The Blogger Template Designer

This blog post is for those who use blogger.com for their blogs and it assumes you already know how to use blogger.com. 

Blogger.com has improved its template designer and it is in draft mode, but I have just used it to change the theme of this blog and it was easy to do.  I selected one of the new templates that they are offering and it was easy.  Here are a few details of the improvements:

• 15 new, highly-customizable templates from our design team, split into four families: Simple, Picture Window, Awesome Inc, and Watermark
• One-, two-, and three-column layouts for each template, with complete control over the size and arrangement of the columns
• Hundreds of background images and patterns from iStockphoto, the leading microstock image marketplace

To learn more about new template designer check out their blog:  http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2010/03/blogger-template-designer.html.

I have been using Windows Live Writer (WLW) to update my blog and it has been working really well.  To see my blog post on Windows Live Writer, click here:  http://elevateusergroup.blogspot.com/2010/03/windows-live-writer.html. 

When I changed the template and theme of my blog on Blogger.com, I brought up WLW so that I could create a new post.  WLW was displaying my post in my old theme, but it was easy to change that.  I discovered that I could have WLW download my new theme.  Here is what I did:

• I selected the “Blogs” option from the menu/navigation at the top of the WLW window/interface. 
• Next I selected the “Blog Settings” from the drop down menu.  
• A small pop up windows appears for the “Blog Settings”.  On the left side of this pop up window, click on the “Editing” option. 
• The display to the right will change and you should see a button labeled “Refresh Theme”.  Click on it and answer any prompts that appear. 

That is it.  Not bad at all and it is pretty cool.  What are you waiting for.  Go check it out and have some fun!

What is next for this blog..

I have decided to continue maintaining this blog as a computer learning blog.  I will try to post interesting (at least to me and hopefully to you) information about new or existing technology that may be of interest to the novice/average computer user. 

This blog will not be connected to the free computer learning group that takes place in Greeneville, TN, but the group and others are more than welcome to use this blog as a resource and even make suggestions of topics they would like to see posted on the blog.  I can’t promise I’ll be able to fulfill every request, but I will do what I can and I’ll do what makes sense. 

I have changed the theme of this blog so that it is hopefully an indicator that something has changed with this blog.  In this case, that I’m no longer running the free computer learning meeting in Greeneville, TN (but hopefully the group will continue) and I was bored with the old theme.  I hope you like the new theme better.  I know I do.

I trust that you will continue to follow my blog and enjoy reading it.  Thanks for following and have some fun today.

Elevate Computer Learning Meetings

I will no longer be running and attending the Elevate Computer Learning Meetings, since I have found full time contract work. 

I have turned the meetings over to two very good folks, Larry and Karen.  They said they were planning on showing up at the Library in Greeneville, TN and having the meeting.  Hopefully others came out and all went well.

I’m not sure what I plan on doing with this blog.   I could continue maintaining it and posting topics of interest to the novice computer user or just discontinue it.  I’m not sure yet.  When I figure it out, I’ll post something. 

In the mean time, enjoy your computer time. 

Next Meeting and Other Stuff

I just wanted to let everyone know that this Thursday is the Elevate Computer Learning meeting.  I won't be able to attend this meeting or for that matter any of the meetings on Thursday evening.  I have gotten a full time job in Asheville as a Web Site Designer.  I don't get home until 7:00 pm now.  So, if the group wants to continue meeting on Thursdays, the group needs to select someone else to run the meetings. 

If the group wants me to still run the meetings, I could look at doing them on a Saturday.  Janet told me that the library isn’t open on Saturdays, so we would have to change the meeting place if the meeting is moved to Saturday.

If the group wants to continue to meet on Thursdays, I’m really ok with that.  I want what works best for the group.  When I started this group, my vision was to help people learn more about how to use the computer/internet/software.  I believe in doing community service work and giving back to one's community.  This was one of the ways I choose to do that. 

Now, if the group decides to continue meeting on Thursday, you would need someone to send out meeting notices, notify the Greeneville Sun about the free meetings (the Greeneville Sun will publish our meeting notices for free, as long as the meetings are free to the public), have someone setup and maintain a blog for the group, and have someone who can answer computer questions, teach computer stuff and look up computer stuff. 

I have done most of these tasks myself, but the group could break these task down into several roles, so that one person isn’t doing everything.  Here are the some possible ways to break it down into roles:

Admin Role:  This person could send out meeting notices, notify the Greeneville Sun of upcoming meeting and perhaps post the meetings on Craigslist (I have done this some.  I got more response from the paper). 

Blogger Role:  One person could create and maintain a blog for the group.  This is great for meeting notices, explaining new computer technology, etc..

Teacher/Instructor Role:  This would be the main person or maybe even persons that would be able to answer the groups computer questions, research things, suggest new software or technology to the group, etc...

I have a few suggestions of who I think would be good in the above roles.  These are just my suggestions.  Please think about all of this and whatever thoughts or ideas you have, please email them to the whole group or post your comments here.  

For the Admin Role I think the following folks would be good:  Dianne.

For the Blogger Role:  Janet Tony.  She already blogs and is good at it and she knows computer stuff.  I got an email from Janet yesterday, and I don’t think she is going to be able to do this.  Blogging isn’t that difficult to do, so maybe there is someone in the group who likes to write and has been thinking about trying to do some blogging.  This would be a good time to give it a try.  Blogger.com allows you to create a free blog. 

Teacher/Instructor Role:  This could be a share role or not.  I think Larry, Janet, Joe and Ann would be good at doing this. 

I have really enjoyed doing these meetings and I really hope the group continues.  You guys are a good group of folks.  If the group decides to continue meeting on Thursdays, I will miss coming, but I will totally understand and I’ll be glad to see that they are being carried on.  I look forward to hearing from everyone. 

Windows Live Writer

I wanted to post a quick blog entry today.  It is on “Windows Live Writer”.  A good friend of mine from Philly told me about this software from Microsoft.  I hadn’t heard about it.  Sometimes I get so lost in my work that I don’t take time to see what is new. 

I went out and downloaded and installed the new beta version of Windows Live Writer.  I’m using it right now to create this blog entry.  Cool.  So far I like it. 

I do like blogging, but I honesty have to say that I haven’t been a huge fan of the built in blogging editor for this blogger.com blog. 

The interface for Windows Live Writer (WLW) looks like a cross between a light weight version of a web site development tool and Word.  I’m very comfortable with these tools, so I’m already feeling at home with WLW. 

WLW  has three tabs along the bottom of the main window and they are “Edit, Preview, and Source”.  Anyone familiar with web site designing or development software will be familiar with these tabs and their functions.   The names of the tabs are pretty explanatory, with maybe the exception of one (Source).

Edit allows you to edit an existing post or create a new one and your post will be shown/displayed with your blogs theme.  Pretty cool. 

Preview is how you would see your blog in a browser window (IE, Firefox, Safari, etc..).  Pretty straight forward.

Now, the Source tab might be new for some of you.  The Source tab shows you the actual HTML code for generating your post entry.  I sometimes finds that I want to edit the source code directly, so this tab is very helpful for that.  Not everyone will use the Source tab and that is fine.  For the most part, the Edit tab will more than enough for your blog posts. 

Enough talking.  Let me give you some links for WLW so that you can check it out for yourself and I can get back to exploring WFW some more.  I love technology.  It can be such fun. 

 

• Introduction to  Windows Live Writer.
• Downloading, installing and setting up Windows Live Writer on Youtube
• Basic Authoring with Windows Live Writer on Youtube

 

Now it is up to you to go and explore the world of blogging through Windows Live Writer.  Have fun!

Next Meeting - March 11, 2010

Our next Elevate Computer Learning meeting is on March 11, 2010 at the public library downtown Greeneville, TN and we start at 5:00 pm. Come join us.