Update or Archive; Learning From Our Older Blog Posts

Subscribers and followers will notice a clean, new look to Nocking the Arrow. No longer do I have to be a "Blogger Apologist" to the many WordPress enthusiasts out there, as a menu of new themes recently arrived at my doorstep. In the same vein as Sites, Google has added options to create a clean, contemporary look with your blog. Google announced their new Blogger themes in March 2017. Along with the improved look and navigation, they promise better fit and functionality on mobile devices. This update has corrected the frequent crashing of the Blogger mobile app on iOS devices.

The recent arrival of these themes to my Blogger dashboard coincided with Aaron Davis's Twitter inquiry about blogging platforms and spam blocking. It took a few years for me to get the look and function of "Nocking..." just right. It took me less than an hour to wipe out these customizations in favor of a voguish theme closely resembling beautiful views offered by blogging platforms such as Medium, Weebly, and WordPress. I selected the Notable theme in basic white, adjusted the accent colors and fonts to taste, and then reviewed my changes in a live view. If it could be any easier, I'm not sure how.

The new themes can be accessed by clicking the "Theme" link along the left side of the Blogger dashboard. Blogger themes can be customized by changing color and font settings.

More advanced customization can be achieved by altering or introducing new lines, of HTML code. Be prepared to either relocate or remove previously installed gadgets as some of these will not fit your newly updated theme. I removed several gadgets to reduce clutter and achieve the minimalist appearance I have grown to appreciate through daily jaunts into my blog reader. Removing gadgets created more screen space for text and graphics. If you want to see my Twitter feed, follow me on Twitter.

Should older blog posts be archived or updated?

This is a question I've grappled with for some time, more so now that I have refreshed the appearance of this blog. Reviewing archived posts allows opportunities for reflection, assess changes in thinking, and appreciate personal growth. Revising posts helps keep the material current and accurate. Broken links, grammatical errors, and outdated design can be corrected with a quick update to an archived post. I frequently update my earlier blog posts to make corrections, adjust spacing, and add resources to the piece.

What about you? Do you think of your blog posts as an archived journal, or do you treat them as living documents open to revision? Either way, there is knowledge to be gained by sharing our learning and periodically reviewing what we have shared.

"WordPress vs. Blogger - Which One Is Better? (Pros and Cons)." WPBeginner. 08 Sept. 2016.

"Share Your Unique Style with New Blogger Themes." Official Blogger Blog. 20 Mar. 2017.

"The Grind and the Streak." Edutopia. 07 July 2017.

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