It's nearing that time of year again where tradition wants us to make plans for the future. That task has been made very easy for me this year since I've posted a mind-boggling total of 1 posts this year (probably a record!). So the plans are the same as last year's with a little extra determination to actually carry them through this time.
This traditional event coincides with an
upgrade made by our host, Blogger.com, to its service. We bravely made the switch to the new system. We will be telling you what changes and improvements you can expect from this upgrade here at Pifflez's comprehensive guide to musical literacy.
The switching process
Changing from the old Blogger system to the new one was no easy task. In fact, for quite a long while, we snobbed the new system known as "beta" because we couldn't get our page to look the way we liked with it. After a little research, we figured out how. The new editing philosophy is very different to the old one. However, in the long run, it will make updating this blog, adding new features and keeping its content and layout fresh, easier.
Anyone else with their own blog going through the transition at the moment should check out these sites - in my opinion, the most helpful:New features
Appart from a few minor esthetical changes, the switch has brought us 4 new features
- The Blog Archive (located in the side bar) is a new tree structure menu that allows you to freely select the period you wish to see. Click on the name of a post to see the individual post page. Click on a month to see that month's archive page, listing all the posts made during that month. The MainPage will list only the 7 most recent posts. You can either use the Blog Archive or the "older posts" link at the bottom of the page to view previous posts.
- Just below the Blog Archive, you will find a handy Search bar. Give in a keyword, click "Go!" and the 7 most recent posts containing your keyword will be displayed. Use the "older posts" and "new posts" links at the bottom of the page to display the rest of the search results.
- The sidebar is home to a third novelty: a list of recent comments. The five most recent comments made by site visitors will be permantly shown in the side bar. This will hopefully improve interaction between posters and readers.
The 4th feature is really the one that makes this switch worthwhile.
In the sidebar, you'll see a new section called "Topics". This is because all posts are now categorized by "Labels". Labels associated to a post are displayed at the end of the post. By clicking on one topic in the sidebar, all posts associated with that topic will be displayed.
So far, our music guide covers the following topics:
- Blog developments
Posts presenting general information, updates, changes on this music guide - Reviews
Album reviews. These will be subclassified into genres according to the list presented in the post Plans for the future - Wako talk
Whenever I feel the need to express my opinion on something, and feel passionate about it, be it musical or not, I will post some "Wako talk" - Videos
Links to amateur music videos from Google Videos or YouTube or other such sites - Technology
My technical advice on how to get the ultimate Audio experience from your laptop or PC
A glance into the future
As said previously, this new blogging system should allows to add new, exciting content and features, more often and more easily.
We're looking forward to it!
