FreakY TriKz: May 2012

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Blogger Tips and Tricks

How to make dual language blog with one click
How to edit or remove Blogger attribution
Making Your Content Skim-able for A Digital Audience

How to make dual language blog with one click

Posted: 30 May 2012 04:16 PM PDT

Some time ago I wanted to have two languages on my blog - one for my natives, one international. WordPress have a solution called WPML but it's paid solution. Second thing, I have blogger running so long I don't want to transfer.

I've found simple solution!

This method changes main/home/base adress/domain and leads to same URL on other adress/domain. It's also simple installed, just one HTML/JS widget :)

What you should do before:
1. Create two blogs in two different languages.
2. Go to Settings->Search options and make a link to your own site in "page not found code" just in case :) it can look like:
There is nothing in this link, please continue on <a href="http://olesku.pl">Olesku.pl</a>.
Put your adress instead of mine ;)

---
Now in both of them in Layout, create a widget "HTML/Javascript" and paste this code:

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
document.write ("<a href=" + window.location.protocol + "//" + "theotherlanguageadress.com" + window.location.pathname + ">the other language name</a>");
</script>

Put adress of the second-language-blog in theotherlanguageadress.com and name of language used in another blog in the other language name.
Read rest of post >>>

How to edit or remove Blogger attribution

Posted: 30 May 2012 02:56 PM PDT

All new Blogger templates have an attribution at the bottom of the page like the one below:

You can edit it by going to the bottom of LAYOUT and click EDIT on the ATTRIBUTION gadget:

where I have added

to display the standard copyright symbol ©. This I have done for this blog as you can see at the footer of this blog.

Alternatively, you may want to completely remove it. In this case you will have to edit the template to unlock the Attribution gadget so that it may be removed.

Sign into Dashboard > Template > Edit HTML and using ctrl+F to find the word 'Attribution' and below that you will find this bit of code:

<b:widget id='Attribution1' locked='true' title='' type='Attribution'/>

Change locked='true' to locked='false' and the attribution will be removable. To remove it, just go to LAYOUT and look for the Attribution gadget at the bottom of the LAYOUT. Click EDIT, the REMOVE and the attribution will be gone.

If you want something else there, you can also replace it with another gadget, eg a Text or HTML gadget and write whatever you want, the most likely replacement will be a HTML gadget with the copyright statement by typing the code Copyright

by Mr. X.

Making Your Content Skim-able for A Digital Audience

Posted: 30 May 2012 01:56 PM PDT

For many writers, especially those of an older generation, making the switch to online writing and targeting a digital audience can amount to a substantial challenge. It means amassing some knowledge in the areas of SEO, internet marketing, and WordPress themes.

It entails learning how to deal with virtual clients and integrate a written piece with a social media platform. In short, the freelance writer who begins working online needs to familiarize himself with a variety of tech topics.

But it's not just one's contacts and context that changes with the move online. Many writers make the mistake of assuming that an online readership will actually read a piece of writing in the same way that an offline audience would. Studies show, however, that people are far more likely to skim a given article when they come across it online, probably because the internet offers such a tremendous amount of content that users are less willing to dwell on something they don't truly care to read.
Read rest of post >>>

Monday, May 21, 2012

Blogger Tips and Tricks

Change Blogger jump break read more text

Posted: 21 May 2012 02:54 AM PDT

Blogger has already for a long time enabled bloggers to easily create expandable post summary which they called JUMP BREAK and where the jump break start will be a link with text READ MORE.

However, some bloggers may want to change that READ MORE text to something else, for example, change it to CONTINUE READING as had been done for this test post Testing Blogger jump break where the text had been successfully changed to CONTINUE READING.

This is how it can be done. Sign into Dashboard and in the drop down menu, click TEMPLATE, the EDIT HTML to open the template editor. Tick the [ ] Expand Widget Templates and using ctrl+F, find as shown highlighted in red below:

<a expr:href='data:post.url + "#more"' expr:title='data:post.title'><data:post.jumpText/></a>

Just replace <data:post.jumpText/> with whatever you like as for example to "Continue reading" so that the above line will be changed to

<a expr:href='data:post.url + "#more"' expr:title='data:post.title'>Continue reading</a>

Note: Whenever you want to edit the template, it is always wise to backup the template first before proceeding.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Blogger Tips and Tricks

Reset Blogger custom domain to blogspot sub-domain

Posted: 18 May 2012 07:17 AM PDT

There are bloggers who have converted their blogspot blog to custom domain, but then changed their minds and want to switch back to blogspot. Previously, this was very easy done. One just need to go to Settings > Basic > Publishing and there will be a visible link to reset it back to the blogspot sub-domain.

Blogger, being fond of torturing bloggers now with their new UI (User Interface) have for reasons only known to themselves hidden it.

Now you will still need to go to Dashboard > Settings > Basic and in the section for PUBLISHING and, pay attention, click the obscure X to delete the custom domain and presto, the blog will revert to its previous blogspot sub-domain. Why on earth Blogger do not display the blogspot URL for us see and easily know what to do, why, that is just beyond me.

Blogger dashboard settings publishing reset to blogspot

The Benefits of Guest Blogging

Posted: 18 May 2012 12:46 AM PDT

Guest blogging is a frequent occurrenceon the Internet. In fact, in the blogosphere guest blogging is as common as TV personalities appearing on each other's shows or news reporters gracing the studios of network shows in order to be 'talking heads.'

It's quite useful to think about the Internet as the next great medium, because in many ways it is replacing television as the default destination people go to to get their news, entertainment, and educational resources.

Companies use blogging as powerful marketing tools, search engine optimization, and even as reputation management services, which often deploy blogging as a way to saturate the web with positive content. Guest blogging is all a major part of this, as it allows a blogger or company to organically network and control the narrative surrounding his/her/its brand.

Here are a few of the ways guest blogging expands your brand's network:

Become more recognized in your niche.

Why would you want to put one of your blog posts on someone else' site? You ask. Especially a good one—aren't you just helping to generate traffic for someone else? Well, yes. But you have to think about it on a broader level. Posting content on someone else's blog introduces your writing to an entirely new legion of readers that are already part of your niche. Ideally, you're blogging on a site with a higher Page Rank than your own, so you're basically getting free high-quality advertising while also poaching new readers.

Generate backlinks and boost your SEO.

Backlinks are when another site or blog (again, ideally one with high PR) links back to your blog either in its blogroll (ideal) or as an in-post link. Backlinks are extremely important in the SEO world and can single-handedly boost your search engine results. Guest blogging usually creates powerful backlinks from the publisher and if the post is good enough and gets shared enough through social media it may be picked up and aggregated on a social news site like Reddit or Digg. This is the advantage of guest blogging, exponential exposure in high-traffic intersections of the web.

Create blogging alliances.

By guest blogging for someone else you increase the likelihood that you'll have a permanent ally who will promote you to their readers, link to your own blog posts, and share your content on social media. Look at guest blogging as networking, SEO, advertising, link-building, and alliance-creation all in one. A great idea for new bloggers is to reach out to major publishers in their respective niches and propose the idea of a guest post. As we have covered, this allows you to build credibility in your niche, create strong backlinks and network with important bloggers.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Blogger Tips and Tricks

How to set Google language option (esp for expats)

Posted: 17 May 2012 08:33 PM PDT

A frequent complaint of bloggers/surfers when currently not in their own country is Google automatically resetting their language option and displaying on the browser a language they do not understand and/or want.

Solution is simple. Sign into your Google Account and click the LANGUAGE tab in the left sidebar to get

Google language settings and select the language of your choice:

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Blogger Tips and Tricks

Spam blogs, Blogger Content Policy, A summary

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:29 AM PDT

While it is great that we can use Blogger to create blogs for free or for a paltry USD$10 a year for a custom domain, one of the worst aspect is that a lot of people are abusing it and Blogger is forced to use automated ways of trying to detect spam blogs or those which infringes the Blogger Content Policy for locking or worst, deletion.

On the other side, Blogger also provide a FLAG button in the navbar for members of the public who chances upon what they think are spam blogs to flag them. For blogs without navbar, Blogger has provided this form to report.

Unfortunately, just as there are false negatives (real spam blogs which gets cleared), there are unfortunately also false positive (kosher blogs which gets identified as spam blogs and locked or deleted). Depending, the unfortunate ones may be offered automatic ways to request review or none other than posting to the Blogger Help Forum. If initial request for review fail to result in a positive outcome, and if one is confident that one's blog is not a spam blog nor violates their Content Policy, the last resort is to request for a human final review over at Blogger Help Forum.

However, and that is a very big however and which frightens me, after a human final review and they decide not only that they were right but found your other blogs also spam blogs, not only will you not get that deleted blog back, your other blogs may also gets deleted or worst, you lose your account.

Reason for this post. It happened to me. One of my very old neglected blog got deleted with just a notification of deletion and no links nor info on how to request a review. Knowing that there is still a final chance of asking for a human final review, and if one is wrong, then risk other blogs deletion or worst, deletion of account, this concern made me to finally read and summarize their Content Policy.

And since I have got that summary, rough or whatever plus it will be a good idea too for you to familiarize yourself with it, I am now pasting the summary below hoping you will have an easier time getting to know Blogger Content Policy:

Summary of Blogger Content Policy

Content bounderies:

Policies may change

Exceptions based on artistic, educational, documentary or scientific considerations

1. Adult content including images/video of nudity or sexual activities allowed but put them behind 'mature content' interstitial

Exceptions, not make money on content, no incest or bestiality content or text encouraging them

2. Child safety, examples, child pornography pr pedophilia

3. Hate speech, ie. promotes hate or violence based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status or sexual orientation/gender identity

4. Crude content - shocking or graphic. Example, close up images of gunshot wounds or accident scenes without additional context or commentary

5. Violence. Example, death threats or promotion of violence

6. Copyright. Infringements or links to site for unauthorized downloads

7. Impersonation

8. Illegal activities or promote dangerous or illegal activities

9. Spam including blogs to drive traffic or influence search ranking of sites or products, scrapped content for revenue and personal gains

10. Malware and viruses

ENFORCEMENT

To notify, flag or use form at
http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?answer=76315

Possible Actions
1. 'matured content' interstitial
2. interstitial via which only owner can access
3. delete blog
4. disable author Blogger or Google account access
5. report to law enforcement

Now that old neglected (deleted) blog was one which talks about Google Adsense and helps users to use AdSense properly IN A VERY INNOCENT WAY, also has Google adverts and thus do generate some very modest return. But because it involves money and after reading the Content Policies and its very wide interpretation of what Blogger regards as spam, I decided to let sleeping dog lies and regretfully did not ask for a final human review.

and here is what Chuck aka Nitecruz has to added, his input is thus here acknowledged:

before you request an appeal, it's worth describing a few examples of what Blogger regularly removes, as part of its zero tolerance policy to abusive / inappropriate content:

Affiliate marketing.
Content created with scripts and programs, rather than by hand.
Content or links referencing referral-based activities such as GPT ("Get Paid To"), MMH ("Make Money from Home"), MMF ("Make Money Fast"), MLM ("Multi-Level Marketing"), PTC ("Pay To Click"), or PTS ("Pay To Surf").
Content scraped from other blogs / websites.
Copyright Infringement.
Large blogs with multiple, unfocused / unrelated subjects.
Links to Illegal Downloads / Streaming / Torrents.

Please be aware that this is the final review, and the decision of the umpires cannot be appealed. If you request another review, and the Blogger Team finds similar blogs in your Blogger account, you may lose access to all of your blogs.

If you want to explore further, refer to Blog deleted due to violating terms of service