With all due respect, may I say this re: Joan's Blog. I don't know if I'm becoming dyslectic or just old!, but the pictures that are injected in the blogs make it very difficult for me to focus on the content of the interesting articles. I find my eyes go around the pictures and I re-read the words above and around the inserted picture. I hope I am not out of line, because I do sincerely respect that this is Joan's site and she is entitled to set it up however she wants. Just wondering if I was the only one who had this problem reading around the pictures. ( I pray I have not offended you, Joan, by making this comment. )
NancyB, I feel the same way you do and think what you've said above is true. Also, I think I mentioned before that inserting the pictures must be time consuming for Joan (I'm not a sophisticated computer user, so I can only assume this is so) and we know how busy Joan is. So really, your idea might make the blogs easier for some of us to read and save some of Joan's precious time.
No, you are not the only one. Joan's blog is unique as far as I can tell. Some people use one picture or two for emphasis, but do not put them into the articles. And I find them just as off-putting as you do Nancy.
I read the blogs anyway, but tend to read them several at a time because they frustrate me. I AM dyslectic.
I'll take the opposite view. I enjoy looking at the pictures, and have little trouble reading around them. At first I had a problem, but then learned how to look for the next part of the sentence.
I agree with marsh. I enjoy the pictures also and have no trouble reading around them. I know they do take time to gather - but if that's the way Joan wants to do it - it's okay with me. We all take the good, the bad and the ugly on this site and use it however we can. Thank God for Joan.
I read past them - often not even seeing them. But I understand Joan's thinking (I think). I use IncrediMail and it gives one the ability to put all sort of smileys into your email. There are certain people I write to that I enjoy doing this. To put different emotions aka pictures into the blog can be a type of therapy for her. Putting a picture to the emotions can be beneficial. I know it can be for me.
Very interesting hearing the different points of view concerning the pictures. When I started writing for this site, I looked at other blogs and I looked at what I was writing. This is just my opinion, but I found plain black text boring after a few paragraphs, and when I inserted the pictures, I thought it gave "life" to the writing.
Here was my idea as of January (you can see how behind I am). Joel (my Calif. techno son) used to put the blogs in "printer friendly" form, which included the pictures. When he was here in January, I told him we should do the "printer friendly" version WITHOUT the pictures. If someone wanted to read the blog without the pictures, all they would have to do is click on the "printer friendly" icon, and there it would be. Sound good? Yes, well he left me a list of instructions, which I followed to the letter, and nothing happened. Zero. Nothing. No matter how many times I tried it - absolutely nothing would post. Last month I talked to him about it, and he said he thinks he left out an important step (thinks????), but we've both been too busy to go over the instructions again. Sooooooo - it is going to wait for the expert I am planning on hiring in April.
Each blog will have a "text only printer friendly" icon along with it, and those who find the pictures annoying can click the icon and read text only.
Sounds good Joan. I would like to put my two cents worth in that I also enjoy the pictures. I used to have Incrediable mail and I loved inserting those little icons. I think it adds a cutsy interest to the blog. Now it sounds like soon we may have both.
Thank you Joan for going to all of the trouble. And yes, it will make it easier for me to read the blogs. The info in them is always good, and when it is mostly personal, well all of us are hear because we need safe places to vent. That goes for you too.
I agree with Joan that having pictures adds "life" to reading a text. Just look at all those magazines with photos in the article.
What I think the issue may be with some is that the format, the way it is, may be distracting. Once Joan has hired the web guy to help her out, I think things will improve. However, I'm sure everyone will agree that the content that Joan puts in her blogs is wonderful!
I read the blogs AFTER reading the discussions. Given the option, I'll click the reader friendly version because it's quicker. As everyone agrees here, Joan's work is invaluable to us. We've been given a wonderful opportunity to share info and experiences, encourage, vent, ((hug)). From a song, The Family: sometimes we laugh together; sometimes we cry...." We learn.
GuitarGuy, you hit the nail on the head, it is the formatting. It is a known fact in the advertising world that pictures are worth a million words. They add life ( though Joan, trust your words as well) and drive home the point of a statement, info etc. Years ago when I did education for a Hair Care Manufacture we used flip charts in a class room setting,no matter what we were trying to educate about a shampoo or haircolor we used pictures (I got very good at replicating. the box, shampoo bottle, skin care product etc. Thankfully I am a decent artist and won a lot of praise for my flip charts, product displays, from the higher ups) to drive home the info or point. I think Joan will find that the computer geek she will be getting will help her straighten it up so that it's appealing to everyone. Again Joan, you also need to trust yourself as well. It will all come together. Rk