Yesterday, I had the bright idea of changing the picture at the top of this blog. Very quickly, I wished that I hadn't bothered. Everything was going wrong.
The sidebar shifted itself down to the bottom. I googled possible solutions but they didn't help and soon things started to disappear. Was I really losing the evidence of fourteen years of regular blogging activity? I was in despair.
Not only was I in despair, I was in the "advanced" zone of blog customisation. It was somewhere I definitely did not belong. Undoubtedly, I belonged in the beginners' easy peasy zone.
So I did this and I did that. Clicked this and clicked that. And then, after a couple of hours of html distress, a miracle happened. I managed to resurrect the disappearing blog. "Yorkshire Pudding" was about to live again.
Now the green-themed appearance the blog currently has was never intended but from my angle it will do - at least for the time being. I am just happy to have got the blog back on line for others to view.
Of course the moral of this tale is "Leave well alone". So please think twice if in an idle moment you think it might be a good idea to change the appearance of your blog. Just stop right there. Finally, I humbly apologise if the appearance of "Yorkshire Pudding" is no longer to your liking. With hindsight, I agree that stability and sameness can be very attractive qualities.
I love this shade of green! 🍀
ReplyDeleteThere are few greens here now.
DeleteYes. I'm with Jennifer. This shade of green is not only pleasant, it is therapeutic. I used to mess with my blog appearance like crazy. Now I'm just happy to change the header picture now and then. It's the words, dear Mr. P. The rest is just, dare I say it? Gravy.
ReplyDeleteYou are like me Ms. Moon. It's all about the content rather than the appearance but not all visitors are that way inclined.
Delete"Content [all about] rather than appearance"? In blogland? You could have fooled me. Ms Moon's reply a case in point. Beware the flatterers, YP. The green in this section is not "pleasant". It's sea sick laced with latent envy.On the other hand, the green (and yellow) on your side bar is not so much "therapeutic" as less aggravating. Nice.
DeleteU
I tried the same thing two years ago with the same results. I said , "I'll look at this later." I never have.
ReplyDeleteIt can all be a bit scary for we older guys.
DeleteGoogle is changing things up once again and that could have had an effect on the problems you ran into. I know they are doing away with Google+ and I would not be surprised if they cause other problems in the process.
ReplyDeleteThat thought had crossed my mind too Bonnie but I think the problems were mostly down to my uselessness.
DeleteNot much help now but save your existing template before messing about.
ReplyDeleteHow to Backup your Blogger Template:
In your Blogger dashboard, click on “Template” in the left menu.
Click on the “Backup/Restore” button in the top right corner.
Click on the “Download Full Template” button.
Choose where you want to save the file on your computer and then click the “Save” button.
This may not help on old templates if they are no longer supported. Something you have no doubt realised.
Have fun.
Thank you Adrian.
DeleteYOU ARE WELCOME.
DeleteThis is 0-levelBlendering.
Correction O-level Blogging.
DeleteYou can test your changes without committing to them..... Though maybe not if you make changes in HTML.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's pointless telling you that now.
My blog has had a lot of incarnations over the years and I am always happier with the new one. I'm sure a renaissance man like yourself will be able to come up with something you like
If I do try again I will make sure to save this particular incarnation Kylie.
DeleteThe tender green leaves are very fitting for spring and early summer. By autumn, maybe you'll want to start looking again.
ReplyDeleteWhen my blog was new, I often changed my header picture (but never the template or layout) until someone commented that they found it annoying, having to scroll down all the way through the picture until they reached the text they wanted to read. Since then, no more header pictures for me. (I do NOT find them annoying, by the way.)
My template is one I find matches the name of my blog perfectly, and therefore I'll keep it. I like recognisable blogs, where my eyes instantly feel at home because I've been reading that blog for years.
I wish I had adopted your attitude - then I wouldn't have even tried to change my header picture.
DeleteIt's very....green!
ReplyDeleteIt matches my innocence.
DeleteIt's comforting to know that I am not the only one who finds these things difficult. All of the years I have owned a computer of one sort or another and I still remain ignorant of most of its workings.
ReplyDeleteI like the new green theme.
Briony
x
If there was a book called "Blogging for Dummies", I wouldn't understand it.
DeleteThis new version is very nice, sort of greeny. I used to change my header in the early days to freshen it up, but it takes so long to resize a picture, I now don't bother. I'm stuck with the sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteGreen rhymes with Meanqueen. Thanks for calling by. Yes! Re-sizing my picture was part of the problem.
DeleteActually, I really like the new green look. In fact I was reading your blog at work yesterday when one of my co-workers (your favorite word) looked at my screen over my shoulder and said, "Oh, what a beautiful color!" (Never mind that it's a faux pas to look at someone's computer screen over their shoulder!)
ReplyDeleteI've never tried to customize my blog template. I just use one of Blogger's stock templates. Actually, I take it back -- I did widen it -- but now I've forgotten how! LOL
Reading blogs at work? Isn't that a contradictory statement? Beware Steve...Big Brother is watching.
DeleteThis is why I NEVER touch anything on my blog - ha ha
ReplyDeleteYou've reminded me that I need to get caught up to date copy/pasting my posts to Word documents. I'm so far behind now that it's rather intimidating, but if Blogger ever breaks, I'll be sorry I didn't.
I actually like the green, for what it's worth. It reminds me of the limitless shades of green that we see here in spring - the dark of evergreens, the almost-neon of new buds, and everything in between.
Saving posts on Word is a good idea. If all my posts suddenly disappeared I would feel that a big part of my life had gone. Fourteen years is a long time.
DeleteI dare not try to alter anything re my own blog etc. I am sure I would fail miserably - I'd probably end up in Mumbai with no intention of being there!
ReplyDeleteJust about everything around me lately, out here in the real world, seems to be out of tune...without my help so I won't be fiddling around with anything on my computer...operational-wise etc.
I prefer this green zone to the one you accidentally came up with a couple of days ago, Yorkie.
Don't despair...we ain't goin' nowhere! :)
"The green zone" sounds like some kind of no-man's land between warring nations.
DeleteI'm scared to change anything on my blog for fear of losing it even though I don't post very often these days. I would like to change the email the account is linked to but am too scared to try.
ReplyDeleteI rather like the green.
As I have discovered, your fear is well-justified Helen.
DeleteLike Meike I find comfort in blogs that I recognise and your blog had always been your blog since I've followed it. I liked it. Of course I won't stop reading your blog because it's green but .....
ReplyDeleteLike the title says Graham...Sorry!
Delete