Welcome to the new site!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 12:10AM 
Thought I'd welcome you with the classic glassy-eyed, grizzled and casually-dressed blogger pose.
Boy, looking at the shot, you can really that my right eye's significantly higher than my left. All my life I wondered why binoculars never worked for me!
The process of moving the blog and site was a lot smoother than I had hoped.
Last weekend I got all my posts teed up on the old site through yesterday. Then I the first part of the week's spare moments getting my account set up at Squarespace.com and going through all the tutorials. Then I designed the blog page and all the linking architecture that will appear throughout the site (top nav bar, and side bars). Spent a bit of time designing the banner on PowerPoint and then having my colleague Bradd Hayes clean up and size it correctly in Photoshop. By very late Tuesday night I was ready to transform my trial account into a real one. I then exported my entire blog from the old site into a TXT file (37GB) in a matter of seconds, and then uploaded that to Squarespace in a matter of minutes. Then the site took over the job of importing everything into the new site--entries, comments, pix and all links. I woke up Wednesday morning to find it all in place and working fine.
So Wednesday, during breaks, I teed up the first posts for today. I took my time because I was just getting used to the system here, and I'm categorizing all posts for the first time (basically, citation posts versus What Tom is up to posts versus WPR columns versus Esquire Politics Blog posts, etc.) and using tags for the very first time (trying not to accumulate too many or use more than three per).
What I love about the site? The WYSIWYG post-entry window, where the pics go right into the body without you having to make all the code happen somewhere else and then copy it over. The uploading function is very neat and easy to use. I can also embed video (although I will have to learn how), something I will consider off the phone on trips, or maybe--under the right special conditions, right out of my office. I can also set up to blog off my phone, which is making the Droid look more attractive by the day for its physical keyboard.
Something also new and different (meaning an adjustment), but which I think we'll both enjoy: the post entry format comes with a reference field that allows me to type in the URL, title, author, date and pub very quickly. It appears at the bottom of the post now, meaning you'll have to click on it to look it up. That means I need to offer some scant reference in the body so you know what I'm working off, but it presents a cleaner look and it's an easier entry process, much like the graphics now (which I will provide a link on if they don't come from the referenced piece--as before).
Three other new things: 1) recent comments will be listed in the left sidebar; 2) since my quotes won't be highlighted with background but just indented, I'll italicize those; and 3) most important to me, I can actually sked posts into the future on this site, which is essential for my traveling (old site didn't allow).
As before, all comments will be moderated.
Anyway, so that was Wednesday night mostly, and then I spent time getting the left and right sidebars populated--into Thursday. Then Thursday and Friday were non-stop page recreating as I could find time. Watch the top navigation as new pages come online. I'll be at this for weeks before everything's done.
Anyway, here we are and here we'll stay for now.
Feedback appreciated. Just understand that a shake-out cruise is inevitable.
Oh, and note that I did not import any comments made between 5 May and 10 May inclusive. Those are lost to the wind.
Reader Comments (23)
First time post, love the books and the briefing and the blog, happy days!
I sympathize with the eyes thing, not only are my eyes all over the place but the bridge of my nose is off-centre! I can't use binoculars AND my glasses don't sit straight!
Personally, I find the font size of the actual blog posts to be too large, and the line spacing too tall. I would be more comfortable with the size of the sidebar or Twitter fonts. Otherwise nice, clean redesign. Bravo.
M.
Let me get used to it . . it's different enough to require a couple of days to form an opinion . .
Went from third last night to top of my google search this morning. Great look although at the moment I have to scroll horizontally to get it all.
I agree, I would prefer a smaller font also. Great job managing a huge move.
New site looks great. Good photo -- I assume that is a pajama shirt, to live up to the stereotype.
The best thing with the Droid isn't just the physical keyboard but the talk-to-text built in. Talkin clearly gets a 97% success rate for me. I only use the keyboard to fix that 3% and when I want to be discreet around people.
Like it a lot better, it is easier on the eyes, congrats from Nicaragua
All the images in your feed are broken. seem to have /public_html/ in the urls though that is not necessary. i
Love the new site. I need to research the chosen tools because the results look great.
Reinstalled the RSS feed. Tell me if it's better.
Searching for a name does find the name in the body of a posting but seems not to find the name when it appears as the author of a comment. I like everything (and there is a lot that is new) about the new blog. This seach problem may just be me not understanding how to set the options. (Your thanks to commenters who suggest articles and links brings me to admire these people.) I never cease to admire you and your work.
"The process of moving the blog and site was a lot smoother than I had hoped." You mean you hoped it would be a bigger pain in the ass?
New look is great, BTW.
The new site is looking very good. Good for you Thomas, for doing it all on your own as well which a busy schedule that you keep. What I am most happy with, is the fact that RSS feeds are now FINALLY, properly spaced and indented. For some reasons your previous site would not render them properly so It would be like a reading an endless paragraph, endlessly, ten times a day.
Thank you.
Tom - have read your blog almost daily since I saw your brief on public TV several years ago. The new format is a challenge but congratulations for re-inventing yourself. I've done it several times over the past 40 years and am doing it again now. I too would opt for a smaller font size. Of course, having a 24" wide screen helps.
Blue boxes for the article quotes are tough to read. Not the blue itself, but the character spacing, buffer around the text, and the specific font (tall and skinny).
Twitter feed, fixed RSS, and overall look and feel are good though. Professional yet not starched crisp.
New site works fine for my old iMac. I hope the TV News Media finds it. There are a lot of difficult globalization transformations involving US, and the TV networks need more thoughtful sources.
I see the blue boxes have been fixed. YEA!!!!!!!!
Congrats on the transition process, never easy.
I was wondering what the "Mundi" on the wall behind you is? Is this a mural or a painting? It looks like something I would put on my walls.
Mundi is latin for "world." My office was faux painted (painted to look like wallpaper by a dedicated decorator) to feel like you are inside a globe, looking out through the surface. Note that near the word "mundi" is the star-cross that marks one of the poles. On the opposite wall is another labeled "terra incognita" (undiscovered land). The room's walls are all decorate with bits of longitudinal lines, somewhat indistinct landmasses, and various names and dates (Hiberniac, Hispaniac, Mare Creticum, 33AD, 753BC, 117AD, etc.). In sum, it's meant to convey the impression of an ancient globe--from the inside.
So no, you can't have it!
Unless you buy the house.
Over caffeinated GEEK, LOL
nice site, congrads.
Gerald
OK, I will buy the house, and yes I knew the meaning of the word. Always the consummate teacher. Put up a photo of "Terra Incognita" if you get the chance.
I like it. Getting used to the new format.