bitbol

From past experiences on this blog, I have found that Google employees are best contacted through public posts. In this particular post, I must voice my distaste at the newest (9/5/07) update.



I am not a fan of wasted space. White space is acceptable in some places, but the newest update of Reader has added an intangible void. The left column has become unnecesarily wide. It must be 50-75 pixels wider than it once was. Also, the new icon to hide the sidebar was poorly implemented. The icon simply hogs space and ruins the consistency of the design (note the difference in spacing of sidebar items relative to column space).

Update (9/6/07): They finally added a search bar to Reader. At least something was done right.

Labels: Design, Google, Rants

The last time I changed my template, I did so because I thought that I was going to change my focus to automotive. I have since discovered that is not what I want to do. I got so wrapped up in the Gumball that I didn't think very far into the future. After about a week, I got bored, and ended the series I intended to run. Since then, I have found a new topic that I enjoy: politics.

It is with great pleasure that I present the newest design. I am trying to keep the layout as clean as possible, but still give plenty of places to browse. There is a list of the presidential candidates that I have written about, so that each is easily distinguished. Not only do politics offer me the opportunity to write about the presidential elections, but there is still plenty to say after the elections. As long as there is a government, there will always be something to say about it.

Labels: Blog, Design

I know there are a number of people who subscribe to my feed, so I don't know if all of those people have taken the time to see the new design. At right is a thumbnail of the old layout, which I personally believe was fairly bland. No longer is the blog based on shades of gray. I needed some color, and I figured that with my coverage of the Gumball, this would be the best time to make the shift.

The new design, right now anyhow, is simple yet inspiring (at least to me). The header image has been changed from the broken pilings (see above) to a Porsche, which is a car I want to buy one day. It ties closely with the Gumball rally, considering that many cars in the rally are made by Porsche. I tried to make the design as clean as I could, so the "About me" section was removed. Many of the borders of various items were removed to make the page more "open."

Any suggestions? I want this design to stick for at least a few months, so any feedback would be appreciated.

Labels: Blog, Design