Can anyone recommend a good LJ layout?

[red_satin_doll]

ETA 11/18/12 :  I've decided to go with Blue Woodcut for now, although it doesn't use Ariel-style font (or have tags in a column.  I can deal.)  It's actually quite similar to the Weston series template gabrielleabelle used but is not completely identical, and rarely seen (at least in this corner of the Buffy-fandom sandbox I play around in.)  And: pretty.  Easy on the eyes counts for a lot. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. 

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Exactly what the title says: I chose this particular template because it had: black print on white ground (hey, I'm getting older, kids - readability?  It's an issue - and if it is for me, then....); color around the edges to catch the eye; fairly clean and simple graphic layout; and, the tags were visible.  (The template I originally chose was nice, but tags were not visible, so why even bother?)

But - now it's starting to irk me. It feels as though the text is squeezed in too narrowly, and thus my icon becomes more prominent right at the top of each post (or maybe I need to downsize my icons), which distracts my eyes visually when I put a photo at the top of the post.

So, if anyone can recommend another layout - and, oh yeah, it has to be one of the free ones. 

I'm not "fussy" - I prefer "particular", thanks muchly.

Comments

[kikimay]

"Zen and the Art of Movable Type" is very easily to read. I have "Weston Grey", maybe you like it?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'll look again at those, thank you! I think I do recall both of those templates so I'll look again.

[kikimay]

Oh, and the one called "Retrossential" is really beautiful (but you can't see the tags! :/)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'm being too picky? My first template was mostly all-white and had a gorgeous Gothic print title, but no tag listing. And I think that's a big deal to me because I find them extremely helpful when I'm on other people's LJs (and when I can't find them, I get irritated, and probably don't spend as much time on those sites as I might otherwise because I want to, you know, find things.)

[kikimay]

I'm also too picky, so I understand completly! I think you should try the Weston series, maybe you'll like it.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I just looked at your LJ again - and I think the weston series is also the one that gabrielleabelle used? So I might try that.

My question - how do you get that wallpaper imagery in the background of it? Do you have to have a paid account to be able to do that?

[kikimay]

It's exactly the same! You don't have to pay to change the background. You need to upload a picture on Tinypic, for example, and change the CUSTOM.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'm looking at the site now - I guess Tinypic is a bit different from Photobucket or Fotoflexer? (Fotoflexer is the editing suite that used to be on Photobucket. Now I only use Photobucket for storage since they got a different editing suite, which is useless for my needs.)

I'll give that a go in the near-future, thanks! I looked at all the templates recommended to me here, and there are quite a few nice ones. Choosing will be hard. (I'm not famous for my decisiveness, alas.)

[kikimay]

I changed my background a thousand times today. I'm right there with you, believe me.
You can use Photobucket or Tinypic, it doesn't matter, you have to take the http of the image you like and modify the custom stylesheet. (Mine, for example, is now blue) Download a picture you like, take the http for desktop with Photobucket or Tinypic and modify the custom.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Ok thanks! I'll give that a go. And if I can't figure it out, I'll come crying to you, ok? (Actually I'm pretty good with computer stuff once I figure things out. I just haven't done a lot with images other than create icons.)

[kikimay]

Of course, I can help you!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Gratzi! (And that's pretty much the extent of my Italian.)

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

I require the same specs and use one of the "Expressive" themes. It looks like there are a few options that might work for you?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I remember eyeing the template you're using before and rejecting it for some reason, but I think I'll take another look at those, thank you for the suggestion!

[readerjane]

I use the Blue Gray version of Flexible Squares, Vertigo site scheme, with "View all journals and communities in my own style" and "View comment pages from my Friends page in my own style" both checked. I believe there are other versions of Flexible Square that provide a white background. I like a pale, though not-quite-so-glary-as-white, background myself.

But I do like it for the reasons you list.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and that's a very good point about the "glare" of a white background. And those template don't sound familiar to me but I will definitely take a look this week.

I do like the templates used by stormwreath and 2maggie2, but the contrast between the colored background and text is not enough for me - and it's weird, but at first I had been trying to avoid a template I associated too much with another person's LJ (which is ridiculous, right? there's no way for every one of us to have our own template.)

That said, I like the look of gabrielleabelle's LJ quite a lot - it was probably the first one I happened upon this year, when discovering Buffy fandom - but I suspect it's only available to paid accounts?

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

I recommend thefulcrum.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've bookmarked that page - they've got some very clean, minimalist layouts. (Although wouldn't you know, my favorites are the more "baroque" choices, "Long Time Running" and "Just Like a Woman" (despite the stupid, sexist name of that second one.)

BTW - I notice you're stories are mostly on DW now, and I'm not feeling up to creating yet another account there. But you're here from there, so are LJ and DW linked somehow?

(Also, your story "Fractured" and "Innocence (Remix)" are AMAZING. Two of my favorite Buffyverse stories.)

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

I use OpenID to link the two together. You can use OpenID to comment to DW with your LJ id (and vice-versa).

Due to LJ's stupidity, I've decided I'm not using my LJ id at all if not completely necessary (for the comms I moderate). I'm so fed up with them!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Is OpenID a separate website or something built into LJ or DW? I'd love to be able to link the two, thanks muchly.

I'm so fed up with them!

I've read a lot of people say they were switching to DW and complain about LJ, but I'm not sure what the jist of the complaints are about, other than "for Buffyverse writing LJ is dead and DW is where the action is at. Care to elaborate on what bugs you about it? (aka "I'm hoping I don't regret just starting this LJ, damn it".)

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

I really don't want to get into too many specifics, but overall, LJ has consistently shown that it doesn't give a shit about its userbase, specifically its English-speaking userbase, and constantly implements changes the users hate in order to be more like Facebook or Tumblr (if we wanted those things we'd be there), and does not respond to pleas to have these things be opt-out, except during beta phases. It's been going on for years. There's also the matter of how a few years ago, many fandom-related journals were suspended for content with no warning.

Frankly, LJ disgusts me and the only reason I'm still participating at all is due to the fact that so much of the fandom is "old-school" and rooted and doesn't want to move.

I feel much safer and welcomed at DW. They give a crap about the userbase, specifically fandom, and I've never had a query or idea go unanswered. In addition, their TOS is much more fandom-friendly, and they have continued to stand up for the rights of their users to post as they please, in spite of the fact that it has cost them revenue (Paypal refused to allow DW to use them as a payment method unless TOS was changed; DW refused and is doing without that method as a result).

I'm not trying to discourage you, honestly. I just want you to be prepared: if there are things you really like about LJ, know that they'll likely change and you'll have no say in the matter. If that doesn't bother you, then...have at it!! :)

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

As for OpenID, I'd go here: https://www.dreamwidth.org/openid/
Follow the instructions (i.e. type in "red_satin_doll.livejournal.com") and hit the Login button. After you do this, you should be taken to an LJ page that asks for your permission for LJ to share info with DW (this will basically just link to your journal/profile). I think there will be two options: just this once, or all the time. I'd pick the second. I think that any time you're on DW from then on, you should remain "logged in" with your OpenID from LJ. You can comment and subscribe to journals using that.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Ok I click "unsuspect comment" I think I know why it did that, it's happened to me before. There have been replies/comments I've written that included a link and for some reason it would only go through correctly until I removed the link. But that hasn't happened in some time now. Maybe there's something wrong with your link here, but it showed up fine in my inbox. Weird.

Anyhow, I went to the link from my inbox, and I don't get the page you describe when I hit the Login button. It take me to another DW page asking for my DW account or create a new one. I don't see the options you describe anywhere.

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

Did you fill in the box in the middle of the page (not the top!)?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I didn't see another section but I'll give it another look. (If it'd been a snake, as my mom used to say to me.)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I actually just went to your DW page and found an Open ID link at the top of it (your new template is very pretty btw) so I think I got it right. The number of DW templates blew my mind.

http://ext-1375912.dreamwidth.org/read

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

Woo! You should be able to comment at DW with your openid now, and people will be able to follow that back to your LJ.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Coolness! Thanks for your help, because I've been dying to comment on your stories specifically.

And keeping in mind what you said about LJ vs DW, it's not out of the question that I'd eventually end up switching too.

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

Also, I just attempted to reply to your OpenID comment and LJ marked it as SPAM.

I really hate LJ.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Huh? I'll uncheck the filter spam box in my settings and see if that helps. (Although I can't imagine why it would do that, because that setting is still on.)

One thing I hate about LJ myself is how complicated it can be to format entries even in Rich Text. I had no such problem in Blogger; for instance if I have to edit that one fic I posted here (untitled), I have to add extra lines of space between all the paragraphs every single damn time. But not with metas. So again with the Huh?

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

That's a weird glitch. Did you write the story in the LJ entry box or did you write elsewhere and C&P?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I wrote it on LJ directly: http://red-satin-doll.livejournal.com/3321.html

Do you recommend C&P instead? (I have been writing directly here because when I start drafts on my computer they tend to not ever get finished.) Or does that just create more headaches? I use Pages on my Apple computer, but I can convert to pdfs.

[snowpuppies (from livejournal.com)]

I almost always write fic in Word and then C&P. Of course, I do hand-code to a certain extent, so that might make things different.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'll try that with my next fic, thanks.