Last night we had the presentation on Joomla!
I was trying to download it when we suddenly lost audio--I thought the download might have been eating into my RAM so I aborted the operation. As it turns out, that wasn't the issue, but oh well--long story short I don't have Joomla! downloaded yet because it was too late last night to get the ball rolling. I have, however, read over some of the user manual and instruction guides, and I'm very excited at the possibilities.
I've been wondering about expanding the functionality of some of my blogs for a while now. In particular, I have a personal blog that I keep with 4 of my friends from high school. We use it as a sort of small in-group newsletter where we keep current on each other's lives. Because we live pretty spread out--everywhere from Colorado to Georgia--this is our typical way of keeping in touch. However, with five of us posting, and five different ideas on how the site should be, things get cramped. I'm hoping I can expand us comfortably using Joomla! somehow. From what the presenter said, Joomla! is a pretty friendly environment for people who do or do not want to deal with XML, so I'm looking forward to some good templates and maybe some of my own upgrading.
However, I do feel the need to remark on the guides I looked over. For a product designed to be so user-friendly, the install looks to be pretty complex. Also, it looks like it might be a little confusing for individuals who are not familiar with hosting and hosting services. After I scope this one out, I'll report back.
Showing posts with label Tweak Your Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tweak Your Blog. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
New Pages!
Because Blogger has yet to institute a way to easily add pages, I have simulated links to aphabetized pages for the texts, sites, and terms discussed in class.
For anyone nerdy enough to care, I managed this as decribed by Nischal Shetty. Basically, the "pages" are past dated posts with comments disabled. Then, an if statement is created around the code that displays the date for the post such that if comments are disabled, date is also disabled. Then I added links to the "about" section on the blog. :)
This was my first try at this method of "pages" in Blogger, and I'm very pleased with the results. It was a good learning experience, and I'll probably be implementing the method again on other blogs.
Links to the new pages are located beneath the heading at the top of the page, just above the tag cloud.
For anyone nerdy enough to care, I managed this as decribed by Nischal Shetty. Basically, the "pages" are past dated posts with comments disabled. Then, an if statement is created around the code that displays the date for the post such that if comments are disabled, date is also disabled. Then I added links to the "about" section on the blog. :)
This was my first try at this method of "pages" in Blogger, and I'm very pleased with the results. It was a good learning experience, and I'll probably be implementing the method again on other blogs.
Links to the new pages are located beneath the heading at the top of the page, just above the tag cloud.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Why I picked Blogger
Someone asked me a question today about blogs, and why I use Blogger...
One of the primary differences between Blogger and Wordpress is the use of pages and widgets. In Wordpress, you can create static pages easily; in Blogger, you cannot--you need to do some backend legwork to get static pages going. However, Blogger makes it easier to install widgets (like the tag cloud at the top of this page, the count down on the right, or The Impossible Quiz at the bottom) because you have more access to your HTML; this requires more legwork in Wordpress.
The reason I choose Blogger is that I am very attached to my widgets and layouts. I like to mess with my site code and install a new toy every so often. It's my dogma that a personal webpage should be like one's home: decorated to suit one's personality.
For me, new blogs are like your first college apartment. At first, the walls are all white and you feel a little lonely and lost. As time goes on, you meet a few people who have done things to spice up their bland college caves with lava lamps and posters, and you start to do the same. Soon you're taping posters over posters, you've got a batik sarong tent around your bed, and you've figured out how to cook a can of beans on the heater in the corner. It's bright and filled with color, and it's become a space you're comfortable being. Because you've made it your own, other people like being there, too, and you're not so lost anymore. :)
These are some of my favorite sites for decorating around a blog in addition to some of my own tricks:
pyzam -- this is a great place for finding Blogger layouts to inspire you.
widgetbox -- a great place for finding games and other little add-ons for your site.
free flash toys -- I like this one mostly for the counters you can make there, but the full page pets are fun too.
phydeaux3 -- This is the best place I've ever found for a good blogger tag cloud; weeding through the HTML can be intimidating at first, but don't be scared. You can always revert back to a basic template if you muddle things this first time around. Your blog layout is for playing with--don't be afraid to do so!
I apologize for the popups generated by any of these sites, but dealing with advertisements is the way you get things for free online. Also, most of these sites are aimed at Blogger. To expand my own horizons I'm going to experiment with Wordpress some time this week and see what it's about since the latest updates.
P.S. If anyone in my class stumbles on this post, and is still feeling lost, I'd be happy to help you put up some posters so you're happier being in your new online home. :)
One of the primary differences between Blogger and Wordpress is the use of pages and widgets. In Wordpress, you can create static pages easily; in Blogger, you cannot--you need to do some backend legwork to get static pages going. However, Blogger makes it easier to install widgets (like the tag cloud at the top of this page, the count down on the right, or The Impossible Quiz at the bottom) because you have more access to your HTML; this requires more legwork in Wordpress.
The reason I choose Blogger is that I am very attached to my widgets and layouts. I like to mess with my site code and install a new toy every so often. It's my dogma that a personal webpage should be like one's home: decorated to suit one's personality.
For me, new blogs are like your first college apartment. At first, the walls are all white and you feel a little lonely and lost. As time goes on, you meet a few people who have done things to spice up their bland college caves with lava lamps and posters, and you start to do the same. Soon you're taping posters over posters, you've got a batik sarong tent around your bed, and you've figured out how to cook a can of beans on the heater in the corner. It's bright and filled with color, and it's become a space you're comfortable being. Because you've made it your own, other people like being there, too, and you're not so lost anymore. :)
These are some of my favorite sites for decorating around a blog in addition to some of my own tricks:
pyzam -- this is a great place for finding Blogger layouts to inspire you.
widgetbox -- a great place for finding games and other little add-ons for your site.
free flash toys -- I like this one mostly for the counters you can make there, but the full page pets are fun too.
phydeaux3 -- This is the best place I've ever found for a good blogger tag cloud; weeding through the HTML can be intimidating at first, but don't be scared. You can always revert back to a basic template if you muddle things this first time around. Your blog layout is for playing with--don't be afraid to do so!
I apologize for the popups generated by any of these sites, but dealing with advertisements is the way you get things for free online. Also, most of these sites are aimed at Blogger. To expand my own horizons I'm going to experiment with Wordpress some time this week and see what it's about since the latest updates.
P.S. If anyone in my class stumbles on this post, and is still feeling lost, I'd be happy to help you put up some posters so you're happier being in your new online home. :)
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