PIXELATED is an IconKit I have developed for my upcoming re-design.
Rather than keeping it to myself, I expanded it slightly to 21 total icons and have made it available for download in both dark and light versions.

What’s so special about PIXELATED?
First off, PIXELATED is extremely lightweight - the icon file sizes average 60 bytes!
All icons contain only two colors #222 and #EEE. (I’m considering releasing a developer’s package with PSDs so users can easily customize their colors)
Since the icon’s edges are hard, these transparent GIFs will work on any background.

The icons are free to use - no strings attached.
However, if you link to me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Furthermore, if you use the IconKit, let me know and I may even link to you!

Note: More icons may become available upon request.

Sidebars are often overlooked, but in truth, an effective sidebar is key to retaining visitors.

Why?
Lemme explain.

With a standard (well designed) web site, visitors can arrive at a page (ideally) within 3 to 4 clicks. The nature of a standard static web site allows the navigation to work that way.
Blogs cannot work that way.

Blogs rely upon new an unique content that is sometimes posting new content 20+ times a day (like Engadget). It is impossible to build a site’s navigation to allot for that much content.

That is where the sidebar comes in.
The sidebar’s purpose is to drive visitors further into your web site.
Not all visitors may be drawn in by the particular posts that happen to be displaying on your home page at the time of their visit. Or even if they do, the sidebar should be designed to further grab their attention and turn a one-time-visitor in to a subscriber.

This requires a well designed and pruned sidebar for your web site.

What Goes in a Sidebar?

Common elements of a sidebar:

• RSS Buttons
• Search Form
• Recent Posts
• Advertisements
• Popular Posts
• A List of Categories
• Navigation
• Sideblog (a Asides, or Twitter Updates)
• Author Info

All blogs are different - therefore what goes into the sidebar will vary from blog to blog.
New blogs won’t be able to have a “Popular Posts” section, some blogs won’t need a Sideblog - all blogs will vary. Some blogs won’t even need their RSS feed in the sidebar if they have it elsewhere!

Use it to the Max

When designing your blog, make a list of all the components you want in your blog (search form, popular posts list, RSS buttons, advertisements, etc.)
Then figure out what is going in the header and footer - what ever isn’t going in either (and is necessary) put it in your sidebar.

More important items should go towards the top.
Items like your RSS buttons, search box, and advertisements should always be above the scroll.
After those items the rest should follow in order of importance.

Each item should be unique and different from one another. Naturally, the more important items should stand out more.

Good Sidebar Designs

ProBlogDesign.com
PSDtuts.com
Skelliewag.org
I Love Typography - though possibly a little big…
Abduzeedo

It comes down to a logical thought process - analyzing your blog’s needs and the options before you.

Further Reading
ProBlogDesign.com’s Sidebar Redesign Thought Process
Sidebar on the Left or Right? - Pro Blog Design
50 Tips to Unclutter Your Blog (Including 27 tips on how to unclutter your sidebar) - Skelliewag

Plugins
Sideblog Plugin
Twitter for Wordpress
Popularity Contest - note, plugin does not work with Wordpress 2.5 as of 4/23/08

Upgrading Wordpress has been one of my greatest fears since my first upgrade back in October of 2007 - after all, I nearly lost my blog in, what I’ve dubbed, my near Wordpress disaster. For that upgrade, the wonderful Automatic Upgrade Plugin wasn’t working for some reason, so I had to do it manually - nearly resulting in disaster.

However, this time around, the Automatic Upgrade Plugin worked and upgrading was a breeze.

Thoughts on Wordpress 2.5

Though I have only been using Wordpress 2.5 for a few minutes, I must say it’s beautiful. The interface is wonderful - user friendly and very versatile.

The Dashboard’s Re-Design

While the blue is a little too ‘baby blue’ for me…
They layout is extremely well designed and easier to navigate.
There are also many new subtle (and very nice) features - but if you’re curious to what they are… fire up the Automatic Upgrade Plugin and give it a whirl.

My One Problem

I do have one problem with Wordpress 2.5 - though the blame isn’t entirely at the geniuses over at Automattic…

The Popularity Contest plugin does not work. I’m hoping that Alex King (the author of the plugin) fixes it soon - because I would have no clue where to begin.

In the mean time, I look forward to exploring the many new features of Wordpress 2.5 and can’t wait to launch my new look - because this one is really starting to bother me…