LJ needs to come into the new world of blogs

[testwater]

Title
LJ needs to come into the new world of blogs

Short, concise description of the idea
LJ needs to update their site to at least try to look like other blog sites.

Full description of the ideaI signed up with LJ shortly after it was created. I quit because of the rude people and lack of ability to make the journal life like. LJ is surgical

Comments

[boredinsomniac]

It would be interesting to be able to choose the color of the homepage! Offering different homepage designs complicates functionality a great deal, but I wonder if offering the same design with a variety of color options would be simple enough.

Fortunately, there are a lot more options for journal layouts. LJ does introduce new journal styles from time to time, and recently had a contest for new journal designs. You've probably noticed that a lot has changed since LJ got started - S2 gives people new options like setting their comment pages to match their journal. Which means you'll see a lot less blue!

[conuly]

If you quit because of "the rude people" (of whom you appear to be one - seriously, saying that "my children do better than that in kindergarten"? Real mature there), why do you think changing the layout will fix your problem?

[girlfight]

this.

[azurelunatic]

A nice light-on-dark site scheme would be nice for those weeks when my eyes are just killing me.

[scien]

Which pages do you mean? Journal and friends pages are pretty much completely customisable.

[just_chiara]

I actually like the clean look of LJ (I am one of those who use a Greasemonkey script to get rid of the header made by the users and see the simple blue one instead). Plus, journal and friends pages are almost completely customizable and you can choose to view everyone's entry in your style.

Oh, and please do NOT "get away from so much white". Black text on white background is easy to read. Designing a layout is all about accessibility now. (Also, think Google. A lot of white space there and it's the most used and modern search engine out there.)

Also, side note: describing something as "blah looking" and "lame" doesn't make me want to take a suggestion seriously. Maybe it's just me.

[lothy]

Can you point me towards that Greasemonkey script, please? I really don't like this ever-changing header.

(Also, which blue header is it? I seem to remember two from LJ's past, and I really liked the lighter one but am not so fussed on the darker.)

[just_chiara]

Of course, here you go. It's for the darker blue banner though. Still better than the 'pick-of-the-month' banner, I guess?

[pauamma]

Could you give concrete examples 9eg, links to) other page designs or color schemes you like? I have little to base an opinion of this suggestion on.