Imagine someone you’re having a nice conversation with , breaks off the conversation and says “by the way , you smell”.
That’s what it felt like talking with Mark Scantlebury this afternoon when he broke off what he was saying and blurted out “your blog looks terrible on my phone“.
Mark, who is still a friend (just) had been chatting with Julius Pursaill on a boat on the Norfolk Broads and conversation had turned to my blog and how boring it looked.
So what’s wrong?
Ok , so it’s over 6000 posts old now and if you are sick of reading it, just imagine how sick I am of seeing the same old text and the same old format and nobody liking the blogs and most of the comments being spam etc.
I’m taking Scants out for a night with the girls tomorrow, I will demand in return he provides me with some Quietroom knowhow to fix things, but first I need you to vote (honestly) and if you can leave a comment on why you voted the way you did, that would be good – as it will make it easy for Quietroom (who aren’t getting paid).
Boring you say?
In case you are asking, the blog is still my baby. I am still smarting from submitting my blog to Willis Towers Watson for their journalist awards and being the only person in the room to walk away with nothing! Not so much as a “lowly commended”.
I could sell it to fiendish advertisers who will insert links to dodgy scams.
I could sell it the next pensions minister as his or her “bully pulpit”.
I could turn it into a shrine to Nick Cave, Yeovil Town or CDC ( oh sweet CDC).
What a waste!
But I won’t – because I know you value reading 3,000 word blogs on Pension Funding by Con and Iain and love letters to the Pensions Regulator.
But wouldn’t it be more fun if it looks a little – you know – a little less – boring?
So give us your vote – please!
With polling questions you need to be careful with the wording.
I’m not sure whether you mean “pro” the comment or “pro” the blog.
Am I alone in my confusion?
Apologies Byron and other readers early this morning – the polling problem has been fixed.
Your website looks fine Henry, honestly. The colours give it a modern feel and somewhere in the subconscious there’s a message that those of us around pension age are still young.
Sometimes I get bored with the look of my own blog and that’s when I change the colour scheme (but keep the theme) just to keep things fresh. If you wanted to make a change, you could always do that.
All a bit moot for me at the moment, though, as I have a black background and a photo of the queen at the top. Maybe I’ll come up with a brand new colour scheme after the funeral.
Most commentators I read regularly seem to be on substack these days whereas a few years ago wordpress was dominant. I usually read it on my phone and have to adjust the size everytime. For existing subscribers, content trumps some minor cosmetic niggles I expect but they may be preventing new subscribers – no idea how to measure that.
Mark Mark Scantlebury needs to sort his life or his phone out! It’s the words wot matter!
Hi Jan – thank you, I really laughed when I read this. Made me think of Ron to Hermione, ‘you really need to sort your priorities out!’
I like it, far too much distraction in blogs now, I want to spend my time reading the information not distracted by fripperies
Hello Henry,
I agree with those comments above. There is no shortage of relevant illustrations etc in your various blogs.
As with public speaking. I don’t know what the guidance is nowadays but it used to be that visual slides should be only factual to avoid distraction and definitely no more than one joke i.e. ‘less is more’.
Kind regards.
Tim Simpson
Henry,
I read almost all your blogs, on a desktop computer (I would not have the patience to read them on a phone), and I’ve voted ‘No’. My only comment is that I often have the impression you dictate, rather than type directly, because of the unusual frequency of homophones. You’r such a prolific blogger that I suppose you don’t always have time to proof-read before posting!
Ian – my proof-reading is non existent! Glad to spot a typo in your post, suggest that WordPress doesn’t make spellchecking comments easy!
I read most of your blogs, and that being on a laptop. The presentation of them seems A-OK to me. On your polling questions ‘Does my blog look boring’, I’ve voted ‘No’.
Just wondering, why have the usernames disappeared from the right-hand side of the screen? Was good to see who has commented.
Judging by the votes so far, you should have some reassurance about you’re blog and that you don’t smell! 🤣
Keep up the good work Henry!
Henry, it’s not boring and it doesn’t look boring! I do think it could be better presented on mobile though – what do your stats tell you about the devices people use to read it? Is there a bias toward desktop or mobile? Optimise for the devices that are most used.
Thanks Rhys
I’d like more people to use the site whether they view it on their phone or tablet of desktop/laptop.
I just need help getting wordpress to do these things better or getting a new host.
Henry, what are the latest stats from the poll?
Henry and people above, I need to put my head above the parapet.
Henry wasn’t listening. I never said smelly or boring. I said ‘your blog is frustrating. It’s hard to read on mobile’.
‘And it’s not properly set up for comments.’ Considering how INTERESTING and provocative your blogs are, that’s the missed opportunity. You deserve more but you don’t make it easy.
BTW it was really nice to sit next to you last night! Mark
This post had me chuckling—imagining someone just dropping the “by the way, you smell” bomb mid-conversation is comedy gold. The honest feedback about the blog looking terrible on a phone hits differently when you picture Mark Scantlebury blurting it out mid-chat! It’s like that trusty side table you’ve had forever: solid, reliable, but maybe it’s time for a little polish and a fresh coat of paint to keep it feeling fun and lively. Here’s hoping the blog gets the makeover it deserves—after all, even the best stories need a little sparkle to keep readers coming back for more!
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I really enjoyed the honest tone of this post — it made me chuckle picturing that blunt feedback about the blog looking “boring.” Sometimes small tweaks can make a big difference, just like a well-placed touch of Brahmi Vati can brighten your day without changing who you are.
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