Newer than a Newbie

javajabber · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 11:58 am
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I wanna learn! I wanna make my own template!

Where do I start????????
wank · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 12:28 pm
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Well, you could try the two sticky threads at the top of the CSS Customization forum ;)
javajabber · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 1:34 pm
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I have. Am starting from the beginning. I purchased the $15 CSS thingy. Probably shouldn’t have … I wish there was a book I could buy … I’m trying to read everything, but keeping getting sidetracked with links!!! I don’t even know (yet) what CSS stands for!
sulz · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 2:11 pm
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same here, even after reading abt css i still don’t know what’s it for…

and one of the s in css stands for simple.

heh. =P
wank · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 4:14 pm
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The key is not to try to do too much at once; just think of one thing you’d like to change about your blog and then figure out how to do it. Stuff like: change the size of the text, alter the font, change the background colour, change the colour of links… Sometimes it’s the simplest pieces of code that have the most dramatic effects.

If you try to create an entire new stylesheet straight away you’ll just get confused and frustrated. The best way to learn is by tweaking existing themes and seeing what effect your changes have.
timethief · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 5:19 pm
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@sulz –
I think you have read this http://wordpress.com/blog/2006/08/04/custom-css/
But have you read these two too
http://www.plaintxt.org/themes/sandbox/
http://www.plaintxt.org/2006/08/06/sandbox-now-available/
and of course there are the manuals read well I can’t find the thread
drmike · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 5:44 pm
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Well, you could try the two sticky threads at the top of the CSS Customization forum ;)

We have sticky threads?…
sulz · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 10:37 pm
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tt: i tried reading again the first plaintxt link you gave and i am still lost. what the hell is ‘skinned’, and ‘rich semantic markup and profusion of classes, dynamically generated by a few functions’?? it’s rhetorical don’t bother explaining it to me because i know i will still be lost after.

i’m just one simple happy satisfied blogger before css. now i’m one still simple confused blogger.
timethief · Member · Aug 6, 2006 at 11:53 pm
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@sulz
I hear you and I know where you are coming from. So let me shoot from the lip. The pay for service css option is not really for users like thee and moi. We do not have coding skills. We are here to blog and to leave the geeking to WP. However we are not being excluded – anyone can try to master this if they so choose.

Although you and moi are happy campers with what we have now you will have noted that there are others here who have been chomping at the bit to use the skills they have. And from a business perspective there is also the need to move WordPress along the corporate ladder by attracting bloggers from those other places that allow customization.

Those who do have coding skills have felt creatively limited by the dumbed down version of WordPress and they want to boogie. So an option has been created for them and it will serve several purposes such as but not limited to (1) keeping the geeky who were limited by dumbed down version happy within the wordpress community (2) encouraging them to become more creative and to share their new creations (3) expanding the appeal of wordpress to those who are accustomed to customizing their blogs with other bloghosts and attracting cross-over bloggers (4) increasing wordpress’s user base (5) increasing the financial value of wordpress as a corporation and making it more attractive to invest in.

If you follow the threads in the css forum closely somewhere in there you will find both drmike’s and wank’s honest opinions that this is css customizaing is not aimed at people who know diddly about css to begin with. So take a deep breath because we are both in that category.

As the coding hot shots like andy, alex, stuart, sunburntkamel, drmike, lorrelle, wank, etc. (there are far too many to list) figure things out they will share them on the css customization forum. Those who can will follow their bandwagon will jump on it. In between the bugs will be uncovered, work arounds will be devised, then the bugs will be duplicated and eliminated. Thereafter the geeks will offer step by step instructions to the non-geekish so they can be included too. And wordpress will have an even more “valuable” blogging package to offer.

Just to give you a general idea here are links to a couple of css guides prepared for wordpress.org bloggers http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/graphicalcss/align/index.php
http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/graphicalcss/
nosysnoop · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 3:00 am
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Yeah, just don’t do too much at once. If you’re completely new to this, just take one step at a time and learn as you go on instead of going in and completely changing everything in site. I don’t know what this CSS thing looks like. But if it’s anything like Blogger, cut and save all the codes before you change anything just in case you mess things up, then you’ll have all the codes there again to put back.
sulz · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 6:22 am
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oh well, i can’t afford it anyway even if i do know css. but i would like to know what these people are talking abt when they discuss css-related topics and sadly, i can’t follow.
drmike · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 12:48 pm
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One word of advice: Make you you use the preview function before making any changes. :)
lorelle · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 1:05 pm
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If you really want to learn how to customize your WordPress.com blog using the new CSS Editor, and I emphasize LEARN HOW, there are many resources available to help you learn.

I recommend you start with the very simple, and easy to read WordPress Lessons in the WordPress Codex, the online manual for WordPress users, of all types, levels, and versions. The lessons will teach you how to change the header, the header art, add color, and basic style changes.

For more indepth understanding of how the architecture, styles, and designs work in WordPress, check out WordPress Design and Layout.

While developing my own WordPress Themes and blogs, I started a huge reference list of articles from all over the web to help me, and others. You can find it at WordPress Resources.

Here are other helpful articles, tutorials, and information that will help you, step-by-step, play with your WordPress.com blog.
There are so many helpful web pages and sites on CSS all over the place. The keywords to look for when searching are “CSS, wordpress, tips” and the specific reference you need help with such as backgrounds, headings, header, link, etc.

This is not for the timid. It is for the bold. Take it nice and slow and expect trouble. ;-)
wank · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 7:45 pm
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This feature may just be for the CSS-geeks right now, but be patient and designers will step in and start producing ready-made stylesheets for everyone else to copy and paste.

It’s happened on every other host I can think of. I don’t think wordpress.com will be any different.
timethief · Member · Aug 7, 2006 at 8:25 pm
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@wank
I am patiently waiting for ready made warm coloured cascading style sheets that are not decorated with “hearts and flowers.” I’m thinking “feminine” without being “girlie” and I even thought that you might be working on them in your free time.;)
nosysnoop · Member · Aug 8, 2006 at 2:23 am
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I read one time what the color of your blog says about you. I forgot the results now. But when I was at Blogger and changed my backgrounds all the time, I LOVED when I had a black background with pink highlights. But do you know how many entertainment sites are both black and pink?? :( I’m thinking now of a red theme if I ever change it. :)

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