I've been messing around with the formatting of my journal. I liked the simple grey on grey colour palette I had been using, but I found the look to be somewhat unfinished. The rounded edges and colour gradations of the pre-made templates give a really nice finished look, but I'd like more freedom to work with the colours. Currently can't have both. It is to be hoped that AOL will add some additional features in the not-too-distant future that will give us more versatility in the design and appearance of our journals. Why shouldn't we be able to do things like this, or this, or this, or this, or this? Only one of those is by an actual web designer. The rest are just put together using the basic formatting tools widely available at other blogging services. Also, I chose those blogs so I could pimp for some friends.
The tools available at AOL journals are quite remarkable for their simplicity, and that is the number one concern of the AOL designers. Nowhere else is it this easy to start up a journal, this easy to add entries, this easy to edit the look and the features. Now that they've got this right, the time is ripe to give us the rest of the tools. Many journalers have produced lists of the features they'd like to see. Mine is small. I'd like more choices for the look of the journal; more colours, more templates, the ability to customise the colours within a template. I'd like the ability to use textured backgrounds; to upload my own backgrounds. I'd like to be able to have more stuff going on in the main title header.
And one more thing: I want to be able to receive comments from people outside of the AOL environment. This is the one thing that really sticks in my craw. Every single other blogging service in the world allows the user to choose whether to restrict comments to service members, or to allow them from everybody. AOL journalers will never truly be able to join the larger 'blogiverse' until they have this option. I am an AOL member, and I want this! Are you listening?
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6 comments:
I agree Paul.. we do need "little" features like comments outside of AOL, many of my friends read my journal but can't tell me anything :( I know childish wish...
Brandi
I'm listening and waiting for more options, too. These damn journals don't even have a spell check...thats a common find on blog sites I've been to. But lets get something interesting going!
i second that motion...
Haven't I seen you on tv lately? With the other AOL members outside, "We'll need more chairs." I like the blogger assortments of templates...some are very nice. I would like easier way to inset pictures without all the steps involved!
Tell them again. And again. 'cause we're like greedy and bored and stuff. I mean how many times can I write code til i figure out AOL just isn't going to let me save it? So, ok it took me a while to figure that out ... but if I change my site colors one more time cause I don't like the way it looks, I'm going to have to call the blog "Loreal" ~Sie http://journals.aol.com/sieblonde/Pfft
and we're STILL waiting for them to share those aol journal special banners !!!
btw .. how odd are the dates listed in your comments sections .. i wanted to see if anyone had posted a comment since your comment in Scalzi's BTW .. 28/10/04 AIN'T A REAL DATE lol
oh yea .. you got the backwards dates ;-)
pamela
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