No. No no no no no no no. “A more beautiful web is…” NOT POSSIBLE WITH INTERNET EXPLORER.

This is not some vain attempt to sound hip, cool, jive or get crunk. This is an attempt to inject some sanity and reason into this outright lie of a television advertisement. Internet explorer 9 (IE9) is uuuuuuuuuuugly. And when I say ugly, I mean really ugly.

Aside from my frustration with Microsoft promoting this garbage and the fact that it’s just horribly false, my other motivation is to avoid wasting any more of my life trying to make my sites look even remotely decent looking on Internet Explorer browsers (currently versions 6-9). On average, I probably spend an extra 8 hours on each of my site projects fixing not only visual errors with IE, but usability errors as well. This has got to stop.

Consider the following comparison…

See anything odd or strange? No? How about now?…

Still nothing? We’re screwed.

The Daily Press is a super simple publication theme for WordPress. This site was designed and built for businesses wanting a similar presence on the web as the New York Times and other prestigious news organizations.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Video Resources:

• Video Walk-through
• OptionTree Setup
• Menu Setup
• Theme Installtion and Troubleshooting

Features:

• Adaptive layout – displays additional content on larger displays
• Supports Google custom fonts library
• WordPress custom background support
• “You might also like” pop-out box to promote new articles
• Designated advertising spots
• Custom print CSS for printing articles
• “Sticky” widgets – keeps the last widgets in view
• 4 Custom Page Templates:
  • Staff List
  • Subscription page
  • Sitemap
  • Login page
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system (no TimThumb)
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Looks pretty on an iPad :-)

Requirements:

• WordPress.org installation (NOT WordPress.com)
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

Resources Used

• Images from PhotoDune authors:
  • buchachon – http://photodune.net/user/buchachon/portfolio
  • chrisroll – http://photodune.net/user/chrisroll/portfolio
  • dotshock – http://photodune.net/user/dotshock/portfolio
  • elenathewise – http://photodune.net/user/elenathewise/portfolio
  • solarseven – http://photodune.net/user/solarseven/portfolio
  • yuri_arcurs – http://photodune.net/user/Yuri_Arcurs/portfolio

Eventure is a premier WordPress theme built specifically for events. This theme utilizes a custom calendar system unlike any other. With traditional calendars, there’s a lot of wasted space showing dates that don’t have any activity. With eventure, only the dates with actual events will show up, maximizing space and ease of use.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Video Resources:

• Walk-through Demo
• OptionTree Setup
• Menu Setup
• Theme Installtion and Troubleshooting

Features:

• Responsive layout
• 15 home page combinations
• Layout control
• Unique calendar layout
• Supports Google custom fonts library
• WordPress custom background support
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system (no TimThumb)
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Looks pretty on an iPad :-)

Requirements:

• WordPress.org installation (NOT WordPress.com)
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

PhotoPharm is ideal for photographers and/or design studios. It utilizes a full screen slideshow feature for maximum impact. You can also easily upload 100s of images to create a gallery page in seconds.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Video Resources:

• Walk-through Demo
• OptionTree Setup
• Menu Setup
• Theme Installtion and Troubleshooting

Features:

• Left/Right arrow key support
• iPhone/iPod optimized layout
• Supports Google custom fonts library
• Full screen image backgrounds
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Looks pretty on an iPad :-)

Requirements:

• WordPress.org installation (NOT WordPress.com)
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

Nocturnal is an audio/music focused theme that is geared towards nightclubs and/or bands. The featured content is built to support posters and flyers.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

HTML Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $15

What buyers are saying:

The creativity in your themes is stunning! Thanks :-)
- voncms

Video Resoruces:

• Walk-through Demo
• OptionTree Setup
• Menu Setup
• Theme Installtion and Troubleshooting

Features:

• Left/Right/Up/Down arrow key + spacebar support
• Ajax pagination
• Supports Google custom fonts library
• Slideout widget panel
• Full screen image backgrounds
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects

Requirements:

• WordPress.org installation (NOT WordPress.com)
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

If you’re looking for a basic blog, you’ve come to the wrong place. This theme is built for the serious writers looking to showcase their talents. ‘The Novelist’ is a premier RESPONSIVE portfolio theme for authors and/or copy writers. Content is king people.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Features:

• Responsive design (optimized for any screen size).
• Left/Right arrow key support
• Ajax pagination
• Supports Google custom fonts library
• Slideout widget panel
• Full screen image backgrounds
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Optimized for iPad and iPhone

Requirements:

• WordPress.org installation (NOT WordPress.com)
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION

Mentioned in this presentation:

• ThemeForest: http://themeforest.net
• Mojo Themes: http://www.mojo-themes.com
• Woo Themes: http://www.woothemes.com
• Head First HTML with CSS: http://tinyurl.com/3ylzm7
• Universal Principles of Design: http://tinyurl.com/3skhl2q
• MeeCSS: http://www.meecss.com
• Dribbble: http://www.dribbble.com
• Buy Sell Ads: http://buysellads.com/
• WordPress Politico: http://tinyurl.com/23qsugk

Apple’s last(est) installment of OS X has been out for a few days now and I’ve had more than enough playtime to come to the conclusion that Apple totally missed the boat on this one. For each “oh, that’s cool!” moment there’s a few “WTF?!” moments. As much as this hurts to do, I must warn those who haven’t jumped on the Lion bandwagon yet…

Inverted Scrolling

Why is this considered default behavior? Sure it makes a TON of sense to use this method of scrolling on the iPad or iPhone, but that’s because you’re actually TOUCHING the screen. Using this approach with a mouse or trackpad just doesn’t work.

Even if there are some test results showing this method to be more efficient or whatever, it just simply doesn’t matter. People have been scrolling the “unnatural” way for years and it’s too much of a change to undo what we’ve been doing since the scroll wheel was invented.

Fix? Uncheck the “scroll direction: natural” box in the mouse settings panel.

Dashboard Widgets “Space”

Dashboard widgets are handy. I personally use the calculator widget religiously. Since the Lion update, the default behavior of the widgets is to open in it’s own “space”. What this means is that I can’t see the numbers I want to plug into the calculator. I’d have to jump back and forth to use it effectively. Why on earth would you need an entirely separate screen for widgets anyway?

Fix? Uncheck the “Show Dashboard as a space” box in the Mission Control settings panel.

Launchpad

I like the idea of Launchpad. I just don’t like how difficult and clunky it is to manage. You can’t bulk move elements around. You have to do it one-by-one. That is so annoying. Sorry Apple.

Fix? None that I’m aware of.

Moving Between Spaces

On my Macbook Pro, I use spaces all the time since I don’t have a second monitor hooked up. One thing Apple did away with was the ability to infinitely cycle through the different spaces using the arrow keys + the command key. Now, thanks to Lion, once you reach the left most space, you can’t continue to the right most space using Cmd+leftArrow, for example. This is very annoying.

Fix? None that I’m aware of.

Colorless UI

When opening a finder window, all the icons in the sidebar are now colorless. Sure it looks cleaner, but it’s a lot harder to quickly identify elements when they are all the same color and relative size.

Fix? None that I’m aware of.

Mouse Jumping

This is probably THE most annoying feature of Lion. When I move my mouse quickly, the cursor “jumps” to the farthest point in the direction you’re moving. On my iMac I’m using two HUGE monitors, and quickly moving my mouse not even an inch will span the ENTIRE width of the screens. Add to this the fact that I use “hot corners” and all hell breaks loose.

Fix? None that I’m aware of.

Conclusion

I’d recommend passing on the Lion update. I’ve had to undo a lot of the new features and haven’t had a single “wow, I’m glad I updated” experience. The only reason I would recommend updating is if you have a major need for your comp to run at a lower temperature – but that might be a rumor, I don’t know.

The Navigator is ideal for travel blogs and/or location guides. This directory-based theme utilizes Google maps to display exact locations and provide users the ability to interact with the location. This theme could also function as a real estate listings directory.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $40

HTML Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $15

Example Live Sites:

• Parks Guide: www.lakewaparks.com
• Book Tour Guide: www.invokingthearchangels.com/tour/
• Mountain Bike Trail Guide: www.rip3d.info/destinations/

Features:

• Supports Google custom fonts library
• Google Maps integration
• Slideout widget panel
• Full screen image backgrounds
• Draggable and collapsible windows
• Unlimited link color options
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects

Requirements:

• Self-hosted WordPress installation
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

Brick + Mason is ideal for photographers and/or design studios. It utilizes infinite scrolling so users don’t have to leave the page to experience all your talent. This theme also uses the jQuery masonry plugin so the content will fit any browser size.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Features:

• Supports Google custom fonts library
• Slideout sidebar
• Infinite scrolling
• Advanced grid layout
• Valid HTML5 markup
• Unlimited color options
• Dark and light skin options
• Works with WordPress 3.1+
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress menu support
• Full width page template included
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects

Requirements:

• Self-hosted WordPress installation
• PHP 5+
• OptionTree plugin (free)

Panels Pattern was inspired by the game Portal 2. The design direction was intended to be clean and industrial looking. Now you’re thinking with panels ;-)

FREE DOWNLOAD

Download Includes:

• Fully layered PSD file
• Read me file
• Preview image

License:

You may freely use without restriction, in software programs, web templates and other materials intended for sale or distribution. No attribution or backlinks are required, but any form of spreading the word is always appreciated!

You are not permitted to make the resources found on themolitor.com available for distribution elsewhere “as is” without prior consent.

I received an email regarding an issue a customer was having with the Facebook comments plugin. He was using one of my WordPress themes, so I was confused why he was even bothering with a Facebook commenting plugin – WordPress has a fantastic commenting system already, right?

Here was his response:

“Facebook has a much greater multiplier effect. Today, 90% of the hits on my site is from Facebook. I also paid for an announcement and the result was very good.”

Benefits?

At face value, it seems obvious that visitors would be more inclined to comment if they don’t have to fill out their information. If they’re logged into Facebook, all they have to do is comment about it and that’s it. For some, there is the added benefit that their comment will appear on Facebook for others to see (if not, you can uncheck a box to prevent this).

Downside?

The biggest downside I can think of is that visitors have to have a Facebook account to interact with your site. Obviously there are a lot of people on Facebook, but depending on your business or industry, this may be an issue.

Other potential problems are controlling spam, moderating comments and getting notified of comments. For me, I have an email alert setup through WordPress when I get new comments. As much as I can tell, I don’t see a good way to get notified about comments done via the Facebook plugin. For me personally, this could be a deal breaker.

Giving it a Try

On my personal website, I don’t really depend on the number of comments I get to determine how successful my site is, but it would be fun if visitors got more engaged with my content and were more inclined to leave a comment.

Without completely abandoning the WP commenting ship, I decided to have a test run and see if this claim is true. I’ll be the first to admit that my site isn’t the best testing ground – I don’t get that many comments – but I thought it would at least be something fun to try out.

For the trial run, I’m going to have two commenting options below. You can either leave a comment in the Facebook box below or use the traditional WordPress commenting option. Where you leave your comment will communicate to me which one you prefer.

WordPress Aid is ideal for charity organizations. It’s focused on raising funds for your charity and alerting visitors to important issues happening in the world.

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

Your Purchase Helps To Eliminate AIDS

10% of the profits goes directly to the UN Foundation fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The United Nations Foundation works in close partnership with The Global Fund to support and fund prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

What buyers are saying:

“The first theme i bought from you was your church theme and i loved it. this one is just as fantastic!” – Podoco

Features:

• Valid HTML5 markup
• Works with WordPress 3.1+
• Easy logo customization
• WordPress 3.0 menu support
• Full width page template included
• Super easy admin panel using the OptionTree Plugin (screenshot)
• Easy thumbnail images with built-in WordPress system
• Unlimited color options
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Promote your social network with 70+ icons!

Zoom is the ultimate portfolio and product showcase theme. This theme is optimized for touch on the iPad and even supports keyboard control (arrow keys and spacebar).

WordPress Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $35

HTML Version

DEMO — PURCHASE – $15

Features:

• Valid HTML5 markup
• Unlimited background options
• iPad optimized with touch support (swipe up, down, left and right)
• Keyboard support (arrow keys and spacebar)
• Full screen image background
• FREE version upgrade if you purchased this theme
• Portfolio slideshow
• Slideout sidebar with slider controls
• Advanced jQuery animations and effects
• Promote your social network!
• Built-in contact form