WordPress.org

1. Jeff Blaine
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   :( :(

   I am trying to understand what the motivation behind "Kubrick as default" was? As a base to start from for modification, it is LOADED with hardcoded h2 refs, etc instead of CSS tags. It is making my transition to 1.5 ten times more painful than necessary.

   Additionally, wp-includes/links.php in 1.5 even has h2 refs with no corresponding theme file for overwriting and I am back to modifying the original source.

   I am really grumpy every time there is a new release and I have to completely rewrite my style sheets. This feels like the 3rd time now that class/id names have changed, etc, and this time it's the worst.

   Really bummed.

2. oriecat
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   Well then don't use the default. You can make it work with your old stylesheet.

3. Mark (podz)
   Support Maven
   Posted 7 years ago #

   Hmm.... I have to say that hardcoded styling in this respect is a bad thing and esp the use of the h2 tag IMO.

4. Kafkaesqui
   Moderator
   Posted 7 years ago #

   I'm assuming you tried switching over to the Classic theme? Other than being broken up into various templates, there's no major differences in it since 1.2.

5. RedSkunk
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   Kubrick is a much prettier starting point for most users. But the fact that you can easily switch back to the so-called 'classic' template sort of rules out any complaints..

6. Jeff Blaine
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   Yes, I realize nobody "forced me to upgrade". That's a bit simpleminded in logic, if you ask me. Everybody wants the new features. One of my main reasons for upgrading is so that I can even re-enable the commenting system due to horrible spam problems.

   I will look into the 'classic' theme.

   I think the majority (not all) of you are completely missing my point.

   Yes, Kubrick is "pretty".

   I am back to using 1.2 for the time being (backgraded before even posting).

7. oriecat
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   Did you try following podz's instructions for making your old style into a theme? (http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/upgrade/) It worked perfectly for me. I didn't have to change a thing, as far as I can recall.

8. jonimueller
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   OP said:

   As a base to start from for modification, it is LOADED with hardcoded h2 refs, etc instead of CSS tags. It is making my transition to 1.5 ten times more painful than necessary.

   Additionally, wp-includes/links.php in 1.5 even has h2 refs with no corresponding theme file for overwriting and I am back to modifying the original source.

   That sounds a bit like he's trying to suggest what's wrong. It doesn't take a leap of logic to figure out what would make it better. I didn't think it sounded whiny at all. It maybe just wasn't what anyone wanted to hear (with the exception of Podz, who happened to agree, AS DO I, that hardcoded styling wasn't the greatest idea.

9. moshu
   Member
   Posted 7 years ago #

   kickslop,
   I don't like Kubrick either - and I wrote about it here months ago. But believe me, it's just a click in the admin panel and the stuff is deactivated :)
   You can customize the "classic" WP theme or... having already your own design you can make a theme out of it in a few minutes.

   Usually we have to deal with two kind of things in our life:
   a) things we cannot change
   b) things we can change
   Default Kubrick in 1.5 belongs to a) - and I always say do not complain about things in this category. Nothing will happen.
   BTW, do not complain about things in category b) either, just change them :)

10. Kafkaesqui
    Moderator
    Posted 7 years ago #

    I never realized a mere themes rant would cause tempers to flare!

11. James
    Happiness Engineer
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Converting your v1.2 template into a v1.5 theme: http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes#Moving_from_1.2.x_to_1.5

12. help-me-please
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Suggestions for making it better, for those incapable of making the leap of logic: take the h2s out of any lists generated by wp functions. Hierarchies within lists should be inside list tags, not headings.

    To answer the question: Kubrick is the default because it looks nice. At least, it looked nice before appearing on 90% of WordPress installs, but familiarity breeds contempt.

13. jonimueller
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Well, Moose, in my haste to check out of my $299 a night (Sunday night only, apparently) hotel room this morning, I'm afraid I left my crystal ball on the nightstand. I did not realize the post title had been edited. (I'm still in shock over the rate change which apparently happened overnight while I slumbered, ever so serenely, on my Tempurpedic mattress last night. (At least it was money well spent, eh?)

    @MacManx, what a timely link. I was just going to wander over to the New Topic section to <strike>whine</strike> <strike>beg</strike> ask for it!

14. Jeff Blaine
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    FWIW, "whyyyyy?" can be read quite a few ways. The way I intended it (and I didn't edit the subject, FWIW) was a rising tone to indicate an emphasized question.

    My note was not in any way intended to "stir up" and "rant".

    Last I checked the title of the forum was "Requests and FEEDBACK" and I'm pretty sure I gave feedback about something that is worthwhile to mention.

    Thanks to those of you pointing me at workarounds/solutions.

    That's the problem with open source. You suggest anything might be amiss and there's always someone "hurt" and jumping down your throat for commenting in anything other than a gloriously shining way.

15. wainashe
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    I am newbie to WP and just migrated my blog from using Movabletype. I must agree those who says that the "Kubrick as default" is difficult to handle. Specially for newbie "idiots" like me! Does anyone where to find "standard" skins for WP? Thank you

    Your help is greatly appreciated.

    Bill

16. James
    Happiness Engineer
    Posted 7 years ago #

    It doesn't get more standard than the "Classic" theme which ships with WP, but here are the others:
    http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes#Get_New_Themes

17. serialpurrs
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Kubrick was actually the jump point for me to finally "getting" the layout/theme thing. I've been playing with WP before, but have always stumbled at the Classic theme and given up and gone back to the old familiar MT. Seeing Kubrick made something click for me and I'm slowly working my way through making it my own.

18. rparker
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Kubrick is much nicer looking than 'Classic', especially if you don't have the time to play with layout or you want to spend that time adding content (gosh!). On the other hand, I hate the way that Kubrick uses a large header graphic instead of some clever div layering and that it uses an image file to give the menu its shaded background. I'm a bit of a CSS die-hard, you see. When I have the time, I plan on making a simple but attractive theme for WP that isn't so graphically reliant.

19. 7milesdown
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    I think Kubrick is a great theme for those people who just want a nice looking blog without any extras. Great default theme IMO. I do recall going into the presentation tab and seeing the classic theme there. Not my cup of tea though......... :P

20. TechGnome
    Moderator
    Posted 7 years ago #

    moshu - there are three things in life:
    1) Those within our circle of concern and the circle of influence
    2) Those within our circle of concern, but not within the circle of influence
    3) Those that are niether within the circle of concern or influence.

    I'll admit, I'm not too keen on the Lubrick-derivitive (for those who remember, what ships is not truly Kubrick, but something that was derived from it) being the default. I have no problems with sending it out as an *option* but to set it as the default I think is a little much to expect. People have a tendency to want to take what is the default and modify it from there. Personaly, I think "classic" (or some better form of it) should have shipped as the default, with the son-of-Kubrick as an alternative.

    Kubrick is difficult to modify. I've done it, and I see more and more threads every day on "where is this?" or "where does that go?" or "WTF is XYZ?" When it comes to Kubrick, either you get it, or you don't. It seems to be a 50-50 split, so what are you gonna do? For me personally, I've found it's easier to build my own templates from scratch rather than try to modify someone else's.

    Tg

21. Jeff Blaine
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    As the original poster revisiting this thread, I think a lot of my frustration comes from the moving target aspect of element names.

    That is, just as there is an API for plugin development, I personally believe a well-known and consistent theme needs to be developed that uses a thought out and extensive set of CSS elements which are named sanely and have descriptive comments.

    What I see, instead, are three options: 1) Use someone else's theme as-is 2) Use someone else's theme as a starting point (VERY common) 3) Roll your entire own theme from scratch.

    Option 2 would be well-served by theme developers, or at least ONE theme developer, treating their theme as source code that needs to be well-understood by thousands of people instead of treating it as for their eyes only with an "I can't be bothered to spend another 1 hour on this to make it 90% more usable by people". That theme developer would have to know WP guts very well and try to be as comprehensive as possible. I routinely find many half-complete stylesheets that do not even stub in all of the WP-provided elements available for tweaking.

    I understand VERY well that this is all volunteer work and contributions from enthusiasts. If I were a CSS guru who already had his fingers flipping through the WP code, I'd have done this already and offered it. Unfortunately, I am far far from it. I'm just a guy who sees room for improvement, and that's all I am proposing.

22. Root
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    Guys - we have been here before - and it wasnt pretty believe me.

23. Root
    Member
    Posted 7 years ago #

    kickslop if you like the simplicity and elegance of Classic but in a more convenient two column and footer format you might want to look at the Gemini interface available from thebombsite as used for example by the folks at National Terror Alert among others.

24. Bryan
    Happiness Engineer
    Posted 7 years ago #

    @TG: Have you read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"? ;)

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.