Filling In

Two new bloggers and new-to-blogging bloggers are here with me at the Ballarat Library...

We have had a look at some different blogs online, including one of my favourites Rhonda Hetzel's Down to Earth blog. We then had a look at another blog which I really enjoy, which is the Minimalists blog.

Links - internal and external

Okay, I'm not going to scream from the rooftops everytime I manage to work out another piece of the blogging puzzle (like I did here!), but I am inordinately proud of myself for working this out too. Perhaps my expectations are too low...?


Anyway - links. So external links are pretty self explanatory. Locate and copy the URL you want to link to, click "LINK", type in the text you want to make clickable and Bob's your Uncle! But it has taken me several weeks to figure out internal links, but really the process is pretty much the same. Locate the page you want to link to, copy the URL, click "LINK", type in the text - hmm now I look at it I don't know why I found it so hard in the first place....oh dear.

And now for today's random image to include...

Yep, it's a screenshot of what I'm looking at as I write this post! Tricky huh? It's like one of those infinity pictures that gets smaller and smaller and smaller, only with my blog dashboard. Weird huh? I probably need   to get out more...

OMG! I'm a genius!

Okay, I'm totally exaggerating (obvs!), but I'm mighty pleased with myself for sorting out this video business. It's a great reminder to myself that when you hit a brick wall, which often seems to happen when you are learning a new technology, to just try a new approach.

So initially I thought I had uploaded the video from two posts ago (see here), but then I kept getting an error message and funny static. So - what to do? Well, there was actually a link with the error message - "Learn More" it said, which of course I followed but that wasn't much help at all - just IT troubleshooting 101 stuff - turn the computer off and on etc. None of that seemed right, so I tried reposting it from other computers and devices - still no cigar.

Random picture of boathouse on Lake Wendouree

Anyhoo, eventually I decided to cut out the middle man and created a You Tube account, uploaded the footage there, then downloaded it to the blog SORTED!

So the take-home message here - just keep plugging away, try different approaches, try a work-around, give it a go. And mostly, I find, you will get there in the end.

Tricky things

Ok, some people have looked at me strangely when I proudly unveiled my bran-spankin' new blog about blogging, with it's Hydrangea header photo. What? Yes, of course I know that picture does not relate to the content even one tiny little bit. The alternative would be pictures of computers and stuff, and frankly, no where near as pretty.

I've recently been making hard copy posters to advertise this class, and discovered its really quite hard to illustrate blogging. To wit:

So, lots of pink and funny little talk bubble icons should do it. Right? Anyhoo...

I've also found that last weeks post has come back to bite me, especially where I smugly announced how easy it was to post video. It all looks fine as a draft post but there is an error on the published post which I haven't been able to resolve as yet - time to utilise me amazing troubleshooting skills - ie Google "my video won't play in Blogger"...will report back ASAP.

Images, links and video

We've had a look at publishing images. We've previously put in links to other websites. Now, we are going to look at posting video.

Well, that was surprisingly easy!I just shot some footage, went into the blog post, clicked video, selected the one I wanted and Voila! Thanks for letting me put you up on the interwebs Belinda. Be sure and let us know when you decide which platform you are going with so we can follow along...

Moving right along

Okay, week two. Managed to get that profile pic up. It was really easy with the iPad. Working on the layout however, was not. I guess that 's always the way: the laptop with the full capabilities versus running the app on the iPad.

Another issue I'm encountering, and I suspect this is always going to be the big one, is finding time to write the posts. I'm forever thinking up things I could do but I think I might be a little unrealisric optimistic when it comes to imagining how much time it will actually take, and when I will find that time.

This week we've had a look at gadgets that can be added to our blogs. We added email subscription boxes and extra pages. Haven't quite nutted out what to do with those extra pages yet...We also had a look at how to find blogs and I have since discovered that you can find your blog's URL (Address - that you can give to others to find you) in your dashboard settings, should you forget. (Um, well I AM new to this).

My fellow blogsters. Identities have been preserved to protect the innocent.

Shout out now to my two fellow blogsters - you know who you are! The internet has been down at my place all week so I haven't been online to see how your blogs are going but will do so a sap. Hope you're finding the blogalong helpful and I hope to see you back again next year.

Whoo! I just started a blog!

Ok, here goes, day one of our Ballarat Library blog-along. A real-life choose your-own-adventure. Over the next few months I will be blogging about blogging, posting about posting, and sharing my every thought on creating my very first learn-as-you-go, never-done-it-before, what-could-possibly-go-wrong blog.

We've looked at some other interesting blogs - two from my home town, Artist as Family and Foxs Lane, and a sewing blog I follow, Handmade by Carolyn.

We've also created a profile, with a pic to follow soon.

Coming up with a name has been much harder than I thought - how to convey what this blog is about while being snappy and original? I've changed it three times already and still don't feel I've nailed it but anyhoo...

We've looked at adding images too. I like blogs that are heavy on the pics but I'm working out of the library so I'm going to have to get creative if I'm going to make these look exciting! I think I might have to sneak some random pet shots in to keep things easy on the eye. I wonder if that's in the rules of blogging?

Brainstorming blog names

While we were looking around the blogosphere we talked about connecting with others. I gather this is best done by commenting on other blogs and trying to establish relationships of sorts. Hmm, plenty of homework to do.

We also discovered it's usual to end your post with a question to readers but I'm not really sure about this. What do you think?