Now you can compose your WordPress posts and pages on a blank screen without the distractions of a menu, buttons and so on. The fullscreen writing mode (or zen mode) is one of the new features of the recently released WordPress 3.2. Simply click on the Fullscreen button and watch as everything fades away, leaving you to just write. If you move your mouse towards the top of the window, basic interface elements to add/edit a link and image, save your post/page or exit fullscreen mode appear. You also get a word count at the bottom.

Other features of the new and improved WP include a redesigned Dashboard and admin bar, and plenty of under-the-hood tweaks that make WP lighter and faster on its feet.

Unless you’re using a really old version of WP, the upgrade should be available through your Dashboard. Just click on ‘Upgrade now’, sit back and let WP sort it out for you. To do it the hard way, you can download it from WordPress.org.

Writeside.net has already refreshed itself with WP 3.2. Have you?

~PD

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Hallelujah! Finally managed to redesign Writeside.net. It was many years coming, thus the theme is named “Belated”. It’s based on an old design of mine. (To be honest, the theme was looking much better while I was designing it; it’s lost its charm after all the hard work and sleepless nights.)

Extensive changes have taken place, and there might be more to come. The most significant is that the entire site now runs on WordPress. I’m still unsure if I will keep the different navigations in the “static” part of the site and the blog. So far I’m agreeing with Niklas that it doesn’t make much sense to have most of the links disappearing when you go into the blog. (UPDATE: The main nav is now constant across the site.)

The erstwhile Books section has also been integrated into WordPress. I’m still in the process of entering the reviews.

Important

Link sharers, if you happen to read, this, please note:

If you’re linking only my blog, please change writeside.net/blog to writeside.net/writers-log

The old URL will now return a 404 error. I will be getting in touch with all of you individually sooner or later.

Too sleepy to be making much more sense. Suggestions and feedback will be most helpful.

Update

1. Gravatars are now working.
2. If a post has no comments, you now see “Be the first to comment” instead of the unwelcoming “No comments” (thanks, Niklas).
3. Nested comments have been enabled.

I just realized, the blog will be FULL of broken links. I don’t know how to fix that except take them up as they come along. Hopefully people getting a 404 will use the form on that page to get back to me.

Update v.2

Now we have different headers for different pages/sections of the site.

Update v.3

CAPTCHA for the comments form. Phew. The spam was driving me nuts!

~PD

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