Add Admin Logo To Blogger Comments

admin-logo-to-blogger
I'm not sure if you noticed the comment section on blogs like "Techiemania" or "SML", they show a differentiation in comments between the admin and the visitor. Well, I do know that there are many tutorials around the web to achieve this effect on blogger but, I'm pretty sure none would be clear because, myself being a webmaster, end up on a confusing state once I complete reading the full article

So, I wanted this tutorial to be clear and pretty easy to install. I hope it is!!! Well, the final effect will be a simpler one - just an admin logo to differentiate between your comment and  your visitor's comment. You may have a look at following screen shot to realize the final effect.
add-admin-logo-for-blogger
The basic coding evolves from the coding for "Multiple Author Info Box Widget".  Well, in my example, I have used a very simple box-type image. You may replace it with any image of your choice. I recommend the logo used by "Spice Up Your Blog". Take a look at preview of the image  here - Admin Logo Image Preview. So, let's get this installed on our blog.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, expand your template and search for the following block of code.
<b:if cond='data:comment.isDeleted'>
<span class='deleted-comment'>
<data:comment.body/>
</span>
<b:else/>
<p><data:comment.body/></p>
</b:if>
2. Just replace the above codes with the following block of codes.
<b:if cond='data:comment.isDeleted'>
<span class='deleted-comment'>
<data:comment.body/>
</span>
<b:else/>
<b:if cond='data:comment.author == "YOURNAME"'>
<div class='comment-admin'>
<p><data:comment.body/></p>
</div>
<b:else/>
<p><data:comment.body/></p>
</b:if>
</b:if>
Note: We did not use "<b:if cond='data:comment.author == data:post.author'>". If we do so, then every guest author on a multiple author blog would become the admin. So, to avoid that, we've used the idea behind the multiple author widget. If you run a blog with two or more admins, we have the coding for you as well. The same thing has to be extended but I'm sure you will go mad if I explain that. So, it's better you contact me via email for the coding (More than one admin for a blogger blog).

3. Replace YOURNAME with the name of the admin as it appears on the blog post. Well, the major part is over! Now, we need to add the CSS for "comment-admin" div section. To do so, search for the following piece of code on your template.
]]></b:skin>
4. Add the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 3.
.comment-admin {background: url("https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U2ZNceW8S2w/Tggo0snkgkI/AAAAAAAABLk/5KWDKyM7whI/s800/admin-logo.png") no-repeat scroll right top #FFF; padding-right:40px; margin-right:10px;}
.comment-admin p{margin-left:0px; margin-right:28px;}
Note: As I said earlier in this article, I have used a simple box-type image to display the admin logo. You may use any image of your choice. If you wish to change the image, then change the image URL - the one highlighted in orange. The padding and margin positions may vary depending upon your blog.
5. That's it! Save your template.

"If you would like to have an unique comment section for your blogger blog, then contact us via our services page and we'll let you know if we can design one for you! We'll install it on your blog too!"

I hope you liked this post. If you face any difficulties, then leave a comment below and we'll try to fix up the issue for you. Share your opinions about this post too via comments!

New Share Button With Counters On Blogger

sharethis
I'm sure you would have noticed the recent addition of share counters at the end of the article on my post pages. My friend, Paul Crowe from "Spice Up Your Blog", had posted a video tutorial about the same which you may check out on his blog. So, if you wish to have this new share counter on your blog, then just follow the steps in the tutorial given below.

What non-sense is he talking about? Is that the question that's running on your mind? Well, then have a look at the following picture to get a better idea about what I'm talking.
New-Share-Counters-For-Blogger
Before we start the actual tutorial, let's first get the scripts which make the share counters appear. Go the following link : Sharethis. Register with them and hit the "Publishers>>Get the Share Widget" tab. Select the following options on the page that appears.
1. Website or Blog? Choose website.
2. Pick your style - Third Option (Horizontal counters)
3. From the various networking sites, choose the ones which you want to have on your blog. Just use the left and right arrows to add and remove the various counters. The up and down arrows aligns your counters - which one should appear first in your list. It's pretty self-explanatory.
4. Choose the Oauth widget or Classic Widget.
5. Now, hit the "Get the button" tab and copy the scripts that are generated to two separate text documents temporarily and name them Script 1 (Script in the top/first box) and Script 2 (Script in the bottom/second box). 
share-button-tutorial
Now, you have the scripts with you. You need to place them on your blogger template with some CSS to make it more attractive. So, let's get it done!!!
1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.
]]></b:skin>
2. Add the following code (CSS) just above the line mentioned in step 1.
.social {
border: dashed #ddd;
border-width:1px 0 1px 0;
margin: 10px auto 10px;
display:block;
padding: 3px 0 1px 0px;
overflow: hidden;
margin-left:0px;
}
3. Next, search for the following piece of code.
</head>
4. Place the coding present in the text document Script 2, just above the line mentioned in step 3.
5. Save your template. Then, expand your template and search for the following piece of code.
<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'/>
6. Add the following piece of code just below the line mentioned in step 5.
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<span style='font-size:20px; font-family:Georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:21px; margin-top:1px; margin-bottom:-2px;'>Enjoyed the article?</span>
<div class='social'>
<div style='margin-left:10px; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:3px;'>
YOUR SHARE THIS CODE FROM SCRIPT 1
</div>
</div>
<div class='clear'/>
</b:if>
7. Replace the line highlighted in green with the coding present in the text document Script 1.
8. That's it! Save your template. 

Note: The counters will be visible only on post pages. If you wish to have them on all the pages, then remove the first and the last line in the coding mentioned at step 6.

I would like to point out one advantage with this counter which is better loading time. That is, you get all the counters at one place. So, it saves a lot of time in loading your scripts. Hope you enjoyed this post. Share your opinions about the counter/post via comments!

Stylish Featured Content Slider For Blogger

Featured-Content-Wordcloud
It's been few days since I modified my template. Many people loved the new look while few highlighted mistakes which I'm rectifying from time to time. I found that many people loved the smooth sliding featured content on home page - recently removed for increasing the page speed. Want a slider running on your blog? Then, let's get started...

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE SLIDER
The slider works on jQuery and the styles are incorporated with a little CSS. The slider does feature a stop/start button and the animation goes a little farther than simply sliding to the left. Although I have modified the slider to my recommendations, the credit actually goes to "css-tricks.com". 
WHY THIS SLIDER???
The basic reason behind choosing this slider rather than the ones available on various other sites is that it occupies the least space on our blog and can be the JavaScript files can be defined internally on blogs which indirectly means that your site will load faster even with the scripts installed - no HTTP requests from the JavaScript file hosting sites. Secondly, it is more feasible and runs perfectly the same on all the web browsers. Finally, it is very easy to understand and customize the coding.

GET THIS INSTALLED ON YOUR BLOG
Let us split the customization into two parts. The first one deals with the CSS and JavaScript installation while the second part deals with the HTML coding. Now, let's get started with the first set of installation procedures.
1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.
</head>
2. Download the following text document - JAVASCRIPT FOR THE SLIDER and paste the code present in it just above the line mentioned in step 1.
Note: The code which you pasted now, is the internally defined JavaScript that makes the slider work. The only possible customization here could be the timer which is by default set to 4000 milliseconds. You may vary it by changing the number in the following piece of code.
var delayLength = 4000;
3. Next, search for the following piece of code.
]]></b:skin>
4. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 3.
#slider{background:#fff url(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZnqHeWEnlfc/TeeanqTM9aI/AAAAAAAABCM/iDzYJsrifRg/s800/slider-bg-new-1.jpg) no-repeat; height:180px; overflow:hidden; margin-top:-3px; margin-bottom:7px;  position:relative; width:600px; border:1px solid #ddd}
#mover{width:2880px; position:relative}
.slide{padding:40px 30px; width:600px; float:left; position:relative}
.slide h1{color:#444; font-size:22px; font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; line-height:23px;  font-style:bold; font-weight:normal; margin-top:-25px;  margin-bottom:-8px;  color:#ac0000}
.slide p{color:#555; font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size:15px; line-height:20px; width:370px}
.slide img{position:absolute; top:20px; left:420px}
#slider-stopper{position:absolute; top:1px; right:20px; background:#ac0000; color:white;  padding:3px 8px; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; z-index:1000}
Note: The above mentioned code represents the CSS part of the slider. You may customize it the way you want. Various possible customizations include changing the width of the slider or the background picture of the slider. The font style can be varied to match the fonts present in your blog. I feel these are pretty self-explanatory.
5. I recommend you to save your template temporarily.

HTML PART OF THE CODING
1. Search for the following piece of code in your blogger template. Use CTRL+F to fasten your search results.
<b:section class='main' id='main' showaddelement='no'>
2. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.
<b:if cond='data:blog.homepageUrl == data:blog.url'>
<div id='slider' style='margin-left:5px;'>
        <div id='mover'>
              <div class='slide' id='slide-1'>
                        <h1>Review On Camera</h1>
                      <div style='text-align: justify;'><span style='font-family:verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'><p>This Digital Camera comes with 12.1 Mp lens and great performance with tonnes of features. One of my friends purchased this camera and got it delivered few weeks before, after having a thorough analysis read in many websites about digital camera. First of all, lets talk about the package contents which includes...</p></span></div>
                        <a href='http://www.newbloggingtipz.com'><img alt='learn more' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WJaGQt_oYVY/TeeanGUQIJI/AAAAAAAABCI/cqEc0X10I6g/s800/read-more.png'/></a>
                </div>
                <div class='slide' id='slide-1'>
                        <h1>Review On Blackberry Storm</h1>
                       <div style='text-align: justify;'><span style='font-family:verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'> <p>The new Vodafone&#8217;s BlackBerry Storm has stormed the market and has attracted the whole world. BlackBerry&#8217;s parent company says that this phone is something that will really compete with an iPhone. So, here goes an elaborate review about the phone. The Storm has a clickable touch screen, which is really...</p></span></div>
                        <a href='http://www.newbloggingtipz.com'><img alt='learn more' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WJaGQt_oYVY/TeeanGUQIJI/AAAAAAAABCI/cqEc0X10I6g/s800/read-more.png'/></a>
                </div>
        </div>
</div>
</b:if>
3. Now, you need to vary the content and the titles along with the link to which they should point to. To do so, you need to vary the text highlighted in green. Just copy a snippet from your blog post or write an attractive one that will drive the readers to click the read more button.
4. Next, to change the title of your post, you need to  change the text highlighted in orange. Just erase the ones highlighted in orange and write the title of your posts. The last customization would be the links to which they should point to. To get this done, replace the link highlighted in pink with the URL of your posts. That's it!!!
5. To add more posts on your featured content widget, just add the following piece of code before the last two div tags and repeat the steps from 1 to 5 mentioned above.
                 <div class='slide' id='slide-1'>
                        <h1>TITLE OF YOUR POST</h1>
                       <div style='text-align: justify;'><span style='font-family:verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'> <p>WRITE YOUR CONTENT HERE</p></span></div>
                        <a href='URL TO YOUR POST'><img alt='learn more' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WJaGQt_oYVY/TeeanGUQIJI/AAAAAAAABCI/cqEc0X10I6g/s800/read-more.png'/></a>
                </div>
6. Now, save your template and view your result. In fact, I recommend you to preview your results before you save them.

Note: The featured content will appear only on the homepage of your site. If you wish to have it on all your pages, then remove the first & the last line in the HTML part of your coding mentioned at step 2.

I hope I made this tutorial look simple and I assume that you enjoyed this post as well. If you feel it's difficult or face any problems during the installation, then you can always reach me via email and get your slider fixed. Please share your opinions about the posts via comments. See you soon in another interesting article!!!

Why To Add Google +1 Button For Blogger?

Google-Plus-One-Button
It's been quite few weeks since the launch of Google +1 button. I'm sure many of you would have added this share button on your blogs. If you have no idea about what I'm talking about, then let me elaborate a little more - Google +1 button is share counter similar to facebook or tweet button that improves our search results.

HOW TO ADD GOOGLE +1 BUTTON FOR BLOGGER???
As per Google, the +1 button is defined as shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out". What should I do to get this button installed on my blog? Just follow these instructions to get the button working on your blog.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.
</body>
2. Place the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>
3. Next, you may place the following piece of code anywhere in between your body tags where you want the button to appear. It is better you place it below your posts. So, search for the following tag.
<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'/>
4. Place any one among the following pieces of code just below the line mentioned in step three as per your size requirement.

    For a SMALLER VERSION (15px)
<g:plusone size="small"></g:plusone>
    For a MEDIUM SIZED VERSION (20px)
<g:plusone size="medium"></g:plusone>
    For a LARGER VERSION (60px)
<g:plusone size="tall"></g:plusone>
    For the STANDARD VERSION (24px)
<g:plusone></g:plusone>
WHY GOOGLE +1 BUTTON???
  • Google clearly stated that the +1 button provides a stamp of approval meaning to say that your content is worth reading. More over, it states that it improves your search results. 
  • We blogspot users have the slightest advantage of better ranking on Google than our competitors like wordpress.com (not .org), joomla,etc... With the +1 button installed, it pushes your blog ranking further to the top.
  • When a particular user searches for some content on Google with his/her account signed in, the search results will be annotated with the names of their connections who have +1'd the page. This simply means that the recommendations from their social connections appear beneath the search results. 
  • More over, the +1's are public by default so any user who has signed in will be able to see the recommendations. How ever, you may choose whether or not, to have them displayed on your public profile.
  • The +1 Button is not the same as Google Buzz, though they share a lot of similarities. They both appear on your Google Profile under different tabs, but +1's don't allow for comments whereas Google Buzz does. 
  • Above all, Google will soon launch an analytics for the button that will display accurate results to the webmasters about their content, overall search impacts, geographic search impacts, etc...
You may get more updates about this button by joining the following group - Subscribe to Google Publishers Button. I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm sure many webmasters would know more than what I know about this topic. So, please share your opinions via comments.

Image Hover Shadow Effect With CSS

CSS-Edit-Logo
I'm sure you would have noticed the images that appear as a thumbnail on my blog have shadow effect. If not, hover your mouse over the image to the left. Interesting effect. Right? You can find this effect on blogs like Techiemania and other blogs run on WordPress Thesis Theme. Interested to have this effect on your blog?

I'm sure many webmasters would have installed this hack on their blogs long before but few newbies kept mailing me regarding this hack. So, to all those who asked for this hack, here it is. You may also consider reading this article if you wish to have captions on your images on hovering your mouse - Add Image Caption On Hover With CSS3. Let's get started with this tutorial - Image Hover Shadow Effect.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.
]]></b:skin>
2. Place the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.
.imagedropshadow {
padding: 5px;
border: solid 1px #EFEFEF;
}
a:hover img.imagedropshadow {
border: solid 1px #CCC;
-moz-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
-webkit-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
}
3. Save your template. Now, navigate to your post editor. To make this hack really working, you need to follow these steps.
    1. Insert a picture in your post using the post editor.
    2. Shift your tab from the Compose mode to Edit HTML mode. 
    3. Look for the img tag.
    4. Place the following code just after the img tag with a space. Then, publish your post.
class="imagedropshadow"
If you find the above steps difficult to understand, then have a look at the following example. The final coding should be something like this.
<img border="0" class="imagedropshadow" height="75" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhxaAUAJUVQ/TeocW4AuIiI/AAAAAAAABCo/IYy7hQ6-5VQ/s200/CSSEditLogo1.jpg" width="75"/>

POSSIBLE CUSTOMIZATIONS:
You can change the color of the text shadows by changing the numbers highlighted in green on the code mentioned in step 2. Those numbers represent the HTML color codes. The following link may be useful in identifying the HTML color codes for you - HTML Color Names. The border thickness may also be varied by increasing from 1px(highlighted in orange) to the value you want. Even the color could be changed. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I hope you enjoyed this hack. If you have any difficulties in installing this hack on your blog, you can always reach me via email. Share your opinions via comments. See you soon with another interesting hack!!!

Floating Share Buttons With Counter Using CSS

floating-share-buttons-css
I'm sure many people would have seen the floating share icons on various sites. Most of the floating share buttons which I found from Google search was the one similar to Mashable. These tutorials used JavaScript - jQuery to achieve a smooth gliding but, doing so will add too much of weight on your blog. It increases the size of your template apart from the script involved in loading those buttons.

You may very well notice that the facebook like boxes or buttons occupy a huge space because the scripts that they use are by default heavy and nothing could be done as such especially as a blogspot user. Thus, it becomes our responsibility to reduce the load time as much as we can. So, this post illustrates on adding floating share icons just with a simple CSS. I suggest you to read the following article for speeding up your blog - Speed Up Your Blog : Tips And Tools.

Biggest Advantage: No script is involved for the floating feature. Only scripts involved are those associated with the share buttons - facebook, twitter, etc... Take a look at the screenshot below for better understanding.
floating-share-icons
So, let's get started with this tutorial.
1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, expand your template and search for the following piece of code.
<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'/>
2. Just paste the following piece of code just below the line mentioned in step 1.
<div style='position: fixed; top: 1%; right: 1%;'>
<script type='text/javascript'>
tweetmeme_url = '<data:post.url/>';
</script>
<script src='http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<br/>
<fb:like action='like' colorscheme='light' expr:href='data:post.url' font='arial' layout='box_count' send='false' show_faces='false'/>
</div>
3. I have used only facebook and twitter share counters in my coding. You may add any number of share widgets as you want within the div tags. But, make sure you add a break tag (<br/>) after each and every script - makes the share buttons look neat. In order to make the facebook share button work, add the following piece of code above </head> in your template.
<script src='http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1' type='text/javascript'/>
4. You may further customize the position of the widget. Note the code highlighted in green. It depicts the position of the widget. The default coding places the share buttons to the top right corner. You may replace this coding with the following codes for different positions.
TOP LEFT - top:1%; left:1%;
BOTTOM LEFT - bottom:1%; left:1%;
BOTTOM RIGHT - bottom:1%; right:1%;
5. That's it!!! Save your template. 

If you find the above tutorial little difficult or if you don't find the coding mentioned in step 1, then just add the code mentioned in step two on your "Design>>Page Elements" page as a "Gadget>>HTML/JavaScript". That's it. Save the gadget and view the result!!! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. You may share your opinions via comments.

Simple Trick To Increase Your Blog Subscribers

man-up-arrow
It's been quite some time since I made a post on my blog. This post basically illustrates on increasing the Feedburner subscriber's count to your blog with the help of a simple script - Alert box. You might have seen few websites like sitesketch101.com or famousbloggers.net that loads a popup box from PopUp Domination 2.0 displaying a form to subscribe to their newsletter/blog.

More About PopUp Domination 2.0
PopUp Domination 2.0 is a plugin that lets you build your email list to a whooping level that you never imagined to happen in a week. It's easy to build attractive forms using PopUp Domination 2.0. As far as I know, both the WP plugin and the standalone versions supports all the major email list services as shown below.
Email-Lists
 You get 8 variety of themes with flexible color combinations. If you wish to improve your list in a quick time, then I strongly suggest you to try PopUp Domination 2.0. You have a 60 day money back guarantee offer. It is currently priced at $47.00 which may go up in a week's time. But, wait there's a small trick that lets you save $10.00. 
Popup-Domination-2.0
1. Hit the following link - PopUp Domination 2.0.
2. Once the page is opened in a new tab. Try closing the tab. 
3. You will see a Popup that offers a $10.00 discount. Hit the cancel tab and purchase the plugin now for $37.00.

So, no half measures, just hit the link and try it yourself - PopUp Domination 2.0.

PopUp Domination Alternative - WP Users
So, what do I do if am not able to afford the price that is quoted there. Well, we have a solution for you my WP readers. Just hit this link - FasterIM Opt-In and try the alternative to PopUp Domination. Note: I said only WP users. What if I'm a blogspot user unable to afford the price? Bad luck, we have no other option but to use the alert box that I mentioned at the start of my post (or) pay the price for the standalone version of PopUp Domination 2.0 and get the code.

Alternative to Blogspot Users
I would like to highlight the disadvantages in using this alert box before I start the tutorial. The first one being the inability to modify the box that pops up. Secondly, the alert box might disturb the user who visits your blog because of its ugly look. If you can bear the above two disadvantages, then proceed with the tutorial below to achieve the ultimate aim - navigate the readers to your blog's subscription page. One big advantage in using this alert box is that it loads much faster than any of the above mentioned plugins because it does not involve any external JavaScript - uses only one script defined internally. So, lets get started with this tutorial on alert box.


1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the backup is over, search for the following piece of code.
</body>
2. Place the following piece of code with just above the code mentioned in step 1.
<b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:blog.homepageUrl'>
<script type='text/javascript'>
var t=setTimeout("alertMsg()",5000);
function alertMsg()
{
var stay=confirm("Can we navigate you to our blog subscription page?")
if (stay)
window.location="http://feeds.feedburner.com/EverythingAboutBlogging"
}
</script>
</b:if>
3. The timer which I have set on the coding is highlighted in green. This parameter depicts the time after which the alert box should load. For example, if you set the parameter to 6000 instead of 5000, then the box will appear after 6 seconds. Note: 1000 milliseconds make one second. 
4. The text which I used in my coding is highlighted in blue. You may change it as per your wish. Moreover, the code I mentioned will load the alert box only on homepage. If you wish to have it on all pages, then remove the first and last line in the coding mentioned at step 2.
5. Replace the link highlighted in orange with your feed link - obtained from Feedburner.
6. That's it. Save your template.

I am currently working on the coding to load an alert box/popup box similar to PopUp Domination 2.0. In fact, we achieved 75% success in our coding. There are little more bugs/issues that need to be solved before we launch the coding for you. So, keep your fingers crossed and wait for the launch. Hope we come up with the coding for you. I would like to hear your thoughts and views about this post. So, share it with us via comments!!! 

Thesis Theme Footer For Blogger/Blogspot Blogs

Thesis-Theme-Footer-For-Blogger
Hi friends!!! For the past few weeks, I keep receiving a lot of emails regarding the footer which I added on my blog. So, It's been a fascination around the blogosphere to have a footer similar to the one installed on my blog. The same could be found on shoutmeloud, techiemania, etc.. The customization is basically a paid one, when it comes to thesis theme where as, we blogspot users can enjoy it for free!!!

I do not want to take much of your time. It's already going to little tiring for you to install this footer on your blog. How ever, I would like to inform you that I'm working on the thesis theme exactly similar to Shoutmeloud. I will be launching it in a few weeks time once I fully complete the design work. I suggest you to subscribe to my blog so that you don't miss the first copy of such a customized thesis theme. Let's move to the footer customization now.

1. Go to "Design->Edit HTML. Make a backup of your template before modifying the HTML by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page.
2. Once the backup is made, search for the following line in your template. Use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search results.

]]></b:skin>
3. Let's add the CSS part of the footer first. So, just add the code mentioned in this document - CSS For Thesis Theme Footer above the line mentioned in step 2. That is, you need to copy the entire code in the document and paste it just above the line mentioned in step 2. Save your template temporarily.
4. Next, search for the last closing div tag on your template page. That is, just scroll to the end of the page and see the last closing div tag.
5. Paste the code mentioned in this text document - Code For Thesis Theme Footer just above the last div tag. Else, you can place it just above </body> tag.
6. Just preview your template. If you find any errors, then contact me via email and I will help you with the installation. However, if you do not encounter any error, then have a look at the footer and close the tab. I recommend you to save the template again. 
7. The major customization work starts here. I have already mentioned very clearly in the text document what to be changed. So, if you are webmaster, I'm sure it should be self explanatory for you guys!!! If you are not an expert, well, here goes the customization procedure.

FOOTER CUSTOMIZATION
1. Just replace the following text - LABEL 1 with your blog labels. Next, find the following code in the footer - YOUR URL THAT LINKS TO THE LABELS. Replace this piece of text with the URL of your labels. To obtain the URL of the various labels in your blog, just hover your mouse over a published post which has got some labels. Check out the following picture for better understanding. 
Find-Label-URL-On-Blogger
Alternate method : To get the URL of your labels, just paste your blog url followed by a '/search/label/' and write down the blog label as such. Note that, if you have a space in the name of your labels, then each space should be replaced by %20. For example, let us assume that your blog label is BLOGGER TUTORIAL - has got a space between the word BLOGGER and TUTORIAL. So, the URL of your label should be as follows.

http://www.yourblogname.com/search/label/BLOGGER%20TUTORIAL.
This procedure should be followed for all the instances, (I have provided 12 such instances in the text document) where you find the text "YOUR URL THAT LINKS TO THE LABELS".

2. Just replace the following text - Featured Article 1 with the title of your featured content. Next, find the following code in the footer - URL THAT LINKS TO A FEATURED CONTENT ON YOUR BLOG. Replace this piece of text with the URL of your featured content. I think it is pretty self explanatory. Repeat the same for all the instances where you find the above text. I have provided 6 such instances in the text document.

3. Just replace the following text - WEBSITE 1 with the title of site you wish to link to. Next, find the following code in the footer - BLOG ROLL LINK. Replace this piece of text with the URL of site which you wish to link to. The number of sites you may link on your blog according to the coding I provided is 3. How ever, you can extend the same to any number by just following the pattern of coding. That is, add the following piece of tags if you wish to add another site to your blog roll. 

4. Just replace the following text - POPULAR POST TITLE 1 with the title of your featured content. Next, find the following code in the footer - URL OF POPULAR POST ON YOUR BLOG. Replace this piece of text with the URL of your popular post. If you are not sure about the post which receives the maximum hits, then I suggest you to visit Google Analytics. So, just repeat the same for all the instances where you find the above texts. I have provided 7 such instances in the text document.

5. This step deals with the author. So, I suggest you to have a photo of yourself (Size:) and some text about yourself. That's it. Upload your photo  to PICASA and get the URL to the image. Replace the text "URL OF YOUR PROFILE PHOTO" with the URL you got from PICASA. Next, split the content which you have about yourself in three parts and replace the text which says "About Yourself" at three instances with the three parts you have about yourself. That's it! Should be simple, I believe!!! 

Find the following text - YOUR USERNAME, replace this text with your twitter user name. Next, replace the text "YOUR FACE BOOK FAN PAGE URL" with the URL of your facebook fan page URL.

6. We have reached the last part of the customization. Just replace the text which says "ALEXA WIDGET FOR YOUR SITE" with the widget you receive from Alexa website. I feel it is pretty self explanatory. Last but not the least, replace all the instances of the text - "YOUR BLOG TITLE" and "YOUR BLOG URL" with title of your blog and URL of your blog respectively. That's it! Save your template!!!

I tried to keep the installation procedure as simple as possible. How ever, if you feel the post needs a little more elaboration, then share your views via comments. So, I will update the post and make things more clear. I hope you enjoy the thesis theme footer on your blogspot/blogger blog. 

If you've got any doubts or issues installing this footer on your blog, then contact me via email or just leave a comment below. I will reply to you as soon as possible. I forget to mention that the footer involves a logo. So, if you wish to have a customized logo for your blog and get it displayed at footer, then you may use our services to get one. See you soon in another interesting tutorial.

How To Use Google Custom Fonts On Blogger?

I'm sure many users are fed up with old simple fonts. Especially, web designers and web masters are completely stuck with the default fonts. But, we have got a solution to this problem. Google has launched a service called Google Web Fonts. It's completely free to use for both commercial and private purpose. Go check out their directory and grab the font of your style.

Once you have chosen your font style. Just make sure you back up your template. Login to your dashboard. Navigate to "Layout>>Edit HTML" from your dashboard. Hit the download template button and your done. Now, follow these steps.

1. Just click on the font of your choice from the Google Font Directory. Later, hit the tab that says "Use This Font" and you will find a code something like the one shown below.
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Dancing+Script' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>
(Note: I have chosen Dancing Script as the font. The coding may vary depending upon the font you choose)
2. Copy and paste the code just below the following line.
<head>
(Note: You need to add a forward slash - / at the end of the coding on step 1.  Only then, you can save your template.)
3. That's it. Save your template. You have added the font on your blog. To make them really working, you need to specify it in the CSS as follows.
3.1. If you wish to have the fonts displayed for your POST TITLES, then declare them as follows.
.post-title {font-family: 'YOUR FONT NAME';
}
3.2. If you wish to have them displayed on the body section of your posts, then you need to edit your CSS for post body as follows.
.post-body {font-family: 'YOUR FONT NAME';
}
(Note: Replace YOUR FONT NAME with the font name you have chosen. In my case, it is Dancing Script. You have to remove the previous font style that existed on your template.)
4. Save your template and see your fonts in action!!!

The coding may vary depending upon the template. If you have some unique custom templates, then I'm sure the coding will be different. So, don't worry. You can contact me via email or leave a comment below and I will help you with the customization. Don't forget to share your views about this post. See you soon in another interesting blogger hack.

Make Your Blog More Attractive - Tip 4

Hi guys! This the next tip in my series about making your blog more attractive. If you had missed the earlier versions, then click on the following links to read about them - Tip 1, Tip 2, Tip 3. This post basically deals with adding the text "Posted by" followed by the author name. If you wish to display the labels below the author name, well we have got the code that as well. Still confused? Check out the screen shot below!!!
Author-Name-Post-Labels
The main advantage of adding tags/labels below your post title is that it will provide better navigation on your blog and your labels will get indexed by major search engines like Google. Interested to add this stuff on your blog??? Well, just follow these steps.
Make-Your-Blog-More-Attractive
1. Login to your dashboard. Navigate to "Layout>>Edit HTML" from your dashboard. Make a back up of your template before you make any changes in the template.
2. Expand your template. To do so, make sure you have a tick mark enabled to the left of this text "".
3. Once expanded, just search for the following piece of code. Use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search results.
<div class='post-header-line-1'>
4. Paste the following piece of code just below the line mentioned in step 3.
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "static_page"'>
<b:else/><span class='post-author vcard' style='no-repeat;'>
<b:if cond='data:top.showAuthor'>
<data:top.authorLabel/>
<span class='fn'><data:post.author/></span>
</b:if>
</span>
</b:if>
<br/>
<span class='post-labels'>
<b:if cond='data:post.labels'>
Tags :
<b:loop values='data:post.labels' var='label'>
<a expr:href='data:label.url' rel='tag'><data:label.name/></a><b:if cond='data:label.isLast != "true"'> | </b:if>
</b:loop>
</b:if>
</span>
5. That's it!!! Save your template!!!

Go check out your homepage or post page, I'm sure you should find the author name followed by the labels you tagged with your post. I hope you enjoyed this post. See you soon with another interesting and attractive tip on my next post. We love to hear from you, so please keep your comments coming!!!

Make Your Blog More Attractive - Tip 3

Hi friends!!! I received a lot of emails regarding the newer post and older post links. Many bloggers who run their blog especially those run on Revolution Church Blogger Template wanted to add "Newer Posts And Older Posts" link just like the one displayed on my blog. So, this post is specifically targeted to those who wish to have their page navigation as displayed below - check the encircled part in the picture below.
make+your+blog+more+attractive
To add a page navigation as shown above, just follow the steps mentioned below.  
1. Navigate to "Design->Edit HTML" from your blogger dashboard. Make a backup of your template before modifying the HTML by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page.
2. Now, search for the following block of code in your template. Use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search.
#blog-pager-newer-link {
  float: left;
  display:none;
}
#blog-pager-older-link {
  float: right;
  display:none;
}
#blog-pager {
  text-align: center;
  display:none;
}
Note: If you do not find the above block of code, then you should find the following block.
#blog-pager-newer-link {
  float: $startSide;
 }
#blog-pager-older-link {
  float: $endSide;
 }
#blog-pager {
  text-align: center;
 }
3. Now, replace the above mentioned block of code with following block of code.
#blog-pager-newer-link {
  float: left;
  display:inline;
}
#blog-pager-older-link {
  float: right;
  display:inline;
}
#blog-pager {
  text-align: center;
  display:inline;
}
.blog-pager{font-size:12px;}
.blog-pager a:link, .blog-pager a:visited{
  display:block;
  float:left;
  padding:6px 10px;
  text-align:center;
  background:#888;
  color:#FFF;
  font-size:12px;
  font-weight:bold;
  margin-right:8px;
}
.blog-pager a:hover{
  background:#444;
  color:#FFF;
}
4. Save your template. That's it. Very simple!!! Isn't it???

CUSTOMIZATION:

You can change the colors of the blocks by changing the color codes. To do so, first finalize what color you want the button to display before hovering. Later, decide what color the button should display on mouse hover. Check out the HTML color code table here - HTML Color Code Table. Now, replace the text highlighted in green on step 3 with the code you chose from the HTML color code table.

If you find any difficulties in installing the above mentioned scripts, then leave your comments below or contact me via email. If you got inspired by a page navigation style run on some other blog, you can share it with us. We will find the code for that style and post it on our blog in the upcoming weeks. So, keep your comments coming.

Author Info Widget For Mulitple Authors On Blogger

blogger-multiple-authors
I'm happy that few people have started writing guest posts on our blog. You may write a post for us too. Check out the guidelines on Join Us page. While I was happy with the guest bloggers on my blog, I had a problem to worry. The initial "About The Author" widget, whose tutorial can be found on this page - "About the Author" box below every blogger post, supports only one author but not multiple authors.

I don't think this would be a concern for Wordpress Users because they will have some plug-in which will do the work for them. Whereas, we blogspot users have to work out the code. And I did find a solution to this problem. In fact, I found two solutions for the same. First one seemed to be foolish while the second one was spot on. 

Let me just explain the first one "A FOOLISH IDEA" - I thought to paste the code for single author  describing about me on all posts which I published. For those posted by other authors, use the same code with their description instead of mine. Just imagine the time it would take to republish my posts, that is more than 100 posts, with the initial code below every post. I googled to find a solution but I never got one. Later, that night I sat down to write up the code. Surprisingly, it worked. So, here goes the code - SECOND SOLUTION.

Follow these simple steps to install "About The Author" widget on your blog for multiple authors. Complete the procedures mentioned on this post - "About the Author" box below every blogger post, before your proceed with following steps.
1. Go to "Design->Edit HTML. Make a backup of your template before modifying the HTML by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page.
2. Expand your blogger template. Now, search for the following line in your template. Use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search.
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
3. Replace the above code with the following piece of code.
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<b:if cond='data:post.author == "ADMIN NAME"'>
Note: Replace ADMIN NAME with the administrator of the blog. If multiple administrators, then place any one of the administrator's name.
4. Once replaced, come to the end of this block of code. That is, you should find the following lines.
</div>
</b:if>
5. Once found, its time to add the description about the second author. For doing this, place the code  mentioned in this text file - Multiple Author Widget For Blogger, below the lines mentioned in step 4.
6. Replace "GUEST BLOGGER NAME" with the name of your guest blogger. This could be found from the name which gets displayed on the post page. See the following picture for better understanding. 
guest-blogger-name
7. Replace "GUEST BLOGGER DESCRIPTION" with the information about your guest blogger and "GUEST BLOGGER IMAGE" with the image URL of your guest blogger, that is, upload the profile image of your guest blogger to Picasa Web Albums and get the URL of the image posted. Use that URL here. I hope you understood the instructions. If not, just check out the example in this text file - Multiple Author Widget For Blogger Example
8. Save your template. That's it.

The same steps can be repeated for any number of authors. I tried to keep the procedure as simple as possible. If it seems to complex, just hit contact button on top and you can straight away email. We would love to receive your comments about the widget. So, please keep them coming. See you soon with another interesting blogger hack!!!

Make Your Blog More Attractive - Tip 2

Hi friends!!! Many bloggers have started posting their views about various widgets which they wish to have on their blog via email as well as through comments. I'm happy with the response that I got for my previous post namely, Make Your Blog More Attractive - Tip 1. To all those who mailed me and made a comment, I'm working on your widgets. Soon, the steps to install those widgets will be published.
In this post, I will demonstrate on "How to add the special note tag within your blogger posts?". I'm sure you will be pretty confused about what that special note means. Basically, this idea developed from the shoutmeloud theme. Just have a look at the following picture - the " SPECIAL NOTE" tag.
THIS IS THE SPECIAL NOTE TAG
Hope you understood what I meant. This tag will be useful when you want to list your points, add sub headings to your post, etc...  

I don't want to take too much of your time. Let's get to the installation steps. Just follow these simple steps.
1. Login to your dashboard. Navigate to "Layout>>Edit HTML" from your dashboard. Make a back up of your template before you make any changes in the template.
2. Search for the following code in your blog. You may use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search results.
]]></b:skin>
3. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 2 (the one you searched for).
.note{
background:#E3F0F2 url(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_So-xppeH7x0/TP3uIr_A5kI/AAAAAAAAAn0/I17mlOq2axM/s800/note.png) center no-repeat;
margin:0 auto;
width:90%;
display:block;
border:1px solid #6CC;
background-position:7px 50%;
padding:10px 10px 10px 45px;
-moz-border-radius-bottomleft:4px;
-moz-border-radius-bottomright:4px;
-moz-border-radius-topleft:4px;
-moz-border-radius-topright:4px;
-webkit-border-top-left-radius:4px;
-webkit-border-top-right-radius:4px;
-webkit-border-bottom-left-radius:4px;
-webkit-border-bottom-right-radius:4px;
font:bold 15px arial
}
4. Now, place the following tags in between the text which should be highlighted.
<span class="note">
</span>
For example, if you want the text "EXAMPLE" to appear as a special note tag, you need to use the following code. 
<span class="note">
EXAMPLE
</span>
I hope this will help your post more attractive. If you have any doubts in adding this tag to your post, then please leave your comments below. We love to receive your comments. So, keep them coming.

Make Your Blog More Attractive - Tip 1

Many bloggers, both newbies and experienced ones, keep asking me about the "Read More and Add Your Comment" buttons, special "Note" tag which I include in my recent posts, about the Tags and Author Name which are included below every post title and so on. I plan to publish articles in the upcoming weeks solving these issues and other issues faced by the bloggers as well. It's better that you subscribe to my blog so that, you don't miss any valuable tip that would make your blog more attractive.
make blog more attractive
In this post, I will demonstrate on "How to add the Read More and Add Your Comment buttons" to the home page of your blog. Though blogger has enabled the "Read More" feature with "Insert jump break" icon, to add the CSS stylized icons, you need to follow the instructions mentioned  in this post. Still not clear about what I'm blabbering, then have a look at the previews below - on IE, on Firefox. 
Read More Button On IE
On Internet Explorer
Read More Button on FireFox
On Mozilla FireFox






Note: Rounded corners are visible only on the latest browsers and it's not supported by IE.  However, the hack will work on IE. It will be visible as straight edges. Check out the screen shots to find the difference between the straight corners and rounded corners.

Fine. Let's install this hack on our blogs. Just follow the instructions mentioned below.
1. Login to your dashboard. Navigate to "Layout>>Edit HTML" from your dashboard. Make a back up of your template before you make any changes in the template.
2. Search for the following code in your blog. You may use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search results.
]]></b:skin>
3. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 2 (the one you searched for).
.rmlink a {
       color:#ffffff;
       text-decoration: none;
       float:right;
       font-family:Arial;
       padding:3px 4px 3px 4px;
       font-size: 12px;
       font-weight: bold;
       text-align: center; 
       background: #444343;
       padding-left:10px;
       padding-right:10px;
       -moz-border-radius: 5px;
       -webkit-border-radius: 5px;
}
.rmlink a:hover {
       color:#ffffff;
       text-decoration: none;
       background: #7b7b7b;
       -moz-border-radius: 5px;
       -webkit-border-radius: 5px;
}
4. Save your template temporarily. Next, expand your template checking the box on the top right corner of HTML area, that is, ensure you have a tick mark on the box.
5. Once the template is expanded, search for the following code in your template.
<data:post.body/>
6. Just download this text file - Read More Hack. Replace the above mentioned code with code present in the text file. That is, just copy the entire content in the text file and paste it instead of the code mentioned in step 5.
7. Save your template. That's it!!! Every time you make a post, just use the default "Jump Break" tag and this hack will work.

If you face any problems installing this script, you can always contact me via email or leave a comment below. You can also request for solutions regarding the problems you face when installing other widgets on your blog or request for the scripts which attracted you the most on my blog, say like the subscription box, the search bar, etc... Your problems will be addressed in the upcoming posts on my blog. So, what you waiting for??? Leave a comment and get your problem solved!!!

UPDATED CODE
Few people asked me to include the number of comments along with "Add Your Comment" and "Read More" button. The updated version would look as shown in the picture below.
So, for those who wish to have the new version of code. Just follow the same steps which are mentioned above expect step 6. Instead of the file - Read More Hack, download the following file -  Updated Read More Hack Code and replace the code as mentioned.

Add Image Captions On Hover With CSS3

I'm currently trying out few cool effects with CSS3. You might check out my entry which involves making rounded corners with CSS3 rather than the usual flat straight corners. Here, in this post , we deal with another cool effect namely, displaying the image caption only when you hover your mouse over the image. To check this effect, just hover your mouse over the image below.

Just Another Wildlife Photo
I hope you like the hover effect on this photo. This effect is visible only in the latest browsers - Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera, not in Internet Explorer.

Are you excited about this trick??? If you are not able to view this effect, it simply means your browser does not support CSS3. I'm pretty sure this trick works on the following browsers - Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. Just follow these simple steps to implement this effect on your blog.

1. Login to your dashboard. Navigate to "Layout>>Edit HTML" from your dashboard. Make a back up of your template before you do any changes in the template.
2. Search for the following code in your blog. You may use "CTRL+F" to fasten your search results.
]]></b:skin>
3. Now, paste the following piece of code just above the line you searched in step 2.
#post-image {
}
#figure {
position:relative;
float:left;
margin:10px;
overflow:hidden;
padding: 1px;
}
#figure:hover {
-moz-box-shadow:0 0 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
box-shadow:0 0 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
}
#figure .caption {
position:absolute;
bottom:0;
left:0;
opacity: 0.75;
margin-bottom:-115px;
-webkit-transition: margin-bottom;
-webkit-transition-duration: 400ms;
-webkit-transition-timing-function: ease-out;
-moz-transition-property: margin-bottom;
-moz-transition-duration: 400ms;
-moz-transition-timing-function: ease-out;
-o-transition-property: margin-bottom;
-o-transition-duration: 400ms;
transition: margin-bottom;
transition-duration: 400ms;
transition-timing-function: ease-out;
}
#figure:hover .caption {
margin-bottom:0px;
}
#post-image .caption {
width:100%;
height:90px;
padding:10px;
background:#111;
color:#fff;
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
#post-image .caption b {
text-shadow: 0px 2px 0px #000;
}
#post-image .caption {
color: #ddd;
line-height: 24px;
font-size: 14px;
text-shadow: 0px 2px 0px #000;
}
4. Save your template. That's it.

IMPLEMENTATION IN BLOGGER DRAFT/POST:
I suggest you to use Yahoo! Smush.it before you upload any photo to Picasa Web Album because your images will load faster when you smush them.  To get more details about Yahoo Smush.it, check this article - Tips and Tools To Speed Up Your Blog

Once you upload the image to Picasa Web Albums, copy and paste the URL in a temporary text file. Now, paste the following piece of code in the place where you want the image to appear in your post. That is, shift to the HTML mode in the blogger draft and paste the following piece of code.
<div id="post-image">
<div id='figure'>
<img src="URL OF IMAGE FROM PICASA"/>
<span class='caption'>
<b>YOUR IMAGE TITLE/b>
YOUR IMAGE DESCRIPTION GOES HERE
</span>
</div>
</div>
Replace "URL OF IMAGE FROM PICASA" with the actual URL of your image - the one which you temporarily saved in the text file. Also, change the appropriate text for the title and description of the image. That's all folks. Now, publish your post. You should be able to see the cool CSS effect when you hover  the mouse over the image. Share your views via comments. We love to hear from you!!!!
[netinsert=0.0.1.11.14.1]