Friday, January 12, 2007

New Blogger, new MidMo design

Blogger released a new version of its software this week that allows more options and more functionality. I used it to switch our page design and will continue to tweak items as you comment upon them. Go to your Blogger Dashboard and click "What's New" to learn more about changes or just click HERE.

The new program lets us customize the site in many ways. I made a quick logo to put in the corner, but those of you with a more artistic bent might offer something better.

It also allows us to put a list in the right column. I think that could include a image set of person stamps, if you are interested. I'm also trying to update the list of trail names we have come across in our boxes. Once I get it formatted, I'll want you to read it and update it.

Meanwhile, there is one catch. In order to post to the blog now, you must update your Blogger account. That means you will sign in via a gmail address instead of a user name. You probably already have one through your registration with Blogger. This switch to internal email address es rather than user names is spreading through Google, Yahoo and all the major Web hosting sites.

Take a look, rip it up and comment like all get out. The nice thing about the Internet is that we can change items immediately. Don't be afraid to suggest.




Clyde

4 comments:

ahistory said...

I dig the new layout. Now I just need to change my name. I think I saw this in another comment.

Jenny said...

The new format looks great, Clyde. Now for a dumb question, how did you get your C2B2 image on your post?

Clyde Bentley said...

I scanned my stamp and made a small JPEG file. Then I just inserted it as a Blogger photo and moved it down next to my signature. It was kind of an experiment, but I like it. If I can find a way to automatically add signature images, I'll pass it along.

Anonymous said...

Jenny J and C2B2, and other interested 'boxers,

There is a way to get an image (such as your stamp) to appear in a signature on your posts. You have to work around the "system", but follow these steps and it should work.

1) Open up two identical browser windows on your screen, both logged into blogger. (I do this by opening one browser window, logging into blogger, then pressing Ctrl+N to open another identical window.)

2)In browser window #1, create a blank post. Insert the target image (your stamp or photo)here by clicking on the tiny "Add Image" icon on the text editing menu and following the directions. This will involve a new window opening with directions to help you load your image. Click "Done" in that window, and your image will appear in the text box.

3)Click on the "Edit Html" tab at the top right corner of the text editing window. The screen will shift to show the Html code that represents your picture. This is the stopping point in browser window #1. Minimize (but don't close) browser window #1 and go to browser window #2.

4)In browser window #2, click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the page. This will bring up several sub-links. Click on "Formatting". Toward the bottom of the page, you will see a text box titled "Post Template". This is where you will insert your "blog signature" which will be saved to appear in each blog entry you publish. In this box, you might want to put your trailname, etc.

5)This is the trick...Now, copy the Html code from Browser window #1 and paste that code into the "Post Template" box in Browser window #2. Save your changes to the Formatting (in window #2) and close browser window #1 (no need to save changes).

6)The next time you create a new post for a blog, you will not find a blank screen, but a screen that already has your "signature" template. Just insert your text, and voila!

I believe that only the person(s) with authorization to change the "Settings" for a given blog can use this method for a signature, so Clyde may be the only one who can set up an automatic signature on the MidMo Blog. However, I set up the signature in my personal blog, and I can just write a post in my personal blog, then copy the whole booger into the MidMo LB Blog. I'll post a sample (with a photo instead of a stamp)on the main blog for you to see what I'm talking about. Best of luck understanding/following these instructions... I hope they're helpful.