The Changing of the Blog

The “Blogger 2” software just went operational after a long Beta period. The template now has drag-and-drop functionality that makes it easier to manage. I like the tags and the index flyouts. But some of my customizations got stripped out, and the Google AdSense box returns an error message when I try to resize it.

Oh well, those ads weren’t going to make me rich anyway. I’ve racked up a whopping $22 worth of click credits in the past six months, and Google won’t even pay out until you hit $100. At this rate I’ll get my first check sometime in 2009.

The interface for changing my Profile photo got obscured. Now I have to upload my picture in a post first, and then link to it from the Profile interface. Here, then, is my new profile photo. I guess I look more mayoral, huh?

One reader sometimes has problems loading this page. It’s happened across three browsers, two IP addresses, and two PCs, so that’s certainly worrisome. Has anybody else ever noticed this? I’m hoping the Blogger 2 upgrade cures that.

Sound off, readers. Do you like this color scheme, or want to see something lighter and cheerier? Bright backgrounds hurt my eyes, but I see a few lighter templates that don’t look too girly. Is the currency converter useful or interesting? What kind of gadgets would you find appealing? Google has tons of little plug-ins to choose from, including some simple games. Or are they just a distraction?

Finally, what about the new title? I want something a little snappier than “The Curio City Online Blog”, but I’m not sure this one does anything for me. Any inspired suggestions?