Does your widget fit? Size/Color matters!

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Does your widget fit? Size/Color matters!

by Derek Anderson	Stumble this!	October 19th 2006

Working with widgets presents some issues that one doesn’t normally have to deal with when blogging. What I mean is, most bloggers don’t run 10 plus widgets on their blog at any one time. Constantly changing them, tweaking their locations, adjusting their colors etc… What I am learning and I’m sure you are learning as well, there is no widget standard. I’m not saying all widgets should look and act the same. What I mean by “standard” isthere should be a group of standard settings for each widget.

Color (text, border, background etc…)

Text (size, font, color, bold etc…)

Size (width, height, expandable etc…)

Border (style, color, yes/no etc…)

I’m sure this list could go on but at some point the question of usability comes up. Some people just want to put a widget on their blog, not have to deal with it. Others want to control all aspects of their desired widgets. Where is the happy medium? Is there a happy medium?

New bloggers want widgets just like veteran bloggers do. They want to spice up their “generic template” a bit. If they get too frustrated, they quit. Not just on the widget but on blogging as well. We need new bloggers!

WidgetBox.com offers the easiest route for anyone to add widgets to their blog. They have a simple interface that allows you to add, change or delete widgets on your blog. You only have to add code to your blog template once. Then all your widget changes are made through the WidgetBox.com site. Sweet!
Widgets found in the wild can be a bit more frustrating. Their customizations don’t work or their settings are non-existent. You are then forced to resize your sidebars, alter the widget in such a way as to wreck it’s attractiveness or forget the widget alltogether. That sucks if you’ve found your dream widget! I say “Don’t hesitate to contact the widget makers”. With enough feedback they may listen. As it is now, they think their widget rocks. You have to let them know!

I’m sure I’ll rant on this topic again.

Happy Widgeting

“D”

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