Posted in April 2012 …

Apr 26 2012
Release

Release Presentation

Part 1: What did you make?

• I created a photoblog similar to Pictory, but specific to this campus, and for students (or anyone who is a part of the UMaine community, really). Like Pictory, a topic is suggested, and the work is arranged into short photo essays by theme. It is completely user-submitted content driven, and users are required to include their name and a caption along with their image.

Blog Link

Research:

• Pictory

• The Pictory Blog

• on-campus photo projects like Appicture

In all of these, I studied the submission forms most closely. Each were different, and it helped me narrow down what I wanted. I didn’t want a system where a user would have to be forced to register, it isn’t a forum, and uploading should be easy and quick. I chose to go for something similar to the Pictory blog, where you fill out a short form.

• Theme research

• Other platform research, such as Tumblr, mostly for the easy submission form, which was similar to the Pictory blog

• Submission form plug-in research

Part 2: How did you make it?

• installed a new blog

• FTP’d  several free themes that weren’t available through the WP search, and selected the best

• Started building, making menus and pages

• Quickly realized there were aspects of the theme I didn’t want/weren’t there

• This guided me to start using the “editor” in WP since the theme options were too limited. This gave me much more flexibility in the look and function of my blog. With some research from WP help forums, I was able to pinpoint certain bits of code and delete or modify them safely, especially the code for the sidebar and the footer. Result.

• The most useful thing I did with the editor was tweak a bit of code to make images show up in posts on the front page. Vinica defaults to having images show up as thumbnails in posts before the user clicks on it and goes to the actual post page. I was able to change this by replacing a little bit of code. “<?php the_excerpt();?>” needed to be replaced with “<?php the_content();?>” in the template files. After that, it worked the way I wanted it to, and I was happy.

• Took it too far, had to paste in the original code that I had luckily backed-up, as my professor suggested I do

• Main tools: WP, editor, WP help forums, FTP

Challenge:

• My biggest challenge was implementing the submission form I wanted. I eventually found a “User Submitted Posts” plug-in that looked perfect.

• USP plug-in had many options:

• I set them in such a way to require that users provide their name, a photo title, and a caption along with their image

• First submission test failed, started over, did more research, explored other plug-ins, even re-installed theme

• Eventually learned that USP requires the shortcode “[ gallery ]” in the post to display an image, so I devised this workaround:

• Allowed more options for image submission, made appropriate submission instructions for users and an error message so users could know what they did incorrectly

• Required USP to be moderated by me before being published so I could simply included the shortcode, size up the image, and then publish.

results in:

Part 3: What did you learn?

• My original inspiration was Pictory. In looking at the audience of Pictory, I learned that, in order to have a bigger audience, you need to make the site more about the narrative than the technical aspects of photography. Pictory isn’t geared completely to photographers; if you look at the captions, there’s no F/stop, shutter speed, or ISO, it’s all about the narrative.

• In building the blog, I was forced to learn the ins and outs of WP, especially the editor. Learning how to work in the editor was a big deal because it gave me a lot of flexibility. I also learned how to really find the resources I need to learn how to use WP and the editor.

• Learned from Derek O’Brien that a difficult aspect is getting people to engage in your project


 

Apr 25 2012
Content, Release

Sample Photo Page

I made a sample submission by exactly following the steps a user would to submit a photo. This is what a submission currently looks like:

Apr 25 2012
Format, Release, Research

WordPress User Submitted Posts Issue UPDATE

I’ve done a lot of research into how to make the “User Submitted Posts” plug-in work correctly. I’ve even researched other submission form plug-ins as an alternative (which can be found here, and are not suitable for my project, I’ve learned). According to many other users, User Submitted Posts is very finicky and difficult, especially when it comes to attaching images. For the last day or so, every time I’ve attempted to submit a photo as a sample, the form has either given me an error, or simply displayed everything except for the attached image. However; in the end, I’ve made it work for me. Here’s my workaround:

• First, I’ve set the plug-in settings to be more likely to accept more images by raising the maximum size from 2000 x 2000 pixels to 10,000 x 10,000 pixels. In addition, I’ve included in the Submit Your Photo page instructions that the image must be under 10,000 x 10,000 pixels. Also, I’ve included that bit of information in the error message that pops up when the submission fails, so the user can see what they’ve done incorrectly.

• I’ve set the plug-in settings in such a way that a post requires my moderation before it is published, until then it sits in my posts folder marked as “pending.” This is crucial for the next step:

• Although it is not at all mentioned on the official page for the plug-in, I’ve learned through browsing help forums that User Submitted Posts will not display an image unless you use the shortcode “[ gallery ]” in your post. So, my workaround is to moderate all the pending submissions and simply type in the shortcode, size up the image, and then publish.

 

results in:

Apr 25 2012
Audience, Release

Audience

Who would get the most benefit from your project?

I’m assuming mostly students, especially those who live on-campus, but my project is open to anyone with a connection to the UMaine community.

Apr 25 2012
Format, Release

WordPress Theme Editor

One of aspects of this project I’ve spent the most time on would be customizing my theme. I’ve learned a little about the theme editor in WordPress. Before, I thought the only options I had to change the appearance of my blog would be through the theme options, which is sometimes limited.

When I first applied the Vinica theme, there were many things I wanted to change. First of all, there was too much going on in the sidebar. For instance, it listed thumbnails for about 5 different social networks I really didn’t need. There was also a searchbar and an about me I didn’t want. All of this stuff was distracting, so I researched how to pinpoint them in the code and remove them (safely, without breaking my blog). Browsing WP help forums helped me to understand how this works.

Before:

After:

In the end, the only things I kept on the sidebar were the “Popular Posts,” a link to the Twitter and Facebook pages, and an archive. I think it’s more streamlined.

I also used the theme editor to add a little blurb in the footer.

As my professor suggested, I kept a backup of my code by copying and pasting it into a word document. This was useful, because at one point I made a mistake, and was too confused on how to fix it. I had been trying to remove the small “Posted by X, Filed under X, etc” text that accompanies a post, when I realized I would need to keep the “Posted by X” so photographer names can be displayed in a submission. When I re-inserted the original, unmodified code, I chose to keep everything in order to not make the same mistake. I actually experimented with adding/subtracting small details throughout my blog that I decided not to keep in the end.

The most important tweak I made with the editor was an essential change to the way the Vinica theme displays content on the frontpage. By default, Vinica only displays a tiny thumbnail of an image until you click on that post. There is no way to change this using the Vinica theme options, so I had to find a way to do it inside the editor. Luckily I found some good resources online, and learned that I needed to pinpoint a certain tag and replace it with something else.

“<?php the_excerpt();?>” needed to be replaced with “<?php the_content();?>” in the template files. After that, it worked the way I wanted it to, and I was happy.

 

Apr 25 2012
Format, Release

WordPress Submission Form Issue

I like the User Submitted Posts, but when I test it out, I get the error:

This is incredibly frustrating because I haven’t tampered with the Plug in code in the editor at all. I even re-installed my theme and haven’t modified it at all to see if that was the problem.

Apr 24 2012
Format, Release

WordPress Submission Form Plugin

I’ve done some research and found a “User Submitted Post” plugin for WordPress. I could use this for handling user submissions without requiring a login. To use this plugin, you simply use the shortcode provided. The nice thing about this plugin is that it is very customizable. I’m editing it right now to include the following things:

• users must included their name, a photo title, a caption, and an image

• if they do not include the above items, they get an error message telling them to do so

• after submission, they are redirected to the front page

• an instructional message to appear next to the upload field

• my administrator moderation is required for the post to be displayed, until then, it is a draft

To test out this plugin, I’m going to paste it directly into this post. If it looks good, then I have the option of putting it directly on a page in my blog.

 

Please complete the required fields.

Apr 17 2012
Format, Release

Format — Tumblr themes

Great post listing some nice photo-oriented Tumblr themes. Even lists the advantages and disadvantages of each theme. Also lists some Tumblr “add-ons” that look extremely useful.

Apr 10 2012
Release, Research

Research — Tumblr blogging capabilities – UPDATED 4/16

“A tumblelog is a variation of a blog, that favors short-form, mixed-media posts over the longer editorial posts frequently associated with blogging. Common post formats found on tumbleblogs include links, photos, quotes, dialogues, and video. Unlike blogs, this format is frequently used to share the author’s creations, discoveries, or experiences without providing a commentary. – Wikipedia”

It’s possible that Tumblr may be a good alternative to WordPress for my project. At first glance, it looks perfect. It’s simple, the themes are nice, and there is no sign up for user submission. One of the most exciting discoveries is the social/sharing aspect of Tumblr. If someone made a particularly interesting post on my site, it could be easy spread and shared throughout Tumblr. This would be a great way to easily spread my project and/or the photographer’s work.

You can also get your own domain name for your blog on Tumblr, according to the website.

UPDATE: I’ve played around with customizing my Tumblr blog, and I’m pleased with all the things you can do with it. There are several photoblog themes, plus you have control over the overall design of your blog. You can also upload a header which can serve as a featured image.

Apr 10 2012
Release, Research

Research — existing submission models

What’s been done before?

Pictory is most similar to my project, and my main inspiration. Pictory gives a theme, accepts submissions, and compiles them into little photo journals. I’ve looked into their submission system, and it looks like you have to log in to submit. I’d like to learn more about how their submission system works because it seems to work well.

Pictory also has a blog where they do more themes and accept more submissions. They have a submission system that I really like, it doesn’t require a sign up, and you can upload directly on the submission page. It also allows you to write your caption and give your name directly on the page.

Appicture has a submission system where the user emails their photo and fills out a little form.

 

What I’ve learned

I’ve learned that I’d most like the submission system found in the Pictory blog.

Apr 10 2012
Peers, Release

Derek O’Brien

Derek showed me his site Appicture.

– the logo has evolved

– it has connecting Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google + (I’d like to do this and possibly give users more options for submission)

We discussed the most difficult part of creating Appicture. Derek said the biggest challenge was getting people to actually use his project. I’ve thought about this with my project and I’ll admit, I’ve been a little worried that there won’t be many (if any) submissions. So, I’ve been thinking about what makes photo blogs like Pictory thrive. Like we have discussed in class, an “angle” is necessary to get people interested.  Pictory always has great themes. That’s why I need to highlight the things the student body cares about. For example, the Anti-Abortion protests today would be a great issue for people to submit photos about. I can tell it’s a big deal because a simple meme referencing the protests posted to the “University of Maine Memes Page” gained over 750 likes since this morning. Actually, the campus memes page might be a great way to gauge what the student body is thinking about the most at a certain time.

 

Apr 10 2012
Format, Release

Theme Previews

One of the most important aspects of my project is finding the correct theme. I scoured the internet and download all the ones that caught my eye, then FTP’d them into my WordPress. I previewed each of them, took screenshots, and made notes of what I did and didn’t like in each theme.

I made an Imgur album with each of my screenshots, which can be found here.

To organize my thoughts, I am going to write some of my thoughts on each theme, in the same order as they appear in my Imgur album (other than that, they’re in no particular order).

1. F8 Lite

My favorite aspect of F8 is the featured image. I think this may be essential for my blog. I also like how clean and simple it is. The type is nice, the menus are unobtrusive, and there seems to be plenty of options for this theme. This one is definitely at the top of my list and contains many of the things I want in my blog.

2. Grain

I also like this one for the featured image. I also like it for the dark black and gray design. I don’t like the textured background as much, or the chunky headline text, but perhaps that is editable with a little work.

3. iq2

This theme looked great in the preview; the background is dark and it’s simple. However, when I activated this theme I found it very hard and confusing to navigate.

4. Linquist

Probably my least favorite. It’s simple enough, but there’s no featured image, and I dislike the background color and helvetica headline and reflection. There is nothing especially nice or appealing in this theme.

5. Sharpfolio

This theme seems to be similar to grain, but lacking the featured image.

6. Viewport

I really like how the caption and photo name are highlighted by being blocked off, but it’s unfortunate that they cover the photo — in my opinion that’s unacceptable for a photo blog.

7. Vinica

The design of this one really appeals to me. It’s simple, displays the photos nicely, and has an awesome sidebar, including links to Twitter/Facebook/etc. That’s important to me because I’d like to follow Derek O’Brien’s (Appicture) example and make corresponding Twitter/Facebook/etc pages for my blog.

 

What I’ve learned

In my blog, I’d most like the option of featured image (as seen in F8 Lite), but the option of a header image is OK as well. I’ve also learned that I prefer a more “minimalist” type of design that still contains the essentials, like the great sidebar in Vinica. I’ve also come across some beautiful paid themes, but I’m not sure if paying upwards of $90 for a theme is an option for me.