The Thesis Wordpress Theme Earns an A-Plus

If you’ve been a Self Help Daily regular for very long, you may be aware that, with the exception of the very first one (which was before I even knew this designer existed) I’ve always used themes designed by one young man - Chris Pearson.

There’s a reason for this.

I put a lot of work, energy, and passion into Self Help Daily. I want a theme that will compliment and enhance my efforts. The last thing I want is one that will detract from what I’m trying to do.

Unfortunately there are a lot of themes that do just that. They’re so convoluted or amateurish that the content gets lost in the mix. I have to admit that I’ve actually gone to blogs and left before even finishing a post. Offline I’m a ridiculously patient person. I can stand in line for an hour and amuse myself by either talking to or watching everyone around me.  I’ve never even mouthed off at a stop light. But online? Different story. When I’m online, I have zero patience. If a site’s design, font, or navigation annoy me - I peel out of there before they even knew I was lurking.

The theme you see in front of you is Chris Pearson’s latest, and I think greatest, theme - the Thesis Theme. 

The last time I even thought of the word Thesis was probably in college.  When I heard the word, then, it meant I had a great deal of library time ahead of me.  If an instructor wanted a thesis, he/she wanted an original,  well thought-out, thorough, and carefully researched presentation.  Neatness and attention to detail mattered greatly and they would not settle for less than our best effort.  If they detected so much as a hint of sloppiness or plagiarism, the student knew they would be headed back to the library.

A “Thesis” meant we had to create something that would have to live up to a very high standard.

Chris Pearson named his new theme beautifully.

Thesis, how do I love thee?  Let me bullet point the ways:

•  Just about everyone has a blog or a presence of some kind on the web these days, right?  The Thesis theme is so deliciously customizable that you can stand out from a crowd like never before.  Take, for example, the rotating images to the right.  Animal lover that I am, it didn’t take me long to choose the pictures I’d be rotating.  I’m also incredibly obsessed with quotes, so I combined the two loves (hover over each image and you’ll see what I mean).   On my Cat Blog, I personalized it even further by using pictures of my own babies.  No one, anywhere, at any time, will have the same blog as this one - because no one, anywhere, at any time, will have the same 4 adorable characters that star in the show.
• Another great thing about the rotating images is that you can use the pictures to “set the mood” for a particular season or “theme.”  For example, on Hollywood Yesterday, I featured pictures of sitcom and movie fathers for Father’s Day.  After that, I had a “Cowboy” theme with a variety of movie stars from Clint Eastwood to Matt Dillon.  Currently, in honor of Summer, I have a Beach of a theme going on (Sorry for the pun, it’s late.  You’re right, that’s no excuse.).
• You can use ads instead of the rotating images, if you chose to. (Out of Bounds, Simplenomics, Get Cooking, Arm Sweets, and Office Freaks.)  They can conveniently and wisely figure in above the fold.  Quite frankly, if you choose your ads wisely they can both look good and perform well.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m certain you could work a Google ad in the space as well.  The theme actually even includes an option for a video instead of the ads or images.
• See the “drop cap” action going on at the first of the post?  Yeah, I pretty much love that.  Chris has incorporated this into the theme - all you have to do is include a little code when writing your post.  Personally, I think it looks amazing.  I also love the “alerts” and “notes’ that you can add to your blog posts - they’re also extremely professional looking and allow you to draw attention those particularly important things.  If you look several posts down (look for the sleeping lion) you’ll find a post where I ran amok with this feature.  I threw out one alert (in yellow) and one note (in gray) in one post.  I must have been even more caffeinated than usual that day.
• The typography on Thesis is absolute perfection.  It is so much easier to read than most other blogs and websites.  The spacing, the font, the size - everything is exactly as it should be.
• The support provided is also more than you could ever hope for.  With most themes, you make your purchase and then, as far as the designer is concerned, you’re history.  With Thesis, you have every conceivable means of support imaginable.  Chris responds to comments, questions, and concerns on the Thesis Site, he has put together a great manual, and there’s a forum that’s overflowing with creativity and wisdom. 

 I’ve been blogging for two forevers and have seen a lot of themes come and go.  I’ve noticed something about theme coders and designers.  They fall into one of two categories:  They’re either the copied or the copier.  Like fashion designers, they either set the trend others want to follow or they try to follow the trend others set.

I honestly don’t know what’s worse, the copy cats or the ones so out of the loop that don’t realize they should at least be taking notes!

When I’ve been fortunate enough to come across something I love, whether it’s green tea, a great movie (Wanted) or a hot song (Fake It by Seether) - I want to tell other people about it.  What can I say, I play well with others.  Use the links in this post and check out the Thesis Theme.  It’ll could be the smartest purchase you’ll make this year. 

And go see Wanted…