For the observant eye, you may notice that things look a little different over here. That’s because 33 Charts is now housed on WordPress/Thesis. With the help of Nico Pin at SnowyDay Design my content was successfully from Typepad last week and the big server switch occurred tonight.
But we’re still looking for bugs. Between migration of content from Typepad into WordPress and the migration of the site onto my new server there may have been some comments that got lost in the shuffle. If you find something missing, just let me know and I should be able to dig it up from my Typepad account. If you see anything weird happening (or not happening) please give me a heads up.
So why the change? After all, it doesn’t look much different. While I liked Typepad’s ease of use and service, I felt that I wanted more latitude in customizing the look and feel of the site. It’s pretty bare bones right now although I’m planning more creative use of my sidebar as well as the addition of pages that will make it a more complete representation of me. I just found Typepad too constrained for where I want to go. These changes will appear on 33 Charts over the next few weeks as I get used to the platform.
So pardon me as I complete renovations here and don’t hesitate to tell me what you think I should or shouldn’t build into the site. I’m thinking I need something at the top of the sidebar with my name and picture. I’ve been told that passing visitors really have no idea that this is a blog written by a doctor … or even a human. I need to work on that.
I’m sensitive to the visual assault that readers are confronted with on today’s busy blogs. I’ll continue to do my best to keep it clean, minimalistic, and focused on unique content.
Let me know what you need and thanks for reading.
{ 5 comments }
Personally, I’m a fan of the minimalism. It’s cliche, but content and readability (I’m glad you increased the font size) are king. I actually took some cues from you when I started out.
That said, I agree that a rock-solid About DrV sidebar section & page would be great. As you seem to have quite a diverse presence on various networks (Twitter, Cinch, LinkedIn, Foursquare, etc.) I’d suggest linking to them prominently. I think that many readers are looking for explicit examples of how you are using social media yourself, so you should make it easy for them
Also, I’m a big fan of your book reviews. Perhaps you could make them easier to find by making a separate page, tagging, or throwing up a “featured book” on the sidebar.
Looking forward to seeing the new looks.
Elizabeth – About page very soon. SM buttons after that. Page of consolidated book reviews is a super idea. I find myself gravitating towards writing about books and I need to do that on a weekly/biweekly basis. Thanks for pushing me.
Looking forward to reading your stuff! I am also interested in seeing how many people use each of the various types of blogging sites and tools to produce their content. There seem to be three or four that most folks like and use. In any case, less is more. I’m trying to keep up with a boatload of blogs, so simple lines and easy navigation with clear content are a must for me.
Thanks!
Greg – Whenever I discuss SoMe with physicians I always emphasize the importance of choosing your space or platform. For most of us our time is limited and we only can offer our real attention in a couple of places. My blog is closest to home for me. I use Twitter alot as well. Mike Sevilla (aka Doctor Anonymous) is big on Facebook and he puts a lot of energy into his show on BlogTalk Radio. A core presence in a 1-2 places is key.
Thanks for commenting.
Dr. V,
After you’ve used it for awhile, will you let us know what you think? I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress and like it, but I’m not on Thesis. Some sites like Copyblogger make it sound almost mandatory if you’re a serious blogger. Thanks!