Social Media Questions and Answers

Q: I am curious how you got the Yahoo! avatar on your sidebar. I don’t necessarily want an avatar there, but maybe some other kind of graphic.

 

A: Good question. I had trouble putting graphics in my sidebar on the free option of WordPress. That avatar isn’t exactly a graphic – it’s a feed, believe it or not. So it’s simply HTML coding for the feed. I put the coding in the “Text” box for widgets. Any kind of coding or graphic you simply put in the “Text” box. I find that it won’t take Javascript, though.

 

Other options for graphics in your sidebar on WordPress are photos, which you do through Flickr. Flickr is also one of your widget options.

 

Other than that, I couldn’t find any choices! So if you do, Bill, let me know! We’ll share tips.

 

Q: I tried to subscribe to your RSS feed, but it didn’t work. I’m technologically challenged. How do I do it?

 

A: Yes, RSS is strangely complicated to set up. I say strangely because it’s actually wonderfully easy to use, once it’s set up.

 

To set up, you’ll have to get an RSS reader. I use Google’s, but there are others. They are free. I simply opened a new e-mail in Google to have one. When you open your Google account, you will see an option for “Reader” up in the top left area (along with “Gmail” and other options). Now you have a reader!

 

Picture your reader as a big blank newspaper. Now you get to fill it with the headlines you want to read every day. Find any news sites or blogs you read daily – your local news or sports, your favorite blogs, etc. Look for their RSS “subscribe” button (that orange button that looks like it has a white rainbow on it). If you can’t find the button on the blog itself, it will be in the search bar. Click on it. Then you’ll be forced to go through several steps to add it to your reader – just keep clicking that you want to add it to your Google Reader. (If given lots of options, add the one that says “RSS for 2.0.”) Then that blog/headline should pop it into your reader. You can organize all the headlines into folders and such by clicking on the “Manage Subscriptions” link at the veeeeeeeery bottom left corner.

 

I love my reader. I have more than a hundred blogs in it! I scan all the headlines every day, and select the ones I want to read in more depth. To read in more depth, you click on the blue link and it brings you straight to that blog.

 

 

Q: Do I have to be a member of Twitter to get your twitter?

 

A: Yes, you would only “follow” me on Twitter if you have your own account on Twitter. You can create a free account at Twitter.com. If you have an account, follow me and say “hi”!

 

 

Q: How was the Natural Products fair?

 

A: It was awesome! I filled my cool little free Izze bag with lots of great new products and food items to try. All the editors from LifeScript went. We’re going to pitch all of our story ideas on Monday.

 

Q: And finally, are you done editing [Adam and Simone]?

 

A: Ooops! No! Sorry, Patti! (Patti is my awesome critique partner who keeps me in line and on schedule!) I guess I’d better get back to work …  : )

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0 thoughts on “Social Media Questions and Answers

  1. Laurie,

    Thanks for your answers, I’m going to try and Twitter. You subscribe to HUNDREDS of blogs???
    How fun is that?

  2. You’re welcome! I hope I helped. If you still have trouble, e-mail me off-line.

    Yeah, I subscribe to about 112 blogs (and counting). Most are for work, though. Obviously, I don’t read them all, but I try to scan headlines. I have them in folders like “Mommy blogs,” “SEO blogs,” “Fitness blogs,” “Fashion blogs,” etc.

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