation of the monitor ... ).
    And for horizontal ones, I think that 1024px is a good choose.
    Both proposals for good images, with details to be seen.
    (For best quality of download, size may be larger, of course)

  8. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    @absurdoldbird: The footer cannot have 2 columns and 4 columns at the same time. So the 4 widget areas are probably a mistake - maybe a relic from an earlier version of the theme.

  9. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    @absurdoldbird & ludusnaturae: recommended image width depends on the theme, on whether you want the images in the posts to link to the fullsize originals or not, and on the quality of the originals themselves. If you prefer access to high-quality originals, you can upload large files. If you prefer best quality on the post instead, you should upload images that don't exceed the width of the post column - see here:
    http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/image-quality/
    For Vostok that means no wider than 520px.

  10. ludusnaturae
    Member

    I was writing about about size of upload images for link to the full-size originals, when post's width isn't enough for a good display. It means a loss in image quality on the blog, as Panos said.
    ...
    But the best is to read Pano's post and comments, of course! :-)

  11. absurdoldbird
    Member

    Thanks all.
    I have made the images of the last couple of posts somewhat smaller and although they load more quickly than the larger images, they aren't as legible which I absolutely need them to be. So I'm probably going to have them large again. This is the problem with showing artwork online. I'd rather not have smaller images in the main posts that link to larger ones elsewhere.

    I'm actually thinking of switching over to a different layout as I'm just not getting on at all well with having the links and stuff below all the posts. I'm so used to layouts in which the panels are at the side. Well anyway, I've got a test blog so I shall continue to experiment. Thanks!

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