blogger in a snap

all new Blogger accounts are on the platform previously known as "beta"

2006-12-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Read thusly: Blogger Buzz: New Accounts on New Blogger

What does this mean? Essentially, several portions of Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap are now moot.

Performancing for Firefox 1.3.5

2006-11-13T06:34:00.001-08:00

The Performancing for Firefox extension, a blog editor, supports the "new" Blogger platform in its latest official release (version 1.3.5).

I have been beta testing the PFF extension + new Blogger for a few months now, and they work just fine together.

» read announcement

Audioblogger is going away

2006-10-06T06:10:00.001-07:00

Topic 45 ("Creating an Audioblog") in Chapter 7, "Additional Blogging Tools," talks about using Audioblogger.

Audioblogger will go away on Nov 1, 2006. Please see the announcement at Odeo, which includes several links for phone-to-blog audioblogging options.

on using Windows Live Writer

2006-08-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about using the brand-spanking-new Windows Live Writer blog editor, but as you can see it requires the .NET framework. I refuse to install that on my machine. My Windows laptop is fast, runs smoothly, and has crashed exactly twice in four years (knock wood)—and I am not messing with that by installing some bloated framework just to test a blog editor. Sorry. It would be unlikely to sway me from using Performancing for Firefox anyway.

So as not to be all negative nelly on you, I will say that when I first saw the announcement about Windows Live Writer the first thing I thought was "cool, I'll try it and write about it!" I don't talk lovingly about Microsoft, and have great internal conflict about having a Windows-based laptop, but lookee here—Microsoft made a product that supports a whole host of blogging platforms besides their own, right out of the box: Blogger, WordPress, TypePad, LiveJournal, even Radio Userland and so forth. They get a gold star for that. Also, it's free. Another gold star. Sure sign of the apocalypse, don't you think?

Since I won't be discussing it, let me point you to people who are:
- at Digital Inspiration, here (basic) and here (tips and tricks)
- a post at Freshblog rounding up some other posts
- a review of WLW at Performancing , including user comments

[cross-posted at No Fancy Name]

technorati tags: windows live writer, blogging

Amazing New Blogger Things!

2006-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

More on this later, but via Blogger Buzz comes the Blogger in beta announcement.

There are SO MANY lovely things being added to Blogger, which dovetails nicely with discussions about refreshing this book.

I am not one of the lucky few who could migrate their existing account with the new and improved Google accounts login (hey guys, pretty please could you sneak me in there?) but I created an account on the beta site and can test that way. I'm stoked!

technorati tags: blogger

blogger in a snap: en español!

2006-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap has been translated and published in Spanish!

If you pay attention to blog metrics such as David Sifry's State of the Blogosphere reports, or if you are just a worldly and generally aware kind of person, you'll know that English is the primary language of only a third (or so) of all blogs. Personally, a good 15% of my blog traffic comes from countries in which Spanish is the primary language—and most of that traffic goes to my how-to posts. So, while the author is never involved in things like securing translation rights for books, I found it to be an incredibly appropriate choice for the first translation of this book.

I don't get one red cent from individual purchases, but that really makes no difference to me. I just want a gajillion people to have a good, basic book on using Blogger, and in their own language! The book can be found online at El Corte Inglés, Librería Hispano Americana, Casa del Libro, ALIBRI Llibreria, Agapea, and probably a ton more places but I'm not hip to Spanish booksellers online. Despite the fact that my name is misspelled on the cover, I think it's a cool book.

[cross-posted at No Fancy Name]

technorati tags: blogger

bloggerhacks wiki

2006-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of time (August 2005), John at Freshblog has been compiling a list of Blogger Hacks from all around the web. These hacks range from how to implement categories, different things one can do with Blogger-based comments and archives, and other template goodies like my expandable posts how-to and a gajillion other things having to do with layout and tagging and blah blah blah. One can imagine how keeping links to these things all on one post can be time-consuming and also difficult for the user to figure out what's been added recently and so forth. Plus, the post just has one-line descriptions along with the links.

But now there's the BloggerHacks wiki! Each hack is listed individually on a page, the page is categorized appropriately, and best of all the hack pages all follow a standard template containing information and links for the author, skill level, general method of implementing the hack, and links to sites using the hack. Of course, the detailed post describing the hack (and required code) still remains the primary source of information; the wiki is simply a catalog you can browse and get a feel for things before you click through and start wading through code.

Have a look! Many contributors spent time moving the hacks from blog to wiki and writing additional info, and since it's a wiki it's open for additional contributions. For instance, add your own link on a wiki page describing a hack you use. I tried to put in as many links to users who have implemented my expandable posts how-to, on its wiki page but if I missed any, add yourself!

[crossposted at No Fancy Name]

technorati tags: blogger, bloggerhacks, blogger hacks

contribute to science education and enter to win a copy of this book

2006-06-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

The folks at ScienceBlogs and Seed Magazine are holding a fundraiser through DonorsChoose to help raise money for specific science-in-the-classrooms needs nationwide. For instance, 4th Graders in St. Bernard Parish who lost all their science stuff in Hurricane Katrina, or K-2 kids in South Carolina or low-income K-2 kids here in EPA and so on and so forth.

ANYWAY, the ScienceBlog bloggers have unique lists of causes near and dear to their hearts, and we can choose to donate to any of them...even $10 is $10 closer toward the goal of an individual cause. Dr. Free-Ride has a list of the participants and links to their challenges, and more information on the prizes for YOUR participation as well as the Seed Magazine matching donations.

After you donate, forwarded your email confirmations from DonorsChoose to sb.donorschoose.bonanza@gmail.com to enter the drawing for fabulous prizes at the end of the drive—my lovely editors at Sams have donated ten copies of this book as prizes for this drive. There are many more incentives for donating, including the satisfaction of a job well done. Skip your lattes for two days, and fund science education!

Go! Give! Spread the word!

If I, a person who took only three science classes in her entire academic career and only because I had to, can get involved with science-y types, SO CAN YOU!

we already knew this, right?

2006-03-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Blogger won the 2006 Bloggy for Best Weblog Tool.

Of course it did! Congratulations, Blogger team!

***********************************************

I swear, I will update this blog soon with more information about things in the Blogger interface that have changed since the publication of the book.

For a list of other things I plan to write about, check my "to_review" tag on ma.gnolia.

errata is posted!

2006-01-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

I know I shouldn't use an exclamation point to announce a page of printing or content errors but I'm just happy to have it finally done. The errata page lists more things that have been changed in the Blogger User Interface (or other third-party tools) than actual errors made in the text, but it's important to list anything in the book that looks different than what you may see when working with the tools. Check it out, print it out, and stick it in your book for future reference.

The errata page opens with a general note about some of the formatting styles Sams uses in their book, because some of it looks a little out-of-place in this book. The next section of the errata talks about screenshots and how I haven't pointed out anything that's different unless the difference is important to what is being described in the topic.

Finally, there are bullet items listed by chapter and then topic, explaining changes or clarifying things that I wrote. In some instances I link to new screenshots with explanatory text.

I soon write three new posts (referenced in the errata) about Blogger Backlinks, the additional methods for comment moderation, and the presence/use of the AdSense subnavigational item under the Template tag.

**************************************************

Thanks to everyone who has purchased the book so far—a second print run has been ordered already! The changes listed on the errata page can't be made for the second print run, but if sales continue to be brisk I'll likely do a second edition in a year or so, which would have all these changes (and more!) rolled into them.

X-POST: Styling the LibraryThing Blog Widget

2005-12-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

On my personal blog, I have posted about styling the LibraryThing blog widget. The LibraryThing application doesn't have anything to do with blogging, but it's something I would have included in Topic 43, "Implementing Affiliation Links, Personal Lists, or Ads" in Chapter 7, "Additional Blogging Tools," such as in step 3 where I talk about "including personal listes of books and more."

X-POST: Firefox Extension: Blogger Web Comments

2005-12-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

On my personal blog, I have posted about the Blogger Web Comments extension for Firefox. This probably would have been a topic in Chapter 7, "Additional Blogging Tools," because like BlogThis! (Topic 47) one of the bits of functionality provided by this extension is a BlogThis!-like posting interface.

X-POST: FeedBurner's FeedFlare service

2005-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

On my personal blog, I have posted about FeedBurner's FeedFlare service. This additional service is relevant to Topic 49, "Providing an External RSS Feed," in Chapter 8, "RSS, Indices, and Folksonomies."

X-POST: Firefox Extension: Google AdSense Preview Tool

2005-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

On my personal blog, I have posted about the Google AdSense Preview Tool extension for Firefox. This is a useful extension for bloggers who have Google AdSense ads in their blog template, or are thinking about doing so.

the book IS available

2005-12-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap is available now, so say the various bookseller web sites, plus I walked past a copy in a brick-and-mortar bookstore, plus I got a box of ten the other day.

This is a pretty jam-packed week, so if I get a chance to make updates here, it'll be near the end. But I wouldn't really count on anything until the 14th. The academic semester is wrapping up and that's always a busy time. At that time I'll go through the actual pages and check for errata (and add topics for things Blogger added/modified since the book went to print, like Blogger Backlinks, Comment Modification, etc.)

the book should now be available

2005-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap should be available now, so says the main page at the Sams website. It may take a day or two to show up as "available" and not "pre-orderable" at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or Powells or Bookpool.com, etc.

I'll probably make an update here sometime this week, after I get my review copies and go through the actual pages and check for errata (and add topics for things Blogger added/modified since the book went to print).

For more information about the contents of the book, read the introduction and check the table of contents.

Almost-Published Info Roundup (and hello new readers!)

2005-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

So the book will be out in a week or so and the good folks at Blogger have seen fit to put a link here from the "Blogs Of Note" space on the Blogger main page. I knew something was up when I started getting a bunch of spammy comments and other strange e-mails showed up in my inbox...

Here's a recap of what this blog is all about. This is a blog for the book, Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap. It's not a high-volume blog, it's just a place where I'll write addendums for the content of the book as Blogger changes their application and adds things or moves them around. A blog for the book is very important, since these sorts of things change rather quickly and the publishing of new editions of books only happens every year and a half or so...at least that's been my experience with my other books which have gone into multiple editions. That's a year and a half of real time, not internet time. A ton of stuff can happen in a year and half, especially on the internet. Heck, since the time I had to stop writing and send the book off to print, Blogger introduced three things which will warrant addendums here (comment moderation, backlinks, outage indicator).

About the Format of the Book: The Sams Publishing "In a Snap" series "offers a unique 2-color format allowing readers to solve problems by identifying individual tasks quickly." In other words, there are a bunch of numbered tasks with lots of pictures, tips, notes, and step-by-step instructions. This book contains short lessons designed to get the user started in blogging using Blogger, and they cover everything a new user needs to know—from understanding the concept of blogging to maintaining your own blog utilizing a custom template, comments, trackbacks, photos, blogrolls and more. Also included are twenty pages or so on basic HTML and CSS. For an example of the style, here's a PDF version of Topic 34, "Using Blogger's Commenting System," from Chapter 6, "Commenting and Trackback."

The Title of this Blog vs The Title of the Book: There's a placeholder blog at blogginginasnap.blogspot.com with a post directing you to this blog, bloggERinasnap.blogspot.com. I really wanted the book to be named "Blogger in a Snap" because it is, after all, a book about using Blogger. But the sales and marketing folks thought that "Blogging in a Snap" would "sell more," even though it's about Blogger. I personally don't think so, but that's probably why I'm not in Sales and Marketing. The book is about using Blogger to blog, not WordPress or MoveableType or TypePad or ExpressionEngine or MySpace or LiveJournal or [insert other blogging platform here]. I'm not anti-other platforms, I just don't use them, so hence the book on the platform I do use, Blogger.

The Not-Published Introduction: I wrote an introduction to this book like allmy other books, but then it turned out that this series type doesn't use an intro. D'oh! So here's the text that explains what the book is about and who should read it.

Biz Stone is Cool: and he wrote the foreword for the book. Thanks, Biz! Anyone remotely interested in podcasting—either the making or the listening—should use Odeo. Just sayin'.

I think that's all. When the book hits the street I'll post again, and get crackin' on the addendums that I already know are necessary!

Oh, one other thing. If you're an intermediate or advanced user of Blogger and you want a good place to go for tips and tricks (aka "hacks" but in the positive sense of the word), go visit John at Freshblog. Good stuff there.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger Outage Indicator

2005-11-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

Hey lookie here, Yet Another Cool Thing From Blogger that happened after the book went to print.

Check out the Blogger Outage Indicator: "It'll show up on your Dashboard and on pages under the Posting tab and warn of any scheduled outages that might disrupt your posting."

When the book is out in a couple weeks, I'll write yet another wee post about this and outline where/what/how this changes/enhances your blogging experience.

Blogger Buzz: Comment Moderation

2005-11-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sigh. Yes, I'll add a topic for this once the book is out. Damn Blogger guys being all responsing to user needs...

Read the Blogger Help.

technorati tags: blogger

The book will be off to the printer on Monday

2005-10-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

The issues I saw in the PDF versions of the book were minimal and the book will be off to the printer of Monday, so I hear.

After putting it to a vote, the wee image on the back of the book will be a photo of me when I was ten or eleven years old. Why? Not for the fashion, that's for sure. I do not currently own a blue sweater with a rainbow armband, trust me.

I wish the items on the screen were visible, because you'd see I was either playing Zork or writing one of those "10 echo 'my name' 20 goto 10" types of BASIC programs from Byte Magazine. That computer is indeed a TRS-80 Color Computer 2. So cool.

I have PDFs in hand!

2005-10-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

The book runs 261 pages of actual content (intro/foreword/index doesn't count as "actual content") and I'm reviewing the documents as we speak. It will be off to the printers on Friday and then on shelves (virtual or otherwise) in about a month. Hooray!

Almost to the printer....

2005-10-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

According to my publisher, my files will be PDF'd around the 24th of Oct, and I will get them for review then. Usually I get to review them for a day or so, and report any really egregious layout or typo errors. Then it's off to the printer and on shelves in November. Yay!

Blogger Buzz: Backlinks

2005-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Blogger Backlinks were implemented today, which is too late to be included in the book. I will write an extra topic and post modifications to the book when the printed version is on the shelves.

author review is complete

2005-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Now I wait for the layout folks to do their magic, then I will review PDFs of the book before it goes to print.

After it goes to print, you, dear reader, can purchase it!

Introduction: Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap

2005-09-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

The text below was to be the Introduction element to the book, but in the "In a Snap" series there is no Introduction page. So, here is the introduction you would have read. I think I'll just keep it here as a sticky post!

***************************************************

Welcome to Sams Teach Yourself Blogging in a Snap! This book is a compendium of short lessons covering a wide range of topics related to blogging with Google's blogging platform—Blogger. Whether you're a beginner who has never blogged before, or an experienced blogger looking for tips on extending the presentation and features found in your blog, the modular, task-based format of this book allows you to jump in anywhere and learn something new.

Over the course of this book, you'll learn how to create and maintain a blog using Blogger, including how to use HTML and CSS to personalize your posts and blog template. You'll also learn how to extend your blog with third-party tools, and how to blog on the go using mobile blogging and audio blogging tools. Also included is information on content syndication, blog-specific search engines, and social bookmarking—while not specific to Blogger users, this information will help you to participate fully in the blogging experience.

The ultimate purpose of the book is to provide you, the reader, with easily digestible lessons for all of the tools and tasks that make up the art of blogging with Blogger, so you can spend your time blogging up a storm without getting bogged down learning a new tool.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is geared toward a reader new to blogging, or one who has been blogging for some time but hasn't taken advantage of all the bells and whistles available to them. The only requirement is that you understand how to use a Web browser and navigate the World Wide Web. Everything else you need to know to start blogging with Blogger is discussed and described in both text and images.

At the beginning of each topic, pre-requisites are listed for completing the tasks that follow. For instance, you won't be able to do anything in Topic 6, "Configuring Basic Blogger Settings," unless you have already registered with Blogger and setup your first blog. Similarly, each topic will have references to other, related topics where appropriate. For instance, several topics regarding the placement of third-party items in your Blogger template refer to topics in Chapter 5, "Working with Blogger Templates."

Additionally, no HTML or CSS knowledge is assumed, and you can maintain a blog for years by relying on the Blogger post editor to handle all your formatting for you. But for those who want to learn the specifics and move past the basic formatting available to you, topics and appendices on these subjects are included but not required.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into four parts, corresponding to particular topic groups. The chapters and topics within each part need not be read one right after another, but if you are new to blogging you should definitely read Part I first and its chapters in order. Given the modular nature of the content, you can then skip around to whatever topics interest you—just be sure you have completed pre-requisites where applicable.

Part I, "Getting Started with Blogging," provides you with an overview of the concept of blogging and how to be a good citizen in the blogosphere. Following this introduction you learn how to setup and configure a blog using Blogger, and how to create and maintain your blog entries.

Part II, "Fun With Blog Layouts," contains topics about using HTML within your blog posts, inserting images into your blog posts using one or more online image management services, and how to work with the Blogger template editor and the underlying blog template that controls the overall display of your blog.

Part III, "Extending Your Blog," contains a wide range of topics geared toward making your blog a lively place to visit—these topics include how to implement commenting and trackback systems, how to moblog and audioblog, how to post to Blogger from outside the management interface, using RSS and much more.

Two appendices are included at the end of the book, one for HTML and one for CSS. These appendices are short reference guides for using HTML and CSS, which you may want to do within your posts as well as your overall Blogger template.

technorati tag: blogger