[Webmistress]

Have just seen this widget plugin but haven't used it yet. It supposedly lets you add banners/text to the sidebar and you choose which category it is displayed under.

Category Text Widget

Anyone used it?

[Tigger]

looks interesting - I know some of the "geeks" around these parts can use PHP to achieve the same but a plug in sure makes it a lot more handy -

All we need now is a test dummy ............................Ohhhhhhh Ian wake up

[gonzogone]

the description sure doesn't say too much, but it's a nice concept

[Gaystoryman]

Originally Posted by Webmistress

Have just seen this widget plugin but haven't used it yet. It supposedly lets you add banners/text to the sidebar and you choose which category it is displayed under.

Category Text Widget

Anyone used it?

Haven't used it, but I don't think it is quite what you are saying. I think it generates its own widget, that you can add to the sidebar, similar to the maxblogpress banner ads one and a few others. It also supposedly will create menus or such, but not sure. Haven't really looked beyond the anemic description of it.

PLUS, I'd not be installing any new widgets now, not until WP 3.0 is released which could be any time soon. Just in case of compatibility issues.

Couldn't find your test dummy Tigger, did you puncture the plastic again?

[sunfunbill]

It's actually very easy to add custom sidebars to all your categories. The trick is knowing what page to use, and the code. I do that on all my blogs so I can fit more links into the sidebars. With different links in different categories you can have many without it looking like crap.

I also hard code my html on most of my blogs. That is, I don't use the widgets. My banners are rotating ones so they are always different.

[Tigger]

It's actually very easy to add custom sidebars to all your categories

dam geeks are taking over the asylum

[VoyGeorge]

While back I provided some code that could be used for this. It's more of a hassle than it should be, because you have to idenfity the category by number, but once you have the code sorted you can easily drop it into any sidebar on any blog.

Once you start doing more hand-coding you won't need to bother with all these widget and plugin things, and maintaining the blog becomes easier in the long run.

[Tigger]

Once you start doing more hand-coding you won't need to bother with all these widget and plugin things, and maintaining the blog becomes easier in the long run.

but isn't that one of the main selling features of blogging in that you can add these plugs ins fast / easy and concentrate on the important stuff like the content and getting traffic.

If your going to invest time in hand coding you mite as well go for static then you know you won't need to concern when WP does one of its monthly updates

[VoyGeorge]

Originally Posted by Tigger

but isn't that one of the main selling features of blogging in that you can add these plugs ins fast / easy and concentrate on the important stuff like the content and getting traffic.

Yes, but all the updating (and the security issues that the updates are meant to address) largely mitigates the benefits, at least IMO.

If your going to invest time in hand coding you mite as well go for static then you know you won't need to concern when WP does one of its monthly updates

Yes and no. I think blogging is still best for truly dynamic content, including commenting and the special blog-specific back-links (pingbacks). You just can't get these with a static site. You need a blog, or forum, or something.

The problem with all of these is that they're prone to heavy spamming. I've taken to just removing commenting and pingbacks to avoid having to hassle with the spam - and this is with a spam-control plugin.

Some linking partner sites only want to work with blogs - why I don't know, but they do. So I keep a few of these around. But in the bigger picture, yes it is easier to just make a static site and add dynamic elements like headers and page link sidebars, so you don't have to change them every time you add new content.

[Tigger]

including commenting

As you say the problem is it leaves the site open far to wide for idiots and spammers, I added a section onto one of my swingers sites where i detailed some clubs around the UK and left the comments open so people could let others know about good and bad clubs, the spam was crazy and in the end closed comments

Anything that can be abused will be

[delhiteen]

banner must be in catagory .......