1A. More Info About Web Pages

Other Options
  • You can find many OTHER people (see the "Other Web Page  Builders" page) that will build you FANCIER web pages -- using XHTML, CSS, PHP, Wordpress templates, Drupal content management systems, and all that other  complicated stuff -- for no more money than we charge.   
  • And this is fine.
The Advantages Of Using Blogger

The advantages we see of using this Blogger system are:
  • 1. You don't have to worry about paying a recurring web hosting fee every year, since Google/Blogger generously allows free hosting.
  • 2. Once you get familiar with the Blogger system, then you can use it YOURSELF, to build MORE websites at no-cost or low-cost for yourself or your friends.
  • 3. You can add and remove "administrators" that can edit the website.
     
  • 4. You can add and remove "authors" that can edit only one or two or three specified pages with no privileges to edit the rest of the website, which "protects" an inexperienced editor from accidently damaging the website.
Other advantages we see of using this Blogger are:
  • 5. It's part of Google, and thus financially "sound".  You don't get constant requests to "upgrade to the paid system" like other free services.
  • 6. Blogger allows you to build as MANY free websites as you need.  Many services limit you to only two or only 5 websites.
 The Disadvantages Of Using Blogger
  • Blogger is perpetually changing their system which causes features to malfunction; resulting in confusion, frustration, and lost time.
  • Automatic spam-detection software may delete your legitimate web page (due to problems with Spammers).
  • Support is almost non-existent.  You cannot call them nor email them.  You post your problem in a public forum and pray that a 'forum monitor' forwards it to Blogger support.

1B. Information Links

A. Editing Information
B. More Information
C. Domain Names
D. Archives of Old Websites
E. Other Reference Information
P. Presentations

B4. Other Common Editing Operations

Some common operations that the website owner should ideally be familiar with:
  1. access Blogger Help:  Help Center, Help Forum, and Video Tutorials
  2. backup blog to .xml file (or print to pdf)
  3. add photo
  4. resize photo using Picnik.com
  5. link to internal page
  6. link to external page
  7. add gadgets on right side (if right column is used for that site)
  8. change number of posts on main page
  9. re-order posts on main page (artificially manipulate date)
  10. add new page ('page' as opposed to 'post')
  11. access layout page to rearrange add/delete gadgets
  12. access template designer to modify background colors





The following from the old 'Nine Dollar Web Page' site 'Tips Page'.

Browsers:  
  • On Windows, use FireFox browser for editing.  Explorer seems to have problems.
  • On Mac, FireFox may be slightly better than Safari. 
A. Backing Up Blog
  • 'Settings' tab, then on first line  "Blog Tools", and link "Export blog" -- see Blogger Export Blogs Help Page .
  • Resulting ".xml" file saves only text, not photos.  When you build the blog page, however, Blogger automatically stores a copy of your photos in a Google Picasa album, accessible by your userid.
     
  • Backing Up A Single Page:
    Create or find an empty post, then copy the contents of the page to be backed up onto the empty page.  Now you have a 'duplicate' of that page.
B. Saving New Posts First Time
  • Recommend giving short title (01, 02, or aa, bb, etc), then save.
  • Reason:  The 'first-saved' title will be part of the URL for the page, so a long title makes a cumbersome URL.
  • After the 'first save', then change the title.  The URL won't change after the 'first save'. 
C. Adjusting Post Date
  • Newest dated post will be the home page -- positioned at the top of 'Edit Posts' window.
  • If a page you save 1st time jumps to the top  -- and thus becomes the home page when you don't want it to -- you can give it an older date to make it not-be the home page.
  • To do so:  Edit that page, than at the bottom click the "Post Options" link, and set the date to an older date.
D. Updating Links Within The Blog
  • In the 'Edit Posts' window, click the 'view' link for that post, then copy the URL to the clipboard. 
  • Click the screwdriver/wrench icon to open the edit links window.  Paste the URL from the clipboard to the page location you want to edit.

E. Adding New Link List On Right
  • Click 'Layout' tab, then click 'Add a Gadget' on right, then about the 8th item down in the window that opens, select 'Link List'.
F. Viewing Photos In Picasa
  • Photos you upload with your own ID, will be automatically also stored in a Picasa album.  ((Default settings will make them inaccessible to the public.))
  • To view these photos, go to picasaweb.google.com , and login with the same ID you use for Blogger.
  • Note that if photos were uploaded by a different blog author and not you, then those photos will show up in HIS Picasa album, not yours.
G. Misc:
  • Fake Registrars:  Ignore letters to renew domain name from anyone other than your actual registrar (will be with GoDaddy.com or 1and1.com).  Seems to be lots of people trying to trick you into paying for "domain services" you don't need.
  •  Author Privileges:  Note we can optionally add an ID with limited "author" privileges (as compared to unlimited "admin" privileges), that can only edit 1 or 2 pages, and not change other settings.
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--------- This page updated 11/4/2009 --------

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