Blog Boot Camp
BOOKMARK SDAColorado.org. Find this blog quickly by bookmarking it now. Click on either: Bookmarks in the top toolbar on Firefox or Safari browsers or Favorites or Internet Shortcuts on Internet Explorer.
LIFE IS UNCERTAIN – Links Break – Site Addresses Change. Every effort will be made to keep links on this blog up to date. However, if you click on a link and it is either not active or you find the dreaded Page Not Found error message, then copy the name that appears above the link into a search engine like Google.com or Ask.com. Searching on the name of the site organization should guide you there. You can also copy any link shown on this blog into a new window in your browser. Sometimes that works even when the seemingly active link to the very same address does not…don’t know why, but it often solves the problem.
NEW TO BOGGING? Many of us are “newbies” to blogging on a WebLog. Here are some resources to help you learn the basics so that you can share your ideas, web finds and comments related to surface design and fiber arts on this SDAColorado.org blog.
- STEP 1: Learn how a blog functions by going to a web site full of helpful three-minute videos. Click here to access: Blogs in Plain English at CommonCraft.com. There are other language options there as well.
- STEP 2: Learn how to make comments and posts on this blog. You are welcome (but never required) to add your comments on a topic (commenting) or to (post) information such as letting members know that you will be teaching classes. You can ask questions of other members and…hopefully get a reply. Text boxes appear in various places on this blog where you can type in your thoughts, suggestions or information.
- WARNING: NEVER write your email address or another person’s email address into the comments text box on any blog or social networking web site. Spammers and scammers lie in wait for such information.
- STEP 3: Create Your Blog Image – your Avatar. Personal comments you see on the web are often accompanied with a tiny photo or graphic image of the person leaving the comment called an “avatar”. This can be a photo you submit or a graphic you design. Click here to go to GRAVATAR.com – a free web service which will step you through the options and the process of creating your own avatar. Have a phot0 of yourself or a graphic ready on your computer desktop. If you choose not to create your personal avatar your comments will be accompanied by a “generic person” graphic. It is just a blogging option.
BLOG ETIQUETTE. This is a public blog. Every comment you send to this blog can be viewed on the world wide web even though it is created specifically for the benefit of Colorado members of SDA. Click here for more info on blog etiquette.
RECEIVING NOTIFICATION of posts or comments to this Blog. You can go to SDAColorado.org at any time and view any and all new posts and comments. If you want to be notified when something is new here are your choices.
- Monthly via email from SDA: Colorado SDA Members with email accounts will be automatically be notified by an email from SDA on an approximate monthly basis that there is new information posted and/or replies to your posts available on SDAColorado.org. Colorado SDA members may subscribe to more frequent notification methods below, but will still receive the monthly emails about SDAColorado.org from your state representative. All the services below are independent of SDA and are optional conveniences.
- Whenever you choose via email: In the upper right panel of this blog you will see: Email Subscription. Fill in information requested and WordPress.com – the web function service provider of this blog – will send you email notifications of new information posts to this blog and any responses to your comments on the frequency which you select at the time you subscribe.
- Whenever you choose by signing up to be a “Follower” of this site. See bottom on the right panel on this blog to register for this option.
- Whenever you choose via a News Reader Service linked with an RSS Feed from this blog. These two services are independent , yet rely upon one another to function. A News Reader service lets you go to one web site to learn what’s new on any blog or web site which you would like to monitor. You will need to set up a News Reader account and then enable RSS (See below) to forward new information from this blog.
How to Sign up for a News Reader Service. Choose from one of the following News Reader services and create an account. You will need an ID and Password.
What is an RSS Feed? It is a free web service which you have to eallow to send newly posted information (RSS Posts) or comments (RSS Comments) on this blog to your News Reader Service right away. You will need to enable this service by clicking on one of the orange RSS icons at the top right panel on this blog. Click here to access: RSS in Plain English at CommonCraft.com.
How to link your News Reader Account to an RSS Feed. Go to SDAColorado.org and click on RSS Posts or RSS Comments on the upper right panel of this blog. Fill in the information requested to link the RSS Feed to the News Reader service you have chosen. Follow the instructions given for your type of browser. Check your News Reader account as often you wish to see recent posts from this blog.
