Best blog theme?

[Subjective Effect]

Hi everyone. I'm a new GetSimple user and so far I really like the simple nature of it. I've tried a bunch of CMSs but they are all far too complex for what I need.

I've a little JavaScript and PHP knowledge, but only a little and not enough at this point to make a plugin for what I need.

I've found lots of nice themes in the repository but not what I really want.

I'm after the following:

1. Simple looking white theme.
2. Section menu across the top for 4 different post types.
3. A left or right sidebar with links to all my pages, in chronological order regardless of type.
4. A tag cloud in the sidebar.
5. A search box in the sidebar.

Basically I'll be posting stuff in one of 4 categories and I'd like the users to be able to see all of one category by using the top menu.

But the Homepage should have all the posts in order.

This way you can read the latest posts, choose to read only on one subject or go straight to a recent post/search for a specific post.

I don't know which themes allow this and most of the ones I've tried are a little bit simpler than this in terms of function. And I wouldn't know where to start regarding coding this myself.

I've installed Earthing and Earthing 2 and whilst both very nice looking they don't have the right sidebar as shown in the screenshot for the themes, or I don't know how to activated it - and I've tried.

I could, of course, just code my own site and manually do this all, but then what is the point of using a CMS? :p

Can anyone give me some pointers?

[Crssp]

Who doesn't want a blog theme?
Sort of hard to believe this post never got any response.
I'm thinking of pushing a blog into the wild to, looking for the best way to go about it, including a good responsive theme, and which plugin extensions?

This topic in Developer Discussions, goes into some detail on the best plugins: http://get-simple.info/forums/showthread.php?tid=3136
Thanks guys!

[Connie]

"but then what is the point of using a CMS?"

a CMS is more than a bundle of pre-fabricated templates ;=)

well, there is a difference between CMS and BLOG, so as GS is a CMS and is mostly run as a CMS and not as a blog, themes are created for CMS.

In 99% a blog is one menu-part of the whole thingie...

if you really run a blog, I would suggest to use a blog system, they have all the features you ask for

[Timbow]

I'm thinking of pushing a blog into the wild to, looking for the best way to go about it,

It's one of those questions which sounds deceptively simple, but when you start to dig into it it's quite complicated. You have broadly three options:

a) Run a feed from a blog elsewhere into your GetSimple Site. There is a plugin for tumblr, or a feed from blogger is easy to set up.

b) Use one of the blog plugins probs News Manager or GSBlog. Carlos is maintaining and developing News Manager.

c) Use a plugin which will allow you to write posts as GS pages and display them as blog posts. Special Pages Plugin or cumbe's new Pages Blog.

There are plenty of pros and cons. Is SEO important to you? Does the blog writer need a totally unintimidating web interface? Are old posts for keeping on your site or are you happy to discard them? Blogging text or just sharing pictures?

As for the theme - pretty much any theme will do the job. Most blogs have a page and a sidebar or two.

HTH

[Crssp]

Thanks TimBow... just looking for some recommendations, pretty solid list there thank you. For myself I'm actually always thinking of more than a blog as far as a sort of magazine homepage, pulling dynamically from sets of articles etc. A theme to jump into greatly helps to learn any new system.

Ideally even more than one homepage, but categorized homepages with different feature sets, a CMS makes it deceptively hard to keep it simple when the 'sky is blue' and there are so many features to roll in.

thanks again, thanks Connie