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Create your own recent comments widgets here!
2007-08-28 13:20:00
Since many of you would prefer to have different features for your "Recent Comments " widgets, I've decided to post this widget generator. Using this tool means you can customize your recent posts widget to your personal preferences and then automatically insert the widget into your Blogger blog! Simply choose your preferences in the boxes below, click "Apply" and then "Add Widget to my Blog" when you are ready. I've tested this in both IE and Firefox and the widgets seem to appear fine.Customize Recent Comments WidgetWidget title: Blog address: http://(eg: "yourblog.blogspot.com" or "www.yourblog.com")Comments to display: Show comment date: Show post title: Summary size: characters             ">Please get in touch if you experience any problems using this widget generator. I hope this helps you all customize the widget to your personal preferences!Technorati Tags: recent+comments | widget | widget | generator
More About: Widgets , Create

"Rounders 3" three column template available for download
2007-08-27 17:51:00
I've completed work on the Rounders 3 template to transform the original Blogger template into a three column design. Here's a screenshot for you: This template also features a complementary label cloud and AddThis buttons at the end of each post for readers to bookmark using their favorite social bookmarking services.You can see a demonstration of the Rounders 3 three column template here.To download the Rounders 3 XML template, please use the link below (right click the link and choose "Save As"Download Rounders 3 Three Column Blogger Template Other Rounders three column templates are available to download too: Rounders three column template Rounders 2 three column templateBe sure to check out the Blogger Templates section for loads more free Blogger layouts templates.Technorati Tags: blogger+templates | three+column | download | templates | rounders
More About: Available

Recent comments widget update! (This works in IE7)
2007-08-24 11:17:00
EDIT: You can bow create your own "Recent Comments " widgets using the Recent Comments widget generator here at Blogger Buster.Since the Recent Comments Widget suddenly stopped working in IE7, I've updated the code and uploaded it to my site in order for us all to continue using it! You can download the new code below. I've tested this in both IE and Firefox and it seems to work just fine (take a look in my right sidebar). Here's the updated code for the widget which should work fine for all browsers (copy and paste into an HTML/Javascript widget in your blog sidebar): <script src="http://kunoichi.info/blogger_buster/ comments.js"></script><script >var a_rc=3;var m_rc=true;var n_rc=true;var o_rc=100;</script><script src="http://yourblog.blogspot.com/feeds/c omments/default?alt=json-in-script&callba ck=showrecentcomments"></script> You need to change the portion in red to your own blog address in order for the widget to work.If anyone has proble...
More About: Update , Works

Good news for template users!
2007-08-23 21:31:00
I've decided to upgrade my hosting account, which means that from now on there will be no need to upload template images to your own image hosts. Things may act a little odd on site for the next 24 hours or so until the new hosting account is set up and fully operational. But by this time tomorrow everything will be back to normal. I do apologise if these changes affect current users of my blog templates in any way. It may happen that some images related to your template become unavailable for a couple of hours while the new hosting account comes into effect. This is because I am changing from a Windows to a Linux based server and need to transfer the files myself. Believe me, I will do what I can to make things go as smoothly as possible, and in the long run the benefits will be great for all of us.Thank you to all my readers for your continued support which has made it possible for me to upgrade to a higher quality hosting plan!
More About: News , Good News , Template , Good , Users

"Rounders 2" three column template for download
2007-08-23 14:17:00
I have modified the original Rounders 2 template to add a second sidebar. Here's a screen-shot for you: This template also features a complementary Label Cloud and AddThis buttons at the end of each post to enable your readers to add your posts to their favorite social bookmarking sites. You can see the Rounders 2 template in action on the demonstration blog.To download the XML file for this template, please right click the link below and choose "Save As". You can then save the file to your computer and upload this to your Blogger dashboard from the Edit HTML page.Download Rounders 2 three column templateRelated posts: Rounders three column template download Rounders 3 three column template Rounders 4 three column templateTechnorati Tags: rounders | 3+column | template
More About: Column , Template , Temp

"Rounders" three column template available for download
2007-08-23 00:19:00
I've modified the classic "Rounders " template to become a three column design, complete with complementary Label Cloud and AddThis social bookmark buttons. Here's a screenshot for you (click to enlarge): You can see this template in action on the Rounders demonstration blog.To download this XML template, please use the link below (right click and choose "Save As)Download Three Column Rounders Template Related posts: Rounders 2 three column template download Rounders 3 three column template Rounders 4 three column templateTechnorati Tags: template | rounders | 3+column |
More About: Available

Translate your blog using the Google Translator Widget
2007-08-22 17:30:00
Here's a useful tool for those of you who would like the ability to translate your blog into other languages: the Google Translator Widget . If you take a look in my right sidebar you'll see that I've implemented this as a sidebar widget. This widget is really easy to use: simply visit the Google Translator Widget page and choose the option you would like to use for your blog. There are three options available: Just the widget code, which features written links to translate into different languages. The widget with big flags, which features large flags instead of text links The widget with small flags (as I have featured in the right sidebar).Once you've chosen the format, click on the appropriate link and you will be taken to a page which features the HTML code required for the widget to display. For (new) Blog ger Layouts templates, highlight all of this code (CTRL+A) and copy it to your clipboard. Next, open your Blogger dashboard and choose to add a new HTML/Javascript wid...
More About: Translate

Your opinions needed for future templates
2007-08-22 12:23:00
Since my template designs are one of the most popular features of this site, I would very much appreciate your opinions so that in future I can design templates you would most like to download! In the left sidebar I have created a poll for you to vote for design elements you would most like to see in future templates. It would be of great help to me if you would vote in this poll or leave your comments below to let me know which features of template design are most important to you. Here's a full explanation of the polling options: Three column modifications of existing Blogger templates: I have already created three column versions of Minima and 897 for you to download. If you would also like to see other existing Blogger templates transformed to include an extra sidebar (eg: Scribe, Rounders, Dots) then please choose this option. Decorative: The "Magical" and "Sweet Dreams" templates are examples of decorative templates, which feature animated gifs and optional add-ons. If y...
More About: Templates , Future , Opinions , Temp

"Magical" 3 Column Template now available (inspired by Harry Potter!)
2007-08-22 00:32:00
After such a lot of work, I have finally completed the "Magical" 3 column Blogger template for you to use in your blogs. I have to say that this is my favorite template design so far! The theme was inspired by the Harry Potter series of books/films, and features optional widgets that complement the theme. Here's a screenshot for you: As usual, this screenshot doesn't do the template justice! Please take a look at the demonstration blog for this template here to get a better look (link opens in a new window).While the heavy use of images and Javascripts make this template load slower than my other templates, I'm sure you'll agree this is a fair compromise for the overall effect.This template features: Unique magical theme Animated blog header (watch out for the bat!) Customizable background, fonts, sidebar backgrounds and font colors Optional widgets to complement the design Label cloud designed to suit the theme Post dividers "Drop Caps" span style for the first letter of ea...
More About: Column , Template

"Inline comments" hack
2007-08-20 18:52:00
I came across a hack on Singpolyma's blog which enables you to feature "Wordpress" style comments beneath your blog posts, so readers can leave their comments without having to leave the page! You can choose to install regular inline comments, or have them perform a "peek-a-boo" function where the comments only appear when your readers click on the appropriate link. Full instructions can be found here on Singpolyma's blog. The hack is quite complex, so be sure to follow his instructions to the letter in order to make this work properly in your blog.If you would prefer to simply install a template which features a similar hack, try the K1 template from Blogger Templates, which is a (new) Blogger layouts style template featuring commenting below the posts.Technorati Tags: templates | comments | hacks
More About: Hack , Comments

Add "Digg it!", "Del.icio.us" and other social bookmark links to your posts
2007-08-19 21:51:00
Although I am a faithful user of "AddThis" social bookmark buttons, I've been looking for a way to insert specific social bookmarking links so readers can easily submit individual posts to Digg , Del.icio.us, Technorati and other social bookmarking sites. Now, if you take a look at the bottom of each post, you'll notice these links in place. Here's how to add such links to your own blog posts: The links you need to add to your template are called by the <a expr...> expression, and are unlike regular links in that they use javascript-style coding to work properly. Each link will look something like this: <a expr:href=http://www.bloggerbuster.com/fe eds/posts/'"http://digg.com/submit?phase= 2&amp;url=" + data:post.url + "&amp;title=" + data:post.title' target='_blank'>DiggIt!</a> Unlike regular links which you could feature in the body of your posts, you need to replace some HTML code (escape the code), which is why the & symbol is replaced by &am...
More About: Social , Bookmark , Links , Posts

101 quick tips for Bloggers
2007-08-18 17:40:00
Here is my list of 101 quick tips for Bloggers , based on what I have learned from blogging over the past few years: If you aren't already blogging, start blogging today!Use Blogger for simplicityWrite about a subject you loveChoose your niche wisely Use a short, unique title for your blogIf you are serious about blogging, buy your own domainEnsure your blog url matches the titleUse Blogger's custom domain serviceUse Blogger layouts and widgetsCustomize your templateCreate a unique blog headerDon't clog up your front page with postsConsider using Ramani's expandable posts hack Ensure readers can understand the subject of your blog quickly Blog with consistencyPost at least 5 times a weekMake short postsMake long "article" style posts tooWrite "top 5" and "top 10" posts Interact with other bloggers Enable comments on your blogRead and reply to your commentsMake meaningful comments on other blogsBe the first to comment Allow readers to contact you by emailEnable Haloscan trackb...
More About: Tips , Quick

Site Changes (Sticky Post)
2007-08-18 14:03:00
During the next few days, I'll be making a few changes to the site to you find the information you need more easily. This post will be updated with new information as changes are made. So far, the following changes have been made: Slight changes to template: the left sidebar is slightly wider (to accommodate the "headlines" widget more effectively); the right sidebar is slightly smaller; some alterations to margins, etc. I've checked the adjustments in both IE and Firefox in which everything seems to look okay. If you are using a different browser and feel the template looks odd or operates incorrectly, please email me to let me know about this. New "Headlines" box added to left sidebar. This one features a summary of my latest blog posts and links directly to their respective post pages on site. The scroller pauses when you hover your cursor over it to enable to you read/click. You can also Digg, add to Del.icio.us, email the post etc from within the headlines widget! For more in...
More About: Post , Site , Chang , Chan , Icky

My new (improved) blog headlines widget
2007-08-17 15:54:00
I have now made a new (and much better) blog headlines widget using only javascript (no php required). This has allowed me to include links, and possibly images in the feed which is displayed in the widget, whereas the previous widget did not! To create this widget, I used the gAjax Pausing RSS Scroller scripts from Dynamic Drive. Rather than relying on a php script to parse the rss feed before it is displayed on my page, this one instead uses Google Ajax Feed API to host/cache the desired RSS feeds, so you don't have to install or host anything on your own server. In order to make the script work, I needed to upload two javascripts to my web host, and add a small amount of code to my template which includes the Google API specific to this site. This version of the scrolling headlines is much easier to use and install, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to install such a widget on their own blog. To download all the files needed to create your own scrollin...
More About: Widget , Blog , Headlines , Improv , Prove

My new scrolling headlines widget
2007-08-17 01:46:00
I have now changed this widget to a new improved version. Please check out this post instead for details of the new widget, which is much easier to use and customize than the one discussed in the remainder of this post. To create a "pausing RSS scroller", I downloaded and modified a package from Dynamic Drive Scripts, which includes both Javascript and PHP files. The PHP files are needed to parse the RSS feed, while the Javascripts convert the feed into the scroller you see in my sidebar. I also added some styling elements to my blog template in order to make the scroller more attractive.Since the scripts would not function using my default Blogger feeds, I decided to burn the atom.xml feed through FeedBurner, convert this to RSS 2.0 format, and express only as a summary of the posts. This way, I could ensure the feeds would display properly within the widget, and also that there is no interference to subscribers of my main blog feeds!While I would love to be able to offer this ...
More About: Widget , Headlines

Five ways FeedBurner can improve your blog feed
2007-08-16 22:17:00
If you're not already using Feed Burner's free services, you're missing out on some great blogging tools! Here are five of the best ways that FeedBurner can help you to improve your blog feed and attract more readers to your site: Redirect your Blog ger feeds through Feedburner : This will help you get a better understanding of your feed subscriber base, and can also give you greater control over how your feeds are displayed (see below). To do this, log into your Blogger dashboard and go to Settings>Feeds. Then add your FeedBurner feed URL in the box provided to redirect all your Blogger feeds for management by FeedBurner. Include "Digg This", "Add to Del.icio.us", "Email this" etc beneath each feed item: Using FeedBurner's "Feed Flare" service, you can choose to add various links to the foot of each feed item which will enable readers to Digg your posts, add to FaceBook, email your posts to their friends and a whole bunch more! To do this, log in to your FeedBurner dashboard a...
More About: Improve , Five

Custom "blog headlines" widgets in development...
2007-08-15 21:43:00
I'm currently developing a "mini-site" where you will be able to generate "Blog Headlines " widgets for your blog, having complete control over the widget's appearance. Once your headlines widget is created, you would be presented with a short piece of Javascript code which you can copy and paste into your sidebar where you would like the widget to appear. Is anyone interested in using such a service? I began considering this when searching for an alternative to the FeedBurner headlines box you see in the top of my left sidebar. Whilst I have discovered a usable alternative for myself, I couldn't create something which you readers can easily configure to use in your own blogs. So instead I'm developing a "mini-site" which uses PHP scripts to generate Javascript code that will feature headlines (and summaries) of any RSS (and possibly Atom) feed. You will also be able to alter the style, height, colors and fonts of the headlines boxes to suit the theme of your own blog.As yet,...
More About: Widgets , Development , Custom

"Popular Posts" widget updated!
2007-08-15 01:49:00
You can now install a new version of the "Popular Posts " widget (the Blog Window widget) from AffiliateBrand.com which has no borders and is completely customizable for your own blog! This is a great new update, since you will now be able to make changes to your widget using the AffiliateBrand dashboard (which unfortunately my customization for the previous version of this widget did not allow). To see the new version of the Blog Window widget in action, take a look at my right sidebar-the only difference from my previous version of the widget is that it now includes a "subtitle" beneath the header! If you are already using the Blog Window widget, you can easily switch to this new version using the AffiliateBrand dashboard: If you are a member of AffiliateBrand, log in to your dashboard, click "Configure" and then on "Customize" to see the new "No Borders" option available for your widget. If you are not a member (or choose not to be), simply visit AffiliateBrand.com, click on ...
More About: Widget , Get Up , Pula

How to modify the Popular Posts widget to suit your blog's style
2007-08-14 18:16:00
In this previous post, I explained how to use the Affiliatebrand Popular Posts widget. As you can probably tell, I've modified this widget in my own blog so that it matches the overall look of my template. My method is far from being perfect, but as my original post has attracted many readers, I've decided to share this method with you in order for you to customize your own widgets. The widget code provided by AffiliateBrand links to a javascript file which is unique to your blog, and contains all the code nescessary for constructing the widget style. The default widget is made up of images and "iframes" in order to give it a "Web 2.0" style.Unfortunately the appearance of this widget is not something that suits the style of all blog templates!So, in order to be able to style the look of the widget, we need to strip the javascript of all image-related code, and feature only the useful elements instead.But before you do this, be sure to make a backup of the original widget code...
More About: Widget , Style , Modify

How to change the comment link in your Blogger template
2007-08-11 19:40:00
You can easily change the comment link at the bottom of your blog posts to read something different to "(n) Comment s (where "n" is the number of comments). Instead, you could change it to say "Post your comments here", or even "Comments (4)", as I have done in this blog. This post explains how this can be achieved. To change the text for your comment link, open the HTML editor for your blog template (Dashboard>Layout>Edit HTML), tick the "Expand widget templates" option, and find this section of code: <span> <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'> <b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'> <a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick '><b:if cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>1 <data:top.commentLabel/><b:else/ ><data:post.numComments/> <data:top.commentLabelPlural/></ b:if></a> </b:if> </b:if> </spa...
More About: Blogger , Change , Link , Template

Loads of free Classic Blogger Templates
2007-08-10 16:25:00
For those of you still using Classic Blogger templates, I've just come across a great site featuring loads of beautiful template designs for you: Isnaini.com. At Isnaini.com you'll find literally dozens of beautiful and original blog templates to download. Each template downloads as a zip file, which contains the template code. Even "New" Bloggers can take advantage of these designs: to use Classic templates in your blog, you can revert to Classic templates using the link right at the bottom of your "Edit HTML" page in your Blogger dashboard. Then you can simply copy and paste your new classic template code in the editing box.If you're looking for "new" Blogger templates, be sure to check out my Blogger Temp lates Downloads page where you'll find a wide variety of original templates, updated regularly to showcase new content.Technorati Tags: blogger+templates | classic+blogger+templates | layouts | html
More About: Free

A new tagging bookmarklet for Bloggers
2007-08-08 21:23:00
Tags are useful to feature in your blog posts as they help your blog be spidered and categorised by social bookmarking sites like Technorati, Del.icio.us and BlogMarks. Tag links usually look something like this: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/posts/tag /bookmarklet?from=http://www.bloggerbuste r.com" target="_blank" rel="tag">bookmarklet</a>. The most important feature of the tag link is the 'rel="tag"' part, which informs bookmarking services that the link is a "tag" and not just a regular link. Blogg er labels are defined in a similar way. As you can imagine, it is a rather time consuming process to write out each tag individually, so instead I use a "bookmarklet" to do most of the coding for me. As I discussed in this previous post, I have been a faithful user of Oddiophile's technorati bookmarklet: this acts like a bookmark in my browser, yet when I click on the link it brings up a javascript window, into which I type the words I want to make into tag links...
More About: Bloggers , Tagging

A "time of day image greeting" widget for your blog
2007-08-08 00:52:00
I've created a widget which displays a different image greeting depending on the time of day: morning, day, evening or night. You can see this in action below: Try visiting this page at a different time of day to see the other images. This widget uses the local time of your computer to display the correct image for the time of day. Until 10am, the image will say "Good Morning", until 5pm it will be "Good Day"; until 8pm it will be "Good evening", and then finally, "Good Night".To install this widget in your blog, you can either use the widget installer button, or copy and paste the code further down the page into an HTML/Javascript widget of your blog.Here is the code to copy and paste into your blog if you prefer to install the widget manually (or would like to display this in a post: <div align="center"><script src="http://kunoichi.info/bloggerbuster_t emplates/greeting.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </div>You can copy and paste this code intop an ...
More About: Widget , Time , Blog , Image , Greeting

"Butterfly": a new girly 3 column Blogger template
2007-08-06 14:40:00
Here's a new "girly" 3 column template for you lady bloggers! It's called "Butterfly ", featuring floral and butterfly styled images against a dark background. Here's a screenshot for you: The "Butterfly" template features: Left and right sidebars Unique girly design and header background Animated butterfly in sidebar Customized AddThis social bookmark buttons in each post to match the template color scheme Butterfly styled dividers between each post Customizable colours, fonts, etc. Label cloud styled to match colour schemeYou can see the template in action here, and can download the full template below:The zip file contains both the template XML file and all images needed to run the template which you can upload to your own hosting provider. It also contains a help file to assist in uploading and using the template.Download Butterfly Template (zip file)You are free to modify the template, but please leave the author details within the XML template! A link back to Blogger Bus...
More About: Column , Girly

Blogger layout problems in FireFox
2007-08-05 16:41:00
I've recently decided to make the switch from MS Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox , and have noticed problems when viewing the layouts screen (in Blogg er dashboard) of my three column templates.Unlike in IE, where the frame adjusts to match the width of the template, in Firefox, the right sidebars seem "cut off". Luckily, the sidebar (and occasionally, other elements) are not cut off in the layouts view. In order to see and edit these elements, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and slide the scroller in the frame to the right. You'll then see the full span of your blog, and will be able to edit your right hand sidebar elements.However, I have found a solution which allows you to see your blog elements laid out in good view from this: To this: To do this, you will need to edit the "body#layout" section in your blog template (this is found just before the closing </b:skin> tag). This section of your stylesheet affect how your layout looks in the layout ...
More About: Problems , Layout

A digital clock widget for your blog (with installer)
2007-08-05 13:17:00
Yesterday I posted the code for a date and time widget you can install in your blog. However, I wasn't particularly happy with the time element of this, and so have created two new digital clocks instead: one for pale backgrounds (the clock displays in black) and another for dark backgrounds (where the numbers are displayed in white). You can preview the clocks in action here and here. You can easily install these clock widgets into your blog using the forms below:For blogs with pale backgrounds: For blogs with dark backgrounds: I will be developing more widgets in the future, so be sure to check back for updates. If you do have any problems installing these widgets, feel free to get in touch.Technorati Tags: blogger | widgets | digital | clock | time | real+time
More About: Clock , Widget , Blog , Digital , Lock

Add a realtime clock and date widget to your blog
2007-08-04 15:45:00
While creating a new template, I've been experimenting with a real time clock/date javascript code to add as a blog widget. You can see an example of this at the top of the Sunset blog here. The time continuously updates like a real digital clock, and should appear in the same color scheme as used in your blog template. You can further customize this widget by adding <div > style tags around the code.As yet, I haven't integrated the code into a widget installer, but if you would like to use this widget in your own blog, simply copy and paste the code below into a Javascript/HTML element. For those using classic Blog ger templates, you can paste the code where you would like it to appear in your blog's template: I do plan to make a widget installer and further customizations to this javascript, which I will post about as soon as it is ready.Technorati Tags: blogger | widget | date | time | realtime | clock
More About: Clock , Widget , Lock

Mobile blogging with Flickr
2007-08-03 12:53:00
Blogger's mobile blogging service is a great idea, but unfortunately not all mobile phone networks are yet supported (see here for information about which networks currently are). You could still post by email using your mobile phone, but image attachments are not supported by Blogger. So what's the alternative? Use Flickr 's mobile blogging service instead! I often post by camera phone on one of my other blogs, and have found Flickr's mobile blogging service to be ideal for my needs. To start mobile blogging with Flickr, you'll need to take the following steps: Create your free Flickr account (if you haven't already done so). Flickr also provides a paid service, but you don't need to pay extra charges to use the mobile blogging service. Set up your blog by going to Your Account>Blogs in your Flickr dashboard. Click on "Add New Blog" and follow the steps to verify you are the owner of your blog. Next, you need to set up your email address which you will use to post your ph...
More About: Mobile , Blogging , Blogg , Bile

A "popular posts" widget for Blogger
2007-08-02 00:38:00
After some searching for a "Popular Posts " widget for Blogg er , I discovered AffiliateBrand's widget (thanks to Blogger Tricks). This widget is free to use, and displays your most popular posts based on tracking of page impressions. You can see an example of how this works in my sidebar, however please note that I have customised the overall appearance of this widget to suit my blog (which I will post about later, once I've ironed out the kinks). The default widget provided by AffiliateBrand looks something like this: The widget is very simple to install, and now you don't even need to sign up to AffiliateBrand membership to be able to use it! You will need to register your blog's address though, in order to ensure that your most popular posts are tracked. Here's how to get this widget for your own blog: Visit AffiliateBrand.com and click on "Blog Window-Create/Edit" in the left sidebar. Add your blog URL into the box provided, and click "Add Blog". Your blog's URL will t...
More About: Widget

Adjust padding in Blogger templates
2007-08-01 20:27:00
"Padding defines the space which surrounds the content within an element, unlike margins, which define the space around the element itself. This is most noticable in blog templates whose elements (eg: sidebars, main posts section) have coloured backgrounds or borders. In similarity to margins, padding can be defined within the style section of your blog's template using CSS definitions. Here I will explain how padding can be defined, giving examples and images to help you alter the padding of elements in your own blog. As I have mentioned, padding determines the space surrounding the content of an element. To explain what I mean by this, here are two examples of a table cell, the first has no padding defined while the second is padded by 10px on all sides: A table cell with no paddingA table cell with padding In blogs which feature borders around it's element, or differing background colours, defining the padding of each elements may be crucial in achieving a user friendly te...
More About: Blogger , Templates , Blogg , Adjust