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by smorty71

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We have launched blogging functionality for TechRepublic members.

You can get started here:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5247-6257-0.html

If you have an existing blog, you can import it into your TechRepublic blog using your external blog's RSS feed. This eliminates the need to post things twice.

Other features in this first phase of blogs include: tags, comments, editing posts and deleting posts. Upcoming features include Blog Posts from My Contacts and RSS feeds.

Here are some TR blogs to get you started:

sMoRTy71:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5247-6257-0.html?id=2727770

Trivial Pursuits:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5247-6257-0.html?id=1383826

Let us know what you think.
sm

85 replies

by apotheon

What's the likelihood we could get the ability to set personalized stylesheet classes for our blogs to simplify the process of formatting text? I'd even be willing to develop and donate the code (as open source, of course, of course) for it, if you were using something like PHP or Perl (which I know you're not) on the site to manage this kind of functionality.

by oz_media

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=7406772&uid=3087922

Just don't tell TR I STOLE thier logo right out form under thier nose! I'm off to make the big bucks with it now. LOL!

I lik ethe stylsheet idea though, there should be SOME limitation on tags, some sites with blogs you see have people posting in 40 point BOLD YELLOW fonts and it really detracts from teh rest of the site. Perhaps a set of limited code options, small font, with emphasis etc, similar to the TR forum tags, limited but effective.

by apotheon

Any really egregiously bad stylesheet use would provide a VERY quick filter for me to decide I have no interest in reading someone's blog. That sort of quick recognition of nonsense is valuable!

In general, though, I agree that limits are good. Allowing embedded Flash would be very bad, for instance.

by hal 9000

Now did I happen to mention that the picture of part of my face was copyrighted?

Man are you in trouble. Even Canadian law will not protect you but I'm willing to be reasonable I am developing a fondness for Jags so maybe you can settle out of court. :D

Col ]:)

by smorty71

BTW, we currently don't have a page to aggregate all of the blogs (yet). So if you start a blog, please post a link to it in this thread so we can check it out.

sm

by apotheon

You mean blogs at TR, or external blogs? I'm guessing you mean TR blogs, but I'm just checkin'.

Here's mine: http://tinyurl.com/dn4u2

My first blog entry is about (drumroll please) . . .
blogs and the IT industry
(plus stuff about me, of course)

by oz_media

My first BLOG reply on TR, are they gonna track them too?

ONE! ONE TR BLOG COMMENT AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!]:)
(thunder & lightning ala Jim Henson's 'Count')

by apotheon

I was pretty sure the request was for a listing of blogs here on TR, and not of external blogs. Ahem.

by oz_media

I've seen it, it's live and exciting, but I want some time to plan a few directions before getting started just yet.

Thanks again though! More sand for the sandbox!

by oz_media

Embedded FLASH, what a treat that would be!

AS for the heads up filter of a LOUD post, you [b]DO HAVE A POINT YAKNOW!!!![/b] :D:D:D:D

by apotheon

That falls under "fair use" as satire unless you're using it as advertising material for something other than TR or engaging in intentional brand confusion. I'll take it, though, and re-release it to the public under the terms of CCD CopyWrite:
http://ccd.apotheon.org

There we go.

by oz_media

knock yourself out.

then I can make one up with two X's for eyes, I guess.

It does work with desktop icons a little better than the first anyway

by hal 9000

I nearly chocked reading your posting on that URL. I've never laughed so much for a long time.

Col ]:)

by apotheon

Thanks for providing me the opportunity to do so (despite the fact that I've been ignoring/neglecting a handful of blogs in other places for months).

by deepsand

It's just one more way to keep us coming back, like junkies looking for a free fix.

When will the free ride end, and what will the new price be?

Gotta find my supply of Thorazine.

by oz_media

I've heard TR equated to internet crack before (may have even been myself)but at least we can legalize it in more than one country.

by smorty71

and the ride will continue to be free.

The community team is responsible for growing the number of members using community features (discussions, tq&a, blogs, contacts, profiles, etc) and keeping them as active as possible.

We're hoping blogs will help. So are you starting one?

sm

by deepsand

A the moment, I've little enough time to eat; which is probably for the better, as otherwise I'd have to try to find time for dealing with the by-products.

I'll be exploring the idea, with an eye toward the future.

by jck

you get to know more about me here than my coworkers do in meetings and lunches.

Does this mean I can blog to TR to itself and create an infinite loop??

Thanks!!!! ;)

by tomsal

What is a blog really? What do you write about on a blog? What is its purpose?

by smorty71

Most blogs are just a journal of what is going on in the blogger's life at that moment.

On TR, we're hoping that our members will share their IT-related experiences. So if you're working on a big project, you could blog about that. Or if you're interested in a certain technology, you could post items related to that. Others who are going through a similar thing will find those things helpful.

My blog, which is a bit off target for our members probably, is mostly about personal technology (gadgets, electronics), home theater, pop culture and a little social networking stuff sprinkled in.

So basically, there are no rules. We just hope it provides our members with a different outlet for posting things that don't fit in discussions and tech q&a.

Give it try. You can't go wrong.
sm

by hal 9000

The last shrink I saw told me that there where no wrong answers to their questions and I had to fight like hell to escape from them as well. :D

God only knows what would happen to me if they found out I was doing work for free just to work off a debt for asking a question I wasn't really interested in and even worse looking like I'll be doing Government work again. :(

Col ]:)

by Jay Garmon

For me personally, my blog will help me refine my internal monologue, which is a fancy way of saying get my thoughts and ideas in order. It has the added bonus of exposing those thoughts (potentially) to a larger audience, turning the whole Internet into a sounding board for my ideas.

Moreover, as opposed to an individual thread, which is all about one subject (the initial post), and which becomes disposable as soon as the thread becomes unpopular, a blog is centered around you, and has some longevity and continuity inherent to its design. This is a fancy way of saying its all about you.

Blogs are counterbalance to discussions; the latter is all about the subject as filtered through different perspectives, the former is all about one perspective as it filters different subjects.

Plus, blogs are a great place to save answers to those Tech Q&A questions you have to answer over and over again. Just point to the blog entry with the patented answer.

by apotheon

That's a great explanation of a blog. It's sorta specific to TR, the way you wrote it, but it doesn't take much to be able to see how it applies to blogs in general.

I guess that all I'd add to that is what I already posted in my own first TR blog post, which was about blogging (among other things) anyway.

by hal 9000

Could tell this to IT_Lobo.

God I've just had a nasty thought that means that Mr Miami, IPirate and ProteusX will all have a clear run at posting their ideas in a manner that can not be challenged. :(

PLEASE take it away now before any un-doable harm is done! ;)

Col ]:)

by dc_guy

Blogging can be just another form of vanity publishing. At its best, a blog posting is similar to an op-ed column in a newspaper or other journal. The two key differences are:

1. Far fewer people will read it
2. You don't get paid for your writing

But at its worst, a blog posting can be more like JennyCam: Here I am, who wants to look?

It would be helpful if the blogsite included a counter of the number of hits on each posting (perhaps with a time minimum to exclude people who check the first line and leave) and even a rating by the readers. I'm sure someone has already thought of that. It would help the writers keep things in perspective.

by apotheon

That sorta vague connection with the almost-homophonous "block party" is all I've come up with, too, but I'm not sure how one actually participates in something "like a block party, but for bloggers".

by hal 9000

I use it all the time with the wife when I'm in trouble for buying some more computer gear! :D

Tonight I went to the Intel Channel Partners meeting and freaked everyone out when I admitted to having at the last count 25 computers here all mine. But that was a while ago and the wife can not count them anymore as I offered to knock out a wall and move them all into one big room, of course the master bed room would have gone the way of the Dodo so she declined and hasn't said a single word since. ;)

But ever since I've been really good and I think I've only brought another couple home to play with. Why use "Virtual Computers" when you can have the real thing? :p

Col ]:)

by Jay Garmon

You actually have pasted you first post into the description field of your blog. This field is designed to describe what you blog is about.

You may want to copy that out and paste it into a blog entry.

by jdclyde

but I don't think lobo saw it through all the tears.

It wouldn't appeal to an ego maniac to post in an area were EVERYONE will sit in dumbfound silence in the precence of his greatness.

Oh well.

by oz_media

I saw the Edit link at the bottom of the post and thought, I don't need to EDIT it I need to POST it.

Even though the actual fields are marked properly, the name EDIT threw me off as I figured it wasn't a POSTING link for the body copy, perhaps it's just me though, everyone else seems to be doing just fine. It may have said ADD though, can't recall, but either way it lead me astray and into the frey down by the bay with people who say hey and have a nice day.

Thanks:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5247-6257-0.html?id=1797647

by oz_media

Here I am rushing a blog into the internet but made a mistake and didn't get it in in time.

CNN is just airing thier blogwatch, INSDIE THE BLOGS, and they didn't mention MINE!! Instead it's all BS about journalism and politics! Not a metnion of poetry in Discussions!

Oh well maybe next time. :(

by jmgarvin

That is the blog of all blogs and it comes with a cartoon...Somethingawful is another great blog.

by jmgarvin

Man, the "blog party" is the new in thing! You have to competing blogs fire away at each other. Loads of fun...way better than a usenet flame war ;-0

by oz_media

Who the hell wants into a Usenet flame war?

OR BLOG war on TR for that matter?

Sound kinda pointless to me really.

by oz_media

Just a thought, seeing as it had a phenominal response when you wanted people to complete profiles, why not extend it to BLOGS too?

In order to qualify for a TR i-Pod, you need to have completed your profile and started your first blog, technically it isn't really CHANGING the rules as a Blog is noe sorta part of the profile.

But I'd rather see a blog directory online first. The 'post your blogs here' isn't working too well (as I have demonstrated with THIS post). UNLESS, we started a NEW thread where people can JUST post blog addresses and NO comments, say a special one tier thread or something.

It worked life wildfire for Avatars and profiles.

by sridharpandu

Hey the blog doesnt Display pictures if you import your blog from Blogger.

Is there a way to fix this?

by sridharpandu

Take a look at sMoRTy71 post of 17th May " Sweet, sweet victory - Part 2 " its imported from an external source. There are pictures.

However it doesnt work for me.

by apotheon

Maybe it has something to do with the RSS output format of your particular "external source". Other than that, I gots nothin'.

by jmgarvin

Nobody wants that. However, you have to admit it is like a car wreck, you just can't look away ;-)

by oz_media

Beside my comments on your blog, it seems YOU initiated this idea, was he perhaps going along with you but REALLY not being interested in it?

Take a girlfriend, go to all teh bars and pick up guys, be a teenager again, why not, it's a road trip afterall and they are just plain FUN.

by itgirli

his car has a bad transmission and he had been complaining for about 8 months that he was never going to be able to make that trip because it would be too much on his car. So I offered up my car and he seemed really happy with that. We started making plans about a month ago, and he was really into the idea. Now he says he wants to go down there earlier so that I won't be bored sitting around waiting for him to get done what he needs to do. We'll be near a winery, so I would be entertained for hours. He's just really into himself and he wants it his way, regardless if it was my idea or what I wanted to do. I don't have female friends. or many male friends. I usually like to be alone, but not on long car trips. It makes me nervous. I was thinking of calling up a cousin of mine and seeing if she wanted to do anything, but then she would have to get a babysitter and I have no idea where we would go. Actually, I went out this past weekend with a female aquaintance and realized why I don't do it often. And my male friend got all ticked off at me that i went and hung out with a female aquaintance because I had said I don't like hanging out with her, and I really don't a lot of the time, but I wanted to do a girl thing and she was the only girl I knew.

by hal 9000

On me for that "Wrong time of the month" crack. what have I done wrong? :(

I'm going to bed now to cry myself to sleep. :D

Have a good one no matter what you do. ;)

Col ]:)

by oz_media

Can you say insecure and smoethered.

He is most definitely insecure, ragardless what you've said about the girl in the past, he is showing that he doesn't really trust girls when they get together (who does ;) ).

He also wants HIS freedoms though, showing a very egotistical veiw of HIS friends vs YOUR friends.

Are HIS friends YOUR friends but YOUR friends are not HIS friends?

THis is really textbook stuff, no mattter how unique you may see your own situation as.

Now you did mention a cousin who was tied down with kids that couldn't get away. Thought about VISITING her instead? Other people's kids are not yours so it's easier to take and stil acts as an escape.

Perhaps she can find a sitter for one night and you could go out together.

Would HE permit you taking such a trip r would he again get pissed off for not going HIS way?

Seeing sa you have just scraped the surface of what is really going on, I would say that so far, this is absolutely straight out of my Psyche and Relationships textbook. It's not new, it's not unique in fact it is a mindset that has been dwindling amongst most people these days.

I would be interested in the age gap between you, if you are much younger then it is typical. If HE is under 35 it is typical, yet some guys carry on this way forever.

You can always peer mail me if you want to chat without airing dirty laundry online.

by hal 9000

You are always welcome to Peer mail me as well if you want to discuss this in a far less public forum and remain somewhat anonymous.

Personally I wouldn't be playing the game by his rules as you seem to be getting the raw end of the stick so to speak. If you don't want to go you can always say that you are scared to drive alone and just leave it at that, at the very least you'll be making him think of someone other than himself.

Col ]:)

by salamander

You're also more than welcome to peer mail me if you wish a female perspective. I'm sure that my advice will not be nearly as good as Oz's or Col's, however. ;)

BTW, Col is absolutely right in his assessment.

by apotheon

You're welcome to peermail me, too, if you want my singular, straightforward, nonstandard, probably dickishly harsh take on things. Heh.

No, wait, I mean that I'm a sensitive, thoughtful guy with a surprising bit of insight into what makes the human heart tick. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Whatever topic you raise with me, though, will probably eventually lead into a digression into politics or Linux. Sad but true.

by black panther

How do I sort my Blog Postings in the order I want ie I understand that the latest posting is up the top but I may not want it there??

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