Otherwise known as A Very Bossy Tutorial. Oh wait, I'm not Bossy. BUT, Bossy is coming to see me! And katydidnot and sunny side up (and maybe blogthismom and momathon--are you in?). I'm all verklempt at the prospect!
My post of the other day, in which I mention GoogleReader, inspired many comments and questions. To which I say, "How is it possible that I have even a smidge more technical knowledge than another human being?!" But, apparently 'tis so. I do know that what little knowledge I do possess was courtesy of other bloggers. I'm composing this on Microsoft LiveWriter. Thank you Susan at Slice of Life--no more lost posts. I believe it was SuburbanCorrespondent who clued me into GoogleReader. I have no idea where I got the StatCounter link from.
So, in the spirit of paying it forward (which I get from Mrs. G) I shall attempt to impart the bloggy wisdom I have recently gained. Unfortunately, I still know next to nothing about Paint I just taught myself a little Paint, so there will be no hysterical Bossy-esque photos!
Because it's from Google, and those Stanford geniuses know what they are doing on the 'net, GoogleReader is totally easy to figure out.
I just Googled Google Reader (I love the way that sounds), signed up for free, and spent about an hour (maybe less, I lose track of time when blogging is involved) adding the url's of the blogs I read. A simple copy and paste operation.
Now, instead of checking your blogs individually, I just log onto GoogleReader and it tells me which blogs have new posts. I can either read the entry in the Reader, or link right to your blog (my preferred method since you know I'm gonna wanna comment). The best part of the whole thing is: Since I don't have to check each blog for new posts, I can add more blogs! (Please, somebody stop me!).
Also, check out Google Alerts. This handy tool sends you an e-mail alert whenever someone links to you. This means you can make sure to thank them for the bloggy love. Like this: Thanks kcinnova for the shout-out in the comments over at Pickled Beef!
It has happened more than once that I lost my post in TypePad, so I took to copying things into Word just in case. But then if something did happen, and I tried to cut and paste back into TypePad, BAD THINGS HAPPENED. Like losing formatting (all contractions morph into little square boxes, no paragraphs allowed). I may have been about to throw the #$&^%*( laptop across the %$^&*( room a wee bit frustrated by this. Then Susan told me about Windows Live Writer, and hark the herald angels sang! This free download lets you compose your blogs and publish immediately OR save for later. This is good. And there is no need to throw the laptop! Again, easy-peasy.
Just for fun is the StatCounter. I have StatCounter.com, but I'm sure there's a bunch of other ones out there. Signing up is as easy as 1-2-3, paste your url, and "you've got stats!" Who is coming? From where? Do they come back? What keywords are people looking for when they find you? Why would anyone be looking for juggling pants?
So, blog friends that have not yet ventured into these brave new worlds, go forth and conquer! If I can do it, anyone can do it!
Oooh, now I know what I'm going to do tomorrow!
Posted by: IrishGoddess | March 01, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Awww, kindness is king (queen, really). Love that you are living the Mrs. G life. Thanks for all the great info. I heart my addictively helpful google reader too.
Posted by: MamaBird | March 01, 2008 at 10:09 PM
If you actually compose your post in Word to begin with? It should - SHOULD - go right into your compose mode in Typepad, even though I don't have Typepad so technically don't know what I'm talking about. For a change.
I c+p from Word into Blogger and it works perfectly. If Typepad has an HTML tab plus a COMPOSE Tab, as Blogger does, try putting into the HTML tab.
For anyone using Blogger, it took me 200 years to figure this out: You can't c+p your post around while you're in compose mode. HOWEVER, if you go into the HTML tab, you can switch it around till you're happy.
Posted by: Suzy | March 01, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Google Reader. *sigh* I almost had a heart attack just changing my blog layout. Trish (see my blogroll) had to stay on the phone with me and talk me down from the ceiling from which I was hanging by my fingernails.
Posted by: Cheri | March 02, 2008 at 01:09 AM
Awww you are such a good soul sharing what you have learnt rather than keeping it to yourself and making the rest of us look sloppy and inferior.
I have never used Live Writer. Perhaps I should investigate. But I use Google Reader (although it is a mixed blessing I find) and I have a tracker for security reasons and yeah the search terms can often be very amusing. It has taught me to be very wary of using certain words on my blog as they get searched a lot and attract a lot of readers who are probably looking for some titillation rather than the sort of boring blog I keep!
Posted by: Reluctant Blogger | March 02, 2008 at 05:15 AM
Awww you are such a good soul sharing what you have learnt rather than keeping it to yourself and making the rest of us look sloppy and inferior.
I have never used Live Writer. Perhaps I should investigate. But I use Google Reader (although it is a mixed blessing I find) and I have a tracker for security reasons and yeah the search terms can often be very amusing. It has taught me to be very wary of using certain words on my blog as they get searched a lot and attract a lot of readers who are probably looking for some titillation rather than the sort of boring blog I keep!
Posted by: Reluctant Blogger | March 02, 2008 at 05:16 AM
This is so sweet of you--laying it all out for the rest of us! I've been aware of Google Reader for a while, but felt it was just TOO MUCH, so I've never bothered to investigate...thank you!
Posted by: Karen | March 02, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Okay...you have convinced me...I'm going to try this. I can do it. It's just going to take some time, so go ahead...ya'll just talk amongst yourselves while I play around on Google!!! :-D
Posted by: debbie | March 02, 2008 at 09:04 AM
Thanks for the info! I appreciate you taking the time to help out like this!I am still so tech. challenged that it isn't funny! I'm going to check out Google Reader and the live writer!
Posted by: Sharon | March 02, 2008 at 10:43 AM
This is SOOOOOO COOL!!!! I've been telling all my friends about google reader, it's AWESOME!
And you are right, now I can read MORE blogs!!! YIPPEE!!
Posted by: Marie J | March 02, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Just look at you getting all technical and sharing the wealth! You SO rock!
Now, tell me how I can move my blog over to my own domain name...then you'll *really* rock!
Posted by: susan | March 02, 2008 at 11:20 PM
I'm really going to have to look into this Google reader. Thanks for the "how to" help. I truly am technically challenged.
Thanks!!
Posted by: Grandy | March 02, 2008 at 11:36 PM
okay, i finally buckled and did reader today. totally worth the time to set up. i love it. good tip. and obviously i'm nearly catatonic with joy over bossy's visit. can. not. wait.
Posted by: kate | March 03, 2008 at 01:31 AM
So COOL that you are going to get together with those hot bloggers!
Thanks for the instructions, oh technical one. :)
Posted by: JCK | March 03, 2008 at 02:33 AM
Awww, you are so sweet. I really must check out this stuff!
Posted by: kcinnova | March 03, 2008 at 11:30 AM
So, if you cut and paste word into Blogger's HTML it isn't all effed up? Hmmm. Also, good info on the Google Reader, I've got my blogs saved to feeder but it isn't the same.
Perhaps if there were some sort of convention perhaps in San Francisco, where mommy bloggers could convene to discuss (and drink wine). Hmmm.
Posted by: Manic Mommy | March 03, 2008 at 02:04 PM
Oh, how fun to meet up with all those bloggers! (Those are some good ones, there!)
Posted by: madmad | March 03, 2008 at 08:16 PM
Snapshots serves pretty much the same purpose for me-I just hover the cursor over the blogs in my daily link list and it shows the last update. Doesn't work on a couple of the more popular blogs, but does on everyone else.
Posted by: Amy the Mom | March 03, 2008 at 10:59 PM
I am addicted to my stat counter! Best idea EVER!
Oh and thanks for visiting my blog!
Posted by: Karen | March 06, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Thanks for the hints. I just set up Google Reader. Yay!
Posted by: Smalltown Mom | March 10, 2008 at 06:52 PM
I will be checking out Microsoft Live Writer and Google Reader. I was so frustrated when I started blogging with TypePad. I couldn't get the copy and paste from word to work and also wanted to throw my computer across the room... except I like my computer too much, so instead aimed colorful language at the screen hoping TypePad would hear. I never did get it to work and compose all my post at TypePad. I'm excited to see how Live Writer works. Thanks for imparting your blogging wisdom.
Posted by: imom | January 17, 2009 at 11:18 AM