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MFBQ

Most Frequent Blogger Questions



I don't know more than I know--sometimes I know even less!
Click to see the incredible list,

All The Things I Don't Know!


If some portion of this blog is unreadable in Firefox, Internet Explorer, or whatever, tell it to go to hell then try another browser!!!

BLOGGER SUPPORT
http://help.blogger.com/?page=contact


BLOGGER PROBLEM REPORT FORM http://help.blogger.com/?page=troubleshooter.cs&problem=&contact_type=bug_with_blogger_beta&Submit=Submit

BLOGGER HELP FORM
http://help.blogger.com/?page=troubleshooter.cs&problem=&contact_type=other&Submit=Submit


Tell BLOGGER WISHLIST about a feature you'd like to see in Blogger!

Email Me if you have questions! And make sure the subject line or first two words in the message identify you as an MFBQ reader, so your email won't be mistaken as Squid, Squod, or Spam!

Email your questions to me here!

EMERGENCY STEPS

Kick-starting The Blog
1. Refresh (F5) or Ctrl-F5
2. Clear cache (delete temporary Internet files) and cookies in Tools-Internet Options.
3. Add a question mark to the end of your blog's internet address in the address box and see if it will show the latest update. (Can also be done with other people's url's in the address window.)
4. Republish (if in classic Blogger)
5. Reboot
6. Log out and log back in again (may change to an untroubled server)
7. Change browser (IE, Firefox, others)

---Not necessary to do all of these at once!---

Blogger may make problems for some computers about accepting cookies, especially when you are using the new versions of Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers. Difficulties with accepting scripts may be caused by security systems, antivirus programs, firewalls, and some add-ons. Check all your settings.

You may need to change your browser settings, or to list www.blogger.com and blogger.com as "trusted sites" in your Internet Options-Security so that scripting can occur.

USEFUL BLOGGER HELP FILE

http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41971&topic=8914

[For Newbies or anyone else who gets lost in the rain in Juarez.]

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Convert Html to a Displayable Post Text

-- AMPERSAND CODES can be used in short sections to show the code itself (which is what I might do to show single nonbreaking space.

HTML Ampersand Character Codes

-- For longer sections that need to be "translated" or if you're lazy, the programs below convert html code for you. Both work well, though Postable's first screen is a little less intuitive.

Postable

Quick Escape

The code above would be displayed first in the post as code, then on screen here like this (converted by Quick Escape):

<a href=\"http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/developer-tools/quick-escape/\">Quick Escape</a>

Normally that anchor code would be executed as a link, not shown on screen.


END.

Convert Html to a Displayable Post Text

-- AMPERSAND CODES can be used in short sections to show the code itself (which is what I might do to show single nonbreaking space.

HTML Ampersand Character Codes

-- For longer sections that need to be "translated" or if you're lazy, the programs below convert html code for you. Both work well, though Postable's first screen is a little less intuitive.

Postable

Quick Escape

The code above would be displayed first in the post as code, then on screen here like this (converted by Quick Escape):

<a href=\"http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/developer-tools/quick-escape/\">Quick Escape</a>

Normally that anchor code would be executed as a link, not shown on screen.


END.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

What Is Indexing?

Google and other search engines have their own rules and criteria for indexing blogs and other sites, but each one "crawls" the entire Internet every so often and "looks" at and stores info about most every site.

The indexing is not immediate for your site, so you may have to wait for your site to show up on any search engines. Your site can't be "Googled" by you or your friends until the indexing can occur once or more after you've created your blog. Try not to be anxious while you're waiting, possibly as long as a month. The indexers may do a better job for your particular site if your site has some connections (links) to and from other sites--that's the usual view taken by people who hope to increase traffic to their site.

[More below...]



There are additional things you can do to improve traffic, listed in a link at the bottom of this post. Look for "Additional Information".

After you've been indexed, the chances of your friends finding your site will increase and the chance of traffic by total strangers increasing will also improve.

You should notify your friends and make new ones online and always try to write good (interesting) posts. All that attention being paid to your site will make your site more noticeable to the automated indexers (robots, aka "spiders") that crawl across the Internet. Sounds creepy, doesn't it?

You may also want to know this additional information if you are new to blogging.

What Is Indexing?

Google and other search engines have their own rules and criteria for indexing blogs and other sites, but each one "crawls" the entire Internet every so often and "looks" at and stores info about most every site.

The indexing is not immediate for your site, so you may have to wait for your site to show up on any search engines. Your site can't be "Googled" by you or your friends until the indexing can occur once or more after you've created your blog. Try not to be anxious while you're waiting, possibly as long as a month. The indexers may do a better job for your particular site if your site has some connections (links) to and from other sites--that's the usual view taken by people who hope to increase traffic to their site.

There are additional things you can do to improve traffic, listed in a link at the bottom of this post. Look for "Additional Information".

After you've been indexed, the chances of your friends finding your site will increase and the chance of traffic by total strangers increasing will also improve.

You should notify your friends and make new ones online and always try to write good (interesting) posts. All that attention being paid to your site will make your site more noticeable to the automated indexers (robots, aka "spiders") that crawl across the Internet. Sounds creepy, doesn't it?

You may also want to know this additional information if you are new to blogging.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

What Is A Layout Page?

In case you're wondering what Blogger is talking about. It's the page where you can move and arrange the page elements (especially the ones for the sidebar) as you would like them to be. Place your cursor on the boxes after you create an element, hold the mouse left-click down as you move the mouse.



PAGE ELEMENTS AKA "GADGETS".

ALSO SEE: Page Elements Screenshot

What Is A Layout Page?

In case you're wondering what Blogger is talking about. It's the page where you can move and arrange the page elements (especially the ones for the sidebar) as you would like them to be. Place your cursor on the boxes after you create an element, hold the mouse left-click down as you move the mouse.



PAGE ELEMENTS AKA "GADGETS".

ALSO SEE: Page Elements Screenshot

Friday, May 2, 2008

Future-Dating A Post -- NEW!

Create the illusion of "being there".!
Future Dating of posts is now available from Blogger

Click here to see Blogger's instructions about it!

Now you can leave some posts lined up when you are about to leave on vacation or for a month in jail and they will publilsh, one or more every day, while you're absent.

So many people have inquired about this for the past five years that I suppose a lot of people will now praise the lord and send their checks (as usual) to the nation's poor. I have heard a great many complaints about how it "doesn't work", yet I don't think I've had a single one fail to publish. Admittedly, I am using the "future-publishing" on a more infrequent basis than some people. I doubt I ever use it more than 2 or 3 times a week.

[More below...]



There doesn't appear to be any difficult moves added to the Publishing process. It works the way many of us used to think would just be logical. One could always use the Post Options to change the date to anything you liked, but there was no automatic publishing--you always had to come back and hit the publish "button" on that date.


1. Give a date and time in Post Options for tomorrow, next week, or whenever
2. Then hit Publish,
3. The system will show a sign that says the post will be automatically published on X date at X time.
4. the system will wait until that date and time to publish it.


Couldn't be simpler, unless they screw it up. If they screw it up, let me know.