Frequently Asked Questions
..because I hate having to answer the same questions time and time again.
“Can I use your theme for my site?”
This is really hard to word without sounding like a dick. My site doesn’t have a ‘theme’, per say. Would you ask someone who runs a static site if you could use their design? Same thing here. It just so happens I’m using a publishing tool to control and manage my content. I didn’t build my site on top of a WordPress theme or base the design off of one. I did all my design work in Photoshop, then built a template as I would with any site, then created WordPress templates out of it. That’s pretty much it. So, no theme here. Sorry.
There are a few WordPress themes that share similarities with my site that might be helpful if you’re looking for something similar in terms of layout. Check them out…
Also, following the November 1, 2005 CSS Reboot, I wrote a 2 part article explaining how I did some of the CSS ‘tricks’ and dissected my homepage.
“How do you do that wicked grunge stuff?”
The secret is all in the brushes you use. I have a fair size collection of Photoshop brushes I’ve gathered in my travels. Find some good brushes and just started playing around with them. Layering colours works well for edges. deviantART is a good place to start looking.
“How do you build your WordPress themes?”
This is probably the single most frequently asked question that arrives in my inbox, and as such, I felt that it deserved a full article of its own.
“Are you using a plugin for the ‘Rocking My Socks’ section on your homepage?”
No. I’m using the WordPress Blogroll (previously, Links Manager) to display the album art. The reason I choose to hand code it over using my Last.fm feed is because I listen to a lot of stuff that doesn’t have artwork on Last.fm, so it ends up pulling the “no cover available image”.
How did you do your Xbox 360 gamercard on the homepage?
I found a nice little script that has since been taken offline. However, it seems to have evolved into something even more useful and even turned into a WordPress plugin.
“What do you use to capture your gameplay videos?”
For PC games, I use an app called Fraps. It actually does a lot more than just capture live video. It can display your framerate on screen, capture screenshots in multiple formats and even run benchmarks. Well worth the money.
Consoles are a bit trickier, but still quite simple. When I used a PC, I picked up a $100 capture card that has an s-video input. This is pretty much the best quality you’re going to get at a low price point. I use that for video and my soundcard’s stereo audio inputs. The hardest part is finding an app for capturing. After trying out tons of different software, I settled on VirtualDub - an open source app that has more options and capabilities than some software that costs hundreds of dollars. With Virtual Dub, you can get a preview of your video, full screen if you want, and watch while you capture. Runs smooth as butter.
Things are a lot more complicated on the Mac side, though. I wrote an article explaining the process I found that produces the best results.
“WTF?!!? you deleted my comment!!111! DIGG RULZZZ!!1″
You’re damn right I did! Chances are, if you type like that, you’re what we like to call a troll. Trolls aren’t welcome here and I clearly state below my comment form what is deemed inappropriate. I have no patience for blatant ignorance.
Also, on a related note - I don’t accept anonymous comments. So if you didn’t leave a name or email address, I probably didn’t approve your comment.
There’s also a possibility that I accidently marked your comment as spam. These days, it can be hard to tell a legitimate comment from one that’s merely left for page rank boosting.