Updated: The Family-Friendly network has Moved to http://b-nn.com/index.php/ffnetwork-info/

Some bloggers have been having trouble adding the Family-Friendly Blogroll code to their sidebars. The majority of these bloggers are either blogspot bloggers or wordpress.com bloggers; I’d like to address these two groups.

First, if you blog at wordpress.com, the free blogging service from wordpress, it is not as easy to add the code to your blog as you might wish. They do not allow javascript which is used in the code given to you. There is a way to join the blogroll but you will be required to follow a step-by-step plan and you will have to do this again each month in order to update the blogroll manually. If you want to attempt the process, please request and implement these wordpress instructions in order to be added to the blogroll.

Secondly, for blogspot bloggers who are now using the new blogger, you can not use widgets (maybe known to you as Add an Element) to add the code to your blog if you want to add it in a scrollbar. With the new blogger, once you add a new element and save the code, the code is changed in a way that makes it useless. You will end up with a blank white box instead of the blogroll. You need to be able to go into the actual HTML code of your template and add the blogroll code there in order for it to appear properly in your sidebar.

If you do not know how to do this then please use the code from the following page: New Display Code for Blogroll

I am a wife, mom, a homeschooler, my family’s only housekeeper, and cook. Sometimes I am even a chauffeur. I am a sister, neighbor, and friend. I have many demands on my time.

I also work from home as a web designer. I host web sites and sell domain names. I also blog - I know that one should be kind of obvious - and I run two blogroll networks. Each network is made up of a blogroll, a custom search engine, a mailing list and a RSS network.

I am a busy woman. I really, really don’t have much time to spare. My days can get crazy.

So, I am requesting that everyone who would like to join one of the blogroll networks please read the corresponding Join the __________ Network post thoroughly and then give me at least a week to respond once you email me your information. I do not add people daily. I simply don’t have time for that.

I also do not have the time to get all ready to add blogs to the networks only to find that the people requesting to be added have not read through the whole post, have not added the blogroll to their sidebar or not followed the instructions in some other way. It means I then have to email you and request you do what I asked you to at the top of the post. Read.

Please be considerate of my time. I want to add you, really I do. But even more, I want you to read the instructions.

I’ve just finished the redesign for Laurel Wreath’s Reflections. Have a look/see, very soothing and inviting wouldn’t you say?

I think that is a pretty good representation of who Laurel is and the feelings she evokes in me when I visit her blog. It was great to work with someone I’ve come to know through blogging. Visit her today, I think you’ll enjoy her.

We started with the photograph below taken by her sister-in-law while she was Italy.

I think the end result is very… Laurel.

{{Hugs}}, Laurel. Hope you enjoy your new home! You’ll soon find out that Wordpress Rocks!

Only because I know how much most people love a great deal, I’ve placed an ad with a coupon code in the sidebar. If anyone is looking for hosting for their website or blog, feel free to use the code when signing up to save a total of $36 a year when you pay monthly.

I know a lot of bloggers use free services but when you’re ready to commit to paying for hosting, owning your own domain name, having your own email address and really so much more, please contact me.

I am not only available but I actually (and oddly) love to answer your questions. I believe in the importance of spending a few dollars to have complete control over your own blog. I never used a free service although I know some people believe it’s their only option.

If you’re considering the switch but don’t really feel you know that much about it and just want to ask some questions, please contact me. I’d love to answer questions on blogging platforms, designs and other stuff. It’s hard to have all this information filling my head and no way to let it out. Now that my family won’t let me talk RSS, CSS, cgi and any other letters anymore, I’m afraid my head may explode. Which means you just may be saving my life. How’s that for incentive?

I was about to write a how-to post on trackbacks when I remembered that Susan of 5MinutesforMom.com had written a great post a while back.

What is a trackback?
A Trackback is like a remote comment.

It simply allows you to comment about another blog on your own blog and then the software lets the other blog know you’ve referenced it.

Why should you use trackbacks?

A trackback is good for both blogs. You want to use them and you want other people to use them.

The trackback allows you to continue a discussion from another blog on your own blog.

read more…

Since she’s already done all the hard work, I’ll point you there, trackback to her, and let you read her post.

I will, however, take a few seconds to say that finding a year old post and linking to it would have been very difficult to do if not for Janice and Susan having a search bar on their site. I can not tell you how many times, in two years of blogging, I’ve thought about linking to a fellow blogger’s post only to not be able to find it. I’m a pretty patient person but after searching for a post for say half an hour or so, even I give up.

Please, please, please make sure that you have a search bar somewhere in your sidebar. If you don’t have one available to you through widgets, may I suggest the Family-Friendly Custom Search Engine? You may be missing out on links and not even know it.

1) Writing! with Exclamation! Points! !
We see this a lot. Beginning bloggers are really excited about what they’re doing, and their enthusiasm generally leads to overemphasis of their first blog posts. We teach in the class that exclamation points, italics, bold, and font color and size changes are not allowed for three months. Your writing should convey enthusiasm without the use of crutches, and like pounding your shoe on the table to make a point, exclamation points usually mean you have weak writing (ed. Writing sentences that need exclamation points, but leaving them out - while clever - is lazy writing with bad punctuation. But nice try).

2) The Obligatory Get Back to Writing For Myself Post:
This is more of a social blog problem. When you build up a small audience, it’s customary in about the third of fourth month to despair that your writing has gone from self-exploration to shameless pandering to your audience. Most bloggers (myself included), have written the oh-so-silly “I feel like I’m writing for the audience instead of myself” blogpost. Usually some of your readers come to your comments and tell you how great you are, or give you advice on how to write. It’s really sad. Like a cry for help (Bonus fact: Some bloggers learn that the only way to get comments is to write such a post. That clearly is a cry for help).

3) Excessive Use of Pictures and Videos:
Pictures and video are great, and it’s wonderful that we have the ability to mashup our media, but sometimes, we use pictures and video to make up for a lack of writing. Once is okay, but when you start posting content just to pretend that you haven’t really fallen off the blogwagon, it’s time to write post number 4:

I found a new blog called brandstorming. The above three blogging mistakes are from his list of six total. I found myself nodding as I read his list. Go here to read his post in it’s entirety. Good stuff!

How to get credit for being extremely kind and willing to help yet exert little, if any, effort.

Let’s just say a BIG blogger posts a request on her blog for help. You happen to see it because you read her frequently to learn the true art of blogging. Although you rarely comment at her blog because really, does she even read past the 100th comment anyway?

So here’s what you do. You send her an email, perhaps something like this:

Hi [Big Blogger Lady],
I know how frustrating HTML and PHP can be. If you’re still having problems feel free to email me and if I can ever help you, I’d be more than happy to do so. Of course, you’ll have to come through on your end and prove to really be my best friend. I’ve always wanted a friend. I’ll make us each a beautiful graphic for our sidebars with BFF across the front and then add a coffee cup and some flowers and maybe some hearts, pink and purple hearts, oh, oh I have an idea… we can get matching t-shirts and take pictures of ourselves doing something crazy together like, like… sticking drinking straws up our noses and laughing hysterically. I’ve heard that’s what friends do with each other. Ooooo, I hope you’re as excited as I am!!!

What do you mean you don’t need my help?

Lauren
http://webexdesign.com/blog

Now it’s very important to add your link to the bottom because otherwise Big Blogger Lady will have no idea who you are and well, we can’t have that.

With in a few hours, Big Blogger Lady, frightened by the thought that she is now in contact with a potential stalker, will respond like this:

Bwahahahaha.

Uh, yeah. I think I can live without a BFF graphic.

You are funny,

[big blogger lady]

Please note: there is no request for help.

Yeah, I didn’t think so.