Recent Comment Gadget: Compliments of Blogger!

I added something new in the side bar of As The Donut Turns. It is a recent comment gadget that you can make from a Blogger RSS feed gadget. It is very simple and is based on the fact that comments are on a feed!

You do not need a degree in HTML and you do not need to mess with your template code! :)

Lets begin:

1. First lets get a comment feed URL from Blogger:

The subscribe to Posts (Atom) link is the link at the bottom of your blog is the link you need - with a small change to the code.

Where it says posts replace with comments. (As illustrated)

http://asthedonutturns.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

http://asthedonutturns.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default

That then is your comment feed! Very simple...

2. Second lets go to your layout for your blog under your dashboard.

3. Then go to the side bar area and add a gadget!

As you can see I have a Recent Comment widget located there.

So now click on "add gadget".

Pick the feed gadget that pops up in the window.

This is where you have to enter your feed link that you just made.

Enter your comment feed that you just retrieved and modified from the bottom of your Blogger Blog! Just enter the URL in the appropriate spot on the next picture. This is the window that you see after clicking the feed widget in Blogger from above.

After entering the feed for your comments, click continue and you will see this page open up.

You can have only 5 comments showing and you can adjust for dates and authors. This is a good little comment gadget that works a lot better than adding all kinds of code into the template. You do not have to be a HTML wizard to install and if you mess up, you do not blow your blog away to never-land! Do not forget to give a title such as: Recent Comments and do not forget to save!

Little Bear Chow

As The Donut Turns!

comments always welcome.

PS: Some non conformist blog templates for blogger have the atom link removed so you have to find another way to get your comment feed.

Blogger 4 You: a Russian Blogger Blogspot Help Site!

Information for Blogspot Bloggers from Russia! My wife has a Blogspot Blog that is entirely original Russian language. Svetlana has worked very hard on this blog and has a huge following in Russia. If you need help with Blogger in the Russian world of Blogger then Svetlana is your answer.

http://blogger4you.blogspot.com/

Just click the link and you find a whole wealth of information to help you with your Blogspot Blog. She even has a translation device for people who do not speak read Russian...

Little Bear Chow

Blogger Problem? Follow These Links Below!

Several tools that I use with Blogger Blogspot is simply just links to Bloggers help sites.

One link is http://status.blogger.com/ This link goes to a webpage supported by Blogger and it will tell you what is happening and what they will try to do to fix the issue. It also tells of any maintenance work that will be done.

Another link is http://knownissues.blogspot.com/ This link will get you updated on problems that Blogger is having and it will allow you to give some feed back if you recognize the issue as one that you can relate too.

As I work with Blogger Blogspot I find very few times over the last 5 years that have been a problem, but when it is a problem it usually is a big one and can knock you out for a few hours.

So instead of hopping up and down and getting upset look at these links first and just maybe you will find that the problem has been reported and help is on its way...

Little Bear Chow

PS: Another good link for a help group with Blogger is this: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger?hl=en