Usefuls

If you have this page open in a new window as you work on your blog you will be able to tips to help you as you create your posts.

Changing your template (from Task Three)

It may take some experimentation to find a template that you feel suits the flavour of your blog.
You certainly don't have to stick with the one you started with, but try to keep things fairly simple while you are learning.

Once you are signed into your blog you should see something like this in the top right corner of your home page.
Click on Design.

This will take you to the "nuts and bolts" behind your blog

Click on Template in the list on the left hand side and you will then see some of the templates available to you.

As you hover your mouse over a template a magnifying glass will appear













If you click on the magnifying glass Blogger will show you what your blog will look like using this template.
When you have found one that suits, click on Apply to Blog

There are other customisations that you can make to your template but this will do for now.

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Your first post (Task Four)

Your post requires a title, some text, and an image.
It is customary, in the first post, to write something about what the focus of the blog will be, and perhaps something about the inspiration behind it.

To write your first post click on New Post.

This is the Compose screen.
It is very similar to a basic word processing screen. If you hover your mouse over each of the menu icons some text will appear that will identify each.

Type the title of the post in the box called Post

Your first post will be fairly simple, written in Normal text, with "Enters" between paragraphs.
Blogger will auto save from time to time or you can click on the Save button at any time.
To use bold or italics just select the text with your mouse and then click on the icon.
You may insert bullets if you wish.

Note that there is an Undo button.

There is no spell checker although you do get crinkly red underlining.

When you have written a few lines click on Preview - another window should open and you should be able to read what you have written there. Blogger saves before opening the Preview window.

See Adding an Image below

Adding a Label
Labels are tags that will later connect your posts as your blog grows.
Most labels are simple one word tags. You can use a number of them separated by commas.
Decide what your post is about, click on Labels and add them. e.g. roses, white, fertiliser
When you have types them into the box click on Done.

After you have added your image(s)/ photos, check the Preview again. If everything is ok, click on Publish

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Adding an Image

Blogger makes it easy to add images to your blog from a variety of sources.
When you click on the Insert an Image icon, the following box opens up.

You just need to know where the image is, and what is is called.
Choose files refers to your computer or your USB stick.
Don't worry too much about the size in kb of the image as Blogger uses a thumbnail on your page although is someone clicks on the image it will load in a separate window at full size.

From a URL refers to an image on the internet. What you need to be able to put in there is the Image Location. You get this by right mouse clicking on the Image and using Copy Image Location. You then paste that information into the From a URL box (Ctrl-V)

You can choose to make the image bigger or small in your blog and also align to the left, the center or the right. You can also give it a caption if you wish.

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Locating your Blog

If you have more than one blog, Blogger will show your "main" blog, possibly your oldest, when you sign in. To locate your other blogs, go to the Design screen of the blog you are on, and then look in the top left corner, next to the name of the blog, for a down arrow head. If you click on that you will see the list of all your blogs and can change to one on the list.

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Creating a New Blog
Go into the Design of your current blog, and access the list of your current blog, as in Locating Your Blog (above)
At the bottom of the list you will find New blog.
Click on that and Blogger will lead you through the process.

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Scheduling a Post

You can write posts in advance and then schedule when they will be automatically published.
(Alternatively just write them but don't publish and they will stay as drafts until you are ready to complete them)

To schedule a post

1. write the post as usual
2. In the right margin choose Schedule
3. Choose Set date and time 
4. Click on the calendar and choose your date, then alter the time to what you want.
5. When you have finished click Done
6. If your post is complete then click on Publish.
7. Your post should now appear in the list as Scheduled

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Delete your blog

If you delete your blog, it will no longer be available online and will be permanently removed from your list of blogs.
Here's how to delete your blog:

1. Sign in to blogger.com and access your list of blogs (see Locating Your Blog above)
2. Go to the blog that you want to delete.
3. Go to Design.
4. Select Settings.
5. Click Other (under Settings) on the left side of the page.
6. At the top of the page under "Blog tools" click Delete blog.
7. Click Delete this blog.

The title of the deleted blog will appear in the "Deleted blogs" section for a short time after you delete your blog. During this time period, you can click Deleted blogs on the left side of your Blogger Dashboard to see the titles of your recently deleted blogs.


Adding a Picasa slide show into a blog post

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06kXgVSW2E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYxXRW-J3c

I used the instructions in the second YouTube video to produce the slide show below.
The clue is that they must be publicly shared. My album is here.

1. Open your blog
2. Decide whether you want to put the slideshow in a Gadget or a new post
If a gadget look for HTML Gadget. If a new post create new post and go to html side of page
3. open a new window and load Picasa Album (and login if you aren't logged in)
4. Choose an album to display. It needs to be shared and public.
5. In the right hand margin look for Link to this album and click on that
6. Click on embed slideshow - this will display code
7. choose size - if a side gadget probably Medium is ok, if a gadget at the bottom of the page or in the post, then you can use large or extra large.
8. Copy the code (Ctrl-A then Ctrl-C) and Paste the code into your blog (Ctrl-V) and save.
Slideshow should work - check preview