The number one thing you should know before you start your blog is that it is Always a work in progress. Just the moment a blogger believes they have everything perfect a new widget, gadget or service can be discovered and a new round of "better" starts!
Not very long ago the whole idea of creating an internet web presence was all about creating what I call (or heard called) the Website Business Card. Many businesses paid hundreds of dollars to have someone who knew how--build a "static" website with all the important information about the business...and that was just about the best the average person or small business could ask for.
These "static" Business Card websites of not long ago often cost a business a going fee of $350.00 just to put a static website together with the visitors to that website finding an email link and a few minimal things but, for the most part offered no more then contact information, and some special pages with some information that mattered most about the business.
Pretty boring, and not a lot of reason for people to come back for a visit.
However, the biggest problem not long ago for small business who paid the $350.00 for the website to be created was that all too often these business owners were left with a website and no access or clue how to update information. All that money paid to a hotshot who put up the page, but little or no information for the business owner to be able to do anything with it.
And, in many cases these expensive sites were controlled by fly-by night developers who collected the money set up the page and then vanished from the face of the internet. Leaving the business owner with something they didn't have any ability to change, control or access.
As the internet added new interactive features another round of expensive services became available for the small business owners with websites. Forums and chat rooms, offered something interactive visitors could register to joining, log-in and interact. And again pulled money out and paid for these things to be added to their websites.
Well, today with the services and tools these business costs and the lack of control over a small business internet site are a thing of the past. Today, any business owner able to run his or her business has more then enough talent and skill to create exactly what they want and need, and the costs can literally be Zero!
Today by creating a blog a business owner can offer far more then a static website business card without the investment of even one penny. Not only this but the blog in itself can also create a business income!
It is so simple and affordable that I almost want to shake any small business owner who is resistant to spending the time investment required to accomplish as much as they can by creating their own blog and building it.
Stay tuned for some future post about the simple ways to make a blog not only part of a business internet presence but also a part of the business income.
There w
August 31, 2008
August 26, 2008
Changing a Blogger Blogspot.com Template
If you read this blog now and than you might notice things look a little different this morning... That's because the template I was using wasn't working for me! I believe I did something at some time and cause a little glitch which resulted in a graphic refusing to allow itself to be replaced.
After messing around with my HTML template code it's very possible I just put something in a spot and caused a problem. Not sure and it became clear that as a blog publisher I had a few choices.
I could hunt and peck looking for whatever had caused the graphic to be stuck in the header and I might or might not figure it out?
or
I could go through the relatively painless-but, time consuming process of an extreme blog make-over.
Truthfully, it really isn't that difficult to change template for a blog. The trick with changing a Blogger Blogspot template is transferring the various page elements (or as they are now called Gadgets). And, even transferring the blog gadgets isn't that technical but, rather time consuming more then anything else.
I simply take a few steps to make it just a little easier. I just use my computer system NOTEPAD and open up each blogger gadget I would like to keep and copy the code inside to the notepad. Once the new template or theme is uploaded I will be able to retrieve the gadget code and just drop in into the new layout.
I save the Notepad documents and then before doing anything else back up the existing template or theme. There are two ways to change how your blog appears when using the Blogger Blogspot tools. The first is by selecting one of the themes offered and just picking that theme. Often this choice is simple and many of the gadgets will transfer.
The other choice is to find a theme you like either free or paid for by a blog template designer. If this is a choice then the change is made under the HTML editing under the Layout area. Once you have a template you like, downloaded and unzipped it can be uploaded right at the top of the HTML editing area. These kinds of changes usually make it necessary to save all the code for the gadgets and often deletes the gadgets in the existing code. If it's been saved it's only a matter of going back and putting all the gadget code back into the right spots in the page element area. A step that isn't very difficult but takes time, selecting all, copy and paste...
I always suggest starting a private Test Blog before messing around with a template change on an existing blog. As wonderful as it is to have some many options created by talented people--not every template is perfect and depending on the possible problems a blogger may find a template just doesn't work for their needs.
The other major thing to keep in mind if you have a well developed blog or using tracking code inside of the HTML is that some of that code placed directly in the HTML will be lost with a template change as well. It there is code from Feedburner for the FeedFlurl or and paid blogger or tracking code directly placed inside of your blog HTML it would be a good idea to also copy that code on the Notepad before uploading a new template.
The place I find most of my template is from another woman who is making her blog something special. I really love Amanda's Blog Templates offered at Blogger Buster. I selected this template Grid Focus which is one of Amanda's newest XML Templates and so far I love it!
After messing around with my HTML template code it's very possible I just put something in a spot and caused a problem. Not sure and it became clear that as a blog publisher I had a few choices.
I could hunt and peck looking for whatever had caused the graphic to be stuck in the header and I might or might not figure it out?
or
I could go through the relatively painless-but, time consuming process of an extreme blog make-over.
Truthfully, it really isn't that difficult to change template for a blog. The trick with changing a Blogger Blogspot template is transferring the various page elements (or as they are now called Gadgets). And, even transferring the blog gadgets isn't that technical but, rather time consuming more then anything else.
I simply take a few steps to make it just a little easier. I just use my computer system NOTEPAD and open up each blogger gadget I would like to keep and copy the code inside to the notepad. Once the new template or theme is uploaded I will be able to retrieve the gadget code and just drop in into the new layout.
I save the Notepad documents and then before doing anything else back up the existing template or theme. There are two ways to change how your blog appears when using the Blogger Blogspot tools. The first is by selecting one of the themes offered and just picking that theme. Often this choice is simple and many of the gadgets will transfer.
The other choice is to find a theme you like either free or paid for by a blog template designer. If this is a choice then the change is made under the HTML editing under the Layout area. Once you have a template you like, downloaded and unzipped it can be uploaded right at the top of the HTML editing area. These kinds of changes usually make it necessary to save all the code for the gadgets and often deletes the gadgets in the existing code. If it's been saved it's only a matter of going back and putting all the gadget code back into the right spots in the page element area. A step that isn't very difficult but takes time, selecting all, copy and paste...
I always suggest starting a private Test Blog before messing around with a template change on an existing blog. As wonderful as it is to have some many options created by talented people--not every template is perfect and depending on the possible problems a blogger may find a template just doesn't work for their needs.
The other major thing to keep in mind if you have a well developed blog or using tracking code inside of the HTML is that some of that code placed directly in the HTML will be lost with a template change as well. It there is code from Feedburner for the FeedFlurl or and paid blogger or tracking code directly placed inside of your blog HTML it would be a good idea to also copy that code on the Notepad before uploading a new template.
The place I find most of my template is from another woman who is making her blog something special. I really love Amanda's Blog Templates offered at Blogger Buster. I selected this template Grid Focus which is one of Amanda's newest XML Templates and so far I love it!
August 25, 2008
More than Just a Blond Moment
It has been said in someway or another that the Pen is more powerful than the sword!
Never before in the history of the world has it been more possible for the ordinary person to put "pen" to the page... Or at least, entertain an audience while doing so.
It's possible with all this modern internet technology that even the most blond or in some other way judged as "less able" person can write the thoughts on their mind. While it may have always been possible for anyone with any ability to write something--It is now possible that anyone who can write may write something--that is actually READ by someone else.
No longer is there a huge set of standards, or rules that apply to those who would like their words, feelings or opinions to be known. Today, anyone with a computer and an internet connection is the Editor and Producer of what words they wish to be known. Not that this means anyone will take the time to read anything just written by someone sitting behind a keyboard.
I have always made use of the weapon of my pen when needed. My words have often been both loving supportive and when needed can be cutting and quick. This part of me is not something that has just popped up with my journey on the Internet. My words on paper or from my mouth have long been a blessing and curse--for both me and for the person they may have been directed.
For those of us who suffer lose lips, and fast typing skills... and practice our writing skills may often spend long days blogging our hearts out to the thin air... Not thinking they add up to much of anything until attention is taken and an issue is made.
Sometime back in April attention was made to one of the places I like to write. Attention from a National News outlet. In my wish to make that place I write better some uninvolved person around the world who was paying attention to that spot actually believed all the changes and pretty tweaks I made were because she had taken issue with that writing spot. She believed my efforts were some competition with her for some deep rooted issue...
My writing was getting attention. And some thought that what I had to say, and the way I wanted to present it was for some self serving need to compete. NOT. This kind of think really irritates me as I write for my own reasons and sometimes my writing is more powerful then a sword.
This attack from someone I don't know triggered a serious of different events which actually have led to consequences of words I write.
My Tip of the day is that no matter how blond you might be, remember that putting the words out here into the public is much different then the bedside tablet you may have spent your lifetime jotting whatever thoughts came to mind--good, hurt or angry.
It's important that those who are blogging and interested in building a readership keep in mind that with Success often comes and unseen effort to Put Down from those who Know about the success you might be having.
It's important to keep in mind that if what you are doing means nothing--there won't be anyone around to criticize it! The more successful you are with blogging or writing the more issues might be made from those who have noticed!
After all, if your words are not noticed there wouldn't be anyone responding in anyway to the scribbles on the table in the bedside table. Public writing is one thing but, people reading what is written is another. No one would attack if the goal of being noticed had not been taken and proven successful.
Moral: When and if those who want to attack you do so about your writing, blog or website, Chalk it all up to the fact it is a positive sign of attention!
Now without any more blabbering on the topic after several months of not getting it--I do and will now go on with the work I have been doing since I was just a little girl... Writing my words the way I write them.
Never before in the history of the world has it been more possible for the ordinary person to put "pen" to the page... Or at least, entertain an audience while doing so.
It's possible with all this modern internet technology that even the most blond or in some other way judged as "less able" person can write the thoughts on their mind. While it may have always been possible for anyone with any ability to write something--It is now possible that anyone who can write may write something--that is actually READ by someone else.
No longer is there a huge set of standards, or rules that apply to those who would like their words, feelings or opinions to be known. Today, anyone with a computer and an internet connection is the Editor and Producer of what words they wish to be known. Not that this means anyone will take the time to read anything just written by someone sitting behind a keyboard.
I have always made use of the weapon of my pen when needed. My words have often been both loving supportive and when needed can be cutting and quick. This part of me is not something that has just popped up with my journey on the Internet. My words on paper or from my mouth have long been a blessing and curse--for both me and for the person they may have been directed.
For those of us who suffer lose lips, and fast typing skills... and practice our writing skills may often spend long days blogging our hearts out to the thin air... Not thinking they add up to much of anything until attention is taken and an issue is made.
Sometime back in April attention was made to one of the places I like to write. Attention from a National News outlet. In my wish to make that place I write better some uninvolved person around the world who was paying attention to that spot actually believed all the changes and pretty tweaks I made were because she had taken issue with that writing spot. She believed my efforts were some competition with her for some deep rooted issue...
My writing was getting attention. And some thought that what I had to say, and the way I wanted to present it was for some self serving need to compete. NOT. This kind of think really irritates me as I write for my own reasons and sometimes my writing is more powerful then a sword.
This attack from someone I don't know triggered a serious of different events which actually have led to consequences of words I write.
My Tip of the day is that no matter how blond you might be, remember that putting the words out here into the public is much different then the bedside tablet you may have spent your lifetime jotting whatever thoughts came to mind--good, hurt or angry.
It's important that those who are blogging and interested in building a readership keep in mind that with Success often comes and unseen effort to Put Down from those who Know about the success you might be having.
It's important to keep in mind that if what you are doing means nothing--there won't be anyone around to criticize it! The more successful you are with blogging or writing the more issues might be made from those who have noticed!
After all, if your words are not noticed there wouldn't be anyone responding in anyway to the scribbles on the table in the bedside table. Public writing is one thing but, people reading what is written is another. No one would attack if the goal of being noticed had not been taken and proven successful.
Moral: When and if those who want to attack you do so about your writing, blog or website, Chalk it all up to the fact it is a positive sign of attention!
Now without any more blabbering on the topic after several months of not getting it--I do and will now go on with the work I have been doing since I was just a little girl... Writing my words the way I write them.
August 19, 2008
Bravenet Guestbooks
Guestbooks used to be one of the most easy things to add to website or blog. They were also one of the original and only methods a visitors was able to post a message on on a website or blog. Not too many years ago there were few tools that made it possible for visitors to leave their remarks for a website owner or blog writer to read and know someone had visited. There was a time when Guestbooks were on nearly every website...
I have noticed that as technology has made it possible for those of us "ordinary people" to build own blogs and websites along with the variety of more advanced tools, the need for the old standard Guestbook has fallen victim! Today, even the most blond, middle-aged, self-taught, left-handed, female on earth can take advantage of some of the most basic tools offered.
The problem is that I still love Guestbooks and always enjoy passing by and saying, Hello, when I visit a website or blog I find interesting... Maybe because one of the very first things I added to my very first website HappyMomAnna.com was my Bravenet Guestbook!
It's hard for me to let go of one of the few original things from my very first day of building what has become the Adoptive Parents Network, so I decided that it's not going to be lost or forgotten... I still use my original Guest Book on the AdoptiveParentsNetwork
I use several Bravenet tools and still host the old website HappyMomAnna.com on the original account. I have found their Website Hosting packages to be perfect for the things I wanted my site to do. I have have always built my websites with a variety of tools and services offered from several sources. Bravenet is one of my favorite because of some of their very simple to use tools.
The Guestbook is one I like very much. I started My Original Bravenet Guestbook sometime in the spring of 2005 and have had it linked in here and there since.
I have noticed that as technology has made it possible for those of us "ordinary people" to build own blogs and websites along with the variety of more advanced tools, the need for the old standard Guestbook has fallen victim! Today, even the most blond, middle-aged, self-taught, left-handed, female on earth can take advantage of some of the most basic tools offered.
The problem is that I still love Guestbooks and always enjoy passing by and saying, Hello, when I visit a website or blog I find interesting... Maybe because one of the very first things I added to my very first website HappyMomAnna.com was my Bravenet Guestbook!
It's hard for me to let go of one of the few original things from my very first day of building what has become the Adoptive Parents Network, so I decided that it's not going to be lost or forgotten... I still use my original Guest Book on the AdoptiveParentsNetwork
I use several Bravenet tools and still host the old website HappyMomAnna.com on the original account. I have found their Website Hosting packages to be perfect for the things I wanted my site to do. I have have always built my websites with a variety of tools and services offered from several sources. Bravenet is one of my favorite because of some of their very simple to use tools.
The Guestbook is one I like very much. I started My Original Bravenet Guestbook sometime in the spring of 2005 and have had it linked in here and there since.
August 13, 2008
Tag You Are It... Delicious.com
I have had an account with Delicious.com for years now. I started using their social bookmarking services when I was working as a Blogger for Families.com. While working there we were asked to open an account an "TAG" our blogs.
I still have my account along with the nearly three-years of fairly regular bookmarks. My link is right in MyBlogLog.com widget as one of the services I belong to.
Are you asking yourself, "What is Delicious?"
It took me a little while to figure it out myself, so don't feel silly for not understanding that Delicious is a social bookmarking service.
I can tell by the look in your eyes as you read "Social Bookmarking Service" that means something, but still no clue what?
Delicious.com allows users (me, and you) a free account to keep tags, as well as save, manage and share web pages. All offered from a centralized source. Delicious.com puts the emphasis on the power of the community, by offering a great tool for people to discover, remember and share information on the Internet.
With Delicious anyone can bookmark any site on the Internet, and then return to it from anywhere rather then needing new or different bookmarks on every specific computer itself (oh, I can't stand a new computer for that!) With Delicious your account holds a single set of bookmarks each one kept in sync between all of the computers you might use... Including turning on the New one for the first time. When using someone else's computer or one at a hotel, your bookmarks are there just as created right on the Delicious website.
Delicious is considered a "Social" bookmarking service, because not only do you have the ability to keep your bookmarks in order but, you share them with other users as well. Friends who use Delicious, can exchange interesting bookmarks, explore the site to find interesting users to network with. The Subscriptions and Network features can be used to keep track of Delicious tags and other users you find most interesting.
Delicious service can be added to a Feedburner Blog or as a Service on your MyBlogLog.com accounts and widgets. I am sure there are many other ways Delicious can be added and used in your social networking--but, being Blond the only things I can tell you are those I have figured out so far... Feel Free to add your comments about Delicious.com and let everyone know about how you have used Delicious.com Social Bookmarking Service.
Hang-Ten, for Now!
This post is not sponsored or underwritten by any form of advertising.
I still have my account along with the nearly three-years of fairly regular bookmarks. My link is right in MyBlogLog.com widget as one of the services I belong to.
Are you asking yourself, "What is Delicious?"
It took me a little while to figure it out myself, so don't feel silly for not understanding that Delicious is a social bookmarking service.
I can tell by the look in your eyes as you read "Social Bookmarking Service" that means something, but still no clue what?
Delicious.com allows users (me, and you) a free account to keep tags, as well as save, manage and share web pages. All offered from a centralized source. Delicious.com puts the emphasis on the power of the community, by offering a great tool for people to discover, remember and share information on the Internet.
With Delicious anyone can bookmark any site on the Internet, and then return to it from anywhere rather then needing new or different bookmarks on every specific computer itself (oh, I can't stand a new computer for that!) With Delicious your account holds a single set of bookmarks each one kept in sync between all of the computers you might use... Including turning on the New one for the first time. When using someone else's computer or one at a hotel, your bookmarks are there just as created right on the Delicious website.
Delicious is considered a "Social" bookmarking service, because not only do you have the ability to keep your bookmarks in order but, you share them with other users as well. Friends who use Delicious, can exchange interesting bookmarks, explore the site to find interesting users to network with. The Subscriptions and Network features can be used to keep track of Delicious tags and other users you find most interesting.
Delicious service can be added to a Feedburner Blog or as a Service on your MyBlogLog.com accounts and widgets. I am sure there are many other ways Delicious can be added and used in your social networking--but, being Blond the only things I can tell you are those I have figured out so far... Feel Free to add your comments about Delicious.com and let everyone know about how you have used Delicious.com Social Bookmarking Service.
Hang-Ten, for Now!
This post is not sponsored or underwritten by any form of advertising.
August 12, 2008
Plug into Social Networking FAST with MyBlogLog.com
Do you have a blog?
Do you have a Yahoo account?
Then that's all you need to get started and make yourself a very nice widget like the one I have in the right column.
MyBlogLog.com is a Yahoo product that offers a free and paid service for Blog Writers. I have used a combination of both types of accounts and starting out with the Free service is a great way to get started... You can always upgrade to the paid later.
With a MyBlogLog.com account you can connect with other blog writers and join their communities. Keep track of who writes what and analyze where your visitors come from, what they read and how they leave your blog...
I especially like the Widget that can be made with links to so many different Social Networking site. Go ahead and click on the links in mine and visit the places I need to go visit and re-arrange or clean up. If you click on the FaceBook link then you will see My Facebook account... Click on the Yahoo Answers link and see the questions and answers I have made at Yahoo...
With MyBlogLog.com it's very simple and easy so... If you want a Widget like I have just click the link for MyBlogLog.com and you will be ready to open an account for your blog and make your own... Which is very simple even I could do it!
August 11, 2008
The Life of a Website Developer
If you are not a member of my website AdoptiveParentsNetwork.com than you may be wondering where I have been for the last several days?
As many successful business often do there has been a change with the ownership of the Adoptive Parents Network LLC. After a year of the Adoptive Parents Network being a joint effort between myself and Melissa (as well as her husband) they have decided to leave the business and focus on an added baby to their family.
With this change is has been a great time for me to go through my Internet sites and blogs to clean everything up and make things work from the bottom-up so to speak. There is nothing more irritating for me then to find websites that are out dated, obsolete or otherwise not worth the band-width so I am in the process of cleaning up all of my garbage that may be littering the Internet.
Today, I have been working on the Original website I started in March 2005... HappyMomAnna.com Since I have had this URL and website for so long I have decided to make it my official Profile, information, and resume site. I have been working on cleaning it up and plan to also use this as a place to keep the common pictures I use on my blogs and websites. At the moment I suspect there may be several different places I have been using for my hosted pictures... So I plan to start making my life easy by organizing and moving my hosted photos to one place!
It's always best to start at the foundations and transition times are a great time to go back and make sure old things work well and reflect pride.
As well as cleaning up some of the past things that pointed to my direction I am also spending some time making sure things are linked well--and that links are working. Now that can be a huge project and it only happens one link at a time...
I am looking forward to getting finished with my trash picking up and moving on to the fun things about building a website and writing blogs.
As many successful business often do there has been a change with the ownership of the Adoptive Parents Network LLC. After a year of the Adoptive Parents Network being a joint effort between myself and Melissa (as well as her husband) they have decided to leave the business and focus on an added baby to their family.
With this change is has been a great time for me to go through my Internet sites and blogs to clean everything up and make things work from the bottom-up so to speak. There is nothing more irritating for me then to find websites that are out dated, obsolete or otherwise not worth the band-width so I am in the process of cleaning up all of my garbage that may be littering the Internet.
Today, I have been working on the Original website I started in March 2005... HappyMomAnna.com Since I have had this URL and website for so long I have decided to make it my official Profile, information, and resume site. I have been working on cleaning it up and plan to also use this as a place to keep the common pictures I use on my blogs and websites. At the moment I suspect there may be several different places I have been using for my hosted pictures... So I plan to start making my life easy by organizing and moving my hosted photos to one place!
It's always best to start at the foundations and transition times are a great time to go back and make sure old things work well and reflect pride.
As well as cleaning up some of the past things that pointed to my direction I am also spending some time making sure things are linked well--and that links are working. Now that can be a huge project and it only happens one link at a time...
I am looking forward to getting finished with my trash picking up and moving on to the fun things about building a website and writing blogs.
August 02, 2008
Some things you ADD can Mess your site up!
~
If you are a blogger it might be easy to add this and that to your blog page. It seems there is no end to the variety of little widgets and tools a blogger can add to their blog in order to make it pretty and count for something.
This morning I was happy I wasn't one of the website owners, or bloggers who came to find out that last night anyone with a sitemeter.com script of widget had been sucked into a situation where:
It appears that the first reports about this BIG problem were made by One Project Closer
If you use a Sitemeter.com script on your website or blog I would recommend reading the Blog Post HERE there is not only some great information about the problem but, also many of the comments offer some specific details about some of the things other Webmasters and Bloggers are noticing and doing in order to deal with this problem...
This is just another thing that comes with being part of the Wild West!
~
If you are a blogger it might be easy to add this and that to your blog page. It seems there is no end to the variety of little widgets and tools a blogger can add to their blog in order to make it pretty and count for something.
This morning I was happy I wasn't one of the website owners, or bloggers who came to find out that last night anyone with a sitemeter.com script of widget had been sucked into a situation where:
SiteMeter is bringing down every site where its counter code is loaded when the visiting browser is Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and 7.0. The error may also affect Internet Explorer 5.5
It appears that the first reports about this BIG problem were made by One Project Closer
If you use a Sitemeter.com script on your website or blog I would recommend reading the Blog Post HERE there is not only some great information about the problem but, also many of the comments offer some specific details about some of the things other Webmasters and Bloggers are noticing and doing in order to deal with this problem...
This is just another thing that comes with being part of the Wild West!
~
August 01, 2008
Bravenet Affiliate Hosting Services and Tools
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Keep track of your life right from your website.
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