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Windows Live Writer Plugins:The Text Template

March 17, 2011 By 2 Comments

 

are-you-there-500x275

Contents

 

 

Introduction

This posts describes the very handy upgrade to Windows Live Writer – the plugin Text Template.  This easy to use feature allows you to set up a complete post template, as I do, or you can add  snip-its, sections of text and HTML coding that can be quickly added to your posts.

Windows Live Writer

Windows Live Writer is a very useful tool for bloggers. It allows you to write blogs off-line in a cut-down Word environment. You can send your work directly to your blog, save the work to draft or you can save your work on your computer’s disk.

The interface is superior to that of the WordPress Add Post and Edit Post features. It allows formatting, linking, a great image handling facility, add video, emoticons, a quality spell-checker and much, much more.  I am now a convert and most of my posts, including this one, are now written using the package.

live-writer-screen

Using the Plugin

Really easy.

Click Insert on the top menu.

Click  the       Text Template icon in the  Plug-ins  section

live-writer-select-text-template

You’ll the see the Text Template displayed.

live-writer-text-template-screen

In my case I have only made one template  blogbasics-main.

Just a double click and the extensive template is then placed into my open  Live Writer document.

This template adds some hidden html to insert a table to layout out an image and a code that triggers a WordPress to process and insert a table of contents.

The template also contains some of my standard blog headings, such as Introduction.

Setting up a Template or Snip-it

Click Insert on the top menu.

Click  the       Text Template icon in the  Plug-ins  section

live-writer-select-text-template

You’ll the see the Text Template displayed.

live-writer-text-template-screen

Click        Add Template

live-writer-add-text-template

Add a title

Add Text and/or HTML

Unless you are going to add a large number of Snip-its I suggest ignoring the category, for classification and the icon.

Click the       Accept button.

An example

live-writer-add-text-template2

I’ve added the snip-it    Signature

Which provides the following signature

Happy Blogging

Paul Odtaa
Blogbasics.com

To Install the Plugin Text Template

 

Go direct the the Text Template link

Text Template  -  Download Link

Click  the      Download Now button

Follow the instructions and then activate the downloaded plugin, which will be installed on your computer.  You will need to approve the prompts given by the system.

Browse the plugins

Select the    Insert Menu

Click    Add plug-in

Scroll through plugins until you come across  Text Template

Click  the      Download Now button

Follow the instructions and then activate the downloaded plugin, which will be installed on your computer.  You will need to approve the prompts given by the system.

 

 

To Edit Your Text Template

 

Going through the same process as using the template.  That is

Click Insert on the top menu.

Click  the       Text Template icon in the  Plug-ins  section

The available templates will be displayed.

Select the appropriate template by clicking on it.

Click     Edit Template

Change text, add or remove code.

Click the       Accept button to confirm the changes.

 

To Delete a Template

 

Click Insert on the top menu.

Click  the       Text Template icon in the  Plug-ins  section

The available templates will be displayed.

Select the appropriate template by clicking on it.

Click     Delete Template

Confirm you want to delete the template.

Our Links

Blog Basics: Windows Live Writer overview

Blog Basics: Windows Live Writer – Managing Pictures

Live Write Basics:  A lot of useful tis on Live Writer

 

Over to You

Do you know any other good tips for Live Writer?   Do you know any other productivity tips for bloggers?  Are you likely to be using the plugin?

Filed Under: Blogging Tools Tagged With: ,

Windows Live Writer– Managing Images

March 16, 2011 By 2 Comments

golden-blogger

Contents

 
 


Introduction

Windows Live Writer is a very useful tool for bloggers.  It allows you to write blogs off-line in a cut-down Word environment.  You can send your work directly to your blog, save the work to draft or you can save your work on your computer’s disk.

The interface is superior to that of the WordPress Add Post and Edit Post features.  It allows formatting, such as bold, underline and italic; change font face, font size, font colour; set the alignment of text, set header styles; add hyperlinks, images and media;  a great spell checker, word counter and much more.  One of its great features is the added facilities for handling images.

Basic Image Control

 

First    Click your mouse    in the position you would like to insert the image. 

Hint:  I usually size an compress my image with my trusty Fireworks graphics package before loading it into Live Writer or WordPress editors.

Fireworks allows me to precisely control the image size and then to prepare it for the web by reducing its loading time.

To insert an image there are two alternatives:

On the Home Menu

     Click Picture   on the right hand – Insert section of the menu

          or on the   Insert menu   Click  Picture

Select Option from

          From your computer,  From the web,  Create online album, Add online album 
                      (For this tutorial I’ll describe the ‘From your computer’ option).

From your computer

Prompts you to find the image from your computer’s disk drive.  When you select an image it will be displayed in the Live Writer document. So below is the image of my camper van. 

bongo

Click on the image to activate the Picture Tools

Changing sizes

live-writer-control-image-sizes

You can change the size of the image by entering sizes in pixels in the width and height sections.  Click the   Lock aspect ratio  if you want to adjust both values.

Crop  lets you crop, cut away a section of the image.

live-writer-image-cropping

bongo

Adjust the clear section by dragging the controls on the side and then clicking   OK   to select. 

Default Image Sizes

One of the most useful features  of the Picture Tools is the fact you can set up three default sizes.  Click  the little square with the arrows in the size box  and click  Set default sizes

live-writer-default-images

You can set the default sizes, (in pixels), for small, medium and large.  You can also select the Original size of the image. This is really useful for standardising your layouts.  

Other Options

bongo

You have quite a lot of other options

  • Picture borders – you have a choice of bine different borders
  • Picture effects – including changing the colour, sharpening, blurring and embossing
  • Changing the Contrast and Brightness
  • Add a Watermark
  • Change Alignment – centre – no text, left, right and centre with text
  • Add margins – top, bottom, left, right – set in pixels

Conclusion

It is really worthwhile getting familiar with Live Writer’s image management system.  I’ve found it very useful to have set image sizes in many of my blogs.  For example for this blog I have a header image of most posts of 300 x 300 pixels.  This allows me to set up the post’s contents side by side.  For other images I use a maximum width of 550 pixels to fit on the page.  

My Links

Blog Basics:  Overview of Live Writer, (including where to download).

Blog Basics:  Live Writer Plugin – Templates, (How to add templates and snip-its of text to Live Writer). To be written tomorrow.

Over to You

Do you use Live Writer?  Do you use any other text editor for your blogs?  Have you any other advice on blogging, productivity.

Filed Under: Blogging Tools, Editor Tagged With: , ,

WordPress Jetpack: Powerful Plug-in

March 14, 2011 By 5 Comments

WordPress Jetpack

WordPress Jetpack Plugin

Contents

 

Problem with Jetpack seems to have been resolved

.

There were quite a few people having problems with the plugin, myself included. In particular the Stats package stopped working and complained that it was not connected to WordPress.com.

It now seems to have sorted itself out and I reckon the problem was that the system could not handle the huge rush of users. It now seems to be working OK.

Introduction

WordPress have just released the extremely powerful JetPack plug-in.  This feature will add quite a few useful utilities that were only available as a complete package to blogs on the company’s free blogging platform, WordPress.com.

It is clear that JetPack will be used by WordPress to add other features in the future in a similar way to aps on mobile phones.  There may be charges for some of these new added features in the future.

Features of Jetpack
  • Gravatar Hovercards: Find out who’s commenting on your posts with enhanced information for Gravatars (includes full name, bio, other web profiles).
  • WordPress.com Stats: Keep on top of your traffic with powerful and simple to understand statistics for your site.
  • Twitter Widget: Keep your readers more up to date by syncing your tweets to your site via a simple widget.
  • Shortcodes: Quickly add movies, images, and more to your posts and pages with a single line of code.
  • Shortlinks: Automatically creates an easy to copy/paste mini-url for any post on your site.
  • LaTeX: Use the famous markup language to quickly create beautiful mathematical expressions and equations.
  • Sharedaddy: Your readers can easily share your posts via email or their favorite social networks.
  • After the Deadline: Your writing will improve thanks to this artificial intelligence based spell, style, and grammar checker.

Installation of Jetpack

Installation of the package is relatively straightforward.  Once installed individual features need to be configured.

Login to the WordPress Dashboard

Click on the Plugin button

Plugin

WordPress Plugin

Click  Add New

Type in the search term  jetpack and click  Search Plugins button

Click   Install Now

Confirm that you want to install the plugin by clicking the    OK button

Click   Activate Plugin

You will see a message displayed at the top of the Plugin page the above message  Your Jetpack is almost ready with a green button Connect to WordPress.com on the right.

Click the Connect to the WordPress.com button.

WordPress account signin page

WordPress account sign-in page

If you have a WordPress account sign-in.  You will need to   Authorize the connection to your blog and then you can go to the plugin’s configuration.

Getting a WordPress Account

or Click   Need an Account link on the right

Join WordPress

Join WordPress

Enter your details and then press the   Sign up button

WordPress Profile

WordPress Profile

You will be sent an email.  You will need to confirm on the link in the email to join WordPress.com

This is optional: You will asked to add your profile

If you do then press     Submit button.

Once your account has been validated it is generally easier to go back to the WordPress Dashboard and click the  green       Connect of WordPress

Connect to WordPress

WordPress is then Installed

Setting up Jetpack

Filed Under: Blogging Tools, Editor Tagged With: ,

Discuss your comments with Disqus

January 29, 2011 By 20 Comments

Shout down phone

Contents

 

 

Overview:

The standard blogging systems have good, built in comment systems.  However many websites are now using the online comment system Disqus.  This article discusses the pros and cons of Disqus and explains why ‘Beginning to Blog’ uses the system.

Let’s Go:  What is Disqus?

Disqus is simply an alternative to a blog site’s own comment system.  For most blogs there is a simple plugin, which when activated will as the name suggests plug in the Disqus system.

There are two big differences to the standard comment system:

A user logs in once and can then automatically comment on any website that has Disqus activated. So for example once signed in you could write a comment on Beginning to Blog, but you can then go to other blogs and comment there, or you can even go to two UK national newspapers, the Independent, and the Daily Telegraph, and automatically make comments there.

A user’s comments and approval of other comments are stored on the Disqus systesm. The user then has a separate, online file of all their comments on all of the Disqus sites they have used.  As Disqus has a great search system this can be useful in checking back on the comments they have made or someone else, possibly impressed by someone’s comments on one site , can follow that person’s comments on other sites.

 

The login

A user can log into Disqus using their Twitter account, their Facebook account, Yahoo account or their OpenID.  Once the link is established they can comment.

This has the plus point that the gravtar, or image they use, on that account can be drawn in.  It also means that when a person is posting a comment they can also opt for the details of their post to summarised and linked on the Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo system.

The positive advantages of using Disqus

for the user

The biggest advantage is that the user receives emails telling them when there are comments on their comments.  The links in the emails takes the user straight to the comment and so it is quite easy to engage in a discussion or argument with other users of the site.

  • It saves the user registering on lots of different websites.
  • The user can quickly access all comments they have made.
  • On most website users can click on a button to say they like a comment, which can give positive feedback for the writer.
  • The user has a summary of how many posts they made and how many people have rated their comments.

for the website owner

  • Disqus cuts practically all spam.
  • The comments are often linked to on at least one of these services Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo.  This then produces backlinks from highly rated sites, which in turn enhances the rating of the blog or newspaper.
  • It makes their site look professional.
  • It’s very easy to control comments.  Hostile or unacceptable comments are easy to delete.

The downside
  • A person has to actually register before they can comment, which may block some potential commentators.
  • If there is a fault with the Disqus system then there maybe no comments on the site or the site could be slowed down.
  • The website owner has little control of Disqus.  If say Disqus decided to withdraw the free service I would have to balance between paying a subscription or losing my existing comments.  I think this is unlikely.

Why I use Disqus

I think that Disqus will cut spam on my sites, will look more professional, will give me valuable back links. It will also enable me to check the comment history of my commentators.

Filed Under: Blogging Tools Tagged With: , , ,

Brilliant Blogging Tools: Windows Live Writer

January 4, 2011 By 5 Comments

Contents

 

Overview

All bloggers should use the free utility Windows Live Writer.  It’s an excellent tool for writing blogs offline.  It’s built in word counter and spelling checker make it a very useful.  I actually prefer to use it then writing directly to my WordPress sites direct.

Let’s Go:  Using Live Writer

So I’m sitting in the lounge.  I’ve just had a nice meal.  The telly’s on and my wife’s offered of make a cup of tea. There’s some programme on where some American serial killer is killing.  But we all know that the CSI  NCIS, the Law and Order team are going to solve the case somewhere between the last set of ads and the end of the programme.

So out comes the notebook. Switch it on and click on Live Writer.

I can then quickly belt out an easy post on a subject that doesn’t require a lot of research.

I’ve got wifi, but I don’t need to use it.  I just write, save to disk.  I can then upload later when I’m connected.

The interface

The interface is like a simplified Microsoft Word.  There’s a whole host of controls on the top of the screen and a nice area below where you can enter your text.  You can also add images and video. However, be warned the package quickly gets complicated when you try and do anything clever with images.

From a simpler to use set of controls than WordPress you can add hyperlinks, change the styling, add bold, italics and underline, change text colour, alter text alignment and switch on or off lists.

Links with your blog

The publishing section of the interface allows you to build links with your blog or blogs.  The package allows you to link up with a wide range of blogging platforms including WordPress, Sharepoint, Blogger and Typepad.

When setting up a blogging site you have the option of letting the system download a copy of the theme.  With a simple theme Live Writer will display an approximation of your theme’s layout and with a more sophisticated theme you’ll get a display of the styles, such as headings and customisation of text.

Posting your posts

The utility allows the user to post direct to the blog or post to draft.

There is a simple menu bar that uses a drop list to set up a category, tags and a click down calendar to set the date of publishing.

And guys and gals it’s free

OK you’ve got to have either Windows 7 or the deadbeat system Vista.  But if you have then the package is free.

For a download go to the Live Writer site.  Click and download.

You’ll find that the download will also try and load the entire Microsoft Essentials package, which includes a photo gallery, a video editor, Live Mail, (which allows you to link all your mail programs), and parental control system and Mesh, which allows you to synchronise all your computers.

Personally I only use Live Writer I’m sceptical of allowing Microsoft too much control over my computers and my life.

So when you install, then please use the customise option, so that you can select the options that you want, rather than what Microsoft wants.

Conclusion

If you’ve got Windows 7 and blog then you should be downloading and using this very important blogging tool.  It will improve your productivity greatly, particularly if it is used in conjunction with focus booster, which helps you focus on the job in hand.

My one complaint is that the image processing section is quite good if you want to enter a simple image, but to be truthful I just don’t like it.  I prefer to import my images directly into WordPress because I can standardise the image size and my theme, Freelance, from StudioPress, does clever things with the WordPress system.  But then there’s a problem.  If I then try and update the blog from Live Writer my images disappear.

So for my use the package is good for making a draft of text, but that’s it.  Once you’ve published I advise deleting the post from Live Writer.

Filed Under: Blogging Tools Tagged With: ,

Productivity: Focus Booster

January 3, 2011 By 2 Comments

Contents

 
focus booster productivity tool

Overview:

Speed up your writing with FocusBooster.  This free, Windows 7 based, package can quickly train you to speed up your writing and in fact improve your productivity on other tasks as well.

What is it?

Simply it is just a time counter.  You click and it counts down 25 minutes.  In that time you focus on the one task.  In my case writing this article and I’ve still got 20 minutes 49 second to go.

As the time gets near to the deadline the counter changes colour to a more urgent brownish, reddish colour.  Warning that it is time to speed up.

When times up it gives a few ticks, like an alarm clock, and then stops.  At this point you should stop the task and do something else as it starts a shorter five minute count down, which you could use as a break or to do a completely different task.

The idea behind FocusBooster

This is based on the Pomoro Technique, a time management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980′s.

The technique uses the timer to break down periods of work into 25-minute intervals, (referred to as “pomodoros”), separated by breaks.  The idea is that frequent breaks can improve mental agility.

There are five basic steps to implementing the technique:

  • decide on the task to be done
  • set the pomodoro (timer) to 25 minutes
  • work on the task until the timer rings; record the task status
  • take a short break (5 minutes)
  • every four “pomodoros” take a longer break (15-20 minutes)

In this way you’ll be more effective, more focused, on a specific task.  I find it helps speed up my writing.  (13 minutes 54 seconds and the bar has turned brown, but I’ve written 216 words).

Other uses

I love the internet and I actually find using FocusBooster to control my sessions is quite useful.  I allow myself 25 minutes to check the news, check Facebook, email friends, read blogs and browse.  The moment the alarm goes I stop.

If I’ve been good, that means I’ve sorted my daily to-do list,  I allow myself further sessions throughout the day.  Interestingly I become more focused when browsing.  Not faster, but I’m more particular on which sites I view.

The Technology

FocusBooster is the Adobe Air product I use.  Air seems to be a platform for people to write mini-applications similar to Apple’s iPhone aps.  For this use it seems quite good, but it does need updating quite a bit and I’m told that some of the other Air applications can be a bit memory hungry.  But I’ve had no problems with this package.

Conclusion

FocusBooster is re3ally useful for anyone working with computers.  It really does help boost productivity and it’s really good to remind you to take breaks.  (it’s now gone dark red with 1 minute 25 seconds to go.  Enough time to do a Spellcheck).

Recomendation

Use Focus Booster with Windows Live Writer to write your initial draft blogs.  You’ll find that you’ll speed up with your delivery.

Live writer is OK for simple graphics, but starts making things complicated if you are you using many images in a post.

Download and Information

http://www.focusboosterapp.com/

What do you think?

What do you think of this approach? Do you have any other suggestions on productivity or timekeeping?

Filed Under: Blogging Tools Tagged With: ,