Howdy fellow bloggers and readers of blogs. If you've followed mine for any length of time, then you've probably noticed I tend to change my theme or layout about one to half-a-dozen times a year. I might do that again soon. But it's more than a cosmetic facelift; it's about a structural change. It's about simplifying my blog workflow and asking, "Should you post all your stuff on your own site or social media?" So coffee up.
Good design is not just how something looks but how it works. That's what I mean by a structural change. I made one this Summer when I moved back to WordPress. I had decided to post all my content first and foremost on my blog. And then certain posts would be syndicated (cross-posted) on social media sites.
To post all my stuff on my own site, I wanted a way to organize and present it. But using pre-built WordPress templates (while not paying for custom CSS) meant my options were limited. I chose themes with post-formats to help. For example, "Aside" posts would be my social media microposts. But long story short, my current theme setup isn't quite what I want. So I'm feeling the need to change it.
Another reason I'm rethinking these things is: my static HTML site. There I can build or code anything I want. The possibilities are compelling (and the coding practicing is fun). Seeing how blog themes can work in that kind of setting has affected how I view my WordPress blog and what I can (or can't) do with it.
Since I've been blogging on both WP.com and on my HTML site this month, though, I've also been pressed to simplify my workflow. It'd be ideal to draft and edit all in once place and then simply copy/paste to however many blogs I've got going — streamline. So I've been thinking about how to make my WordPress theme more closely resemble my HTML site.
That would mean not using post-formats, which would be a big change. I may also stop using the "Read More" link. And I've already made a few small changes; I dropped the "Reply by..." and "Subscribe..." blocks from my WP posts on the front-end. On the back-end, I stopped using the Block Editor, reverting to the Classic Editor (please just let me edit plain text, not proprietary blocks).
Abandoning post-formats would simplify my WP blog. But not having "Aside" posts makes me reconsider having only long-form content on my blog with microposts reserved solely for social media. But then where would I post or host my photos? So I'm pondering the whole IndieWeb POSSE ideal and trying to be pragmatic.
As part of this rethinking process, I also looked again at WP.com themes. I found one that really sticks out; I've got the itch to try it!
I share all that to help me think through this stuff and to say, "Surprise, my theme may change again." Thanks for following along!