Change is here at The Canary Report!

Posted on Dec 05, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Editor's Notes, News, Susie Collins

With a new theme that’s easier to read, navigate and search, The Canary Report is reborn as a safe home for the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity community!

LogoWithSkyAloha Canaries,

As you can see, we’ve launched a new theme! I think this new format will better present the mission of The Canary Report, which is to provide news, information and inspiration to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

You’ll notice right away that I’ve eliminated the separate home page and made the heart of the site the blog itself. You’ll now have the choice to “Read More” of a story that catches your interest, or scroll on quickly to the next report.

In addition to making the navigation easier for you, this theme will allow me to bring you more news faster, and if I chose, to quickly post a micro blog.

Probably one of the first things you’ll notice is that the font is bigger and that there is no more animated feature box; I did this to provide better access for my readers with sight sensitivities.

As an overarching change in direction, The Canary Report’s tagline is no longer about “sounding the alarm,” but rather about creating “a safe home for the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity community” through this blog and our social network. So most of the changes are geared to that end. I really want to focus on building a strong online MCS community, providing smart and practical commentary that can help you cope with things, tons of support and resources, and most of all, lots of love and understanding about the challenges you face with MCS.

We are still under construction, so over the next few days, you’ll be seeing some color, content and format changes. I still need to go through all 950 posts on the site to tweak them a bit so their format matches the new post box. In the meantime, if you scroll through the blog, the posts may look a little jumbled– I’ll have that fixed soon!

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see this blog and our social network become more integrated so it no longer feels like they are two separate sites.

In the very near future, you’ll start to see some advertising. I will retain as much control as possible over our sponsors so that the products are suitable for our community; you won’t be seeing ads for commercial dryer sheets and air fresheners! Monetizing the site will allow me to keep improving content and services for you as time goes on.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all my community members, readers, contributors, and guest bloggers for all you’ve brought to The Canary Report. I have always looked at this as an adventure in teamwork and I do hope this blog and our network are helping to make your life with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity a bit more bearable. Together, we are stronger!

Aloha,

Susie xoxo

PS A special thanks to Cassie at Mamas On the Web for all her tech support and hard work on the new theme. I really admire her diligence and patience. Given the number of times I’ve changed my mind about the theme, colors and format, it will be a miracle if she ever talks to me again after we’ve finished! Mahalo to you Cassie! xoxo

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19 Responses to “Change is here at The Canary Report!”

  1. linda

    05. Dec, 2009

    Exciting times!

    Reply to this comment

  2. Susie Collins

    05. Dec, 2009

    GAACK!!! I feel like I’m in someone else’s house! I hope it’s not disorienting for our readers. I think we are going to make the colors stronger up on the top menu bar, a friend of mine suggested it ;-)

    Reply to this comment

  3. Eva Caballé

    05. Dec, 2009

    I love it Susie!

    Reply to this comment

  4. Jeanne

    05. Dec, 2009

    Susie,

    Last night, as I was working on that post (the reprint with permission of a portion of the “scams” post you had published… that was written so beautifully by Lourdes Salvador and Linda Sepp), I noticed something curious as I refreshed my screen. It was changing drastically before my eyes as I went! :)

    So I must have been on your site as the changes were being made (literally)… because I was doing my usual insomniac routine of blogging in the middle of the night when your screens suddenly transformed.

    It was like the ‘blog theme elf’ was at work before my eyes. :)

    It threw me for a minute when the screen I had just been on suddenly looked different. Then, I remembered, “that’s right… Susie has been working with Cassie”. That’s when I realized my eyes were not playing tricks on me. :)

    I think it looks great! I like the idea of integrating things and I’m excited to see how you’ll be meshing the social network with the blog. I also like the tag line change.

    I agree that stronger colors for the top menu bar might be helpful. It’s not that it doesn’t look nice as is… but I can see your friend’s point with that suggestion. Maybe just a little bolder & brighter?

    You are too funny with the “feel like I’m in someone else’s house” comment. I wouldn’t worry about readers being disoriented.

    Yes, it surprised me for a few seconds (despite being at an advantage of knowing you were working with Cassie). However, I quickly “regained my bearings” and realized that the theme changes you’d mentioned were being implemented. :)

    I think your change to provide better access for your readers with sight sensitivities is a classic example of how you are always watching out for your readers and friends! I think it’s wonderful that you are always so attuned to people’s needs. You rock, Susie!!

    Kudos to you for finding a way to monetize the site. As you know, I have struggled with how to best go about doing the same type of thing recently with my site and I know it can be tricky. For example, as you said… it’s important to be mindful of the ad content since having ads for “air fresheners” on this site would not make sense at all. :)

    You’re right… together we are stronger!

    Aloha,

    Jeanne

    P.S. I’m so glad that you and Cassie Germsheid of Mamas On The Web got to work together. I just love Cassie to pieces!! :)

    Reply to this comment

  5. Amy

    05. Dec, 2009

    Susie,

    It looks great! Much easier to navigate. Much clearer. :)

    I am going thru the same thing with my graphic designer right now, and I am starting to think she is going to stop talking to me as well! I do not even have any kind of theme on my blog anymore. :( Yet, its all about patience right?

    You have done a great job!

    Reply to this comment

  6. Harry

    05. Dec, 2009

    WOW,
    love it Susie, You and Cassie weave web site magic!

    Harry

    Reply to this comment

  7. Connie Rae

    05. Dec, 2009

    Wow! it is a nice remodel! I am not squinting and bouncing around as much. I don’t know how you do it, Susie, but you do…thank you.

    Reply to this comment

  8. Susie Collins

    05. Dec, 2009

    Aloha Canaries, Thank you so much for this heartwarming feedback! I was so nervous that no one would like it. I do really think that once we all get used to it, it will function much better for both readers and me as the admin.

    Amy, my last upgrade was VERY hard and my blog was actually offline for three weeks. I remember how HORRIBLE that was. Yes, it’s all about patience and also it’s about not settling for something you don’t really like just b/c you want to rush the process. Web designers and tech support all know that it’s a tedious process, so I think if you just stay diligent and true to your vision, eventually the win-win happens!

    Reply to this comment

  9. Lourdes Salvador

    05. Dec, 2009

    Looking good Susie!

    Reply to this comment

  10. Jane

    05. Dec, 2009

    I don’t usually like change but love this format. It’s clean, easy on the eyes and easy to navigate. Great job, Susie!

    Reply to this comment

  11. Lisa

    05. Dec, 2009

    Delighted that you are monetizing the site Susie! Let’s see if we can demonstrate the economic power of our MCS community!

    Reply to this comment

  12. Missy

    05. Dec, 2009

    Your hard work for all of us inspires me to do and be more. You empower us all with your dedication to this site. Susie, thank you from the bottom of my heart. xo

    Reply to this comment

  13. Ruth

    05. Dec, 2009

    Lookin’ good, Susie! You’ve done a wonderful job with the new site theme.
    I am especially enjoying the forum discussions…there is so much variety and so much to learn from everyone. I even like these little quilt square patterns on the sides with people’s names…they are neat and colorful. This is a good “home!”

    Reply to this comment

  14. Franny Armstrong-ParaNovelGirl

    05. Dec, 2009

    Hey there Canaries, looking GOOD!
    Hugs
    Franny

    Reply to this comment

  15. Susie Collins

    05. Dec, 2009

    Aloha Sal, Jane, Lisa, Missy, Ruth and Franny! I can’t tell you how much your feedback means to me, you’re all so kind– thank you so much. I’m so happy you all like it. I’m still a bit rattled by it, change is hard. The font is much easier to read, isn’t? Makes me sorry I tortured you all with that smaller font for so long– I was trying to have a “report” look to it, meanwhile making us all go blind. The trick is to know what to let go and what to keep, and what new things to try. The technology is changing so fast and I am clueless with code (y’all remember a couple of weeks ago when I broke the whole site for a day!). You’ll see some more fits and starts in the next few days, but hang tough with me! xoxo

    Reply to this comment

  16. Suzanne

    06. Dec, 2009

    I am loving this! You are amazing women!

    Reply to this comment

  17. Leslie

    06. Dec, 2009

    I like the larger font alot! I didn’t realize how much harder it was to read the smaller font.
    Bolder colors would be cool too!

    xoxo

    Reply to this comment

  18. Sylvia Evelyn

    06. Dec, 2009

    ¡Hola,lovely canaries! Wow, Susie, it’s so easy to leave a reply here, congrats! I love change, so I’m looking forward to the colouring process & all that.
    Hugs, peace & better health to all… :-) )

    Reply to this comment

  19. carys

    06. Dec, 2009

    i really like the font and the cleaner lines adn easier on my eyes colours!

    Reply to this comment

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