Working with Titles & Labels

It's always so striking to me how few bloggers use Titles and Labels when writing their blog postings and I imagine this is due in part to simply not understanding the importance they hold in helping people actually find the information we write about on our blogs.
Both Titles and Labels are equally important because they help our visitors more easily find information in our blogs, either by finding our blog posts through commonly used search engines like Google or by using the search feature which you hopefully have positioned somewhere on your sidebar*.
To easily access and view all of the titles and labels you've used in your blog posts, visit the "Edit Posts" page found under the "Postings" tab...
Using "Titles" for your blog posts is essential for a number of reasons, non more so than for your own organization. Using titles allows you to easily view previous blog posts and find them faster ...
There you will find a list of all the blog posts you've written, listed by date and showing their titles.
In this section you will also find an alphabetical list of all the Labels you've used for your blog postings and the amount of posts containing those Labels...
are important because it's how the "Search this blog" feature is used to find previous blog posts and it's also how the Google search engine sorts our blog posts, by title.

The feature Blogger calls "Labels" is also known as tags or keywords on the internet. This is an important feature to include with each blog posting because it also helps keep our blog organized, allows search engines to organize and list our blog posts and also helps that nifty LinkWithin gadget work which can be found at the bottom of many blog postings.To include a Title in your blog post simply look for this area...and type in a title related to what you're writing about in your blog post. It's reminiscent of grade school when we had to define a paragraph in as few words as possible and you can have some fun with it by making your titles catchy or enticing so that your visitors will want to read more.

To add Labels to your post just think of a few words that relate to what you're writing about, for example this posting will include "tutorial" and "how to". To include Labels in your blog post just look for this area when writing your blog post...and be sure each word is followed by a comma, like so...Using Titles and Labels may take a few extra seconds when composing your blog posts but in the long run can save you loads of time by helping to organize your postings as well as helping to create a more enjoyable experience for your visitors.
*If you are not currently using the search feature gadget on your blog and wish to add it go to the "Design" tab (1) of your blog, then click on "Page Elements" (2), next click on "Add-a-Gadget" (3), then look for "Search box" and click the blue plus button to add...
Enjoy!

How to: Control Spam Comments & Report Blog Spammers

Recently one of my visitors asked for help in understanding how to control who can leave comments on our blogs. While I don't profess to know everything about Blogger (or even half, for that matter) I have delved into this realm a bit because like most of you, the thought of having someone spam my blog with advertising comments leaves me feeling rather sick. And so I thought I would share a few steps with you on how to control comments left on your blog posts. So, away we go...
To begin, you will need to log into your blog so that you can navigate to the area of your blog I like to call the "backroom"...
Once there, click on the "Settings" tab...
Next click on the blue "Comments" link...
On the "Comments" page you will see a selection of options which control the comments features of your blog. If you're following along with this tutorial then go ahead and scroll down the page, reading over each title to get familiar with the various selections or simply click on the image below to view a screen shot of the entire page...
For the moment, we're going to focus on the second section ~ "Who Can Comment"...
To prevent unwanted "Anonymous" comments you'll want to be sure one of the other choices is selected...
Personally I usually select the "Registered Users" option. The reason for this is several of my friends host their blogs outside of Blogger by using either Typepad or WordPress and this allows them the ability to leave comments if they choose.

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One thing to keep in mind is that neither of these selections will alleviate spam comments completely as many of those users create Blogger accounts for the purpose of being able to get around this feature.
For this reason Blogger has created a location where you can report a spam blogger. It's a tool I use frequently in the hope of reducing these obnoxious offenders and the process to report them takes only a few seconds. So, here's how it works...
When someone leaves a comment on your blog you can easily access their profile by clicking on the avatar or name associated with their comment...
This only applies if you've already selected to not allow "Anonymous" users the ability to leave comments, as described above - Anonymous users do not show a link.
In the example below you can even also see how some visitors have a Blogger logo next to their name, while those with an "Open Id" have a different logo...
To report a spammer, you'll need to know the exact address of their Blogger profile. To find out this information click on the blogger's name which should appear in blue if it's a link...
The important information you will need is the actual address of the profile which you can find in the address bar of your browser...
{Note: I'm using my profile as an example since I was unable to locate a spammer's profile so please don't submit my blog ~ I would cry... a lot.
Copy this information, if you're a Windows user you can do this by right clicking in the address bar and selecting copy...
Next, go to this address: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/request.py?contact_type=spam
The page is designed simply to report spam bloggers to Google...
To report the offending blogger, just paste the address you copied into the open text area...
and then click the gray "Submit" button...
That's it... you've successfully reported a nasty blog spammer.

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Returning once again to the "Comments" section in our tutorial when you are finished making changes to the area be sure to save your changes by clicking the orange "Save Settings" button at the bottom...
That's it! I hope this information has been helpful and together we can work to make Blogland a bit more enjoyable and a user friendly place to be. And as always, if you find any errors with my tutorials please help me help you by letting me know so I can fix the issues - thanks!

How To: Set up & Edit Your Blogger Profle

This tutorial will cover how to set up your blogger profile. This is especially helpful for enabling others to find you and your blog and is handy for those who have may have a blog for testing backgrounds which they don't necessarily want others to see.
To begin, you'll need to sign in to your blog then navigate to the area I like to call the "backroom" of your blog. There you will see a small blue link for the "Dashboard" at the top right side of your screen....
On the next screen you'll see a selection of information including a list of your blog/s, and your avatar. We're here to modify your profile so click on the second choice below your avatar "Edit Profile"...
This is the area where you can choose what to show and what to hide from your visitors. Editing this information is easy, just read over the choices and select which items you wish to display in your Blogger profile.
{Some things to keep in mind are...

?If you enter giveaways on blogs then you may wish to select the "Show my email address". This will enable a blogger to contact you should you win.

?Keep your lists of interests brief, you don't want your visitors to get lulled to sleep.

?You may want to avoid using your real name if you're blogging under your business name as this will help with business recognition and you can always sign your posts and comments with your real name so others get to know you.
For now, we're going to work in the "Select Blogs to Display" area, so click that blue link...
In this area you will see a list of the blogs you have assigned for your profile. You can easily click the box to the left of the blog name to select or deselect the blogs you wish to display...
Once you are finished click the blue "Save Settings" button...
To return to the previous screen simply click the blue "edit profile" link at the top of the page...
You can then make any other changes or additions to your profile...
And once you are finished click the orange "Save Profile" button...
That's it! You've now successfully edited your profile. You can return to this area at any time to update your profile and add or delete the visibility of any new blogs you may add.

Enjoy!

How to: Keep it Clear - using clear background images

This tutorial will help solve the issue where clear png images show a white background. First an explanation...

Clear Images

The only two types of clear images are gifs and pngs. Although jpgs have a nice resolution they are unable to sustain a clear background. This is important to notice when you're saving images to your computer. Always be sure to save a clear backed png image as just that - a png.

Loading Images:

In the first example I've posted a clear png image as it's meant to be...

However in the example below the same image now has a white background behind it. Why? You may ask...Well, the answer is simple - in this case when I loaded the second image I resized it. Making a clear png image smaller will automatically fill in the clear background. So to keep images with a clear back you'll either need to load the image in it's original size or resize the image in a graphics program before loading it.

There are two main areas image sizing is important in blogging, the first is when you're adding an image to the sidebar of your blog and the second is when you're including an image in a blog post.

We'll address both of these below....

Adding an Image to Your Sidebar

Most of my sidebar image tutorials already cover how to add images using various methods so for this example we'll just pay close attention to the sizing factor when adding images.

When you're using the "Add a Gadget" feature found under the "Design" tab to add an image to the sidebar of your blog...

Be sure to uncheck the "shrink to fit" box...

This will keep the image you're loading in it's original size so if it's a clear backed png your image will remain clear.

Adding an image to a Blog Post

The same rule applies when you're including an image in your blog post and so it's important to pay special attention to the "Add Image" feature and load your images large if they're clear backed...

Size does matter - keep it large

I hope this info has been helpful and I hope to see more and more clear backged images around blog-land.


Enjoy!

Blogger Changes - Tutorial Updates

You may have noticed recently the back-end of your blog has undergone some changes. It's especially noticeable for those who are trying to follow along with one of my (or the many other) online tutorials. So I'm here to try and shed some light on a few changes, at least until I have the time to revamp my tutorials, in the hope this will alleviate some confusion ~ not to mention frayed nerves and potential headaches.

"Design"

The first noticeable change is the old "Layout" link has been replaced with the new "Design" link...
This is noticeable in the top right corner when visiting our own blog (assuming you're signed into your blog).
This change came about when Blogger added the new Design feature they offer which enables bloggers to choose from a wide array of blog themes, layouts, and templates.Gone as well is the old "Layout" tab, which has been replaced by the new "Design" tab...
Most of the same items can be found under this newly named tab although some have been moved, which brings us to the next change...

"Templates"

Where there used to be an option to "Pick New Template"...

The feature for locating and changing your template (old style template - such as Minima or Minima Black), can now be found under the "Design" tab.

Simply click on the "Edit Html" link found under the Design" tab...
Then scroll down the page and below the orange "Old Templates" you'll find a blue "Select Layout Template"....
Click here and you will have access to the older version templates which are suitable for the backgrounds I create as well as many other graphic designers...
Beyond these changes, it appears Blogger is putting alot of effort into other modifications, some good and some bothersome. Perhaps many of you noticed recently that comments were either missing or delayed in showing up, or when you tried to add or modify a sidebar item a title was required for the item.

When I encounter nerve racking situations like these I usually run over to my favorite blogging guru at Blog U. It's a great location to find helpful blogging advice and the host, Sharon, is usually very up-to-date on glitches and often has helpful temporary fixes.

I hope this all helps you enjoy blogging a bit more and helps you navigate the tough times with a little more tranquility.




Thanks.

How to: Add a Signature

Recently a customer asked me to add a signature to their blog and so I realized this was something I needed to learn to do. It was surprisingly easy and so below are the simple steps to add a signature to your blog posts.
{Before we begin: You will need a signature in image format - preferably a png with a clear background so any colors or backgrounds will show through. You can either create an image using a graphics program like Gimp or Photoshop or you can purchase a signature image like those for sale in etsy shop. This image will also need to hosted on a website, I use Photobucket as I find them to be reliable and trustworthy.}
Begin by logging into your blog and navigate to the "Settings" tab...
Next click on "Formatting"...
Scroll down to the "Post Template" box...Then copy the code below and paste it into the box...
<p> <image class="centered" alt="post signature" src="SIGNATURE URL"></image></p>
The box should now look like this...
Then replace the words "SIGNATURE URL" with the address of where your own signature image is stored. I'll insert mine in the example below...
To finish, click the orange "Save Settings" button...
You'll see a yellow-orange confirmation that your changes have been saved...

Now we'll go over to view the new signature, just click on "Posting"...
The New Post screen opens and there you can see your new signature inserted...Simply click to the left of the signature image to begin typing your blog post and voila ! You've added a signature to your blog posts - Congratulations!

Enjoy!