Sueblimely - Discovering Blogging

Here are some options which allow you to include a daily quote on your blog.

Labels: Blog Tools

All of these maps are simple to set up - just type in your blog details and the code will be created for you to insert into your template.

Labels: mapping, maps

• Respond to what you readers seem to find the most interesting by creating more posts of a similar nature or topic. This does not mean you have to neglect other areas especially if you are trying to widen or increase your blog audience but you need to be mindful of what is of interest.
  
• Try to develop respect even if you are posting topics or opinions your readers may disagree with.
• Try to create a rapport with your readers by bringing your own personality to bear in your posts.
  
• Respond to comments if a question is posed or just to say thank you. (there are some comments you most definitely would not to say thank you for! Then again you may not even allow them to be shown.)
• Try to be as helpful as possible by responding to questions or requests.
  
• Take care with your template that it is not too slow to load, not full of glaring graphics, backgrounds and colors and that text stands out well from its background. You may like it yourself but your audience may not find it easily readable.
• Ensure it is easy to navigate.
• Have clear categories.
• If you need to approve comments, ensure that you do so speedily.
• Write at a level that your readers can clearly understand and do not use jargon, colloquialisms or slang if you think your desired audience may not understand it. (Without a brussel no one 'll have a scooby and won't come back to take another butcher's)

• If you refer to other blogs or to posts that others have created, always create a link back to the post or blog.
• Do not just repeat the post verbatim but add your own comments and explanations. I believe it is ok to repeat a phrase or sentence as long as this is clearly credited back to its writer e.g. a clever comment that you are praising them for.
• Be sure that the other blogger will appreciate comments. Some personal sites with select readers may not. If you are unsure contact them and ask.
• If you are writing about some external topic e.g. a new blog tool, online application etc, do your own research: do not just mimic that of the blogger who pointed you in that direction.
• Do not leave comments on other blogs merely to get link backs but because the post is comment worthy.
  
• Do not be rude or show anger in your comments and take care with your language (my language is always 'appropriate' anyway of course, at least when no one is listening or occasionally if there are no children around and I stub a toe, break a favorite ornament etc).
• If you are part of a community or network associated with your blogging behave as if you are not just there to gain readers. Contribute.

Betiquette, Blogging-Ethics, sueblimely alexa

Zoho Show
Import your existing presentations (.ppt, .pps, .odp, .sxi), and embed them in your blog or web site.

Empressor

• Embed video, audio, pictures and Flash
  

• Create dynamic charts and graphs


• Link your favorite photos and video
  

ThinkFree

• Online creation of documents, spreadsheets and presentations which can then be incorporated into Wordpress. More blogging systems to come. If you do not use Wordpress you can still create the documents and simply include a link in your blog.
  

• Easily incorporate MS Office created documents, spreadsheets and presentations into your blog. Upload your Office documents and Thumbstacks creates the code needed to incorporate them into your blog.


• Use documents from the Thumbstacks Document Exhange or share your own.


• Free 1gb storage
  

See some examples here

Thumbstacks

• Ajax Presents - a web-based presentation editor that lets you read, edit and save Microsoft Power Point files (.ppt) as well as Open Standard Presentation files
  

• Ajax Write - a web-based word processor that can read and write Microsoft Word and other standard document formats.


• AjaxXLS - open any .xls file within your Firefox browser. Compatibility with Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice. Edit online.


• AjaxSketch - a web-based drawing tool that allows you to create diagrams, flow charts, and be creative with free hand drawing.


• AjaxTunes - a web-based music player that lets you play high-quality streaming music straight from the Internet on any computer. You can allow your own website visitors to play single songs or even lists of songs hosted on your website.

Once I have had a play with these more I will include some examples and more reviews.

For now listen to one of the songs from the AjaxTunes demo library (if you have Firefox)

Labels: Blog Tools

Spresent

Apologies for the very poor pun in the title.

I have a long list of things to post about but I was so impressed by this online application that I could not wait to share it with you. Spresent allows you to create flash based web based presentations and slide-shows which can be then be published to a website or blog. It could be considered a web based Powerpoint - a currently missing feature from Google Docs.

You can create presentations quickly and easily.

Features:

• Create presentations and slide shows.
• Embed your presentation into a blog or existing web page or create a new html page.
• Use one of the pre-designed templates offered or create your own layout.
• Incorporate images, backgrounds, animated images and backgrounds, clip art and shapes from Spresent's extensive library
• Embed Flickr photos and YouTube videos.
• Build tables and animated tables
• Produce charts and animated charts.
• Create your own masterpieces and draw freehand or trace round images
• Create e-cards
• Convert presentation to pdf format.

Video demonstrations of Spresent's features can be found here at YouTube

I can see me spending hours trying out Spresent and I will include some examples and instructions, if necessary, once I have had time to be creative with it.

Labels: Blog Tools

Blogging Mistakes: Final List

The list comprises of articles from 48 bloggers. I am still working my way through them all. Interesting reading.

Blogged with Flock

Labels: Blog Tips

Other lightbox type applications I discovered in my travels are listed below. (They use a variety of coding with such wonderful names as AJAX Prototype, Mootools, Scriptaculous and Ruby on Rails- for those who are interested in knowing such things). If you have a favorite, easy to implement gallery/slideshow or litebox solution please let me know.

• Agile Gallery
• FrogJS Javascript Gallery
• Slimbox
• Smooth Gallery
• Thickbox
• Slightly ThickerBox 1.1
• GreyBox
• GreyBox Redux
• iBox
• Lightbox v2.0
• Lightbox gone wild
• Lightbox with moo.fx
• minishowcase
• Multi-faceted LIghtbox
• Leightbox
• Lightbox Plus
• Litebox
• LITBox
• Suckerfish Hover Lighbox
• Mr Proto's xilinus

• Lightbox Plugin for WordPress
• GreyBox Plugin for WordPress
• Smooth Gallery + Lightbox for Joomla

Blogtipping images have been kindly made available from the Business Blogwire website here.

Example

A blogger tune? Can anyone tell me which film this is from?

How to include in a post or sidebar

Copy the code below and place it in the html of a post or in a the sidebar. (Classic blogger - add code to template sidebar. New Blogger - add it to a new "html/javascript" add page element)