Screenshots of a new 2-column WordPress theme

December 18th • 1 Comment • Under: Sidenotes, WordPress • Tags: WordPress

Here are a few screen captures of the theme I am currently working on. Notice the home page layout for the older posts, and how easy it is to adjust the header and the main color. Read more »

Advertising on the Web

December 11th • No Comments • Under: Sidenotes, Understanding Web

What’s the purpose? Are you also immune to the ads? What do you think about the ad blocking browser extensions? Are you using ads on your blog/site? Here is my take on this.

Back to pencil and paper

December 9th • No Comments • Under: Sidenotes • Tags: drawing

50 Facial Expressions and how to draw them by Dani Jones and other useful “in-depth illustration tutorials, tips, and video demos” at danidraws.com. Via screenz.de

Updated AdSense Manager Plugin: Ad Slot IDs and Rounded Corners

December 8th • 24 Comments • Under: WordPress • Tags: adsense, plugin, WordPress

The latest version (2.5) of the very popular and useful AdSense Manager plugin for WordPress by Martin Fitzpatrick doesn’t allow you to use the new ad management features that were recently implemented by Google. Previously you could track the ad performance only by their channel IDs.

Since the November 2007 an additional identifier is available for each of the ad units to which you can assign an explanatory title (for example, 200×200 ads, below article, etc.). These slots are also automatically given a 10 digit ID (like 6567667845) which is assigned to a new variable google_ad_slot inside the ad code.

Theoretically, for displaying an ad you now have to know only your publisher ID and the slot ID, while the rest of the ad’s look and feel can be adjusted through your AdSense account without ever touching the JavaScript which you have placed inside the HTML. Read more »

Standards Watch: Design Observer

December 4th • No Comments • Under: Design Suggetions

I am an avid reader of Design Observer (DO) blog — writings about design & culture. They feature essays, ideas and critique about the issues of design in its broadest sense.

Although the content and the authors are fantastic, the website still uses HTML tables for layout, fixed 10px font size and images (without alt atributes) for section headers.

In order to thank the authors for their amazing writing, I have rebuilt the layout following the best practice of web design, and using well marked-up HTML and CSS. This way DO would be friendly to all user, mobiles and search engines.

View the result: Design Observer with beautiful HTML and standards.

This layout could be easily turned into a WordPress theme which would give the authors greater control over the content and functionality of the website.