Hear ye, hear ye: I’ve been experimenting with two newish WordPress themes on two unused blogs — Penscratch 2 on New Wheeled Order and Independent Publisher 2 on Town & Country — and I’m getting close to a verdict on which one might be best suited to serve our little coven of malcontents here.
Not knowing exactly how readers “interact” with this blog leaves me thinking I should probably focus on how it looks on a phone. I prefer working it on a laptop — and a laptop hooked to an external monitor when possible — but I am a confirmed Luddite and may be the lone exception.
With that in mind, Penscratch 2 looks cleaner to me. There’s a menu right at the top for easy navigation. In Independent Publisher 2 I seem to be restricted to parking items like search, archives, bio, and whatnot in a widget area, like a sidebar or footer. And to my amateur designer’s eye, which is deeply rooted in the Before-Time, it seems to waste a lot of space.
Penscratch 2 seems easier to work, too, even in the Block Editor (curse its name, yes). I spent some time with it yesterday and almost got to where I was feeling comfortable. Dropping a photo with caption into a post was nearly as simple as working in the Classic Editor. In the editing window a sidebar at right gave me the option of selecting a resolution, aspect ratio, and a custom width/height.
And really, that’s all I want from a new theme and editor, if I absolutely have to have them, which is coming to feel inevitable given the ongoing hiccups with the old setup. Publishing should be easy, because writing sometimes is not. Also, any changes should not blow up Ye Olde Blogge, which has muddled along for 15 years in its present incarnation.
I’ll spend some more time tinkering over the weekend, as the weather is forecast to be heavy on the suckee-suckee.
Meanwhile, if you can spare a moment, have a look at the two links up top and post any comments here (if you can). I’m starting to think I need to either embrace the Block Editor with a new theme or relocate the entire operation to Substack, Medium, or some other alternative, all of which is unknown country. Who knows what dragons might be there?
Mad Blog Media 
PO’G: FWIW, I only follow your rantings/diatribes/epiphanies/insights on a MacBook Pro ….. so can’t help with phones and other devices.
I prefer the Penscratch 2. Purely from the visual perspective. I’m not a techie, so no clue on the differing capabilities, ease of use for you, etc.
Go with what minimizes your sense of frustration, optimizes your artistic and literary bents.
I be the pig looking at a watch!! 🙂
Thanks, JD. I’m not much of a phone user, either, but it seems like that audience is what a lot of the WordPress themes are intended to reach. I tried an early version of the WordPress app and found it gawdawful on the smaller phones I’ve owned.
Nor am I a “power user” as a blogger. I just want to write, add some art and salient links, and give readers a reliable way to comment.
Hell ya gotta go with New Wheel since it has some family related sound to it. I looked at it on iPad and it was just fine. Course I don’t know about posting performance.
Actually, Herb old wheelman, what I’d do if I finally decide to make the jump to light speed is apply the theme the New Wheeled Order is sporting (Penscratch 2) to this blog, because I already own the domain name Mad Dog Media.
Also, there’s 15 years’ worth of content stacked up in this bottomless closet. Apparently there’s a way I could move all the Mad Dog posts over to New Wheeled Order, and maybe I’ll try that just to see what happens. But it’d be simplest to just give this old dump a coat of fresh paint, a coouple throw rugs, and some thrift-store curtains.
Thanks for checking it out on the iPad. I have an old one I never use and forgot to boot it up to see what I could see. The New Wheeled Order-Penscratch 2 setup looks OK on the iPhone 13 Mini, too.
Like the new World Order, runs and looks great on a 5 year old dell laptop. I7 processor and ancient video. do not use cell phone much and Kindle tablet will try later. But I like your content or contrariness depending on topic so either platform will work for me
Hey, John, thanks. The early polling is favoring NWO and the Penscratch 2 theme. Also, laptops and tablets, which doesn’t really surprise me. I think most of us of (ahem) “a certain age” prefer desktop/laptop computers and tablets to phones when it comes to most Internet adventures.
Patrick, I’m a regular reader, very occasion commenter. I’m pretty wired for an older guy — I tend to ride closer to the bleeding edge than some.
I mostly read your ramblings on a newish WIN11 desktop while I let my dinner digest, occasionally on an older iPad, seldom on my phone. Both look good, so I would go with what is easiest for you to produce on, which sounds like NWO.
Bob, thanks for chiming in. Glad to hear the nonsense is coming in strong over your way. I just checked the NWO on the iPad and it seems to look good over there.
Well, “good” is a relative term, hey? I should say, “It looks like something I’d have to take the rap for.”
I don’t use or own a smart phone. The Penscratch 2 looks good on our iPads and Macbooks. And if it’s easier for you to use, I like it.
Easier to use? Doubtful. I still hate the Block Editor (curse its name, yes). But I figure that if I bring the blog into the 21st century, all stripped down so I don’t have to think about most of the inexplicable lights and klaxons blinking and bellowing from the dashboard, it just might enhance the “user experience.”
At the least it might just send the WordPress Vogons packing. Their constant shouting of “Resistance is useless!” is starting to get on my nerves.
You will be assimilated. It is unavoidable.
Your concern for us freeloaders is commendable, and we appreciate it. I had a computer system issue, a truly puzzling one, last week. Suddenly, everything started working as it should. I told the tech support folks at our HOA website to delete my support requests, and that 10 years ago I would want to know why things went sideways, but now I don’t care.
It’s not as much fun as it used to be, chasing down these gremlins, izzit?
I kind of liked being all hands-on in the Before-Time, but when my free-range rumormongery started burning more daylight it made sense to switch from a self-hosted rancheroo to WordPress’s prefab homestead.
Now I have more time but less interest when it comes to managing the property. I just wanna ride the damn’ range.
What I really want: You to wake me up with a steaming cup of joe and recite your column to me from memory. The recitation can take place in the living room. And thanks in advance. PS a phone call might suffice.
We have a Taylor Swift Package you might appreciate. I show up in your living room wearing a spangled bodysuit and sing the top-10 most recent posts. There is a small fee attached, of course.
Yeeeeuck! You ruined my Taylor Swift image for the day.
Regarding the editing, I feel warmer and fuzzier with the Penscratch 2 version on the old desktop. Although it may have something to do with the Miss Mia on her throne image and the toned down font. I fished the Android driven speaking device out of the tank and tested it with the two editor versions, and found that I preferred the Penscratch 2 on it as well.
But as others have indicated, I will also show up wherever the doughnuts and green chili sauce are served.
Gracias, Shawn. So far I don’t hear anyone shilling for Independent Publisher 2, and believe you me, the options dwindle fast from there. More theme options are said to be available if I upgrade to the Business plan, but since I’m out of business that seems inappropriate. We all recall those hucksters of yesteryear:
“Plus, if you act now, we’ll throw in this [insert your pot-sweetener here] absolutely free!”
Uh huh. I know a dark alley and a skell with a blackjack when I see ’em, thanks.
I have no preference, as long as I can read the contents I’m fine. I visit the blog about 50/50 on an android phone and a PC.
Thanks, Ira. A confessed phone user! Well done. I’ve spent more time checking the blog by phone lately just ’cause and it’s not a turble-bad experience. I’d hate to have to work it by phone, though. Sounds like a great way to go crazy. Crazier. Whatevs.
I’ll probably try that too, though.
Well sir, whatever course you take could you test drive an insertion of Radio Free Dogpatch? You know, just in case your creative juices overflow in the future and you want to gift us with a few editions? Or even access to “best of RFD” archives.
I read about your Taylor Swift Package just prior to bedding down last night. Jeezus I had weird dreams..
Herb old radiohead, I’m glad somebody liked that racket. Radio Free Dogpatch took a lot of work but never seemed to get much in the way of traction, about like a 700×23 Continental Gatorskin on a steep stretch of loose, sandy singletrack.
It’s always been hard to find the right “sonic environment” for that project, especially since The Plague Years kept more people and their own bad noise at home. Here in the cul-de-sac every barking dog, screaming child, and revving engine creeps into the mix. And of course my own mad skillz are mostly AWOL.
I keep thinking about getting back after it, and maybe one of these days I will. In the meantime, the RFD archives can always be found at my hosting outfit, Libsyn.
Here’s its most recent return from the dead, from February 2023.
That Taylor Swift thing scared me too, Herb. Took a keg and six Brillo pads to get that stain outta my brain.
I heartily concur with the Radio Free Dogpatch. I am surprised it didn’t get nation distribution. But then it would be a chore not a joy for Patrick. I will visit the archives if another nightmare wakes me tonight.
If I’d managed to get Taylor Swift onto the podcast I’d be sitting in the fabled catbird seat. Now she’ll probably sue me into the grave for besmirching her brand.
Well now I can’t help but stick my snout in here one more time. While your attention to sound effects are often hilarious and timely to the subject at hand; it’s more the sound of your voice and tone that make RFD special. I’m a sayin’ that your reading of a blog post by itself sometimes allows more depth of field than them pixels on my IPad. I can see where digging up background nuggets is damn sweaty work but ya might not need em. Alright then, I’ll go back to working on this Malbec to ensure it gets enough attention….
Geesh, Herb: And I thought “Life is a Cabernet!” 🙂
Hmm. You may be onto something there, Herb O’Malbec. Being a fan of The Firesign Theatre, National Lampoon Radio Hour, Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre, and the like, I can tumble down quite a few rabbit holes in search of background noises, which delays and complicates production. It doesn’t help that I don’t have their chops, and never will, not in this lifetime.
I enjoy Ken Layne’s Desert Oracle podcast, and he sticks to musical overlays and the occasional voice alteration and/or phone-in guest. Ian Shoales and Dr. Science (both of the Duck’s Breath mob) keep the extraneous racket to a minimum too, especially Ian.
Herself just reminded me that she suggested eons ago that I do without all the bells and whistles and just read something into the damn mic once a week. Great minds, hey?
Yeah, I think your Radio Free Dogpatch broadcasts are pretty good to. Follow your passion and I think most of us will be pleased with whatever you belch.
I think Ms. Swift is pretty keen but I don’t believe you need her to supercharge your wit and wisdom.
My ancient Android phone and more modern iPad seem to be equally happy with whichever system you attach your words, sounds and images to the intertoobes. The main thing i am hoping for is a continued stream of twisted comments from you and the others who are congregating around this barrel in the backroom of a derelict bikeshop
Thankee, Cranky. We’ll keep the babble bubblin’ ’round the barrel in the backroom of the bike shop, wherever it is and whatever it looks like.