Thursday, August 13, 2009

I Really Need "Blogging for Dummies". Please help!

OK, if anybody's reading this -- I am in serious need of some blogging help. I've searched through Blogspot's HELP topics, and I just get more confused than ever. I look at other blogs out there, and they all look so gorgeous and put-together and organized and tech-savvy. I'm so impressed! Seriously. We have so many really wonderful, creative, intelligent women in our world, don't we? Unfortunately, at least when it comes to blogging, I don't appear to be one of them. Just a fan. So many things about blogging truly mystify me. Everyone who knows me well knows that I'm pretty much a techno-phobe and they are all incredibly amazed that I'm actually joining the 21st century and blogging, so I deserve props for that. However, there are some things I really can't figure out, and I'd love a little advice: 1) What the hell is a "blogroll", and why do I need one? I somehow figured out how to put one on my site (following Blogspot's directions), but then I didn't know what to do with it, so I took it off. Is it different than the thingie I have on here where I put in the addresses of some of the blogs I follow regularly? Does it operate itself, or am I supposed to put something in there? Does it automatically put in all the blogs I visit, 'cuz that would be seriously cool. Help! 2) Several people have commented that they can't find a place to email me on my blog. Yeah, that's 'cuz I have no idea how to do that either. 3) Most of the blogs I visit have this thing where they can link back to a previous post, if it's related, or they can write in the name of somebody else who has a blog on their post, and readers can just click on it to go over to their site. You know what I'm talking about? I want that! It's "wicked cool", as my boys would say. OK, last question (for now): One of my readers nominated me for an award (Thanks so much, by the way. You really made my day!), and I was supposed to somehow link that award back to my site and answer some questions and then nominate another blogger. You know, pay it forward to someone else to make their day? Well, I couldn't figure out how the heck to put it on my own blog and link it. In fact, I really don't know how to link anything. I'm not even totally sure what a "link" is. I know, I'm pathetic. Really, a sad case. I'm nothing more than a Mom with a burning desire to put my thoughts down on the computer and send them out into the universe. I'd just like to do it better. Thanks for listening. Cheers!

P.S. Just a little life tip from today: If you ask someone (say, your sister) for some of her contact solution so you can rinse your contact off before going out -- don't automatically assume that the bottle she gives you is actually contact solution. It could, for example, be enzyme cleaner (which looks a lot like the regular contact solution) that is only supposed to be used to clean contacts overnight, needs 6 hours to neutralize, and is NEVER, EVER, EVER supposed to be used for contacts that are just going to be rinsed and put right back in your eye. It's a surprising and excrutiating experience, and it results in an eye that is so scary red and swollen that it frightens away little children (not to mention the cute waiter at the restaurant). Not pretty!

2 comments:

  1. A blogroll is the same thing as the "Blogs I'm Following" list you already have on your blog. I'm not sure how you listed the Blogs I'm Following list, but Blogger does offer the "Configure Blogs" widget (under Add a Gadget in layout). Once you click Configure Blogs there is a box to check that says "Add to List" where there is an option to click "Blogs I'm Following." I'm not positive but I think it will update automatically.

    For email if you click on Edit Profile in your Blogger Dashboard you can find a box where it will say "Show my Email Address."

    The thing you mention about being able to click over to older posts or other blogs is called a hyperlink. It's amazingly easy to do. When you are writing your post in Blogger, you write in the person's name (for example) you want the reader to click, then you highlight it with your your left mouse button and then click the green circle with the loop-de-loop looking thing on top of it next to the big "T" with the color box where you can change font color. A "Hyperlink" box will appear and you just cut and paste the website address you want to link to (the person's blog, the page with your previous post etc.).

    And, oh my gosh, I used to do that with my contacts in high school when I was too groggy in the morning and either didn't clean my contacts enough or grabbed the wrong bottle. It is tortuous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tesa, you are a wonder! Thank you so much for all of your advice (and I'm SO sorry to hear that you experienced the enzyme-cleaner-in-the-eye as well. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy). Can't wait to try out your ideas. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete