As The Donut Turns!

Goodbye Blogger Blogspot - You Drove Me Away...

2010-06-09T12:00:00.001-07:00

I have used Blogger Blogspot for many years. I have tried to play by their rules and never ever played games. But...

Blogger has enacted an automated spam system and they have destroyed several of my blogs and I have lost lots of data.

I have tried to work with them but they have not one time responded to any of my e-mails that have asked for help to get my data back. They have deleted several of my comments from Blogger help and I have reached the point of no return...

Blogger has lost a very very loyal and faithful friend. I have a Russian wife who has promoted Blogger by the thousands to Russian bloggers instead of Livejournal and such...

So Goodbye Blogger Blogspot...

Little Bear Chow!

New Templates From Blogger!

2010-03-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

This is for those of you who play with Blogger Draft! This is not for the faint of heart because they do not have all the bugs worked out of it yet. Blogger Draft is the testing ground for all the new toys that Blogger is going to mainstream in the future. They allow people who are daring to try them out. The latest new toy is a template manipulator...

First go to Blogger draft -http://draft.blogger.com/home. Sing in if not already and then you will notice that the Blogger Orange Button has become a Blogger blue button. :)

Above - Click on layout on the blog that you want to play with!

Above - Then you will see a link called Template Designer next to the Pick New Template link!

Above - This is the new template page. You are on your own from here...

This link is to one of my blogs that is using the new template from Blogger Draft.

Windows to Russia!

You should download your old template from the HTML page before you start to dwell in this new template area. That way you can correct it to get it back if you find that the old template is history as I did. I will not get into details to deep on this subject because they have many changes left to make. But if you love to play like I do, then go for it!

I have always made my own templates for years but now I am so impressed with what Blogger has done that my main blog is dressed by Blogger now! :)

Soon I will be putting a new skin on As The Donut Turns...

Little Bear Chow!

As The Donut Turns!

Blogger Label Cloud - The Blogger Way!

2010-03-01T03:03:00.001-08:00

Today a tip on one of the changes at Blogger Blogspot. Many Blogger Blogspot user have always wanted to have a label cloud and before this point it took a degree in HTML to get it done.

Well Blogger has been listening and now all you have to do is click the cloud spot on your configure label. Under the display section. Simple and easy...

But you ask, "Hey how do I get to that label configuration?" OK that is a fair question...

If you have labels already installed in your sidebar then just click on the edit link (Screwdriver and wrench) and you can make your adjustment in the pop up screen... ----->

OK - Lets install labels for those who do not have a label widget!

First - Go to your Blogger dashboard.

Then enter the layout section of the blog you wish to add labels on!

Go to add gadget on the sidebar!

Click add gadget and you will be presented with a list of gadgets scroll down and you will find the label section. Just click on it and...

Walla Walla Bing Bang we are at the picture on top of this post...

Just make adjustments according to what you desire and please do not forget to save...

Then drag and drop new widget on the layout page to the preferred spot of your choice...

Blogger makes life easier and easier! See my new label cloud, compliments of blogger. ----->

As The Donut Turns!
Little Bear Chow

Lets Install a Search Widget in Blogger Blogspot!

2010-02-23T04:30:00.000-08:00

The simplest way to install a search widget on a blogger blog is to go to the layout and add a widget. Blogger has a very nice search widget that is powered by Google and looks OK...

Install Blog search widget by clicking button below:

However, if you prefer to install a search widget manually. Then you should take the following steps:

Go to Template and the Layout part in your Blogger Dashboard.

Click add gadget and then the HTML/Javascript element in your sidebar.

Insert the following code into the widget (Copy and paste):

<p align="center"><form id="searchthis" action="/search" style="display:inline;" method="get"> <input id="search-box" name="q" size="25" type="text"/> <input id="search-btn" value="Search" type="submit"/> </form></p>

This is what the search widget looks like:

Then save the element and move to desired spot on the side bar.

There you have it a search widget for your Blogger Blog!

Little Bear Chow
AS The Donut Turns!

Blogger 4 You: a Russian Blogger Blogspot Help Site!

2010-01-28T01:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

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

Two SEO Hints That Really Help!

2010-01-21T03:26:00.000-08:00

A couple of hints at helping your website:

1. Use the bold tags (<b> any word </b>) around a couple of your keywords on each page. (This is in the html of your post!) Do not do this more than a few times per page. Making a keyword bold will help the search engines pick up on that keyword. Remember less is better...

2. Social bookmarking: Some will disagree but I feel that if you make it easy for your visitors to social bookmark your website. The you help to create those important links that the search engines value. There are plenty of free social bookmarking widgets available.

A very easy one to implement in Blogger is the Follower Widget: Just go to your layout page and add a widget called the Follower Widget and soon you will have several followers. I have 6 on this blog as of right now... Oops seven now :)

As The Donut Turns!

Make Your Blogger Blogspot Post Titles SEO Friendly!

2009-08-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Blogger Blogspot post titles are not SEO friendly. The article title is after the Blog title every time by default in Blogger. This causes a SEO issue with individual articles. So to give your article a boost in search ability...

Here is how to fix this . Go to Blogger Dashboard and go to Layout then edit HTML > find the code section in the top of the template that looks like:

<title><data:blog.pagetitle></title> (Underlined in picture.)

and replace it with

<b:if cond= 'data:blog.pageType == "index"'>
<title><data:blog.title/></title>
<b:else/>
<title><data:blog.pageName/></title>
</b:if>

Now the individual pages will have original post title first and foremost .

Little Bear Chow!

Install a blog traffic counter in Your Blogger Blogspot Template!

2009-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Install a Blogger Blogspot Traffic Counter:

Blogger Blogspot does not having a inbuilt traffic counter is a major mistake by Blogger. So lets install at least a basic page traffic counter in your Blogger blog.

I have installed SEO Logic^® Website Hit Counter to this blog. It is located at the bottom of the page (post column).

For more information on choosing traffic counters see this link below!

http://www.seologic.com/webmaster-tools/hit-counter.php

This is a simple and fast loading counter that does what it says. It counts the hits to your website. It lets you put in your starting count. It can be put in the side bar or at the bottom or top of your post column! (Mine is at the bottom of the post column)

That is really what you want to play with more than any other statistic... :)

Little Bear Chow!

Dislike Atom Feed Showing On Your Blogger Blog? (Then Get Rid Of It)

2009-05-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

.feed-links {display: none; }

See this simple little snippet of code above. That little snippet of code installed in your blogger template right below your - Variable definitions before the start of CSS, will remove the Atom Feed link located at the bottom of your main column.

Now why would you do this?

Some people do not like the blogger only attribute of having the feed located at the bottom of the main column. That is a dead giveaway that you are using Blogger Blogspot for hosting!

So if you are comfortable with your level of HTML ability then copy and paste this code into the template of your Blogger Blog. As always back up your template before performing HTML additions and alterations.

.feed-links {display: none; }

So just go to your dashboard and click on Layout then HTML. Then without expanding template enter the code snippet as suggested above. Just keep the code in the CSS section.

All done and your Atom Feed will disappear. :)

Little Bear Chow

Help to Write a Post: Words Ignored by Search Engines!

2009-03-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

655 Words that Search Engines and Semantic Indexing Usually Ignore
You can't write without them, because they are the glue that holds a sentence together, but overusing them makes your writing dull and weak.

Link to :
655 Words that Search Engines and Semantic Indexing Usually Ignore

So I found this list of words and it just gives some more thoughts on what to do and not to do when writing posts on Blogger Blogspot or any blog service.

Truly the idea is not to hack and trick out your blog but to write decent content. :)

But as I know also, the hacks to a blog template are sometimes the best part.

Little Bear Chow!

Blogger Navigation Bar The Simple Way!

2009-02-28T04:49:00.000-08:00

I was looking all over the Internet for a way to create a navigation bar for my blog and I found several tutorials that just seemed to required a degree in HTML. Since I do not have that degree I invented a new way to make a navigation bar for blogger. A way with no degree of HTML coding necessary. :)

Actually I did not invent it but discovered it. I was playing with making a sidebar navigation system made of simple links and started to move the conglomeration that I made, all over the layout page to various spots. I discovered with patience that I could make the widget stick to a variety of areas.

Here is how you can add a menu bar to your blogger blogspot blog.

To get a menu bar like the one in the picture above, here's what you need to do.

1. In your Blogger dashboard, click on the Layout tab and then click "Add a Gadget". Choose the "HTML" option. In the HTML option you even have a Rich editor for people who want to get fancy.

2. Type in the text that you want for each link. If you have a degree in HTML this is the point that you can shine and show your skills. You can add color, size and most anything including pictures at this point. But we are here for a simple Navigation Bar and will not cause confusion.

3. Create your links. Highlight each piece of text separately, click on the "Create Link" button, and enter the URL that you want.

4. Click Save and then back to your Page Elements section.

5. Place the navigation bar just below your header. Grab the "HTML" element that you just created and drag around it until it looks like the following image.

*If you have trouble placing it there in the top section, try dragging the menubar to the section where your main posts go and then move it up.

And that's it, you have a simple navigation bar for your "Blogger blogspot Blog!" (say that 10 times real quick)

Little Bear Chow!

A Blogger Tip That Is Not a Hack!

2009-02-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

One of the most important Blogger tips that I can think of is not a hack at all but a piece of advice.

Update your blog on a regular basis.

Why - Because that is all the readers want now isn’t it?

Would you read your own site - if it wasn’t yours?

If your answer is no, then you got some serious re-thinking to do!

Here is an example site that has 1100 posts in less than two years. No it is not a news site. It is a blog that is posted on several times a day. The posts are anything of interest about the wonderful country called Russia!

Windows to Russia: The Russian Blog!

So just maybe the greatest advice above all the hacks, gadgets and gizmo's that you can do to Blogger is just simply.

Quantitative Management: "Post quality and post quantity!"

Little bear Chow!

Removing The Blogger Navigation Bar!

2009-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Little Bear Chow here to help you with that Nav Bar at the top of the Blogger Web Site. Some people do not like the sight of it at the top of their page and so if you are one of those people then remove it. Blogger really does not care and you will not be kicked out of the Blogger Blogspot world of blogging.

To perform this change is easy but still involves going into your Blogger template: If you are not comfortable with messing with your template then please do not perform this operation.

Please backup template first.

All you need to do is add the following CSS:

#navbar-iframe { height:0px; visibility:hidden; display:none; }

to your template under edit HTML. You need to put it anywhere in your template between the <skin> tags. I usually tell people to paste the code just below the first <skin> tag and below the style section, because that makes it easy to find.

<b:skin><![CDATA[/*

-----------------------------------------------
Blogger Template Style
Name:
Designer:
URL:
Date:
Updated by:
----------------------------------------------- */

#navbar-iframe { height:0px; visibility:hidden; display:none; }

So once pasted into the template click preview template to see if you did anything nasty to your HTML and if OK then just save and enjoy the fruits of your labor.The website will look like a new site when you are done. It is amazing how much difference it makes.So just another trick from Little Bear Chow to make your Blogger experience more enjoyable.

As The Donut Turns!

Want The Best Of Blogger? Use Blogger In Draft!

2009-01-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Little Bear Chow here: I was thinking about how fantastic the Blogger platform is and realized that many people have no idea that Blogger has a enhanced dashboard platform area.

A simple little trick to get all the latest beta blogger devices and changes before they become permanent is to use Blogger in draft.

Blogger has a platform called Blogger In Draft! Just use this link and if you have an account with Blogger then you can use this new dash board either permanently or temporarily, as you chose.

This is a great way to get the edge on competitors in the blogging field. So do not get left behind get the full blogger experience.

As The Donut Turns!

http://draft.blogger.com/

http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/ The Blogger in Draft Blog!

How to Make Your Blogger Links Shine Like a Rainbow!

2008-12-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hello,

To have a beautiful Mouse Over Rainbow Links, Just like As The Donut Turns, Just follow these instructions.

To perform this change is easy but still involves going into your Blogger template: If you are not comfortable with messing with your template then please do not perform this operation.

Please backup template first.

<script src='http://blogger4you.narod.ru/JavaScript/rainbow2.js'></script>

Take the code above install just below the head tag!

Start Operation:

1. Go to your Blogger dashboard.

2. Then click on the Layout tab.

3. Then click on the Edit HTML tab.

4. Then you can download the full template for a backup. (save out of the way)

5, Then find at the top of the template the <head> tag. (template is in scroll box)

6. Copy and paste:

<script src='http://blogger4you.narod.ru/JavaScript/rainbow2.js'></script>

Just below the <head> tag.

7. Preview to make sure that all is well and no surprises.

8. Then when all is well click save template and load blog to see the Rainbow Links.

9. Remember you have to mouse over and then the links change colors as you hover on the link.

10. Any questions just ask and I hope you enjoy the fancy colors!

As The Donut Turns!

The Empire Building of Little Bear Chow!

2008-12-18T04:41:00.000-08:00

Ah: One day Little Bear Chow woke to the birds singing and the sun shinning. As he lay in bed his thoughts turned to the most evil of desires and necessities.....

Money!

Little Bear Chow realized to enable him to live this life of luxury that he needed to expand his financial portrait and promote his abilities.

So begins the adventure of Little Bear Chow: on a quest to live the life of luxury!

As The Donut Turns!

Little Bear Chow!

2008-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

The blog about the adventures of Little Bear Chow!

LBC

As The Donut Turns!

Goodbye Blogger Blogspot - You Drove Me Away...

New Templates From Blogger!

Read More - Is New In Blogger Blogspot!

Blogger Label Cloud - The Blogger Way!

Lets Install a Search Widget in Blogger Blogspot!

Recent Comment Gadget: Compliments of Blogger!

Blogger 4 You: a Russian Blogger Blogspot Help Site!

Blogger Problem? Follow These Links Below!

Two SEO Hints That Really Help!

Make Your Blogger Blogspot Post Titles SEO Friendly!

Install a blog traffic counter in Your Blogger Blogspot Template!

Dislike Atom Feed Showing On Your Blogger Blog? (Then Get Rid Of It)

Related Post Widget for Blogger: Gotta have It!

Help to Write a Post: Words Ignored by Search Engines!

Blogger Navigation Bar The Simple Way!

A Blogger Tip That Is Not a Hack!

Removing The Blogger Navigation Bar!

Want The Best Of Blogger? Use Blogger In Draft!

How to Make Your Blogger Links Shine Like a Rainbow!

The Empire Building of Little Bear Chow!

Little Bear Chow!