Comments on: Exploring an Abandoned Japanese Castle-Shrine http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/ a Ruins Explorer and SF / Fantasy Author in Japan Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:20:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: MJG http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-9366 MJG Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:47:50 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-9366 David- Yeah that was a free theme called- minimalist. Striking, but not particularly 'sticky'. David- Yeah that was a free theme called- minimalist. Striking, but not particularly ‘sticky’.

]]> By: David Meyer http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8656 David Meyer Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:07:54 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8656 Point taken on friendliness for new users, though I will miss the "blank wall" interface. Was that a publicly available WordPress theme, or something of your own creation? Point taken on friendliness for new users, though I will miss the “blank wall” interface. Was that a publicly available WordPress theme, or something of your own creation?

]]> By: MJG http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8655 MJG Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:27:04 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8655 SY - Changed it cos the previous design showed very little of what my site was about. This one has a lot more stuff you can see without needing to click something. I think casual web-explorers don't like to click. Tornadoes- It definitely felt more like an exploration than some of the recent haikyo did. Recent ones I was going for the shots, because I basically knew what to expect. Mines are mines, hotels are hotels. But a shrine/castle? I didn't know what to expect. David- Appreicate the feedback as ever. I think you summed it up when you said- 'it's an easy way to navigate for your existing readers'. New readers who come to it will just be faced with kind of a blank wall though, I think, and not tempted to stay. Hopefully the design now, a familiar and friendly magazine kind of style, will make them more comfortable to stay and offer them more to be intrigued by. The comments problem is probably because I changed the way comments are served. Before I had a separate plug-in to handle it, but after hearing lots of reports that the site was too slow, removed its script and am now just using the basic comments widget that is integral to Wordpress. SY – Changed it cos the previous design showed very little of what my site was about. This one has a lot more stuff you can see without needing to click something. I think casual web-explorers don’t like to click.

Tornadoes- It definitely felt more like an exploration than some of the recent haikyo did. Recent ones I was going for the shots, because I basically knew what to expect. Mines are mines, hotels are hotels. But a shrine/castle? I didn’t know what to expect.

David- Appreicate the feedback as ever. I think you summed it up when you said- ‘it’s an easy way to navigate for your existing readers’. New readers who come to it will just be faced with kind of a blank wall though, I think, and not tempted to stay. Hopefully the design now, a familiar and friendly magazine kind of style, will make them more comfortable to stay and offer them more to be intrigued by.

The comments problem is probably because I changed the way comments are served. Before I had a separate plug-in to handle it, but after hearing lots of reports that the site was too slow, removed its script and am now just using the basic comments widget that is integral to WordPress.

]]> By: David Meyer http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8653 David Meyer Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:26:37 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8653 The previous comment should read "... there's no A tag ...". The previous comment should read “… there’s no A tag …”.

]]> By: David Meyer http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8652 David Meyer Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:25:05 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8652 I agree with Tornadoes28. This is not typical of your haikyo subjects, but that's part of its charm. It feels very off-the-beaten-path, like you are one of the few (or the first?) haikyoist to find this place. Other haikyo, while visually more interesting, appear to get so much regular haikyoist traffic that they hardly seem abandonned. Concerning the new blog styling, personally I liked the previous iteration better because of the "clean" interface and the viewer-settable color schemes. Also, there is a bug somewhere as clicking on entries in the comments list opens the correct article page, but positions the browser at the top of the page instead of the selected comment as expected. I looked at the HTML source and there's no <A> tag with an ID attribute corresponding to the "#..." part of the link. I agree with Tornadoes28. This is not typical of your haikyo subjects, but that’s part of its charm. It feels very off-the-beaten-path, like you are one of the few (or the first?) haikyoist to find this place. Other haikyo, while visually more interesting, appear to get so much regular haikyoist traffic that they hardly seem abandonned.

Concerning the new blog styling, personally I liked the previous iteration better because of the “clean” interface and the viewer-settable color schemes.

Also, there is a bug somewhere as clicking on entries in the comments list opens the correct article page, but positions the browser at the top of the page instead of the selected comment as expected. I looked at the HTML source and there’s no tag with an ID attribute corresponding to the “#…” part of the link.

]]> By: Tornadoes28 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8649 Tornadoes28 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:07:34 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8649 Interesting haikyo. Although not a lot of things to see, at the same time, it was oddly interesting to see some of those items like the pump and the spinning wheel. Strange. Interesting haikyo. Although not a lot of things to see, at the same time, it was oddly interesting to see some of those items like the pump and the spinning wheel. Strange.

]]> By: SY http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8642 SY Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:35:19 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8642 When did you change the front page again?? I like the spinner, looks old and exotic. The baby shrine is cute too. xx When did you change the front page again??
I like the spinner, looks old and exotic. The baby shrine is cute too. xx

]]> By: MJG http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8641 MJG Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:23:39 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8641 Jason- Yeah it wasn't bad, fun to seek out, but little inside of interest. I wish I could've got a proper exterior shot but it was impossible. Can- Yeah, a shot from outside was key, but impossible. It's on the highest point of the hill, and completely surrounded by trees. HDR, just wasn't feeling it for this post. little that would have benefited from it, I think. Nothing so gorgeous to shoot, and little contrast as pretty grey everywhere. Money in the water-pump thing, yeah that was there, wouldn't have occured to me to put money on it myself. Was only a few yen anyway. Jason- Yeah it wasn’t bad, fun to seek out, but little inside of interest. I wish I could’ve got a proper exterior shot but it was impossible.

Can- Yeah, a shot from outside was key, but impossible. It’s on the highest point of the hill, and completely surrounded by trees.

HDR, just wasn’t feeling it for this post. little that would have benefited from it, I think. Nothing so gorgeous to shoot, and little contrast as pretty grey everywhere.

Money in the water-pump thing, yeah that was there, wouldn’t have occured to me to put money on it myself. Was only a few yen anyway.

]]> By: Can. Mike http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8639 Can. Mike Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:46:37 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8639 Was hoping to see a shot of the castle from the outside, impossible to get because of overgrowth? So you've decided not to use HDR anymore? Any reasons for this? Were those coins actually left there, or did you use your own as a prop? Hard to believe money would be left sitting at a haikyo, even if it was semi sacred. Was hoping to see a shot of the castle from the outside, impossible to get because of overgrowth?

So you’ve decided not to use HDR anymore? Any reasons for this?

Were those coins actually left there, or did you use your own as a prop? Hard to believe money would be left sitting at a haikyo, even if it was semi sacred.

]]> By: Jason http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/11/exploring-an-abandoned-castle-of-japans-warrior-monks/comment-page-1/#comment-8628 Jason Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:53:19 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=4528#comment-8628 Looks like a decent enough haikyo not far from home, but seems like there wasn't much inside it of interest? Looks like a decent enough haikyo not far from home, but seems like there wasn’t much inside it of interest?

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