Save money on tools you need for blogging

For simple blogs, you don't need much - a basic computer, a modem for access to the Intenet and a suitable blogging platform. I use the free Google Blogger and use sub-domains of blogspot.com and Blogger host my blogs for free. Very generous of them. I use free photo editors like Irfanview in conjunction with Paint that comes with Windows for screenshots and for editing photos and creating images

Content Management Systems and blogs

Blogging platforms for blogsBlogging platforms like Google Blogger, Wordpress (free version), etc., makes it easy for anyone to start a blog irrespective of background. He or she may know nothing of HTML, CSS, etc., but with the easy interface provided by such blogging platforms, can start a blog under 10 minutes and immediately start publishing posts to the web. If you are a complete beginner,

Are static pages or dynamic pages better for search engines?

Blogger Beta (now New Blogger) touted its major improvement over the old classic Blogger as New Blogger being dynamic. This means you don't need to republish each time you edit something in the template or change some setting. Just save and the changes will be immediately be reflected on the web. No more having to save and then republish and get that dreaded rotating arrow that sometimes really

Change blog background color and others

With New Blogger, it is very easy to change colors of various thing, and that include the blog background color. All you need to do is to sign into blogger.com (Dashboard) where you will see a list of all the blogs you have in your Blogger account. Click on LAYOUT for the relevant blog, then click on the "Fonts and colors" sub tab. You will then see a page to change the colors of various things

Attract non-English traffic to English language sites

I have previously published adding site translator to blogs (and normal websites as well) at Add translator to your blog (or website) (click BACK button to get back to this page). One reader also wants to know if she publish a blog in English, how can she attract non-English visitors. The only thing I can think of is to ping non-English as well as English servers each time the blogger creates a

Add translator to your blog

Got a question from a reader who is now doing her blog twice, once in English and once in her language. She asked if it is possible to do it only once, and have something to click on to read the site in another language. I know of 2 reputable possibility - AltaVista Babelfish and Google Translator widget. You can see example of implementation of this at the bottom of the left sidebar of these two

Embed Powerpoint presentation into your post

There is a site Scribd that will enable you to embed PowerPoint presentations into your post. An example can be seen at Malaysians have to change attitude to succeed. I shall now describe how I did it. First, you must have a PowerPoint (ppt) file stored in your computer. At Scribd, you can either register first before you upload the ppt file or register first. The advantages of registering is you

Relocate to Alabama and continue to blog from there

I am an avid blogger, and spend most of my waking hours in front of the computer, connected to the Internet. However, I have complained about adverse developments in my country, including threats by the Government to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows detention without trial, against bloggers. I am unsettled by creeping Islamisation with the former Prime Minister and now the current

Blogger wants to visit United States of America

While I was still working, I visited United States of America. The flight ticket was courtesy of MAS (Malaysia Airlines), so I had only to take care of my food, lodging and internal transport. For transport, I used Greyhound buses. The ticket was to Los Angeles. I will like to visit United States again, Previously, I had to fly to Los Angeles via Tokyo Narita International Airport. Now there is

Blogger wants to take vacation

I have previous written a long post about my frustration on what is going on in my country and not being able to do much about it except blog. I have talked of my dream about retiring to paradise Hawaii and blog from there. However, that is likely to remain just a dream, for relocation is not an easy thing.

I have been sitting in front of my computer nearly all my waking hours since my

Blog from Hawaii

The mainstream mass media (newspaper, radio, television) is tightly controlled by my country's Government. Newspaper need to renew a license every year and the license can be revoked anytime without any reason given. My daughter recently spoke to a journalist who confessed they have to practice self-censorship to survive. Much of the negative news never make it to the press and the Government

How to get a good PageRank?

Yes, how can one go from no PageRank to a PageRank of 5? Before I answer that, for those who don't know, you can easily get the PageRank of a site: refer to How to get the PageRank of your blog or any other sites.BLOG CONTENTWhen a blog is first started, it is given no PageRank, not even zero. Keep writing good, useful and interesting content that surfers will like to read. That is number one.

Easy way to add picture to sidebar

I have published posts on how to add pictures in the sidebar, includingOld classic Blogger template: add picture to sidebar (click BACK button to get back to this page)Old classic Blogger template: add picture to sidebar Part 2New Blogger template: add picture to sidebar.There is now (it has been available for quite some time already) an easier way to do it. Sign into Blogger (Dashboard), click