Sadly by the time I evaluated the theme used in my first blog (Highwind), it had been retired. Hence it was not available for me to use in this blog.
Other free fixed-menu themes:
https://wordpress.com/themes/free/filter/fixed-menu
You can compare the presentation of this blog with the original blog: https://aaamazingsite.wordpress.com/
You may like to compare the appearance of “The Last Post” using the two themes (each theme will open in a new window):
https://aaamazingsite.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/the-last-post/
https://aaamazingphoenix.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/the-last-post/
For a list of my original criteria, please see Getting Started in WordPress.
For my evaluation of the Highwind theme, please see:
Evaluation of the WordPress Highwind Theme.
In this post, we will compare the Highwind theme and the current theme in this blog, Shoreditch.
I found that (after my currently limited experience with Storeditch):
- Shoreditch uses less screen real estate than Highwind at the top of the screen. A header image is optional with Storeditch, with little space used at the top of the screen (for the Menu) if there is not a Header image. After scrolling down however, the Highwind menu uses less space than the Shoreditch menu (once the header image is not visible).
- After using Highwind, I wanted to have the menu always appear at the top of the screen (even after scrolling down). Shoreditch was able to provide this, though not as the default. It was a default with Highwind.
- I hate menus in all caps. Both themes did not have menus in all caps. All caps ruled out many themes. I would have thought WordPress would allow whatever a blogger preferred in the capitalisation (or not) of menu items.
- Storeditch did seem considerably slower to load.
- The date/ time stamp appeared at the bottom of each post in Shoreditch and at the top in Highwind. I prefer the date/ time stamp to be at the top of the post.
- Both themes by default had headings in a font size that was too large. After changing the Heading size for posts, it could be a little off-putting to see the headings appear large (when each new page loaded) then become smaller.
- Storeditch did not show my tagline. I have not been able to work around this.
- Latest blogs in the sidebar did not show a text summary in Storeditch. A text summary for the latest posts was available in Highwind in the sidebar.
- The sidebar could have a different background colour in Highwind to the rest of the text (but maybe not in Storeditch). This made the sidebar stand out.
- “Continue reading” was just an underlined link in Storeditch but appeared more like a button in Highwind (except perhaps with a very dark background).
- It was difficult to see the site heading and tagline in Highwind since it was not easy to read in front of the header image.
- The heading was easy to read in Storeditch since it was above the header image.
- Menu items appeared were centred in Highwind but on the right in Storeditch.
- Links were underlined in Storeditch. I now prefer just having links in a different colour (not underlined).
- The standard paragraph font size was larger in Storeditch (perhaps a little too large for some users).
- A long URL (link) did not always word wrap in Storeditch.
- Both themes offered infinite scrolling. This may not be available in Storeditch (and some other themes) until information is deleted from a footer (Top or Footer 1).
Alternatively this is available in the Dashboard (add /wp-admin/ to the end of you site URL to access the Dashboard) under Settings, Reading.Infinite Scroll Behavior Check to load posts as you scroll. Uncheck to show clickable button to load posts - Both themes included Jetpack.
In summary, had Highwind not been retired, I would probably still have used HIghwind in this blog. I was forced to look for another theme because Highwind had been retired.
Storeditch was a good second choice. Storeditch was the only other theme that met most of my needs. I went through a very large number of free themes before I found Storeditch.
What do you think of these themes?
What theme do you prefer?
Please let me know if you are aware of any other theme that may meet my needs.
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