Blogger
The word 'blogger' is used to describe the person who writes a web log (blog) but it is also the name of a web site used by thousands of people everyday to publish content on the web.
Many of the blogs you will encounter look a bit boring because they are published using standard templates. However, with a bit of custom design work it is possible for us to integrate a blog into the existing design of your web site. You can then use the technology to full effect by publishing news articles on your web site using just your web browser. Blogger also creates an RSS and Atom format News Feed that can be used to distribute your messages to other web sites and send emails to subscribers.
How to Use Blogger
- Your first step is to sign in
- The next step is to create a new post
- Give your new post a title and add some text
- Set the Date and Time
- Add a Link
- Publish Post
- Publishing in Progress
- Publishing Completed
- Editing Messages
- Browser Compatibility
1. Your first step is to sign in
Visit www.blogger.com. In the top right hand corner enter your username and password. Click on the checkbox for "Remember Me" to stay logged on for your next visit, unless you share your PC with other people (e.g. Internet Café).
2. The next step is to create a new post
Click on the green plus sign "+" underneath the heading "New Post"
3. Give your new post a title and add some text
In the top box give your message a title.
Your message then goes into the larger box shown in the middle of the page.
It is best to avoid using the font and text styling options because this will over-ride the stylesheet that has already been created. Plain text works best.
4. Set the Date and Time
The default date and time is set to the moment you click on the green plus sign (step 2). If you toggle down the option for "Post and Comment Options" you can set a new date and time. This is handy for organising messages. It can also be used to identify the date of a document, such as the date of an agenda or minutes for a meeting. If you forget to set this option you can correct it later.
5. Add a Link
If linking has been enabled you can turn your "Title" into a web link by putting a web address in the "Link" box. You can leave the box blank if you prefer. It is a good idea to use the web link feature to help readers to find out more, or if you want to give a credit to your source of information.
6. Publish Post
Click on the orange "Publish Post" button at the bottom of the page and your message will be uploaded to the server.
7. Publishing in Progress
When your message is uploaded to the server any related pages are uploaded at the same time. This includes monthly summaries, individual archive pages, and any pages that contain links to recent posts.
8. Publishing Completed
When all the files have been uploaded to the server you will be given a link to your web site. If there is a problem (which will sometimes happen during peak periods) you should choose the option "Republish Entire Blog". Blogger stores all your messages in its own database so you can come back to republish at a more convenient time if you prefer. Remember though that partially uploaded pages on your web site may cause problems for visitors if left unresolved.
The option to "Republish Index Only" just affects the home page and is used by the web designer for checking changes to the design of the web site template before doing a full update. It won't matter if you use this button by accident but if your publishing step has a problem you should consider republishing the entire blog instead.
9. Editing Messages
There are two easy ways to update the text in an existing message. The easiest way is to click on the pencil icon shown at the end of the message shown on your web site. This icon is only visible if you have enabled the "Remember Me" checkbox when you signed in to Blogger (step 1). Clicking on it takes you directly to your message on Blogger. Update your text and then repeat the publishing process (steps 6, 7 and 8).
Alternatively, sign in to Blogger and click on the "Edit Posts" link. This will take you to a list of your most recent messages. Select the message you want to edit and then republish to the server.
10. Browser Compatibility
The way in which Blogger works is improving all the time. It uses some of the latest web design technologies to allow bloggers to upload images, attach documents and apply custom web design code. The options and layout of the screen will depend to a large extent on how up-to-date your web browser software is.
If you use older software you may not see all the features described above, such as setting a custom date and time. For the best results we recommend that you use a web browser such as Firefox.
