Sunday 12 July 2020

New Blog Index




It is strange how you use something day in and day out for years and are quite happy with it.  Then one day you notice something not quite right, and cannot rest until you have put it right.

This week it was the index to this blog.   Right from the start I have used the labels function on the right of the blog as an index.  I am not quite sure, but I think it was Bob Cordery of Wargaming Miscellany Blog, Conference of Wargamers (COW) and the series of books about Portable Wargaming fame who suggested it.    Bob gave me some excellent advice when I started blogging, and I am sure that was one of his suggestions.

Anyway, it has served me well for eleven years.   But last week I was looking for an old blog and could not find it in the index.  Worse still I realised what a shambles it had become.   Each time I wrote a blog I listed it under one of the existing subjects, or else just added a new one.   Recently I have been writing a lot about my ongoing 1813 campaign, and have used the name of the current campaign phase on the index.  The result was along list of campaigns, with little indication of what the blog entry was about.

So on Tuesday I sat down and wrote a new index on excel.  I just listed each subject on the existing index.  Then I chopped and changed them about, added new subjects and put them in alphabetical order within subject groups. 

It sounds easy, but not when you consider that I have 807 blog entries.  Each one had to be opened and given a new reference number and sometimes name.   Worse still once I started opening them I wanted to read them again!

It has only taken two days to complete, but it was pretty full on.   I enjoyed doing it, and am pleased with the result.   As with most things to do with blogging, we do it for our own satisfaction.   I do not expect anyone else to actually use the index, but for me it makes the blog seem more complete.

If any of you serious bloggers are looking for a summer project, whether due to lockdown or retirement, I would strongly recommend it.






2 comments:

  1. I wish you could select labels within labels. Unless I'm missing something you can only go down one level. Certainly requires some discipline when using labels. I tend to stick to period, rules, brands and occasionally theme or subject.

    But it certainly pays off.

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  2. Hi SOY

    Thanks for your comment.

    I think you can overcome the "labels within labels" problem to an extent

    I have used general headings and then sub headings. For example

    40 - Wargame - Nostalgia
    41 - Wargame - Rules

    But it does require planning it all ahead, and then leaving gaps in the numbering to allow you to add sub headings to the same subject later.

    I think your system of periods, rules brands etc is pretty well the accepted standard. And more than adequate for purpose.

    regards

    Paul

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