Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Blog Note 2: Keeping Up Appearances

Welcome to the new and improved Roxie's World, my pretties!  As Moose declared on Facebook the other day, in blog years this happy little place is older than Joan Rivers, so it's high time we had a little work done, don't you think?  (No, we haven't seen the movie yet, but we intend to.) 

Anyway, in some ways the changes are simple.  We switched to a new Blogger template that we think is easy on the eyes and will display images nicely.  Please tell us if you have a different opinion about that, and we'll take it up with the team of raging, tasteful queens whose judgments we rely upon in such matters, but I gotta tell ya the resident former yearbook editor of Roxie's World is awfully pleased with the new look.  If you object, she might spank you with her pica stick.

In other ways, the changes may be a little surprising to those of you who were seriously invested in the idea that a dead dog was really calling the shots around here.  (Don't be sad, darlings!  You know we love your ability to suspend disbelief and will work hard to bring that special feeling back for you on a regular basis.)  We've added a series of tabs up top that take you to pages that give you the skinny on such deep mysteries as who my typist really is and what she does here (About the Typist).  We've also added some things to help new readers find their way around the joint, including answers to (in)frequently asked questions and explanations for some of the unusual words and phrases we use (Roxicon/FAQ); something like a comment policy (Bark, Don't Bite); and a selection of some of our favorite posts from the past four and one half years (Best In Show).  Click around in there and let us know what you think -- unless, of course, you can't handle the truth of certain aspects of America's favorite dead dog blog.  We'll understand.

Why are you doing this? you may or may not be wondering.  Part of it is a craving for a fresh look and access to some of the technical advances available on the new template.  You know how technologically challenged we are, but we still want to provide you with as much fun and prettiness as we can.  Part of it is the ongoing transition necessitated by the suckitude of my unfortunate demise last December.  It's also related, however, to the fact that blogging has now become a significant part of Moose's professional life.  She's publishing on blogging, teaching on blogging, even organizing a session and presenting at the MLA on blogging this coming January.  (See that "About the Typist" tab for some of the details.)  She has begun to think it's time to formalize some things and clarify others as a way of boosting her cred with the muckety-mucks or something.  In truth, I think she's mostly annoyed that some readers still think Goose has some involvement in the production of this multimedia extravaganza beyond laughing hysterically and saying, "Would you please publish, dear, so we can eat dinner?"  Wevs, I said.  Let's just keep it funny, OK?  She assures me we will.

"Build, therefore, your own world," Emerson says, and we reply, "Sure! As long as we can find the right Blogger template to help with the design, construction, maintenance, and renovation."  It's your world, too, darlings.  Welcome to it, and let us know how you like the new digs.  As always, your pleasure is our top priority.  Peace out.

14 comments:

  1. Love it! The tabs are very engaging and cute to boot. It's a wee bit difficult to read some of the white text over the clouds, but I'm just a dyke so consult with the xyers on the aesthetics.
    I must observe though that I do thinks like spruce up websites when I'm avoiding some huge hairy writing project, you wouldn't happen to be doing that would you?

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  2. Goose loves the new look! And the white text over the clouds she'd noticed but also noticed that any scroll down makes that text very visible. There's something kicky about it.

    And I think just as often I'm likely to say, "Would you please publish, dear, so we can have our cocktails?"

    LOVE it, love it. Joan Rivers is perfect. . . .

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  3. *Heaves a huge sigh of relief, as the raging, tasteful queen in chief weighs in quickly with a thumbs up.* Thank dog! And I'm pretty sure the dykes will learn their way around those clouds, Jules. They are resourceful wimmin, as you well know.

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  4. This visually challenged eyeballer find it much much easier to read! Size of text is great, and so is contrast.

    And Ms. Rox, where is the page about the various characters who live in this blog? And what is Ishmael's?

    The colors are breezy and clear and like a breath of fresh air on this hot hot dc day.

    Surely the fish have something to whisper in your ear Rox?

    Love, Katie

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  5. sorry -- should have read the FAQ first. But still want a tag that marks the location of Ismael's -- Twain hangout. Katie

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  6. Anonymous9:42 PM EDT

    From About the Typist: In fall 2010, she will teach a new course called “Writing for the Blogosphere.”

    I can't wait to hear more about this course (you will be blogging it, no?), and to hear your MLA presentation in LA!

    And yes, I love the new look.

    Happy summmer.

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  7. Geoffrey Schramm likes this.

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  8. That fucking cockamamie shit with the fucking background shit that doesn't move while you scroll down the fucking page and the fucking page moves past the fucking background makes me fucking hurl. I hate that shit! MAKE IT STOP!

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  9. I'm clicking "like" on this one. Oddly, just the other day I was thinking that the green template, while *very* seventies (the decade in which dykedom hit a new level of fabulousness) was making the text seem narrower than it actually was & harder to read.

    Nice work, team Roxie.

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  10. Ruh-roh, cleanup in aisle 3 -- Comrade PhysioProf hurled on the new template! Sorry about that CPP, but, you are obviously way in the minority on this one. The pretty boys like it, the dykes seem to dig it, the English profs approve (and are offering up bold suggestions about Moose blogging her blogging course in the fall!), and now TR has pointed out that the old template, while stylistically evocative of a moment of Sapphic splendidness, felt and looked, well, old.

    It was time for a change, and we're glad that most readers so far seem to like it. As for CPP's tummy troubles, we recommend Dramamine and maybe, you know, Google Reader.

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  11. Blorp...

    AHAHAHAHAHAH! At least you didn't pick light text on a dark background. Why do they even allow that shit?

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  12. Damn it, I just checked and PhysioProf has strategically reappropriated all the offensive words I can think of. Roxie -- any advice on how to continue to be rude in the midst of such powerfully political linguistic chicanery? Or is the prof just talking bollocks? (Hah! Found one. Leave it alone, CPP, it's one of my favourites.)

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