Sunday, October 17, 2010

Blog Buddy...

What is a blog buddy you ask. Well, I have had so many emails asking me different questions about blogging, pictures, emails, blog buttons, how to follow a blog, etc...I thought I would start a feature on my blog called Blog Buddy. This ongoing section of my blog will give tips and helpful hints for you, your computer, your blog and blogging in general. I blog through Blogger, so most of the info will be about Blogger. This will be a "go to" feature for blogging help.

First, let me start by saying I am a self taught computer person and blogger. What ever I share with you is what I've learned along the way, from friends, family and most certainly from mistakes I've made in the past. I am definitely NOT an expert! LOL

So, I hope you can join me in yet another journey into blogging and by all means please add anything you'd like to share about your experience with blogging and computers in the comment section for all to read.

Here's the first TIP: did you know there is a box you can check that will allow all the comments from a post to be sent to your email. That way you don't have to go back to a blog post over and over to see what everyone has said after your comment. The little box you have to check is located under the big box you write your comment in. It says "Email follow-up comments to"... (and then your email address will be there.) How easy is that to read all the comments to a post that you are really interested in. They are all sent to you!

This button below will be in my side bar. If you ever need a helping hand in blogging, just click on the button and it will bring you to all the posts in this feature. It's your "helpful friend" in the blogging world.


My biggest hurdle for this feature is...Where to start. How do I organize everything and what should come first. Well, there is so much involved, I'm just jumping in feet first with no rhyme or reason. I'll try to use bullets instead of wordy paragraphs for easy reading...so wish me luck!!!

IN THE BEGINNING...the start up.
Whether you are going to write a blog or just reading your favorite blogs, starting a Blogger account will help keep track of blogs and allows for commenting on blogs and email exchanges with you and other bloggers.
  • create a blog account on Blogger. Go go www.blogger.com to sign up. It's FREE !!
  • you don't have to write a blog when you sign up
  • a Blogger account allows you to have a Dashboard where you can keep track of all you favorite blogs. The dashboard will also link to Google reader.
  • click the "FOLLOW" button on your favorite blog and the address of that blog automatically goes into your dashboard. It will post the most recent blog post for you , instead of going back to a blog to see if they have posted something new. You can also subscribe by RSS (really simple syndication) feeder.
  • I also recommend starting a Gmail account. That's free too!! More on why in a minute.
  • did you know Google owns Blogger and Gmail is a part of Google, so it's well connected.
  • Picasa is also part of Google, so it's free when you sign up for Blogger. You can organize and edit the pictures you load to your blog through Picasa.
  • Google reader is also on your dashboard. Under your Reading List, on the bottom right side is a button to click for Google reader. It shows all the blogs you are following in full with their pictures, instead of the one small picture in the Reading List.
  • Getting back to opening a Gmail account...it will make your life easier. I started a Gmail account when I started my Blogger account. I wanted to keep my blogging emails separate from my home/personal email.
  • when any one leaves a comment on my blog it goes right to my Gmail address. On that one email, I can click a link to the post they commented on, I can click on a link to the commenter's profile and their blog and I can reply back to them right from there...so easy. I will do a separate post just on Gmail alone in the future...there are so many features to talk about on Gmail
Well, I think I'll stop here for now....too much info all at once isn't good. This first post is just the basics in starting. It will help those who are afraid to take the first step. If you were thinking about starting a blog DO IT!!! It was the best thing I've ever done. It opened up a whole new world of friends and inspiration. You may think you don't have anything to share or write about, but believe me EVERYONE has something that will help someone else...so give it a try.
See you at the next Blog Buddy post,
~Karen~
ps...I have no affiliation with Blogger or Gmail or Google...just wanted to share some info

25 comments:

  1. I've only had a blog for a couple of months and the info you are sharing is wonderful. Some I knew, some I didn't and what I didn't know is going to make my life easier-- thanks so much for sharing this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Karen - I'm going to check out Picasa - it might be friendlier than my Picture It program for loading photos.
    Judie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great for you to do this. I'm sure it will prove very helpful to many of us!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's cool Karen. I already do that with comments going to my email, makes it good for replying. I have a question that perhaps you can address in future blog buddy posts. I notice that my blog just has a plain statement: comment. But some blogs I've seen have statements for commenting like: _ friends had something to say. The number would be filled in with however many comments were made. I wanted to fix mine to have something cute like that but I don't know how to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much for doing this Karen. I've been thinking about making a blog for a while and now I hope to do so (with a little help from your tips!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great idea to share what you have learned. Like you, I have figured out most of my things through trial AND error!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks so much for the tips you've already given me. This is a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is wonderful and I have been wondering how to get comments to my email for awhile. Hopefully, I did that right:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful idea. I'm looking forward to these posts. I still have so many questions.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you, so much, this is going to be just great! Wonderful idea! As always! All of this is going to make us all so much more professional!
    I would love to change my Leave a comment notice too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good post, Karen! I know lots of people would like to blog but don't know how.
    http://bloggingforquilters.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderful idea! I know I'll be reading every post.

    ReplyDelete
  13. what a sweet idea
    Have a wonderful week

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you so much. I started a blog a while ago but don't know much of how to make an amazing blog like you and others have done. I would love to know how to make a button. Maybe a future subject for you.
    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks Karen, I didn't know a lot of that since I don't have a blog.
    I'm really glad you are trying to
    teach an old dog a new trick. This
    old dog is a slow learner though.
    All info appreciated.":O)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh! What Carol said! I would like to know how that is done. And you have a nice "comment" statement - "Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I just love hearing from you!"

    I may be a dope but I can't find how to do that on mine. Trust me, I have searched for it but I'm sure I missed it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm back. I FINALLY found what I was looking for! My comments area on my blog is all set now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks so much for sharing this section. I am a newbie to blogging and still learning.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the information you are sharing. I'm in the baby stage of blogging; so the information is quite helpful. I look forward to this journey....

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks so much for these tips. I wrote my first blog post ever yesterday and posted it with much trepidation. I don't know why I was so nervous, because only 3 people have stumbled by! I look forward to reading through all your advice. P.S. if you want to be the 4th person to stumble by, I'm at http://whitepicketprojects.blogspot.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am a future Blogger- that is... when I can figure it all out. I have taken all the FREE steps that you reccomended..now a quick question..Who do you reccomend for hosting? I really can't wait to be a fellow blogger..THANK YOU for all your tips and advice!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Can you advise me of a site that will help me re-size my photos to post on my blog? The ones I have posted are too large. Also, can photos be edited/re-sized on the blog it's self? I didn't see that option.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing this! Helps a lot. I've just started blogging
    xoxo Zoe

    www.thatszoe.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm not sure where to ask this question Karen but here goes! I am setting up a blog at a Hospice Thrift store where I volunteer. I have signed up, got a gmail address for them and the page comes up where I can type out the blog (Title and html box) but don't know how to get the Dashboard so that I can access template, header and all that. Can you help, please?

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment...I just love hearing from you!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails