My Eyes, are tired. There is a headache screaming to escape the confines of my cranium. I have spent the last two days testing, searching for a blog theme that has what I need. The conclusion? It doesn’t exist for me. Just give me something between simple, and versatile.
In years past, you could find a free theme, with a sidebar. Nothing overly flashy, yet not so simple that you couldn’t dress it up a little with plugins or widgets. WordPress 2011 was the last one I ever used that just worked. You could customize it with a few bits of code. Of course, back then they weren’t cranking out an upgrade to the core every few days.
Today, the theme ecosystem is just a commercial catalog of themes that cater to businesses, or those that need a website instead of a blog. Giant in your face banners (just go ahead and call them pictures). Nearly taking up two-thirds of your screen, before you even see the first post is the new norm. Twirly, flashy, fading in and out graphics. Then the despised popup blocks as you start to leave the site, or heaven forbid, while you’re just sitting there trying to decide if you like the posts.
Give me that Money!
Yearly charges anywhere from $25 to $55 or more, just so you can get the update, if one of the numerous upgrades of the core breaks your theme. No, thanks. It would have to be a hell-of-a good theme, fitting all my needs for me to fork over the support money. Already paying domain fees, and hosting fees is enough. Of course, we all saw this coming years ago.
What little blogging I manage to do, is for fun and sharing with others. I don’t have a business. I have tested around 30 themes, and they all come up lacking in my basic needs. Maybe I’m too picky.
Perhaps, I should stop griping and learn to build a theme myself, but I want to enjoy it, not work on it all the time. My theme I currently use, is “Graphene” It does most of the things I need.
Share what theme you use, why you like it. What you look for in a blog theme.
Hi Ron. I have been using WP Harmonic ever since I started blogging. I like it because it is free, and provides a reasonable selection of customizing options. I can make my various pages as complex, or as simple, as I want. WP messes me up periodically .. but all software companies do that as they appear to tinker for questionable reasons! 🙂
Thanks, Colin. I will test that one out, as well.
I have only changed once, in 8 years. I have used ‘Penscratch’ for over 6 years now, and don’t intend to change anytime soon. It works well for me, looks good with fiction pieces, and displays photos as I like to see them, with no fancy posiitioning. The typeface is ‘mild’, and the sidebar is there, but unobtrusive. Although I have paid for a blog upgrade, I see no need to alter my ‘free’ theme.
Best wishes, Pete
Thanks for the name, Pete. I will take a look at that one. It is nice and neat when I visit your blog.
The reason I am having to look else where, is for some reason that I can’t find. The reply to those posting is not showing on my theme. I have to reply, using the tool bar, which is a pain. It started with the last update of WP.
Thanks,
I use Twenty Sixteen which I like because it’s not fussy and it’s easy to add what I want on the sidebar. It also made the switch to the block editor fairly well. The only complaint I have is that I’d like to get rid of the default Blog Name header (Retirementally Challenged), which I think is too small and gets lost at the top, and replace it with my self-designed logo. It may be doable, but I haven’t figured out how yet.
I like that theme, Janis. I’ve always noticed the title at the top. No problem.
I’m still using 2011. I tried to switch a few times (not lately) and wasn’t happy. No business, just fun and I don’t want to spend a lot of time fussing with a theme. Let us know if you find the perfect one!
I have always liked that theme, Kate. It looks like it is working for my site again. I may revisit that one. Thanks.
Hey Ron, and also hi to Pete! I use Penscratch too – five years now! Works for me, but I don’t think I’m as fussy or, yes, demanding as you, Ron. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean you just like to have certain features that are hard for you to find all wrapped up in one theme. Have you gone the route of support, maybe talk to a “Happiness Engineer” about this? I’ll bet someone could help you. They’re soooo knowledgeable about everything WordPress. (I know because my daughter happens to be one. 😀 )
Yes, Ellie. I need to find that piece she did on child themes or working with the css. I could design it just as I like that way. 🙂
Ron, you could start here: https://kpresner.com/?s=child+themes
And you could also search her site for other mentions of child themes, working with the css, etc. etc.
Good luck!
Thanks so much, Ellie. I have it bookmarked and will start on it tonight.
Great! Ciao, Ron!
I’ve been using the Gather theme for awhile. It works for me because my blog is for my art (business), things I’m interested in and the occasional stories I write for fun. I’m always looking for a different theme but then end up not changing. 🙂
If it wasn’t for the newly popped up bug of not being able to reply in the comment area to comments, I’d stick with this one. I may check out Gather, as well.
Good luck, Ron. You have some good leads here. I changed my theme when a Happiness Engineer suggested I get one that was good for displaying on tablets and phones, as well as computers. I’m using Independent Publisher 2.
Thanks, Anne. I have some great propects to look at. I really hate to change, but not being able to replay to comments inside the blog is annoying. Maybe another update will correct it. I tried uninstalling and then reinstalling the theme, no solution thee.
Thanks for the input.
Hi Ron – I am using 2010 which I liked as it was easy to do when I began my blog in 2013. Because of working from home and our computer tech, I am still using Windows 7 as our computer tech has not converted us to Windows 10, even though both my boss and I have our Windows 10 laptops. When I saw how my blog looked on Windows 10 with a larger screen, I was not happy, but I am not messing it until forced to or I am retired and have more time to play with it. I only use the Windows 10 laptop to update for now. Good luck with finding a perfect fit for your blog.
Actually, I think I am going with Twenty-Eleven for now. Unless I find where I can change the text darker in Penscratch. Thanks for all the tips and sharing wht you use.
Note: I am going to try Penscratrch, I just changed the main post text to black, from the lighter gray color. I used CSS code in the customize editor.
Thank you all, for the tips, suggestions, and sharing what you’re using as a theme.
Ron
I also use Penscratch although when I went to start a second blog I found instead Penscratch 2. I am not sure how it is different, but was annoyed that I couldn’t get Penscratch itself for the new blog. (Maybe I didn’t look correctly. If you find it, please let me know.)
I found it on the WordPress Theme site https://wordpress.org/themes/search/penscratch/
It should be in your control panel/dashboard under themes. So it can be installed from there, unless you’re hosted by wordpress and they are not using it any longer. I didn’t see a penscratch 2 in the listings, but did notice some support mentions where people were having problems with the penscratch 2.
I am hosted by WordPress. Perhaps that is my problem.
Yes, sadly they limit what can be placed on hosted sites, to keep support problems down. I’m self-hosted, and have no access to a reblog or press this option.
Oh. I guess that makes sense for them.
Did you see this post by WP in Reader today Ron? A new theme and more on the way.
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/25823/posts/2879564495
That looks interesting, Linda. Thanks for sharing that. It certainly has a different layout. I had missed getting into my reader today.
very interesting,thank you share
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it.
Good Morning, Ron. I haven’t been around much for too many reasons but I am trying to get back to blogging with joy and simplicity. I wanted to thank you for sharing your blog theme and your thoughts about it. Also want to thank you for sharing the theme at the footer of your blog. I always feel bad when I switch to a blog theme of someone I follow… ridiculous but I feel like I am taking something from them. Penscratch is minimalist and clean and nothing is jumping right in my face. My blog has been parked for over a year and I hope to take it for a spin soon. Crazy I was forced to pay for a Premium plan just to change the color of my blog title from gold to black and found out quickly I know nothing about CSS and don’t want to know anything about it. With Penscratch I made the break from the CSS for the title color and now I can drop the Premium plan and its price next month. Thanks again and I will be visiting.
I hope to see you blogging again. I’m glad you’re finding the theme great for your use. Nothing wrong with using the same theme as someone else. I’m not much for CSS, too much work just for a small return.
Take that blog for a spin. I’m sure many of us, will enjoy seeing your thoughts. Thank you, for such a nice comment. It’s really appreciated.
Ron