Wednesday, January 24

Thursday 13 #23-Blogging Questions...


thursdaybanner6
Originally uploaded by Suzy0928.

There are so many fabulous looking blogs out there. Tricked out ones, ones with fabulous graphics, clever toys that pop up unexpectedly… I have expressed my lust for a pretty blog before, and while I like the clean, simple lines of this template, it’s also a little boring.

Here are my 13 Blogging Questions:

1. How do you do the strike through thing? I thought that I had the right html code, but it was wrong…


2. What could I be doing wrong that photos saved to my computer won’t show up? I looooove some of the TT headers, but I have never been able to get one to show up.

3. Is typepad better than blogger? Is it easier, or is it better for people who know their mouse from a hole in the ground?


4. What is the bloggy etiquette for blogging flickr photos? I thought that if the “blog this” button was available, permission to use had already been granted? Is that incorrect? I hope not, because I just discovered TT headers on Flickr!


5. How do you do the roll up blogrolls, so they are tucked discreetly out of the way? (Great Lakes State Of Mind)Or how about that clever box that takes up a finite amount of space, but someone can scroll down through to see the rest? Love those…


6. Header graphics—moron simple, or advanced stuff that requires opposable thumbs and a working knowledge of coding?


7. I read lots of people that I don’t comment on, because either I have nothing to say, or someone has said it before me in the comments and I’d feel like a dork just parroting someone else. Is that kind of lurking a bad thing?


8. Linky etiquette: Isn’t it wrong to throw your link into the linky box unless you also comment? I lurk, but I also don’t ask for a link without a comment.


9. What is the advantage of Haloscan comments vs. Blogger comments? (Aside from Blogger’s general brainfarts and outages)


10. Am I not a mommyblogger because I blog about other stuff, too? My kids are, I think, integrated into my blog pretty thoroughly, but not EVERY post—or am I excluded from being a mommyblog because I curse? Am I a Bad Mommyblog? Oohh, I’ve never been a rebel before… Okay, is there a category for dorkblogs?


11. I think I saw the explanation in someone’s blog the other day, but it was STILL over my head-the thing where your mouse hovers over something and a little box shows a comment by the blog author, or shows when their link was last updated—that link update thing is VERY cool.(Death’s Door)


12. Is it just annoying to blog about my family and NOT have a cast of characters to refer to?


13. Are my entries too long? (Is this the bloggy equivalent of does this blog make my ass look big?)

Sorry to be a wailing, insecure blogger. But I have this odd luck with computers—I swear it’s like I generate my own personal magnetic field and they all become just a little fey when I ‘m around them for too long.





Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



36 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have great questions. Unfortunately I have no answers for you. However, I will be checking back to see if someone answers you because I would love to know the answers also. I'm so glad you asked!

My TT is up also.

Unknown said...

1. <_strike>What you want to say<_/strike> Just take out the underscores (I forget how to show HTML code).

7. I lurk, therefore I am :)

8. I think spamming Mr. Linky without leaving a comment should be a punishable offense.

9. I don't know about the advantage, but a disadvantage of Haloscan is that the free service will eventually dump comments. I think it's after six months, but I'm not sure.

11. Hmmm... If you want to add text to the hover box of a link try:
<_a href="URL" title="what you want to say">page title<_/a>. Again, just take out the underscores.
My blog

12 & 13. I don't think it's annoying, blog however you want to! ;)

Milan-zzz said...

Oh I’ll certainly pay attention on the replies here (have the same dilemmas!).
Oh and I don’t think that your entries are too long … do check mine (blush)

Happy TT!
Mine TT #6 is up too :)

Anonymous said...

I have answers! (And a piece of virtual birthday cake for you. Visit my site and enjoy!!)

1) To put a line through something, use the Strikeout tag. That's

< strike>line through this text< /strike>

without the spaces, and you'll get the effect you want. (Blogger won't let me demonstrate in the comment area.)

3) I've never used either service, so I can't comment. Either service will have a learning curve. Since Typepad is free, why not start a blog over there just to fiddle around with that tool - then, after you've tried it out to your satisfaction, either delete those test entries or delete the whole blog? I have used Movable Type, which is the software created by the folks behind Typepad (Typepad is essentially a gigantic hosted Movable Type site.) MT has its pluses and its minuses. Its templating system is easier than WordPress, in terms of customizing your own templates, even for a semi-seasoned geek.

4) Etiquette for re-using anything on the internet is pretty much the same: find the original author/poster/owner, and ask permission. Sometimes you'll receive a 'no'. Most times you'll receive a 'yes'. Sometimes you'll get a new reader :D

5) Rolling up blogrolls...that's done either through CSS, or through JavaScript. There are ways to do it using PHP, too, but non-programmers are most likely to know CSS or JavaScript. The scrolling box you mention...that's pure CSS.

6) Header graphics - no coding knowledge required to create; how to place...depends on what you're using. The different free systems have different templating languages - some are easier to work with than others.

7) I don't think that lurking is a bad thing. It's hard when you feel like the eternal "me, too!!" But remember - even if you think you're saying exactly what someone else already said, a third person may read something else entirely. Your words might spark an idea. Go ahead, post. (But no, I don't think that kind of lurking is necessarily bad. It just means that no one knows you're there, which can mean less fun for you.)

8) I have read many people who dislike people who add a 'linky' unless they leave some kind of comment. If someone links to you, or if you cause someone to link to you (ie, the linky thing), courtesy kind of suggests that you leave a comment. Even if you think someone else has said it already. (Would you like it if dozens of people did that to your site? Wouldn't you start to wonder what was wrong? Well, then, don't do that to other people.)

9) I use software hosted on my own server, so I can't comment on this issue. I know that in the past, Haloscan has had its own brainfarts and outages, so it's probably a case of "different" rather than "better".

10) I say, call yourself what you want. What'll happen, will a committee show up and demand that you stop calling yourself a mommyblogger (if that's what you want to do)? Personally, I think labels are for soupcans...but that's just me. :D

12) The cast-of-characters thing...that can be a way to help people keep track of things (though if the're a regular reader, they'll probably figure it out), but it can also be entertaining. Do one if you want, don't do one if you don't want. It can get you more hits, though, when search engines index the page. You just never know.

13) Uh...check my site and ask that question again. I have some multi-page entries. Even the short ones are fairly sizable. (Good grief, how large will this comment be?!?? Just your luck a verbose geek found you.)

Raggedy said...

Wow! Great TT. There were many thing in there I wanted to know as well. A great big thank you to
laughing muse.
Terrific Thursday Thirteen!
My TT is posted.
Have a wonderful day!
Happy TT'ing!
*^_^
(=':'=)
(")_ (")Š
Raggedy

Anonymous said...

I never used Typepad, but I've mostly good things about it. I did Blogger for quite a while, but then I tried WordPress, and I love it.
You can go to http://www.flooble.com/ and get the script for the drop down menus. It incorporates easily into the Blogger templates.
Loved number 13!

Teena in Toronto said...

Great questions! I'll pop back for the answers.

Thanks for stopping by mine :)

Crazy Working Mom said...

Great questions...the only ones I knew have already been answered. But, what a wonderful idea!
I think that you should leave comments to people with linkeys. I like to get comments from new readers, and I will always go to their site. I've met a lot of new people that way and continue to view their blog.
Thanks for the great post!
Mine's up as well.

The Shrone said...

1. The strike-thru can also be accomplished with CSS to distinguish "visited" links or active links.

5. This is accomplished by using a piece of javascript. The code needs to be installed in a few different places in your HTML file. The scroll box is accomplished with CSS.

9. Haloscan comments receive less Spam, and you can more easily comment.

11. This sounds like a piece of code that gets installed, probably javascript.

Hope this helps. There are many free online tutorials about how to use CSS.

Anonymous said...

WOW lots of questions - sorry, I think everyone answered the ones I know the answer to, lol.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...lots of good questions. I've been wondering about #4 myself. My instinct would tell me to ask permission from the photo's owners but I'm not sure what proper protocol is. On #7, when I'm new to a blog, I'll often lurk for a bit to get to know what the blog is about and then when the right opportunity comes up I'll comment and introduce myself. On memes (like T13) I just comment and don't worry about whether or not it has been said before. I don't think lurking is particularly rude or anything but I always enjoy getting to know bloggers I visit and I like it when bloggers who visit me say hello. And for the roll-up blogrolls, it's a javascript code you can use to do that. When I did that, I think I used Flooble (just google it) to generate the codes. On 12 and 13 - I don't have a "cast of characters" per se and sometimes my entries get pretty long. I just don't worry about it. If people don't like it they don't have to read.

Happy Thursday!

JHS said...

Well, you've gotten the answers I was going to provide.

The only thing I can add is that I sometimes put my name into the Linky thing without leaving a comment if I don't have time to comment. And people do that on my blog and I don't care. I'd rather they do that than not let me know they visited. Just my opinion.

Oh, yeah . . . I hate Blogger and I'm going to test Typepad. I've worked a bit on Word PRess and it's ok. I like the fact that it is so easy to add an element on Blogger, but there is no mechanism to categorize posts and they have too many service outages. They were down for a long time today, for instance.

Hen Jen said...

gosh Jen, you are cracking me up!!

I'm a blog dork, so I can't answer your tech questions, sorry.

the lurking thing, I like it when someone comments, just so I know who is visiting..even if it isn't an enlightening comment.

I'm laughing over your "is my post too big" question, I will forever think of your equivalent when I think it.

p.s., can you check mine?? is it too big??!!!

great TT! I've run out of ideas, maybe next week I will come up with something.

Jenny in Ca

Gattina said...

I only can answer you on comments. Of course you should not comment on a blog without any interest for you, but always go back to those who commented on yours. And if the answer is already there, just make a comment your way. I think it's not absolutely necessary to blog about your kids, if you have other things to blog about. You are not a bad mother for that !

Sayre said...

Ooooo! Great questions! I'm also absolutely hopeless at much of this blogging stuff... I want to know how to do that linking thing where you're talking about something in your post and when you click on a word it links back to whatever you're referring to. It saves a lot of time and space in re-explaining something if you can just link back to it....

Colleen Gleason said...

Lots of good questions. I actually just switched from Blogger to Wordpress on my own servers, but I still use the new blogger for a different blog.

I think leaving your link without a comment is rude. (Although I just did that at another blog, but only by accident, because I couldn't find the comment button. Ooops.)

I think since you're a mommy, and you blog about your life, then you can consider yourself a mommyblogger. Being too rigid would make for a boring blog, I think.


My TT's up...things you should know about the vampires in my books, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles...
look for it here:
http://www.colleengleason.com/wordpress/

el-e-e said...

I like your 13th question. I ask myself this all the time. :)

Also, I just use < s > and < /s > (no spaces) before and after the words you're striking through. :)

Happy TT!

Loretta @ Stitching the Night Away said...

Being a mommy means being a lot of other things so you still count as a mommy blogger just by being a mommy ;)

for header just go to the TT website and they say it's okay to hotlink them and get the link (right click, view properties, highlight the link that comes up) and then put that in an image tag <_img src=" link will go here"_> (removal of underscores)

bananas62 said...

The same very questions I had!!!! I will watch for answers!!!!

Happy TT

Anonymous said...

It looks like you have gotten some great answers already. So, I won't repeat.

But, you might find it easier to work w. wordpress and it is free, also. I hated blogger when I started.

And, to link and not comment is the worst!

Anonymous said...

i'm a mommyblogger who swears ;)

crse said...

Oh my god, Im having such mutual love back to you. These questions...i know not much but As far as etiquette for borrowing, can i just tell you? when you put something out on the net, it seems like borrowing it is flattery. People have borrowed myself without asking and im extremely excited when that happens. I am a firm believer if you dont want to share it, dont make it public. Ok im rambling from sick. I think we need to start a new category of dorkblogger.

Sparky Duck said...

Haloscan was annoying as heck the other day, so Im still not a big fan.

Im so bad with the strike thing, which would be cool to know

Its bad to link and not comment, unless the blogger comments are unavailable. Even if u just say, nice post, its something.

I have a cast of character who have different names then there real ones and I dont think people really care to know whose who unless they need too

Anonymous said...

Code for rolling up blogs. Change all ( to < and ) to >. To add more, just insert another line of (option value) code with the next blog to add.

You can change the font type, color and size and background color as needed.

(p)
(span class="title")Blogroll(/span)(/p)
(p)
(p style="text-align: center")
(select style="font-size:12px;color:#000000;font-family:verdana;background-color:#33ccff;" name="menu" onChange="location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;")
(option value="/") - Click for Favorite Blogs - (/option)
(option value="http://did-you-ever-get-the-feeling.blogspot.com/")Did You Ever Get The Feeling(/option)
(option value="http://whateverotherblogyoulike.blogspot.com/")Whatever Blog(/option)
(/select)
(/p)

As for header and background graphics, I made my own using The Gimp. It's open-source (free) photo editing/graphics program. It's linux-based, but there is now a windows version available at Gimp for Windows.

I used photos that I've taken and layered them over a map I found online. I think I ended up with 15 layers to get it to look right. Then when I saved it, it became one graphic.

I'm not a pro, but I dabble in this stuff and love it, so I'd be happy to help with any questions you might have.

Anonymous said...

Crud. Some of that didn't come out correctly, it's cut off at the right hand side. Let me know if you want the code, I can email it to you.

Anonymous said...

The code to strike through text is
<_del> strikethrough.<_/del>. Just remove my under scores.

The code that Courtney gave you is not valid xhtml. Your blog will NOT validate if you use that code. For more help, please feel free to join my blogging community bloggertalk.net

Rose

Barbara said...

Comment, regardless of what has been said before. I have lots of people tell me they would comment,but they hate to put something on the Internet in writing. Poor excuse. :) If you like it, comment. If you disagree, be kind and comment. Just comment.

Check out my TT

Anonymous said...

great questions, and it seems like most of 'em have been answered for you!

Unknown said...

You've got some excellent questions here. I see from the comments you are getting some good answers too... if you want to be able to add images and not use the upload image tool... get a free image hosting account like photobucket. Upload images and it'll give you the code you just copy and paste. Sometimes I'll host my TT banners and sometimes I'll just be lazy and upload them into blogger. I don't use halo scan so I can't discuss it.

If someone is only on my site 2 seconds to take a peek and leave, I wouldn't really expect them to comment... if someone is on my site for 10 minutes flipping through posts and popping in and out through my links... I'd sure like them to leave a line... even if it's "hi, I like your blog"

Then I know who they are :)

Cindy Swanson said...

Wow...I've been blogging for quite some time, but I still don't know the answers to some of those questions. I'd particularly like to change my header to be more attractive and appealing. Thanks for asking these questions!

My TT is up too. :)

Lucienne said...

Interesting questions and I hope to read some answers here. I personally am very frustrated about lurkers, because I really like comments. Gives me the feeling people are reading them and not, like internet robots, just using my blog to promote their own. But hey, that's me. ;-)

Lisa said...

Oh good questions. I am going to keep an eye on the responses, because I would like to know some of the answers. Happy T13

Anonymous said...

13. Are my entries too long? (Is this the bloggy equivalent of does this blog make my ass look big?)

I asked Hubby if my bum looked big in my new jeans, he said "No, it's all the chocolate you eat that makes your bum look big!"

Should I leave him?

thatgaychick said...

This is fun - although I can't really help you any more than everyone else have. Great TT!

John Holland said...

I have a lot of the same questions.

My 13 are up.

Hen Jen said...

o.k, my TT is up, late tho.

can you check if it looks too big??


you crack me up!

the other Jen (in Ca)