Yesterday I decided to put a new header on my template. I do this regularly and there doesn’t need to be a special reason. I just feel like it. I used to put up a new one daily, but that got old after a while, so now it happens when the spirit moves me.
In the beginning of January, I re-upped my “customization package” with WordPress. This package gives me more space for photographs (I need it!), my own domain, no advertisements and recently, unbeknownst to me, access to all the templates. This was not true in the past, so I was delighted to discover it.
It didn’t change anything for me because I’m always looking for the same basic shape and format, mainly because the material I’ve created fits easily into that format. I don’t have to start reformatting the entire template. But you never know. I might decide I want to try something really different. Anything is possible.
Little did I know that much more change was on the way. This time, when I went to change the Header Image, the design format for my template had changed. Big time.
All my previously embedded headers were gone. What had been my header image (including my site information) had transformed into a logo which seemed etched in virtual stone and was part of the format of the theme.
I couldn’t find any way to remove it. If I put in another pictures in the header image area, my old image was glued in the middle of it — not what I was trying to accomplish. But I was sure there had to be a way to dislodge the old image and I stuck to messing around with it. I am nothing if not tenacious.
Finally, I tried a different (not very different) format, but it had the same problem. Next I returned to “Plane,” my previous format. Having move to different theme in the middle, then coming back, I hoped that might have dislodged the old header image.
It hadn’t. But I kept messing around with it until finally, hosanna, the old image went away. I’m not sure exactly what I did that was different. It seemed I was just repeating the same stuff, but this time, it worked.
Phew.
This was my existing theme, called “Plane” and no, I have no idea why they name them what they name them. Even though it’s the same theme, it looks quite different.
On my computer, it is wider. The pictures are wider too. Both important pluses for me where how a pictures displays on-screen is a big deal.
As far as typeface issues go, WordPress added some new fonts. Oh yay! Excellent! The site’s title now appears on top of the picture, so I don’t have to keep creating special headers and can use any picture and my site name with tagline will appear above (on top of) it.
Aside from that glitch where it didn’t want to say good-bye to the old image, this is an excellent set of improvements for those of us who with a customization package. It would have been a nice touch had someone mentioned to me that this was going to happen, however.
What is it with WordPress that they can’t bother to tell you anything before they do it? For a company deep in communications, they really don’t communicate well.
I’m happy with the changes. Very happy. I can only imagine what less computer savvy customers are making of the changes, though. I hope they’ve put some explanations online for us to read.
I don’t know what they did or why they did it, but it’s a major improvement and one for which I’ve hoped for a while. They’ve been removing pieces of the customization package for years. This is the first time they have ever expanded it and done it well. The wider stretch on the computer screen is a major improvement for photography. The text is also a slightly bigger and my eyes are saying “thank you.”
I like the new fonts, one of which I’m using for my headings and a different new typeface for writing.
Well done, WordPress. Next time, you think you might consider sending a notification? Please?
Categories: #Work, #Writing, Communications, Computers, Editing, social media, WordPress
All very interesting, Marilyn.
Leslie
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I think the changes to the templates have affected everyone because as I look around, I can see it.
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They’re forever changing things….
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Yes, but this time, at least it seems to be an improvement.
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well that’s a surprise….
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BIG surprise. A first!
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Hope springs eternal. Anything for spring….chuckle
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Must say I like the change too. Especially when it works for your pics, that’s important! Cause they are all beautiful.
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I’m pretty sure this change has affected ALL the templates, even if you don’t have a customization package.
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I’ll have to get my son to check it out. I haven’t done any changes lately, but I’ve thought of it. I don’t want to screw it up irrevocably, which Im good at, lol. So I’ll have him see what’s what first. I like your changes.
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Well crap! Although I love the change I see on my site, is there anyway to retrieve lost data that you know of on a wp site? My son backed up CC a dozen times but the site is gone and he also had a site on wp but when he went there, it is devoid of any information too. was wondering if you knew of a way to retrieve info…damn this is frustrating for him. All his info on computers fixing and pics, gone. from his computer, the other website he pays for and wp…nothing anywhere…totally gobsmacked by this.
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You need to contact them. That is my total nightmare. I make periodic backups of my material, but you’re a dot org, right? I’m pretty sure this is WHY I’m not a dot org.
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I don’t know tbh. it says http://www.covertnovelist.com/wp-admin/ on mine. Adam upgraded I think. I managed to save it when he got it running again. Just wondered if there was a way to retrieve his info because it’s completely gone with this update which is what happened to me the last update.
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Honestly, you have to contact them. This is not something about which I can do anything because this is “cloud” management. Contact them. They are pretty good about helping, but you have to get in touch with them first.
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Thank you so much Marilyn, I appreciate your thoughts and imput more than I can say.
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I wish I could help, but they are the only people who can access that data. It’s on their servers. If they can find your information, they can restore it. Let’s hope they can.
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Indeed. Thank you for your thoughtfulness I really appreciate it.
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Looks nice. 🙂
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Nice to get the width back. For a while, everything was getting telephone sized!
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I use the same theme, Plane, but I have the free plan. I was thinking about upgrading to the $4/month “personal” plan primarily to get rid of the ads and the “.wordpress” in my blog’s URL. But I don’t think that plan includes any of the customization features you were referring to in this post. I think that would necessitate the $8/month “premium” plan. I’m not sure it would be worth the extra money for me to go with the “premium” plan, especially since I mostly use my iPhone for writing and publishing my posts.
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It does include basic customization whichis probably all you’d ever need. A lot more themes and better access to help, which is worth it just for that alone. It’s $48 year. It probably won’t break you. But you should do the customization on a computer so you can see how it will look.
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If that’s the Premium plan… it costs £84 a year in the UK… which seems a huge discrepancy….
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The premium plan here is $99/year — pretty close to what you are paying. The one he’s talking about is the “mini premium” plan. A minimalist customization plan, no advertisements, a slightly bigger (but not huge) storage option. It didn’t exist when I signed on.
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Ah… that’s reassuring…
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