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Now we can subscribe to comments by email!
2007-10-26 18:55:00
When you post a comment on a Blogger blog, you can now receive notification of follow-up comments by email! I was really happy to notice this today, as this means you don't have to revisit a blog (or subscribe to per-post comments in a feed reader) in order to know when a reply to your comment is posted. When you leave a comment on a Blogger powered blog, you will be given the option to have replies sent to the email address associated with your Google/Blogger account, like this:You'll be sent an email for each response on the post you have subscribed to, and can easily unsubscribe by using the "unsubscribe" link which is sent with each email. Alternatively, when you view the comments page while logged in to your Google account, you will see an "unsubscribe" tick box on the page which you could use instead.Currently only those who have an active Google account are able to use this service, as replies to your comments are sent to the email address you registered when you create...
More About: Email , Comments , Subscribe , Subs , Scribe

Create navigation buttons to enhance your blog
2007-10-26 12:58:00
Many blogs and websites feature "navigation button" links like a menu at the top of the page or beneath the header. This can be really helpful for readers to navigate to areas of interest in your blog, such as the home page, about page and contact links.In this tutorial, I'll explain a very simple (but effective) method of creating such a "navigation buttons" for your own blog, which you can use to add easily accessible links to your post pages. Here is an example of the buttons you can create using this tutorial (though the links in these buttons all point back to this page!):HomeAboutContact To create these buttons for your blog, we don't need to use any external images! With a little CSS styling, you can easily create navigation buttons which change color when your mouse hovers over them, making it easier to see that these are indeed clickable links. This style of button is helpful to your visitors and invites them to view the important pages you link to using these links.T...
More About: Blog , Navigation , Create , Buttons

A better way to set up your custom domain?
2007-10-24 15:12:00
When Jason pointed out an article by Blog Bloke which claims to be the best way to set up your Blogger custom domain, I popped over to take a look at the differences. Indeed Blog Bloke's solution is a very good method to use: this ensures both your www and non-www url both point to your blog quite easily, whereas my preferred method requires a little more customization to perform the same function. Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks, as I shall explain here. As Blog Bloke points out, many Bloggers who have set up their custom domain do not redirect visitors to their non-www address (eg: http://myblog.com) to their www address (eg: http://www.myblog.com), instead leaving their "parked" page in place, which can be quite frustrating for visitors who forget to add that www in the address bar, not to mention off-putting!Both Blog Bloke and I agree that it is useful to have redirection in place for your non-www url, though our solutions are slightly different.Amanda's ...
More About: Domain , Custom

Are you a SnapShots user?
2007-10-24 12:42:00
I recently wrote about my experiences using Snap-Shots, which was reprinted in the Snap-Shots blog (with my permission, of course!). Snap-Shots are also inviting others to share their experiences of using this free service. If your article is chosen, you can have this reprinted in the Snap-Shots blog. Snap-Shots are particularly looking for articles which focus on your actual experience of using Snap-Shots rather than "mindless cheerleading" about how useful their service can be! Those articles which are chosen to be included in the Snap-Shots Experience will blag the author a free T-shirt and, more importantly, a link back to their site. I have to say that when my article was reprinted, I had a surge of visitors from Snap-Shots, and a few have even emailed me to say they found my blog in this way.So if you're interested, head on over to the Snap-Shots blog to take a look at what others have already written in this subject, and to send your own articles for consideration.Techno...
More About: User

How to install a new template using the HTML code
2007-10-23 18:05:00
The Blogger templates offered here are now available in either XML or "template code" format in the Temp late s section of this site. To learn how to install the XML templates, take a look at this tutorial which explains the process in detail. For those who prefer to copy and paste the code for new templates, here are some tips to help make the process easier. The template code for each template can be found on the download page in the "templates" section of this site inside a scrolling "iframe" section. To use this, you will need to paste the entire section of code into the Edit HTML section in your Blogger dashboard, instead of the code which is currently there.Often readers contact me because they have experienced errors when installing new templates in this way. Usually such errors are caused because a part of the template code has been left out when copying, or because a part of the old template still remains.The method I use to install the HTML code for new templates prevent...
More About: Code , Html

"Cool Blue" Web 2.0 style template available for download
2007-10-22 15:48:00
Here is a pale blue version of the recent Web 2.0 style templates I have created. This version is called "Cool Blue " and features muted blue tones for an eye-pleasing theme suitable for many types of blog. This template also includes many advanced features, such as the three footer columns and calendar widget. You can see the screenshot to the right (click for full-sized preview), or read on for further details and download information. As the title suggests, this template has a pale blue theme. It features a clean and simple layout, and very few images. Combined with a small javascript, this ensures the blog loads very quickly, and is able to deliver powerful new features which are not available in other templates I have created.These features include: Fast page loading time Themed favicon already in place (see top left of the address bar) Integrated blog search form Web 2.0 style logo Navigation bar (which can be customized to suit your needs) Calendar widget Unique wide sideb...
More About: Download , Style , Template

Red Web 2.0 style template available for download
2007-10-21 00:45:00
Now there is a red-themed version of the "Girly Web 2.0" template available for download. This template also includes many advanced features, such as the three footer columns and calendar widget. You can see the screenshot to the right (click for full-sized preview), or read on for further details and download information. As the title suggests, this template has a red and silver theme. It features a clean and simple layout, and very few images. Combined with a small javascript, this ensures the blog loads very quickly, and is able to deliver powerful new features which are not available in other templates I have created.These features include: Fast page loading time Themed favicon already in place (see top left of the address bar) Integrated blog search form Web 2.0 style logo Navigation bar (which can be customized to suit your needs) Calendar widget Unique wide sidebar layout, featuring a combination of wide and dual narrow columns Three widgets available in the footer sectio...
More About: Download , Style , Template , Available , Temp

Top 12 keyboard shortcuts for bloggers
2007-10-19 18:41:00
I often use keyboard shortcuts while blogging, as these can save much time and enable you to perform certain tasks more easily. Here is a list of the top 12 keyboard shortcuts I use while blogging, which can be really useful when editing posts and templates. These keyboard shortcuts work in all major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.As Mac OSX uses the CMD key rather than the regular CTRL key, all references in the table below refer to CTRL/CMD, so that users of either type of computer are able to understand these shortcuts. FunctionWhat it doesExample of usage CTRL/CMD+BBold TextWhen editing your blog posts, highlight the section you want to appear in bold test and key CTRL+B (or CMD+B) CTRL/CMD+IItalic TextFor when editing blog posts. Highlight the text you would like italicised and key CTRL+I (or CMD+I) CTRL/CMD+ASelect allSelects all of the content on a page. If you put your cursor in a container (eg: when editing a blog post or your template), this w...
More About: Bloggers , Shortcuts , Keyboard , Shortcut

Creating a "post-options" box beneath each of your posts
2007-10-19 11:34:00
When a visitor to your blog has finished reading a post, it can be helpful to see options of what they could do next. In this blog, I have added a "post options" box after the body of my posts (like the image on the right), which offer links to post a comment, email the post and AddThis buttons for readers to add the post to their favorite social bookmarking sites. In this tutorial, I'll explain how you can feature s similar "post options" menu beneath your own blog posts. First I will explain how to add a post options menu which you can add simply by copying and pasting the relevant code. After installation, this will need no further customization to work correctly in your blog. Afterwards, I will demonstrate some customization options which you may like to add to this, such as "email the author" and the drop-down AddThis button. These extra options will require some customization on your behalf, which is why I'll discuss them separately from the main hack.There are three mai...
More About: Post , Creating , Options , Posts

How to add three columns to your footer section
2007-10-18 12:34:00
As you can see at the bottom of this blog, I have three columns in the footer section, followed by a wide section which I use to feature the main blog links. This style is fast becoming common in Web 2.0 style websites and blogs, and is quite easy to duplicate in Blogger templates. In this tutorial, I will explain how you can add these extra columns to your own Blogger blogs. Adding extra columns to your footer section will provide more valuable space for blog widgets, and also contribute a modern "Web 2.0" appeal for your blog design.There are only four main steps to this tutorial, and I'm sure you'll agree that the overall process is quite simple. I have taken into account that different blogs have different widths and styles, and so have designed a fluid solution which should work in any Blogger layouts template.Creating the new columnsHere are the four steps needed to transform the footer section of your blog template: Back up your existing blog template!Before making any ...
More About: Columns , Section , Footer

Problems uploading your images to Blogger? Here's a temporary solution
2007-10-17 18:57:00
It seems that many Blogger s are currently unable to upload images to their blog posts. This problem is currently being investigated by the Blogger team, and while we are told that a solution is "imminent", this is still causing many problems.Usually when this problem occurs, you will receive an error message and error code which you can report to the Blogger Team on this thread in the Blogger Help Forums.Until the image upload problem is fixed, you may want to consider uploading your images to a free hosting site, and link to these from your blog posts. While this is hardly ideal, I have found this does bypass the problem and displays images correctly. Here's how you can link to externally hosted images in your blog posts. Upload your images to a free image hosting serviceThere are dozens of free image hosts to which you can upload your images. Perhaps the most popular of these free services are Photobucket and Images hack, though you may easily find other services by performin...
More About: Problems , Solution , Uploading

Creating a contact form for your blog with WebFormDesigner
2007-10-17 12:47:00
Contact forms can add a professional look to your blog, while offering an easy way for your readers to get in touch with you. An added benefit is that your email address will be disguised, so you can be sure your inbox is kept spam free.Most contact forms rely on PHP or Perl scripts to send the data to your email address. This can be awkward for Blog ger users, since we cannot host such scripts in our blog. But with WebForm Designer, you can create and use contact forms in your Blogger blog, as demonstrated on my contact page. Here is an explanation of this great free service. Contact forms allow your readers to send you an email directly from your blog. The details of the contact form (eg: the reader's name, email address and message) are then sent to your email address. When using contact forms, your email address is kept hidden and is not included in the source code of the page, which prevents spam-bots from discovering your email address.While you could write the code for you...
More About: Contact , Creating

Create screenshots for your blog easily with this free tool!
2007-10-16 12:51:00
Screen shots are an excellent way to illustrate a post, especially when explaining how to use a website, or to demonstrate a new template. All of the screen shots featured in this blog were created using ScreenHunter: a free program which allows you to take pictures of the screen you are working on, and save them directly to your computer. This works on all Windows operating systems, including Windows 98/NT4/ME/2000/2003, XP and Vista. I've been using ScreenHunter for a few years now, and have found this to be the easiest screen capture facility to use. Best of all, it's free for unlimited personal and business use! There is no expiration date, nor is this trial software.You can download your free copy of ScreenHunter 5.0 from the Wisdom Soft website using the link below (scroll down the page a little to find the correct download):Download WisdomSoft ScreenHunter 5.0 Free Installing ScreenHunterOnce you have downloaded the ScreenHunter program, you can easily install the softw...
More About: Blog , Tool , Screenshots , Create

How to use a background image for your blog
2007-10-15 12:39:00
Instead of a simple background color, you could use a background image for your blog. This could be styled to look like wallpaper, it could repeat only vertically or horizontally, and can even be in a fixed position where it stays in place while the rest of the page scrolls down!In this post, I will explain the how you can use background images for your blog using these different methods, with examples to demonstrate how the various effects can be achieved. You can use virtually any image as a background for your blog. Usually background images are in JPEG format, though you could also use GIF's or BMP's. However, you must be able to host the image on an external server, as Blog ger only hosts images which are contained in widgets or posts. If you're looking for free image hosting, take a look at this post.Before you begin to add the image to your background, find the image you would like to use, and make a note of the url where it is hosted.As I mentioned in the introduction,...
More About: Image , Background

What are your essential blogging tools?
2007-10-15 10:52:00
Most hobbies require you to use tools, and blogging is no exception. Of course we all know that there are only three essential tools required to blog: a computer, an internet connection and an idea (something to write about). However, most bloggers also use other tools to help them blog, especially when blogging becomes a serious pastime (or even a part-time job). Besides my laptop, broadband internet connection and blogging ideas, I also use several blogging tools which I consider "essential" to blogging. These include: A notepad and pen, for jotting down ideas Image software (Photoshop is preferable, though previous;y I used GiMP, which is free software) An RSS/Feed reader, so I can keep up to date of my favorite blogs! Firefox Browser: since installing this browser, I've found blogging much easier as I can easily switch between tabs to view different pagesWhile these tools are hardly necessary for blogging, they can be very helpful.What would you add to this list?Do you have...
More About: Tools , Blogging Tools , Blogging , Essential

"Girly Web 2.0 " style template available for download
2007-10-13 13:34:00
I have just finished work on a new girly template which has a simple "Web 2.0" style, but also includes many advanced features you won't find on other Blogger templates. The screenshot of this template is on the right, and you can read on for full details and download information. As the title suggests, this template has a feminine pink theme (don't worry guys, both a blue and dark version are in the pipeline and will be available soon). It features a clean and simple layout, and very few images. Combined with a small javascript, this ensures the blog loads very quickly, and is able to deliver powerful new features which are not available in other templates I have created.These features include: Fast page loading time Themed favicon already in place (see top left of the address bar) Integrated blog search form Web 2.0 style logo Navigation bar (which can be customized to suit your needs) Calendar widget Unique wide sidebar layout, featuring a combination of wide and dual narro...
More About: Download , Style , Girly , Template , Available

Two new search widgets for your blogger blogs
2007-10-11 17:09:00
Here are two new search widgets for your Blogger blogs: A posts/label search widget, which can be used to limit results and be styled to match your blog template (from Dig 'n' Share Blog) A multiple blog search widget, to search posts, Google Blog search and Technorati (currently being developed by myself)Here follows an explanation of the uses for both search widgets, with the link for David's blog search, and the widget code for my "multiple" search widget. Dig 'n' Share Blog Search WidgetDavid of Dig 'n' Share emailed me with the details of this new blog search widget yesterday. It works by using two search forms to search either posts or labels for the given search text, and can limit the results which are displayed in the page so you don't end up with a huge page full of search results!This widget is particularly advantageous for blogs which use a lot of labels as "tags" for posts (indeed, Blogger labels are classed as "tags" by Google, Technorati, Del.icio.us and t...
More About: Widgets , Blogs

Free Web 2.0 design tools for your blog
2007-10-10 13:17:00
"Web 2.0" design has recently become very popular. Reflective logos, striped backgrounds, vivid badges and gradient buttons are among these new design features, and are fast being integrated into blog design. Here is a selection of free online Web 2.0 design tools to help you give your blog more of a Web 2.0 appeal. Fresh Badge GeneratorCreates great Web 2.0 style badges with many options for customization (I used this tool to create the logo at the top of this post in under 1 minute!Stripe Generator 2.0Generates striped backgrounds for your blog or website. Choose colors, styles and even gradients. Create this as a tiling image too!Tabs GeneratorThis generates navigation tabs with choices for gradients, border, width and fonts. Easy to use, just create your tabs and right click the resulting image to download.Web 2.0 Logo CreatorCreate a reflective header for your blog! You can also choose to add a logo, change gradients, background color, etc.Web 2.0 logo creatorAnother free l...
More About: Design , Tools , Free , Blog

How to create a table of contents page for your blog
2007-10-09 10:44:00
Until recently, I used Beautiful Beta's excellent "Table of contents" hack for this blog. This technique loaded the table of contents above other posts, and was accessible from a link in the sidebar. The only downside of this hack is that it significantly slows blog loading time, especially when your blog has more than 100 posts.For the new template, I have modified this hack to show the table of contents for Blog ger Buster on a post page instead. In this post I will explain how I did this. Beautiful Beta's TOC hack requires two components. There is the code which calls the contents of your blog, and provides a link in the sidebar: <div><a href="javascript:showToc();">Show TOC</a><br/><br/></d iv> <script src="http://home.planet.nl/~hansoosting/d ownloads/blogtoc.js"></script> <script src="http://YOURBLOG.blogspot.com/feeds/p osts/default?alt=json-in-script&max-resul ts=999&callback=loadtoc"></script&g t; And the div element...
More About: Page , Contents , Create

How to create a calendar widget for your blog
2007-10-08 15:43:00
In this template, I use a calendar style widget to display the posting date of my posts. This style has recently cropped up in many Web 2.0 style Wordpress blogs, and is easily reproduced in Blog ger layouts blogs too. Here I will show you how to create your own calendar widgets to feature at the top of each post. This Blogger hack uses a combination of javascript, CSS and some slight modification to your template to display the date a post was published over a calendar-style background. There are only three main steps to change your date header to a calendar widget, so don't worry if my explanation seems rather complicated! Here is what you should do: First, go to Settings>Formatting, and change the date header format to YYYY-MM-DD like this: This enables the script we will be using to correctly parse the date header format. Next, go to Template>Edit HTML and ensure you have checked the "expand widget templates" box. Now, find the <data:post.dateHeader> section in the ...
More About: Widget , Calendar , Create

Inline comments for classic Blogger templates
2007-10-08 14:33:00
After posting the hack for inline comments in Blogger layouts templates, I was asked if the same is also possible for classic html based templates. The answer is "yes" it is certainly possible! So for the benefit of those using classic Blogger templates (non-layouts) I will explain how to edit your template to feature inline comments on post pages. The hack for inline comments in classic templates is perhaps a little simpler than for layouts templates, and is very easy to do. Also it is possible to preview the changes with classic templates (including seeing your post pages) so that you can be sure the inline comments act correctly before saving your template.Here is my step by step guide: First of all, make a back-up of your template by copying the whole of your existing template into a text editor. This is just a precaution in case you make a mistake and need to restore your template at a later point. Next, go to the settings section of your Blogger dashboard and click on "Com...
More About: Templates , Classic , Comments , Temp

Blogger Buster in Beta!
2007-10-07 12:53:00
Most of the work on the new look Blogger Buster site is now complete. Luckily the shift didn't take quite as long as I thought!There may still be a few minor errors and I am now checking the whole site to see what may need adjusting. Please do let me know if you discover something wrong with this new template!If you experience any major difficulties in using the site today, please email me on amanda [at] bloggerbuster [dot] com and I'll try to help you out as soon as possible.Why "Beta "?I'm launching the new site in Beta for at least a week or so until I am sure there are no flaws in the design, missing links, script errors and such. As I'm sure you will understand once you've seen some of the changes, the new template is a major reconstruction for the whole of Blogger Buster, and it will take some time to perfect everything.I do appreciate your patience during this time, and will soon provide a full explanation of all the changes I am making.Hope you enjoy the new look Blogger...

What is Atom/RSS?
2007-10-06 16:29:00
Would you like to keep up to date with the latest content at Blogger Buster? There are a number of ways you can subscribe to receive news of the latest updates to the site, and the main ones used by Blogger Buster readers are the Atom and RSS feeds. What is Atom/RSS?Atom and RSS are both a similar technology which was developed to help people receive automatic updates of their favorite websites.Although there are some differences between the technology of Atom and RSS, they both do essentially the same job: they fetch updated content from your favorite sites in a format you can easily read in a feed reader.A better alternative to bookmarking.Before Atom and RSS were invented, web users had to bookmark their favorite sites instead, and return to the bookmarked sites manually to see if anything had been updated. This creates more work for you as the reader, and means you could easily miss new content if you forget to check your bookmarks. Also, it can be complicated trying to keep...

Create "Wordpress" style pages for your Blogger blog
2007-10-04 16:52:00
A few people have asked how I created "Wordpress style" pages which are accessible from the header section. Since I will be making much use of these pages in the near future, I thought it best to explain how Blog ger users can create their own blog pages. Wordpress blogs can include blog pages; these are often used to provide an "about" page or contact information. Such "pages" are separate from the main blog: they do not appear on the main page or archives, and links to these pages from within the template are usually created dynamically. However, updates to Wordpress pages are still included in the blog's feed.Although Blogger does not currently use blog pages in the same manner as Wordpress, we are still able to mimic this in our blogs with a little effort.The blog pages you see in my blog are actually regular blog posts which I have make links to from within the template itself. This is how you can create your own: If you haven't already done so, change your "Enable post pa...
More About: Style , Pages

Why the new Blogger Buster site will be a much better resource for Bloggers
2007-10-03 13:31:00
A few readers have asked me when the new Blogger Buster template will be uploaded, and what features the new site will have. So I thought it was about time I explained more about the new Blogger Buster site, and why it's taking so long to get it all ready! A better Blogger resource!While I strive to feature posts and resources which are of benefit to all my readers, I feel that the current template is lacking in clear navigation. So, I am currently redesigning the whole site to ensure that you can easily find the posts, tools and templates you need. When the work is complete, you'll find all of my blog posts, tools and templates are part of the same site, with clear navigation and improved search functionality too!What the new site will look likeHere is a small screenshot of the new site template for you (click the image for a larger version).When complete, you'll find the whole site will have this same theme making it easy for you to get from one area to another using the na...
More About: Site , Bloggers , Resource

How to control the number of posts displayed in label pages
2007-10-03 12:35:00
By default, the 20 most recent posts are displayed on label pages (ie: when you click on a label link in the sidebar. If there are more than 20 posts assigned to a label, then at the bottom of the page you would also find links to next and previous pages.Recently a reader asked how it is possible to change this, particularly in regard to label clouds. So in this post, I will explain the methods for changing the number of posts displayed, for both default label lists and label clouds too. To change the number of posts shown on label pages involves editing your template and adding some code which controls the number of posts displayed. It is always good practice to make a full back up of your blog template before making any modifications to the template, so be sure to have done this before implementing this hack!The process is different depending on whether you use a default label list or a label cloud to display your labels, so I will explain each of these separately for you. For...
More About: Label , Control , Posts , Pages , Number

My sincere apologies for interruptions to your templates!
2007-10-02 14:55:00
If your template suddenly stopped displaying images properly, please accept my apologies! While configuring the new Blogger Buster site, I accidentally made the templates folder unavailable (which is where most of the template images are stored). Be assured this will all revert back to normal within a couple of hours and I promise your templates will work properly again very soon!
More About: Templates , Polo , Logi , Temp , Interrupt

Blogdire - A new blog directory
2007-10-01 21:48:00
Today I received news of a new blog directory: Blog dire. This directory is free to use and it's quite simple to add your blog to this directory too! Also included is a blog search engine for you to search other blogs for the posts you like. There are several qualities I like about this directory, most notably the inclusion of recent posts from random blogs on the front page, which link to the blogs quoted and thus help provide more exposure. Also Blogdire uses a tagging system to help you find blogs of interest (or to help readers find your blog) complete with a tag cloud which helps us to understand the most popular tags currently available.To submit your blog to Blogdire, simply visit the home page and click on the "Add your blog" link near the top right of the page. Then fill out your details, including your blog URL and description. The instructions state that you should include a button link in your blog to ensure your listing is successful, but this is a small non-intrusi...
More About: Directory , Director , Dire , Rect

Free SEO stats display box - my birthday gift to you!
2007-09-30 12:40:00
I discovered a free online tool which allows you to display a box like this in your blog, featuring Pagerank, Alexa, MSN, users online and many more SEO stats! To create your own, simply visit this page on MyPagerank.net, input your website details and choose the stats you wish to display. You will then be given the Javascript code to place in an HTML/Javascript widget in your blog, as well as a preview of the widget. As you can deduce from the title, today is my birthday. While I'd hoped to post something great for you all in honor of this day, I have to admit, this wasn't the gift I had hoped to post on site today... I had actually hoped to have the new site template ready instead, though unfortunately I came across too many setbacks and it's still not ready yet :(The good news is that the extra time I'm taking over the design will make it even better once the whole thing is done! So far, I've created a whole new Web 2.0 style design which should load faster and be much e...
More About: Free , Display , Gift , Birthday , Stats

A new style of AddThis widget now available
2007-09-28 17:38:00
I'm sure you all know how useful I find the AddThis social bookmarking widget by now. Well, the makers have created a new version which features a drop-down menu when your mouse hovers over it. Try it here is you like: To install this new version of the AddThis button, you will need to have an account with AddThis as the Javascript includes your unique username in order to function properly. Of course, the service is still free to use though!This new style of AddThis button can be installed by visiting this page in the AddThis blog. Simply log in using your username and password (or create a free account if you don't already have one set up). On the next page you can choose your button style: this new version is lower down the page. Don't worry that it currently says "TypePad and Blogger widgets coming soon" as you inly need to copy the Javascript widget into your blog template, which should be present in the iframe below.If you already have an AddThis button in your temp...
More About: Widget , Style , New Style