Admittedly, when I launched DIYthemes on March 29 of this year, I really had no idea where this whole thing was headed. After all, the Thesis options panel didn’t arrive until July 2, and at this point, anything prior to that seems like the dark ages.
Regardless, one thing has remained constant since the day this place opened for business, and that’s the incredible feedback loop that you, the users, provide. Whether you’ve Twittered, commented, emailed, or posted in the forums, you’ve let me know about improvements that could make your online life easier, and I’ve been able to use your keen insight to guide the development of Thesis.
Since August, resident Thesis ninja Rick Beckman has strengthened this user-to-developer feedback loop through tireless participation in the forums and contributions to the User’s Guide. On top of that, the guy even wrote some killer code that found its way into the latest version of the theme. Because of Rick’s efforts, I am able to say with confidence that Thesis 1.2 addresses more specific user concerns than any previous release.
Download Thesis 1.2 now (you must be logged in), or simply read on for more information about the changes and improvements to this new version.
Massively Enhanced Usability
Thesis 1.2 contains tons of improvements in key usability areas, including:
- quick-edit links on posts and comments
- clickable author names in bylines
- optional category link display in the headline area of each post
- unprecedented control over tag display
- archive display options (titles, content, or excerpts)
- customizable “click to continue…” text for post teasers
- navigation links on single entry pages
- finely-tuned gravatar control
- tons of new theme hooks (which will likely make Rick the most helpful guy on the planet)
In addition, the options panels have received some treatments that make them more intuitive to use.
Unprecedented SEO Control
With Thesis 1.2, you can use the new meta custom field to write specific meta descriptions for every post and page on your site. In addition, you can leverage the category description field to manipulate both the <title> and <meta> tags on your category archive pages. For the first time ever, you’ll be able to fine-tune your SEO without the need for plugins or manual template editing!
Multimedia Box Improvements
Tons of you will be happy to know that Thesis 1.2 now allows you to add hyperlinks to your rotating images, all from within the comfort of the updated Thesis Options panel. In addition, Rick worked his own bit of magic on the multimedia box, and as a result, the image custom field should work for you no matter what kind of server you’re on.
New Subscriptions Widget
In addition to the changes listed above, version 1.2 also contains a new subscriptions widget that will allow you to publicize both RSS and email subscriptions in your sidebar. To use this, simply look for the Subscriptions widget in the Widget section of your WordPress dashboard.
The Bottom Line
Thesis 1.2 provides you with a truly groundbreaking level of control over your site. Whether you’re tweaking individual elements, SEO, or your entire layout, Thesis gives you the tools you need to make changes quickly, comfortably, and effectively.
Perhaps most important, the continued improvements to Thesis are making it easier and easier for the DIYthemes team to help you do more. I hinted at it earlier, but thanks to the new hooks included throughout the theme, Rick and I are going to be able to provide a more systematic, precise, and productive level of support than ever before.
So with that said, it’s time for you to upgrade to Thesis 1.2… I hope you dig it!
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{ 36 comments }
Just reading through the new features quickly, the multimedia box links makes me very very happy!! This is the best theme EVER!!
great! some of these features I was using plugins for, this theme rocks! as does the forum.
Sweet! I’ve arranged it so that an uncle will let me use his paypal account, so I should be up and running the latest version of your amazing theme during the weekend. Thanks Chris! ^_^
Just keeps getting better…. I’ll be installing this update over the weekend – keep up the great work Chris!
Dang I just upgraded to 1.1 and remade all of my tweaks. Time to sit in front of the ole text editor again.
Well, it looks like I’ve got something to do this weekend – upgrade my blogs and post a review of all these wonderful new additions. Pretty exciting stuff here. Well done, Chris and Rick.
I guess I am not grasping the fundamentals of the Subscriptions widget.
How about some hints on how to fill out the fields?
Back in August Chris Garrett recommended this theme, adding, “…next week you will be able to easily change color scheme too!…” Has that been implemented yet?
All I can say is, WOW.
Quick upgrade – even with customization. Thanks!
Sweet. Especially regarding hooks. Anyplace where you’re documenting which hooks are available?
The theme gets better and better – thanks.
Yes, we are all eagerly awaiting some good documentation on the usage of hooks.
There is one thing I was hoping for in all the update releases. The ability to upload a logo in the theme option and have it align automatically. I am a bit sad about it.
Thesis had already surpassed my expectations, 1.2 just blows me away.
Thanks!
Bravo – some of those little tweaks (like clickable author names in bylines) are quite helpful but this:
archive display options (titles, content, or excerpts)
Is huge. Thanks so much. Seems like we are needing fewer and fewer plugins with Thesis every release.
Keep it up!
Awesome upgrade, Chris. Thank you!
I’m so glad I purchased this theme last month. Thank you for the awesome upgrades!
This is great stuff, Chris! Keep up the good work.
P.S. I’ve used Thesis with my .NET code based blog and not WordPress. I just loved your theme and being a .NET programmer, I had to use .NET! Agreed that I’ll missing out on all of these cool new features that you’ll be releasing, but I didn’t wanted to miss out on such a good looking and SE friendly theme!
Thanks – terrific update
Cannot wait to try all the new features! Thesis serves as a great base when building new websites. The code itself serves as a great base even when not using WordPress as Ambuj as done with his .NET site. And with control over the meta tags, no SEO plugins are needed. Now, just wondering when can we expect Cosmo?
Great update. The edit posts link is long awaited. But I can’t figure out how to upload my logo in the header. Was able to do it with prev version with html in the header.php…help pls?
This is a pretty beautiful theme you’ve built here. I’ve seen some “premium themes” that really aren’t worth the monitors they’re printed on, but this one is gorgeous
Now that I’ve had a chance to use Thesis 1.2 for a while, I’ve added another post to my Thesis Theme blog here:
Thesis Theme 1.2 Revealed
The idea is to go through all the available admin options. This post is the first in what will be a series. (There are now a lot of options to cover!)
Hey Chris,
Give us Aussies a go…
Firstly, Really love your theme… As a graphic designer I really think you have captured the art of type really well.
Secondly, I would love to buy this theme (as a developer) but here in Australia our exchange rate against the US dollar is so low. (It would actually cost me – at present $262.10 – to purchase the theme) Although I do think it is worth it, I was hoping you could help me or (the Aussies) to purchase the theme at a reduced rate… So we are not paying heaps more than others…
If this possible in some way, that would be great… I look forward to your response…
Regards Adam
Adam, I’m in Australia, and to be honest, if the exchange rate caused it to work out at $400, it would still be worth it.
I dabble a bit in design, and I’ve just put together a design I’m quite happy with over at my wifes site using Thesis. In comparison to the time it normally takes me to put together a design (like my personal site linked to in my name), Thesis made my job 10x easier.
If you value your time, you’ll buy it in spite of the painful exchange rate.
Hey Armen, Thanks for your reply… I do agree completly with you… And despite our poor exchange rate, I have purchased the theme anyway… I really look forward to using it…
Hi,
Would you have a slot to add my site to your showcase? Its a killer customisation.
re,
Hi Chris,
I know this is not the spot to ask you this, and neither is the forum, so I sent you a mail last week. I unfortunately didn’t receive a reply yet, which makes me believe that my mail somehow ended up in your spam.
The question was the following: with the delay in the release of the Magazine theme (obviously because you want it to be a killer design AND 100% bug free), can I use the Thesis theme double for the time being, with the promise to switch back to the original deal within a week of the Magazine theme release, being one site having Thesis and one site using Magazine?
A big thanks for a quick response, since I desperately need to (re)launch my second blog.
Cheers,
Max
I’m still waiting for magazine theme. It was supposed to be released on 01. October, right?
Max — A more official announcement is coming later today, but here is the scoop in a nutshell. Essentially, Cosmo is not actually going to be a separate theme; instead, it’s simply going to be a set of controls that you can use to run an incredible home page (in tandem with the WordPress static home page).
Because of this, you’ll be totally compliant if you purchase a developer’s option (soon to be called the multi-site option), which will allow you to use the theme on multiple sites.
Hi Chris,
do I understand it correctly that, unless you have bought the developer’s license, you either have to run the Thesis or the Cosmo theme, but can’t run let’s say Thesis on one blog and Cosmo on the other?
Kind regards,
Max
Max — The fundamental misunderstanding here is that Cosmo is not actually a separate theme. Originally, it was conceived as such, but as I have gotten more and more into Thesis development, I have come to realize that “Cosmo” is really just a set of static home page controls. As a result, these controls should logically live within Thesis instead of existing independently as a separate theme.
In other words, you can’t run Cosmo here and Thesis there, simply because Cosmo is Thesis. Make sense?
well… that’s great news. Does that also mean that cosmo comes bundled witth Thesis? Addon… free?
Well,
that doesn’t sound Chris, especially when you are revealing it at this point. You even ran a deadline marketing offer to buy thesis to get cosmo for free.
At least let us use the theme on 2 blogs. That should make up for your surprise.
Chris,
I can understand that during the devlopment process, this logic surfaced. But when all the promotion was made for Thesis just after its launch, it was indeed promoted that if people would sign up early, they would receive that second theme for free.
And that’s why I decided to sign up, being referred by Problogger and Copyblogger (I still have the screenshots) for that extra bonus.
Again, from a technical point of view, I can understand that having it as two seperate themes is overkill, but in my book it would be deceiving your first-hour believers not to enable/allow those customers/supporters to run two copies without having to upgrade to the developer license. I think it’s only fair to allow them, and I’m sure you have records of who signed up in time, to run two copies.
Cheers,
Max
Sorry, you announced version 1.3. I’m a fan. I can do without cosmos. I’d have to pay anyways.
Yes, you said that if people buy Thesis before the end of the month, they will get one free theme ” Cosmo”.
If you just changed the homepage layout for Cosmo, I’m little disappointed, I was expecting little bit more from Chris lol
not much more, but little more
Anyway, how do you keep track who’s following the rules and who’s not, how do you know is someone using Thesis on more than 1 site?