I’ve got a tag cloud on my sidebar. Personally I have little use for a tag cloud, and wondered whether anyone else uses it … or any other thoughts on tag clouds – now’s your chance !
I have a feeling that removing my tag cloud might help with my diet … I know it’s a tenuous connection but I wanted to get diet and weight-loss in my tags LOL I’ve added wellness for good measure 😈
If you like you can vote in the poll too. Either way feedback appreciated 🙂
Here’s the poll :
Cheers
Don Charisma
Don Charisma 
If you set your navigation up properly, tag cloud is completely unnecessary. Glad to see it at the bottom of your page, because I think it is definitely a waste of space. 🙂
Thanks Carrie, yes that’s right … and probably it’ll be going from the footer soon !
I use that! 🙂
LOL, well it’s still here on the footer now !
Just decided to get rid of my tag cloud. It’s cumbersome, ugly and messy. Looks unattractive at best.
Will refine my categories list and add a search bar to take it’s place. Also thinking of adding a “greatest hits” page to my main menu featuring my most viewed posts.
There’s a widget for most viewed posts, I set mine to most likes, because like vs pageviews are different on my blog – I have some semi-viral posts that gets a lot of google traffic and not much likes … I also custom built my photography/SEO/writing pages using wordpress shortcodes, works better with the CSS upgrade … my tag cloud has been relegated to the footer and probably will do away with soon now 🙂
YES!!! I think tag clouds are a complete waste of space. Your navigation bar should include the main topics (categories) you blog about, then you can add subsections (tags) to each one of those if you need to.
Reblogged this on Eric's Universe and commented:
Some thoughts about tag clouds from Don Charisma…good or bad plus a poll.
Check it out!!!
Thanks for reblog 🙂
I kind of like them . . . gives me an idea of what the person writes about. Always a personal preference though.
Thanks 🙂
Tag clouds are a sometimes-interesting visualisation tool for my own uses (seeing how my blog is developing, and what tags are most/least prominent), and may occasionally be used by visitors to your site (I’ve certainly used them when checking out someone’s blog and want to get straight to the posts tagged with things that interest me). These are the only reasons I have one in my sidebar.
For sure, that’s fairly much what I thought it’s for 🙂 … consensus at the moment on the poll seems to be against, and I don’t like that time isn’t taken it account when forming the cloud, so I may well drop mine …
I love my tag cloud. In fact I need my tag cloud. Of course, my blog is about cooking and the cloud is a good way to label and organize my recipes. I can also tell at a glance what categories need more work.
Thanks, and yes that’s kind of how mine should have been ! I’m getting more disciplined with my tags and categories, so it’s happening 🙂
Reblogged this on Rosevoc2's Blog.
Thanks for the reblog 🙂
I don’t put it very high on the page, but it’s interesting to me to visualize the things I appear to care about.
LOL Dan, that’s very funny “things I appear to care about” … you’ve made my day 🙂
That’s actually the title I put on my tag cloud 🙂
You’re into your SEO then !
to be honest I do use my tags but not the tag cloud. I just have it for decoration I guess
That’s fairly much how my seems, although I’m not sure about it’s decorative effect … why I’m asking for other’s feelings on it 🙂
On 2nd thought: this page reloaded after posting my comment, and now your tag cloud shows up normal size. And I see the problem: your tags are more than one word each, which makes it look quite sloppy. You also use too many similar-themed tags. I think tag clouds can be very appealing, but first you need to take the “Tag Cloud 101” online class. Check out /my/ tag cloud to see how classy it can be!
thanks dude, I don’t have time right now for a full tag cloud overhaul, so I’ll probably scrap it, consensus seems to indicate that … and was why I put the post up in the first place !
Your tag cloud is hardly visible…while your three “awards” are chunky and annoying. Keep the cloud, but evict the angels!
Thanks dude, why don’t you say what you really mean !
I have a tendancy to chop and change the sidebar, awards stay a while, eventually all awards do become equal on the sidebar …
I really like the tag cloud, although my friends say it sums up my life in a few words; diving, fish and travelling… haha 🙂
LOL, that’s funny madeline 🙂
I decided to use it but agree it can look a little messy, however it is also a reminder of topics for me. I think I am pretty neutral
at the moment. Interested in the final results though
Looking at it today, there does seem to be a lot of tags that I haven’t used in a while, of high importance … I think ideally it’d be better if time was also incorporated as a factor, to make it more “up-to-date”
I never really thought about it. I like having links, goodreads and twitter in my sidebar…maybe I’ll put a cloud on there and see if I like it.
it’s still an either way, I’ll check the poll later and see what the consensus is 🙂
I love the tag cloud; it keeps me up to date on what things I’ve written on a lot lately, and what topics I’d like to write more about.
come join the fun at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com!
🙂
I honestly don’t use it….I just have it there in case someone stumbles onto the blog and find it useful.
for sure … I’m not even sure mine is up to date come to think of it …
I think you could find a beautiful beach photo to use that space Don. Much more beautiful 🙂
I’m moving in your direction definitely irene !
Sounds great Don 😀
I put mine up to balance space in the beginning, but I have noticed that I peruse others in order to get a good idea of what I might find on their blog. For example, if I see a plethora of football or other sports tags, I know it’s time to look elsewhere! 🙂
LOL, so not a positive, a way to quickly decide not to like a blog … that’s one thing that worried me !
Oh I’ve wondered that myself – great topic!!
Thanks Emily 🙂
I sometimes glance at them to get an idea of whether the blog subjects are of any interest to me. Looking at yours, I’d think you were a funny Buddhist photographer.
Perhaps I am ?
Then your cloud would be doing well.
🙂
I don’t have one and I’ve never used anyone else’s
Thanks elaine 🙂
I got one but I just add tags for the sake of it. Someone told me that it just clutters up the page. I guess they help if someone wants to find posts from the tags but I personally don’t use them to find posts on blogs of anyone else 😉 so maybe a waste of time?
… for sure … the reason for tags is to group related posts and they also show up in the reader … so useful to use them … just not sure if I need a tag cloud on every page …
I use mine, seems like I am a minority!
perhaps, we’ll see, there’s been a few each way so far …
I think you’re right: I don’t use it either
haven’t made a firm decision yet, wanna see what the poll says first 🙂
🙂
True to my name, I hated the tag cloud. 🙂 So I removed it.
What I can’t figure out is how to remove the “stuff” that is between my post title and the body of the post. The tags are showing up there, along with some other info. Looks messy and cluttered to me.
And why can’t the tags be in a list form, like the categories are??
ok good so we’ve got a hater in 🙂
I think what you’re referring to is how your theme is laid out, so I think the only way to change that on wordpress.com is change themes … presumably you chose your current theme because you hated it the least out of all the themes you looked at ?
Aaarghhhh…the finer points of the themes were all so confusing that I had no idea that that section would be stuck there as intrinsic to the them. When I saw the word “customize”, I figured it meant “CUSTOMIZE” LOL
But I have a question in to the help desk…waiting eagerly for an answer. 🙂 Thanks 🙂
Yes, sign me up for “hate the tag cloud” 🙂
lol yes now I come to think of it customize, it’s more like “slightly change” … customize isn’t quite the right word … helpdesk are usually helpful is they can answer on the first attempt, if not then consider giving up LOL hopefully you won’t get one of the one’s who doesn’t actually read your question, and then answers a totally different question !
I’ll be the eternal optimist…until I never get an answer 😦
Blah as I say
🙂
I started off with it then ditched it.
thanks … haven’t decided on mine yet, it’s been with me a while so I get attached …
I haven’t got one! Do I need one? What does it do…?!
I don’t know you have to decide … you can click on the words, will show a list of posts with that tag … the bigger the word the more posts with that tag …
I don’t really use the Tag cloud. Category cloud, yes! Tag cloud, no.
thanks, I do sometimes, depends on what I’m looking for …
I suppose that makes sense!
🙂
Personally don’t mind them. I have one on my page too. For people who don’t know how a word cloud works then they seem pretty meaningless…just different sized words. I guess this is the modern top 40 list…just not a list any more
For sure … reinvented top 40 …
Looking at my tag cloud, it’s messy! haha.. I have no idea if it’s useful to keep or waste of space, but as I look at my tag cloud again and again, I wanna remove it out!
Thinking the same myself … have to see what the poll says !