How to add a blogroll to your DU Journal.

[brainshrub]

This is for those following the DU Journal: Brainshrub - Best. Journal. Ever! (Tips for political bloggers.)

Although this journal is less than a week old, I've gotten several IMs requesting step-by-step instructions on how to use some of the basic features of the DU Journals. Therefore, I've decided to expand this this journal's subject matter a bit to include tutorials for people new to this blogging phenomenon.

I will still be covering SEO and writing tips for political bloggers, but it's important that people who are new to this system get over their fear of the new technology as soon as possible.

Be will start simply, then move up through all the wonderful ways to customize your DU Journal.

Please don't be scared to ask questions. There is a profound difference between stupidity and ignorance. No one will laugh at you.

Okay, I might snicker a little bit ... but you can't see me, and neither can anyone else.

The first tutorial will be something very easy: Adding a DUers Journal and/or blog to your blogroll. A "blogroll" is just a fancy name for a list of links.

If you follow these instructions, you'll be able to keep track of the rest of this series easily because you'll have a handy-dandy link to my DU Journal.

Ready?

Okay.

Step one: Get a beer from the fridge. I am partial to Guinness myself.

Step two:


Step three:


Step four:


Step five:


Step six:


Step Seven:
Pat yourself of the back, and finish your beer.

Like I mentioned earlier, this is just the first tutorial. If there is a tutorial you'd like to see done, please go ahead and suggest it!

[MuseRider]

1. Ahh, you are so kind!

How nice, it almost makes me want to have a journal. It was fun to read anyway. :hi:

[brainshrub]

4. Do you think I should do an RSS tutorial?

For people who don't have or want a journal, but want to follow other Journals?

BTW: It's always fun to see you.

[MuseRider]

7. That would be a great idea,

I think I know what that is.

BTW: I have my pictures from Crawford as a screen saver so I see you several times each day. It always makes me smile.

[mdmc]

9. what is RSS?

what does it do ?

[brainshrub]

14. That is called: "Really Simple Syndication"

It allows you to be alerted when a blog is updated.

These are the symbols for RSS feeds: and

For example, if you want to keep track of a blog or Journal, you would simply subscribe to the RSS feed. Then, the page would be uploaded to a folder in your inbox (Or feed-reader) whenever it was updated.

Basically, RSS feeds make email newsletters obsolete. They give the end-user more control because if you don't want updates, then you unsubscribe the feed. You don't have to trust the person writing the mails emails to remove you from the spam list.

Many people don't understand why this is cool... until they start subscribing to a few feeds.

[mdmc]

23. maybe this could be your next instructional

:kick:

[cynatnite]

20. I've never fully understood RSS - thanks for answering already :)

Go ahead and snicker. :toast: Got my beer, too.

[datadiva]

2. How nice of you to do this for us! n/t

[NMDemDist2]

3. great idea Brainshrub! the modules training is cool

I have had a couple people ask me how I got the cool picture on mine so maybe how to post a graphic next?

[Mutley]

5. Brilliant!

A tutorial I'd like to see:

I've seen people with custom backgrounds and such on their Journals (ex. The Footprints of DU -- I can't remember who that belongs to, sorry!). How can I do that?

[brainshrub]

11. That is comming. (eom)

[TahitiNut]

15. That's mine. (Nice of you to remember.)

:eyes: Sorry. I could tell you. But then I'd have to kill you. :evilgrin:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TahitiNut


More seriously, it's fairly easy if and only if you already know HTML and CSS, already have a background (repeatable) graphic, and understand how to 'tweak' the foreground font so it's legible against the background image. Elad was kind enough to implement the Journal functionality and offer custom access to the specific CSS definitions applicable to each member's Journal. Thus, it's not a 'hack' but could, if done by a person unfamiliar with the requisite technology, leave their Journal a complete mess. While I could no longer call myself an 'expert' by any stretch of the imagination (it's been far too long since I did hands-on regularly), I have barely enough understanding to do it myself - and not nearly enough to tutor another.

FWIW ... it's really just a variant of my page at http://members.aol.com/tahitinut/beach.htm
I originally did that site back in 1994 - when the Web was fairly new and that site was pretty much "state-of-the-art."

[Mutley]

19. Ah ha! TahitiNut!

I'd been going back through the journals I've looked at today trying to find it. I'm glad you reminded me. :D

I know very very very little about HTML, and nothing at all about CSS. I'd probably make mine a mess. Hopefully brainshrub's tutorial will make it easier for the technology clueless among us, like myself.

I like your AOL site. :7

[nonconformist]

6. Thanks!

I haven't had time to play with my journal much yet, but I hope to get a nice block of time in the next couple of days to fully customize it... and your tutorial is helpful! Thanks again.

[mdmc]

8. thank you.

I had to ask skinner how you removed a post from your journal. He replied "click the 'remove from journal' button at the bottom of the thread that you would like to remove."

Would it be easy to make my journals background to look like this
? :shrug:

[brainshrub]

12. Yes, we will get to that in time.

I hope to start a tutorial for that stunt soon. But I'm also waiting to see how the system shakes out.

No use is making a tutorial if the Admins start to change things because of an unanticipated problem.

[mdmc]

13. thanks brainshrub

:patriot:

[TahitiNut]

16. What kind of font would be legible against that background??

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Hey brainshrub!

:yourock:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. Wow,

I didn't realize you could put other's journals on the blog roll, which is why I hadn't set it up yet. Thanks for the information!

[cally]

18. Thanks so much

I haven't made a journal yet so these tutorials are/will be a great help. I think a tutorial on the RSS would be wonderful.

I'm going to my journal and make the only change to it. I'm going to add your blog to my blogroll so I remember to check for updates. Thanks.

[fooj]

21. Thanks. I need these tutorials every now and then.

Peace.

[HeeBGBz]

22. You are so sweet

Thanks, brainshrub! I've never thought about tutoring by using screen save. Besides you're funny.

[Theres-a]

24. Thanks!