Better Blogs VS XI Blogs ?

[Adam Howard]

That is one area I think doesn't look great at all

I think it could use some improvement. But I do not want it looking like a forum (or threads).

but that might be it just inheriting the custom style but couldn't give a thorough 2 cents feedback till I viewed the blog through a default xf style.

http://www.sociallyuncensored.eu/forums/blogs/

Have a peek at my site and select the default style.

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

@Rigel Kentaurus - Anychance you could make a default style available so I can view this? I checked your site and it only had it displaying on the xenfocus style. If you could thanks if not, no worries.



That is one area I think doesn't look great at all but that might be it just inheriting the custom style but couldn't give a thorough 2 cents feedback till I viewed the blog through a default xf style.

Sure, I activated "Default XenForo Style", it should be available at the footer as usual

http://xfaddons.com/blog/kentaurus.1/

 

[DRE]

Check my reviews of both blogging softwares in the resource manager.

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/getting-a-blog-made.57313/

^^^Also check that out. That was amazing. I wrote essays about my blogging issue and Rigel resolved them the next day.

That's incredible.

Try getting something like that done with XI Blogs.

 

[Shelley]

I think it could use some improvement. But I do not want it looking like a forum (or threads).



http://www.sociallyuncensored.eu/forums/blogs/

Have a peek at my site and select the default style.

Sure, I activated "Default XenForo Style", it should be available at the footer as usual

http://xfaddons.com/blog/kentaurus.1/

Thanks

TBH - I like it, easy to customise with a couple of minutes in firebug you can alter this to your liking.



Hope you don't mind Adam me using this as an example. If so, let me know and i'll remove it.

 

[Adam Howard]

Thanks

TBH - I like it, easy to customise with a couple of minutes in firebug you can alter this to your liking.

View attachment 57040

Hope you don't mine Adam me using this as an example. If so, let me know and i'll remove it.

Oh I love it.

Can you please share with @Rigel Kentaurus how you got the dates like that? That is even more cleaner than the original circles.

@Shelley, you are most welcome to use my site as an example for anything you wish

 

[DRE]

Off the top of my head, the only thing XI Blogs has over Better Blogs is multiple blogs. I wish Rigel would consider adding that.

 

[Shyuan]

I used to go with Better Blogs, but due to the hard-to-fix layout issues (after a decent amount of private conversations, I assumed both style and addon developers have had no intention to fix that for me as part of the paid products), I gave up on using Better Blogs.

I went with XI Blogs thinking it has a better development and support. But I was again wrong. I stick with XI Blogs before upgrading to xF1.2, I am still with XI Blogs after upgrading to xF1.2. Until I see Better Blogs is compatible with xF1.2 responsive design, I was quite happy but sadly I had to ditch it again (now sticking with XI Blogs). I had a tough decision whether to stick with XI Blogs or go with Better Blogs specifically due to the responsive design. I seek advise at xenFluence regarding responsive design, but Forsaken told me this is planned but not gonna be done in short term. I was really upset because I spent quite much on these two addons but with poor services (here I mean Better Blogs with not-so-good design even though it's now responsive compatible; and XI Blogs developers seem don't care about anything?).

I then tried installing Better Blogs to check out the responsive design, I uninstalled it right away due to its design. I went through LP-John's critics/feedback, I agreed a lot with his feedback. For me, the round date thingy looks really special, but when it comes to responsive view, the whole thing just went a little crazy (not on default xF theme though).

It's hard for me (as I am not a designer) to fix those layout issues if there's no ongoing help from both style and addon developers as I'll most likely have to keep spending money to hire 3rd party to fix things in long run if the addon's foundation itself isn't fixed.

I like XI Blogs' simplicity, but I dislike the development even though I can bear with the responsive part (as only some views are eyesores).

I like Better Blogs development, but I can't keep asking for support or paid support to fix the styling issue with the styles I am using.

So basically, I am stuck now unless I see a better responsive development in XI Blogs. Otherwise, I will change back to Better Blogs once its design or responsive design got fixed (e.g. I do not have to keep bugging or paying developers to fix this layout issue and that layout issue whenever there's changes etc).

To developers: Please no hard feelings, this is just my honest opinions. I am not trying to be harsh, but English is not my first language, so I may use wrong terms/phrases.

Thank you.

 

[RobParker]

Thanks

TBH - I like it, easy to customise with a couple of minutes in firebug you can alter this to your liking.

View attachment 57040

Hope you don't mind Adam me using this as an example. If so, let me know and i'll remove it.

View attachment 57046

@Shelley would you mind sharing what you did there?

 

[DRE]

I prefer Shelley's version. I think the circle looks out of place compared to the rounded squares. The rounded squares fit right in with the rest of the default theme of Xenforo.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I was going to suggest you use a square like XenPorta does.

but @Shelley already did it !

 

[DRE]

I forgot Xenporta's looked like that. I prefer that one.

 

[Shelley]

@Shelley would you mind sharing what you did there?

I'll post the enhancement once I start that area off. the reason i didn't initially post it is when someone asked (think it was Adam) I had already refreshed the page in firebug and lost the changes made but once I get around to that I'll post the css.

 

[DRE]

I'll post the enhancement once I start that area off. the reason i didn't initially post it is when someone asked (think it was Adam) I had already refreshed the page in firebug and lost the changes made but once I get around to that I'll post the css.

Can you do one sorta like xenportas but with a shelley touch?

 

[Adam Howard]

I'll post the enhancement once I start that area off. the reason i didn't initially post it is when someone asked (think it was Adam) I had already refreshed the page in firebug and lost the changes made but once I get around to that I'll post the css.

 

[Shelley]

Not sure why most of the css wouldn't work without it being important but here is a crude visual, bare in mind, from this point I won't be supporting this, that is down to you to fix, re-colour or whatever you need or want to do.

What it looks like: http://www.bbsmiley.com/xfa-blog-home/



Paste in EXTRA.CSS and modify to your preference using your own gradients though I posted the gradients below so it's something you can work from.

.xfa_blog_home  .titleContainer {
  background: url("@imagePath/xenforo/gradients/blog-1.png") repeat-x scroll center top transparent !important;
  padding: 5px 0 5px !important;
  border: 1px solid #566e28 !important;
  border-radius: 4px; }

.xfa_blog_home .datetime {
  background: url("@imagePath/xenforo/gradients/blog-2.png") repeat-x scroll center top #81a933 !important;
  border: 1px solid #566e28 !important;
  border-radius: 4px!important;
  color: #ECF9D3 !important;
  height: 55px !important;
  margin-left: -65px !important;
  margin-top: -15px !important;
  width: 55px !important;
  text-shadow: 0 0 3px #2e3a16;
  box-shadow: 0 0 1px white inset; }

.xfa_blog_home  .innerRectangle { height: 0 !important;}
.xfa_blog_home .titleContainer a { padding-left: 10px; color: #dff3ba!important;}
.xfa_blog_home .entry a { color: #BD3131;}

.entry .bottomLink a:before {
  background: url("@imagePath/xenforo/xenforo-ui-sprite.png") no-repeat scroll transparent!important;
  background-position: -144px -16px !important;
  height: 16px;
  width: 16px;
  padding-left: 20px;
  content: ""; }

.xfa_blog_home .entries .entry {
  background: url("@imagePath/xenforo/gradients/blog-3.png") repeat-x scroll center bottom #FCFCFF !important;
  border: 1px solid #E0E0E0 !important; }

 

[DRE]

It's off the page on my style. hmm.

 

[ioneti]

Hi

I have a fashion forum and i want a forum with a blog. Now, i use xenporta with recent threads in the homepage. I dont wanna have a portal+forum+blog.

I want a blog homepage and a forum to comment the articles.

What do you recommended me?

Thanks!

 

[Digital Doctor]

Hi

I have a fashion forum and i want a forum with a blog. Now, i use xenporta with recent threads in the homepage. I dont wanna have a portal+forum+blog.

I want a blog homepage and a forum to comment the articles.

What do you recommended me?

Thanks!

(1) Xenporta + Xenforo
(2) Wordpress + Xenforo + Xenscripts.com
(3) Wordpress alone (no Xenforo).

 

[Alpha1]

You could create a techcrunch type blog homepage with some forum widgets on the side.
The developer of Better Blogs has shown interest to create NewsBlog functionaly.