Comments on: Essential Sidebar Information

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:30:23 +0000

I agree with your choices. I wonder though if a tag cloud is a better choice than categories. I keep my categories to 10 tops, but wonder if a person searching for more info, would like working with keywords instead.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:32:25 +0000

Great points. I agree with the top 4 except maybe recent posts (for my tiny blog). I would rather go with "post related to this" below the articles (when I figure out how to do that on Blogger )

I am revamping with a better template and will have the search feature on and I think I might follow Jenn Sierra's Un-Roll example with the new layout.

By: countertop

countertop — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:49:36 +0000

I just started my blog and I will strongly re-evaluate my sidebar after I have read your post.Thanks for sharing

By: Pokergolf

Pokergolf — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:12:51 +0000

I just started my blog and I will strongly re-evaluate my sidebar after I have read your post.

Pokergolf

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:42:15 +0000

I agree with your essentials list. The essentials you've listed I have at the top of my sidebar. As I run two blogs on one domain I then have the recent posts from the other blog, just to give each other a little exposure.

I think the recent comments is a good plugin to have, but to come after the essentials. Then anything that may send users off your site should be below your own content (top commentators, what others are saying, blog roll etc).

I don't see much point of the archives at all!

By: Jenn Sierra

Jenn Sierra — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:17:57 +0000

Regarding blogrolls, over at FHK, we decided to blog Un-Roll, and explained why, here Basically, we found that any blogroll contained in javascript isn't counting on the search engines as a link exchange, anyway, and link exchanges are better handled within posts. Jenn

By: Rarst

Rarst — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:09:38 +0000

Mine goes like this:

1. RSS area

2. Single featured post (I added it to highlight long-ongoing invites give-away)

3. 5 recent posts

After that it splits into two thinner sidebars, one has ads, other:

4. 5 software updates (I track updates for all software I have posted about)

5. Main categories (only two largest)

6. Search blogroll (google custom engine)

7. Blogroll

I think I may cut blogroll search and some sites from blogroll.

By: Sly from Slyvisions

Sly from Slyvisions — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:33:53 +0000

Looking at this list, it looks like I'm all good! I don't really have an Archive section though, so I think I should put one up soon. Sly http://slyvisions.com