Okay my fellow bloggers...
I NEED YOUR HELP and SUGGESTIONS!
I have been asked to teach a class at our local Women's Forum Conference (thanks Beth! - love ya- but you owe me! lol) on the basics of blogging.... thus the title Blogging For Dummies 101.
So as I have thought about this, I decided it would be a GREAT idea to get YOUR input of what things you think would be helpful for beginner bloggers to know based on your own experience with blogging... since you are all in the advanced class Blogging for Smarties 396! Though some of you have even surpassed that and are in blogging graduate school or a Doctor of Blog. Yes, you know who you are! As for me, I am still in the awkward stage of junior high blogging. So any input you can share would be greatly appreciated!
Also what things you wish you would have known sooner, problems you have had, successes, helpful hints, how to balance blogging, WHY you blog, ya know... just ANY GREAT SUGGESTIONS you have!
PLEASE leave me SOMETHING, even if it's just some small thing that has been helpful for you or why you LOVE to blog. Feel free to come back anytime when something else hits you and comment on this post up until Nov. 1st which is the day of the conference.
I can't wait to hear what you have to offer! I am sure it will help all of us!
21 comments:
Pick a template and stay with it. (Oh my goodness I did not just say that!) If you must change it, here is a great spot with very cute templates and YOU WILL NOT LOOSE YOUR WIDGETS!!! I know this is okay to share because I asked her and she loves to.
www.allibrownlayouts.blogspot.com
Also, how to link to another blog with the little world and links button. I didn't know how to do that for the longest time.
Also, if you move your pictures you can not have people click on them to see the detail larger. Don't move your pictures.
Ctrl+C=Copy, Ctrl+V=Paste, and Cntrl+A=Highlights everything.
That's all I can think of right now. That's pretty much the basic for what I use.
Oh, and be yourself on your blog. That's really what makes it fun!:)
Wow, sorry so long.
Sorry, it's this:
http://alliebrownslayouts.blogspot.com/
for the templates.:)
I think the steps to change your blog background. I just chaned mine for the first time and it was HARD. I used www.thecutestblogontheblock.com and it was easier. I tried another one and it didnt work.....
What I would like more help with is posting photos. I do it, but it is hard moving them around, editing, how do you make them larger for the reader, etc. I've been going to get that book.
I agree that changing your blog background took me forever! I second The Cutest Blog On The Block.
Also, I think it is important to be yourself. Only blog about what you want. Never feel like you have to post all the time, and never apologize for a lapse in posting. Just share what happened during your time away.
I don't have a lot of tips, because I think experimenting is the key when it comes to blogging and setting up a blog. You will do great though!
I second the background thing. Spend time finding one you like before you get everything else all set up because, like we know, it's hard to want to redo it once you lose it all.
You taught me how, so I figure you'll do just fine teaching everyone else! You're the queen blogger in my book! Abby thinks your blog always looks so fun with your different colored fonts and pictures on the side. (you might notice the last couple times she posted she messed with her fonts to be like you!)
Good luck!
It depends on how much your crowd knows. For someone like me, you need to basics. How to start a blog. How to put on widgets(oh, give them the name. I learned that after awhile.) I still haven't figured out how to put on a picture slideshow, and a playlist is always nice. It wouldn't hurt to explain how the sidebar works versus where you enter your entries. How do you change fonts or colors? Where do you find all these things? You have so many great cartoons and additions. Maybe give a list of websites(I would like that one.) Well, that is all i can think of know. I can't wait to see what ou do and hear about Barbara. I'm not so sure about the old pictures. I did get a big kick out of the one under your 100 things category. If only we could be that young(and for me thin) again.
Send me all the info you put together. I could use any info you have to offer.
For me, the greatest pleasure comes from receiving comments! It took me a while to learn that when I posted too frequently, I received much fewer comments, because many people only have time to visit my blog once or twice a week, and most of them only read the post at the top. So now I only post twice a week...every 3 or 4 days.
Of course, if a person wants to receive comments, they need to visit others' blogs and make friends by leaving nice comments for THEM! That is the quickest way to attract readers! :)
I'm still learning myself. I don't have any tips. I want to email you and ask how did you get that thing on your blog it's really cute.
Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great!
I think people need to research whether they want to be private or public and exactly what it all means--recognizing that if you are public ANYONE can read your blog. Be careful about posting names and pictures--especially when you post names and pictures of other people.
I echo the whole comment thing--I think we all love comments. If you want comments you need to be sure and visit other people's blogs and comment.
Can't wait to hear what you put together.
(If I think of anything else, I'll come back and comment again ; )
These are all so great!!! A lot of things I wouldnt have thought of! Thanks! Keep em' coming!
My Wonderful Men - Not sure what thing you mean. Let me know!!!
Something I think is important that I had to go dig up on my own was a bit HTML programming.
In order to put links in with comments. Most of the tough stuff is already done for us, but it is still good to have some basics.
Larry -
How do you add links to comments???
I have been wanting to learn that! I know most of the basic html -well some- but that would be nice to know!
I use code that looks like this
~a href='http://www.eslsportscentre.com/help/html_crash_course.htm' = HTML Crash Course~/a=
Just substitute a less than for a ~ and a greater than for an = sign
And shows up as a link HTML Crash Course
The web page has other examples.
Hope this works for y'all.
I would like to know how to at the link of go hear. I also would like to know about fun gagets and picture layouts. Good luck you will be great at teaching this class.
Okay larryg, I am going to try the link right here.
To play my Friday Meme, go here...
~a href='http://jodibeacon.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%204%20Thought%20Friday=Food 4 THought Friday~/a=
Oops! Better keep trying!
you've almost got it...
replace those ~ with '<' and '>'
look toward the bottom of the web page i posted... sorry i may have made things more confusing -
email me and i will send you a reply with a txt file you can look at - i think that will clear it up.
YOU will be great at teaching blogging 101! I wish I could come!!! WHEN is it??? AND the cartoons are so cute!!! I want to steal them and put them on my blog! LOL... too cute!
AND, how did you get your little pointer thingy (mouse) to be a ghost??!!! Please TEACH me, please teach me!
Shaila ~
To get the little ghost cursor go to my sidebar and click on the widget that says Free Cursors (it is above the purple Happy Halloween sign)
Then in the window it opens scroll down to MySpace Codes and click on Myspace Cursors. In that window scroll down to Holiday Cursors and click on Halloween. The little ghost I have is on page 2. Just copy the html and add it to your sidebar in the Add a Gadget!
Hope that makes sense!
For me blogging is more about family history. I'm capturing our daily lives so my kids can look back when they are older and see how we acted, funny things they've said, etc. It's also alot cheaper to scrapbook online!
I started blogging after my sister-in-law started a blog when she moved clear across the states. That way I can see what's going on in her life and she can keep tabs on her favorite niece and nephew. My mom's family can all see our goings-ons and feel like they are part of our lives even though we are so far away.
I love blogging! It's funny that I get more comments from blogging friends I've met than from my own family. Especially since I started it for them! Oh well, I love comments from anyone and it's been fun meeting new people.
I think you'd be a great teacher because your blog is so fun! I love reading it. :) Good luck.
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