Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category:
Changes…
Posted on: August 10, 2008 at 5:46 am | Posted under: BlogTags: blogging, design, tumblr
Well after thinking about things tonight, I have decided to keep my blogging here. While Tumblr is a great platform, I just rather keep all of my posts in one place where I can easily access and refer to them. If I am going to rant, then I will rant.
So, no more Tumblr posts. I will keep the account, since I am still developing on that system for a few friends. You will notice the flash widget is gone from the sidebar, along with some other changes made too.
Ok, keeping this short so I can get back to work. I really should sleep, but who has time for that!
Cheers!
Ads are gone, what was I thinking?
Posted on: July 31, 2008 at 12:47 am | Posted under: BlogTags: ads, flash
So I took the leaderboard of ads down from the site. I have no idea what I was thinking even putting them up. I had lots of impressions, but only a few clicks. Most of the ads were not relevant to the content and it just didn’t seem worth having them up.
There is some flash content in the sidebar now. Last night I put together a countdown for my trip to Phoenix in September. I had to dig deep into the back of my head for the actionscript, it has been a while since I did something other than a slideshow in flash.
Cheers!
Finally Upgraded…
Posted on: July 25, 2008 at 6:42 am | Posted under: BlogTags: upgrade, WordPress 2.6
I just finished upgrading the blog to WordPress 2.6. I was going to use the auto-upgrade plugin, but it would not install and the author never contacted me back about the issue.
So, after a nerve-racking 15 minutes of deleting, installing and overwriting files - I am now glad that I have this done.
More posts coming soon, I promise! You can read my ramblings about life over on Tumblr.
Cheers!
So you want to see this mobile?
Posted on: July 12, 2008 at 8:49 am | Posted under: BlogTags: Blog, mobile, MoFuse
My blog is now available in a mobile version! No coding or stylesheets necessary :) MoFuse takes your blog and gives you a nice mobile version for both iPhone and regular handsets.
Hat tip, Chris Brogan & Doc Searls.
Keeping your Brand while using Blogger
Posted on: July 10, 2008 at 5:51 am | Posted under: Blog, TechnologyTags: Blogger, blogs, branding, customization, domain, favicon
Blogger is a very simple publishing system that many people have been using for quite some time. Personally, I do not like the system and only use it to contribute to other blogs that use the system. Despite the downfalls of Blogger, there are a few things that you can do to keep your personal (or even company) brand while using the platform.
Setup a custom domain
This can be easily accomplished by doing a few things. You need to purchase a domain with a registrar, GoDaddy is the most popular one and there are a number of discount codes available, or you can purchase one through Google for $10. Once you have ordered your domain, you need to change your publishing options to use the new domain. Blogger has clearly outlined this process and it is available here.
Use a custom favicon
A majority of websites use a favicon as part of their online brand. This small 16×16 pixel graphic helps to identify your site while it is being viewed in web broswers. Right now Blogger uses a standard favicon across their entire site, this means that your blog does not stand out from the others in the address bar or in the bookmarks. A simple line of code and a creatively designed icon can remedy this. Any graphic designer will be able to put together an icon for you, but there are some options for those that wish to take on the task themselves.
Favicon.cc lets you design you own icon by either drawing one out or uploading an image. This is a simple solution to creating your own.
Favicon Generator is a tool built by Steven DeGraeve and works the same way as Favicon.cc.
The only hurdle that you will have to overcome is where to host your favicon. Blogger does not allow for the storage of these images, so you will have to look elsewhere. If you have a friend with a web hosting server then you are in luck. I am always willing to host icon files, contact me if you need help with this.
Here is the code needed to enable the favicon once you have one created and externally hosted (this is one that I am hosting for Alana Taylor):
<LINK REL=“SHORTCUT ICON” HREF=”http://files.jacobburke.com/HOSTING/AT/favicon.ico” />
This code needs to be placed within the <head> of your template.
Hide the Blogger Navbar
The navbar that Blogger places on all of the blogs can get a bit annoying, especially if you are trying to brand your blog. One of the easiest solutions is with another bit of code to place in the <head> of your template.
<!--Remove NavBar -->
<style type=’text/css’>#b-navbar {height: 0px; visibility: hidden; display: none;}</style>
<style type=’text/css’>#navbar-iframe {height: 0px; visibility: hidden; display: none;}</style>
I hope that you have found this article helpful for how you can keep your brand while using Blogger. If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me. If you want to see these three tips in action, then visit my blog on Blogger.
Cheers!
