Monthly Archives: March 2008

Edublogs Gives Us New Freedom; Most ‘Embedding’ Code Can Now Be Pasted Directly into Our Blogs

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It’s official! Edublogs has decided to allow javascript, iframes and object code.

So what does this mean? Besides the fact that I now have to make changes to several previous Edublogger posts, our life has just become considerably easier because we can just copy and paste pretty much most ‘embedding’ code we pick up around the web directly into either our Edublog posts or a text widget in our side bar.

Embedding into a post

Say for example you wanted to embed a Google Presentation:

  1. On your blog dashboard, go to Write > Post
  2. Completely write your post adding all text and images including adding your categories, tags and post title.
  3. It’s best to add any code you want to embed as the last step just before you click publish as you’re less likely to have problems.
  4. Click on Save and View this Post to do any final edits on your post
  5. Copy the embed code from Google Presentations2340365584_88ac1ebba3.jpg2340369186_9e6284b309.jpg
  6. In your Post panel click on your HTML tab. Paste the code from Google Presentation in the desired location and immediately press Publish.

Image of Embedding Google Presentation code

These screenshots of how to embed a Google Presentation were kindly provided by Tom Barrett. Check out Tom’s post to see what a Google Presentation looks like embedded in a post (and while you are there thank him for sharing his screenshots).

Tom, like many educators, likes using Google Documents, in place of PowerPoint or Keynote, to create presentations because it means he edit his presentation online, from any computer, and invite others to help him create the presentation.

In case you are interested in how we create our screenshots – I mostly use SnagIT (need to purchase) and Tom used Jing (free to use).

NOTE:

If you change back from the HTML Tab to the Visual Tab you may not see the item embedded in your draft, depends on what your trying to embed; don’t stress it’s there and will appear when you save the post.

TIP:
iFrames and objects can be a bit touchy to embed; when in doubt I recommend that you add all text and images to your post then add the embed code just when you are ready to publish the post.

Here are some of the creative ways Edublogs users have started using this new freedom in posts:

Embedding using a text box in your sidebar

Instead of embedding in a post you can also add JavaScript, iframes and object code to your sidebar by using the same method outlined for Adding A Voki Speaking Avatar To Your Blog Sidebar.

Here are some of the ways Edublogs users are using this new freedom in their blog sidebar:

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a really brief introduction into embedding javascript, iframes and object code into Edublogs. Let us know how you go especially the creative ways you use this new freedom. Remember to drop past Tom’s blog and thank him for the use of the screenshots.

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Redirecting Your Blog Feed To Feedburner

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Besides making it easier for readers to subscribe to your blog using RSS or email, using a Feedburner feed means you can analyse your subscribers e.g. number of subscribers, and which feed reader they use.

Trouble is unless you redirect all your blog feed to Feedburner you won’t get an accurate picture of the number of readers that subscribe to your blog using a feed reader (e.g. Google Reader, NetVibes or Bloglines) because some of your readers will be subscribing using your blog feed.

The great news is Edublogs supporters are able to redirect all their blog feed to Feedburner which means they know exactly how many of readers subscribe to their blog. It costs US$39.95 per year to become an Edublogs supporter which gives you great extra features including Feedburner integration.

Setting up your Feedburner Feed

If you’ve already created your feedburner feed like I explained in Adding a RSS Feed From Feedburner To Your Blog and How To Add an Email Subscription to Your Blog you need to use this feedburner feed URL when redirecting your blog feed to feedburner.

feedburnersupporter1.jpg

Don’t create a new feed by clicking on the link “To get started, create a Feedburner feed for ……..” if you’ve already created a Feedburner feed.

Image of Feedburner set up

Analyzing & Monitoring Your Feed

It will take 24 hours for Feedburner to display the changes to your subscriber numbers and don’t stress if suddenly your subscription numbers increase dramatically — remember it’s now showing all your subscribers.

You will notice slight fluctuations in daily number of readers subscribed because numbers are based on an approximation of how many times your feed has been requested in a 24-hour period plus some of your readers may use desktop RSS software that retrieve your feed less frequently.

statsedublogger.jpg

Make sure you also subscribe to your blog using a feed reader; it’s really important– read why here! If you currently not using RSS to blogs using a feed reader — check out What is RSS and why you should use it? An introduction for newbies and watch RSS in Plain English.

If you’re interested in a more through analysis of your Feedburner statistics try out BlogPerfumes Feed analysis.

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What’s The Difference Between Tags and Categories, You Ask?

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When I first started blogging with Edublogs we only had categories; which most of us used like tags. But then came Christmas — and Edublogs gave us tags for every post and a tag clouds for our sidebars. Now all we had to work out was “What’s the difference between tags and categories, and how we would use them?.”

The aim of this post is to provide an overview of categories and tags; there is so much more that could be covered.

Tags vs Categories

The whole reason why tags, categories and search widgets are used on blogs is to serve one purpose — help your readers locate the information they want on your blog. Readers want quick and easy solutions; too hard and they look elsewhere.

While aim of using tags and categories is the same — to help readers locate information — they are used differently.

Categories are like chapters of a book; they provide a general overview of the topics you blog about. Whereas tags are more like the index at the back of the book and explode the topic into a million bits.

Image of categories used on my personal blogCategories and tags are displayed in your blog sidebar using the categories widget and Tag cloud widget.

Categories Are Used For Categorizing

Let me show you. I’m currently using 17 categories on my Mobile Technology in TAFE blog (shown in the image on the right). Unfortunately I blog on a wide subject area which is why I’ve so many categories. Ideally I believe it would be better for me to use less categories and for the categories names to be descriptive enough without using two lines.

Categories can have unique names and be wordy; you want them sufficiently descriptive so your reader understands the type of subject matter they will find when they click on the link. For example my Cool Web 2.0 & Desktop Tools category contains all posts that review, road test or tell my readers how to use web 2.0 or desktop tools more effectively.

Posts can be allocated to more than one category; I assign twitter posts using the categories Cool Web 2.0 & Desktop Tools and Microblogging Tips similarly those on Flickr are distributed using categories Cool Web 2.0 & Desktop Tools and Photosharing and Editing Tips. Remember I’m doing this to make it easier for my readers to locate the information they need quickly.Image of my tag cloud

Tags and Tag Clouds

Tags are displayed on your blog as a tag cloud; clicking on a tag name will take your readers to all posts tagged with that term. Tags are normally short, one or two words, and are generally keywords (i.e. terms readers would be likely to use if they searched your site); terms that your readers will understand.

The number of categories you allocate to a post are normally limited whereas you will use as many tags on a post as you like.

The image of the tag cloud on the right is from my Mobile Technology in TAFE blog.

Tags or Categories: Which One To Use?

If you checked out problogger sites — you will see each has their own preference as to which they use, or if they use both.

However if you are planning on using categories, like I have, you really need sit down, think carefully about what content you will blog and allocate categories that reflect this. You may want to use the categories I use on my Mobile Technology in TAFE blog as a guide.

If you’re going to use categories you need to do it properly; your readers expect that when they click on a category they will get ALL posts on the topic. If you add new categories this means you will need to go back through old post and allocating them to these new categories.

Creating categories can be time consuming — if you want to promise a “good enough” system, then use tags, where no thoroughness is implied. You will still need to be consistent with tagging e.g. use widget, Widget or widgets not all three. It’s worth checking out popular tags for ideas of what to use — check out Edublogs tag cloud, del.icio.us tag cloud, Edutagger tag cloud.

Changing my Mobile Technology in TAFE blog from the old system of just categories to now using categories and tags did take time — I had to sort through 223 posts. If you’ve got lots of old posts it may be better to stick with how you’ve been doing it, and add a search widget to the top of your blog.

Image of Tags and Categories

FINAL THOUGHT

I’m definitely not an expert with categories and tags; thanks to all the people who helped me out in coming to terms with using them.

Recommend you also check out the difference between pages and post plus how you can use categories to separate different subjects or classes on a blog.

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