Simple Disappearing Effect Using Jquery

We can tweak our blogs run on blogger/blogspot with simple jQuery scripts to make it more unique and attractive. One such attractive effect is the disappearing effect. In this article, I'll explain a simple disappearing effect that you can apply to any widget on your blog. So, let's get started. Just click on the link below to see a live demo of the hack.

SIMPLE DISAPPEARING EFFECT - LIVE DEMO

Interesting, is it? Let's see how it works! Before I start off, I would like to inform you that this tutorial is just an example to illustrate the disappearing effect. You may apply the same to any widget on your blog provided the code is wrapped with a div tag that calls the class 'pane'.

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. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned step 1.

.pane { margin:0; padding:0; }
.pane .delete { position: absolute; padding-left:560px; cursor: pointer;}

Note: You may change the padding as per your wish.

3. Next, search for the following piece of code.

</head>

4. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 3. Save your template.

<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>

<script type='text/javascript'>
$(document).ready(function(){$(".pane .delete").click(function(){$(this).parents(".pane").animate({ opacity: 'hide' }, "slow");});
});
</script>

Note: You need not paste the first line (highlighted in orange) in the above coding if you already have the jquery file running on your blog. I suggest you to use the Google hosted jQuery files as mentioned in the coding above for better loading time.

5. Now, just insert the tag class="pane" with any div tag on your blog. Next, include a tag say class="delete" with your image or anchor tags and save your template. To better understand what I blabbered in the last line, take a look at the following example (the code which I used on the post editor to show you the live demo).

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="pane" style="border: 1px solid rgb(9, 68, 136); padding: 5px;">
<img class="delete" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPBNBvzaABI/TiKdofaU0qI/AAAAAAAABUc/_msXzLYi-Ls/s1600/btn-delete.gif"/>
<h3>Sample Heading</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is just a sample post to check out the disappearing effect on blogger. If you like this effect, then read the tutorial on www.newbloggingtipz.com! We've more interesting tutorials out there! So, go check out the site right now!!!!</div>
</div>

Note: You may use the above coding in your post editor and realize the same effect on your blog, as well. To change the border color, change the color codes (highlighted in green). Change the heading (highlighted in blue) and content part (highlighted in pink) as you want! I guess the other customizations are pretty self-explanatory. So, give it a shot & I bet you'll like it!

I used the disappearing effect for the subscription box on my demo blog. Where do you intend to use this on your blog? Let us know via comments! Let's see the creativity in you:)

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Want to Start a Blog About Marketing?

With the current economic downturn, marketing is increasingly important. Whether you’re a mom selling crafts and crocheted hats, or a start-up company looking to increase your brand recognition, effective (or ineffective) marketing can make or break you. Unless you have a marketing degree, however, this can be a confusing process.

Not everyone can afford to hire a marketing firm to promote their business; this is where blogs and how-to articles come in handy. The Internet provides easy access to thousands of articles and blogs intended to educate and enlighten readers, and is a veritable font of information. If you are a writer interested in marketing, here are a few suggestions for writing posts that will draw readers to your site and keep them there:

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT

Don’t waste your time or that of your readers by writing about a topic that you are clueless about. If you are exploring new territory, take a few minutes to research, so that you can speak with a voice of authority. Your readers will assume that your information is valid and will likely follow your recommendations, so be sure to do it right the first time.

HAVE A GOAL BEFORE YOUR START AN ARTICLE

Unless you are a seasoned marketing guru and author, it is unlikely that you will be able to sit down and start writing off the cuff. Jot down the topic you would like to explore, a few important key points, and then start writing. This will give your article a more polished feel, and you will be able to be more concise, which is always good when writing a blog.

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

If you are writing about deals for dads, or money-making ideas for teens, make sure you are clear about your audience. A trick that writers are taught is to imagine someone reading their work. Imagine every detail, including clothing, hairstyle, facial expression, etc. Then, tailor your writing for that particular individual. This gives your writing a more personal feel, and will appeal to whom it should, thus guaranteeing loyal readers.

STAY UP-TO-DATE

Marketing strategies are constantly evolving, based upon the needs of consumers, advances in technology, changes in the economy, and other factors. Subscribe to newsletters, read recent articles and blogs, and be aware of changes that may affect the advice you are dispensing. Make sure that your writing always reflects current trends and ideas.

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE

Once you have your blog up and running and are writing quality content, spread the word and draw readers to your site. This can be done through the use of social media, word-of-mouth, creative advertising, or other methods. Since you are writing about marketing, there’s no reason not to use some of the tools you are writing about, in order to gain readers and popularity.

The Internet has made authors out of unlikely people. The quiet kid in the corner now has an outlet for his ideas, without ever having to say a word; the know-it-all now has a platform from which to educate the masses. Everyone has strong opinions on at least one topic (if not more), and blogging enables people to gain an appreciative audience for their expertise. Why not make this work for you?

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Blogging Should Be Fun

Alright, maybe blogging isn’t what you would do if someone handed you $500 and said go have fun for the day, but if it’s what you’re doing to make money or helping you make money it should be enjoyable. Work is work, but it’s a large part of life so you should be able to focus on the positives of what you do here in the blogosphere!

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU ENJOY

Hopefully you are writing about what you know and enjoy. Doing so makes it easy to type and share your knowledge and experience with others. It’s enjoyable to publicly share your information on the web, to see the article you’ve published and that is something to be proud of.

YOU ARE HELPING PEOPLE

Hundreds, thousands or millions of people may be checking out the article you’ve written and because of that are learning a new skill, gaining motivation or being entertained by what you have to say. It’s fun to know that you are hopefully having a positive influence on someone else’s life! People all over the Internet are seeking out content for various reasons so when you sit down to blog know what sort of an impact you might make!

YOU HAVE A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

Hey, I sit here writing this article later in the evening because during the day I was out doing something fun during the day. If you’re a blogger, appreciate the fact that you have a relatively flexible schedule and can feel free to work when your brain is ready to be productive. Most people in this world are set to work on a set schedule and while those known hours aren’t so bad, I love knowing that I can put in my hours when it fits into my schedule.

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT

The beauty of blogging is that you can write about what you want. It’s amazing to have a voice, and typically those around you can only hear that voice. Having that flexibility and ability to share whatever it is that comes to your mind is an absolutely phenomenal feeling and when you blog you should cherish that freedom.

COMMENTS/SOCIAL MEDIA

The beauty of the comments area under your article is that now you are talking back and forth with the people who really enjoy what you say. Writing the article is one thing and knowing the article had page views is cool, but when people speak up and talk about what you’re saying that’s when the fun begins. Get into your comments and have great discussions with your peers around the globe. Hop on your facebook and twitter pages and dive in to what it is that you talk about and it will be a more rewarding experience that you enjoy.

So, what's your opinion about blogging? Share it via comments below!!! 

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The New Auto "alt" and "title" Tag Generator For Images - Best Image SEO Solution For Blogger

I usually find comments around the web that say blogs run on blogger/blogspot are not optimized for search engines just because we need to manually add alt and title tags for each image you post on your blog. Isn't it kinda of irritating to add stuffs manually every time you post them??? Well, not any more! I found a script that'll automatically add the alt and title tag for the images that you post on your blog.

WHY THIS SCRIPT?

I recommend you to read the following article - 3 Tips To Make Images SEO Friendly On Blogger. I guess you understood the importance of alt and title tags on your blog. I can assure you that this script will rank your blog better, than before, on search engines. What's little more interesting about this script is that, it'll add alt and title tags for all the images - be it the one that your going to post or the ones that already exist in your blog.

HOW IT WORKS?

The script just uses the name of your image to auto generate the "alt" and "title" tags. In other words, the name of your image stands as the text for your alt and title tag. It picks up the next character after the last instance of "/" from the image URL as the starting letter of your alt or title tag. The ending character will be recognized using the last instance of "." from your image URL.

For example, you upload an image "super-script.jpg" using post editor. You'll find the image URL as "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/....../super-script.jpg". When you publish the article and go check out the source code of the same (source code of the image), you'll find the following tags in it - alt="super-script" and title="super-script". Isn't it cool? No more manual addition of tags! Just a proper name for the images and the script will do the rest! 

     Just keep these two things in your mind before you name an image.

     1. Dont' use / or . character when you name your images.

      2. Use a name that best explains the image for better SEO.

INSTALLING THE SCRIPT

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. Download this text document - IMAGE SEO SCRIPT FOR BLOGGER and paste the code present in it just above the line mentioned in step 1.

3. Save your template. That's it! Very simple! Isn't it?

Note: Usage of above script is subject to copyrights. Do not make any changes to the above code. If you do so, it'll attract a violation of copyrights and you'll be filed under DMCA. For webmasters, you can modify the script provided you give a credit to this article. It's my kind request to you guys!

The above script is found to work on all major browsers - IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome. WordPress users can follow the same instructions to get this script working on their blogs as well. I'll soon post another script that makes your external links open on a new tab with an automatic "nofollow" tag attached to it - just to ensure that your link juice isn't spread to other blogs. I suggest you to subscribe to my blog so that, you don't miss it! Share your opinions about the magic script via comments!

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Subscription Box Using Tooltip For Blogger

In my previous article about HTML Tooltip, I mentioned about "callingallgeeks.org". If you missed the article, then check out - Tooltip For Blogger Using jQuery & CSS. Harsh on his blog "callingallgeeks.org" used this effect to display the Tooltip over the share icons - RSS, Twitter, Facebook. You may experience the Tooltip effect on Yahoo! Cricket too - hover your mouse over the player names.

In this article, I'll just share the code which will create the Tooltip effect when you hover your mouse over the subscribe icons. If you need the code for the entire subscription box, well install the widget that appears on this article first - Tutorial to add the subscription box. Later, use the code that appears in this post to realize a proper subscription box. So, let's get started.

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. Paste the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.

#dhtmltooltip {
background-color: #484848;
background-image: url("https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5SQOgS6ij1A/TiE0rmXU9gI/AAAAAAAABUQ/KwaaLmoeP4c/s800/mouse-hover-bg.png");
background-repeat: repeat-x;
border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;
color: #F2F2F2;
font-size: 12px;
font-weight: bold;
height: 27px;
line-height: 20px;
padding: 10px 20px;
position: absolute;
text-align: center;
z-index: 100;
visibility:hidden;
}
#dhtmlpointer{
position: absolute;
z-index: 101;
visibility:hidden;
}
.social-subscribe ul {
list-style: none outside none;
}
.social-subscribe li {
float: left;
}
.social-subscribe li a.rss {
background: url("https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HTQ6s6GmBLg/TiE0rFVVQsI/AAAAAAAABUI/pWdIwOUEuA8/s800/icon-rss.gif") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;
padding: 0 2px 0 0;
}
.social-subscribe li a {
display: inline-block;
height: 52px;
width: 57px;
}
.social-subscribe li a.facebook {
background: url("https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tkdaWLGbFQI/TiE0rPLM1QI/AAAAAAAABUE/DG4wcOs1xwY/s800/icon-facebook.gif") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;
padding: 0 2px 0 0;
}
.social-subscribe li a {
display: inline-block;
height: 52px;
width: 57px;
}
.social-subscribe li a.twitter {
background: url("https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bIK53VccMss/TiE0ra0pGKI/AAAAAAAABUM/NewFfwHhH7U/s800/icon-twitter.gif") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;
padding: 0 2px 0 0;
}
.social-subscribe li a {
display: inline-block;
height: 52px;
width: 57px;
}

3. Save your template and navigate to "Design >> Page Elements >> Add a Gadget" and choose "HTML/Javascript".
4. Download the following text document - HTML FOR TOOLTIP EFFECT ON SUBSCRIBE ICONS. Just copy the code present in the text document and paste it on the window that pops up. Make the following customizations before you save the widget.

1. Replace FEEDNAME with the name of your feed obtained from FeedBuner. Your feed name is nothing but your feed title. So, open your FeedBurner account and check out the Feed details. There are two instances where you need to replace FEEDNAME with your feed name.
2. Replace TWITTER-USERNAME with your twitter user name. There are two instances where you need to replace the same.
3. Replace FAN-PAGE-URL with your facebook fan page URL. Similar to the previous two customizations, this replacement should also be made at two instances.

5. Once the above customizations are made, just save the widget and your done!

In case you find the customization part a bit difficult to understand, then take a look at the example coding which I used on my demo blog by downloading this text document - SAMPLE CODE. This effect was tested on all major browsers - Firefox, IE, Safari, Chrome, Opera. If you have some unique ideas to illustrate this same effect in a different manner, then share it via comments! Would love to hear from the CSS and Jquery geeks out there!

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Cross-Browser Gradient Effect Using CSS

Many themes, be it blogger or WP, make use of gradient effects. About 95% of them, use an image to achieve the gradient effect. However, the same can be realized with CSS. In this tutorial, we'll let you know how to achieve this gradient effect on all major browsers - IE, Firefox 3.6+, Safari, Chrome and Opera. So, let's get started...

If you are a WordPress user, then you need to add the following CSS mentioned in the tutorial to your ".css file" and upload the same to your server. If you are blogspot user, then you need to add the following CSS codes just above the following code in your template - ]]></b:skin>. 

FOR WEBKIT BROWSERS

To realize the gradient effect on webkit browsers like Safari, Chrome, etc... just include the following line in the CSS part of your theme.

background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#ccc), to(#000));

FOR FIREFOX 3.6+

To visualize the gradient effect on Firefox, add the following piece of code in the CSS part of your template.

background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #ccc, #000);

FOR INTERNET EXPLORER

Use the following code to enable the gradient effect on IE.

filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr='#cccccc', endColorstr='#000000');

Note: You may change the color codes highlighted in green and blue as per your choice. The codes which are highlighted in green represent the starting color in the gradient effect while the code highlighted in blue represents the ending color. I suggest you to take a look at the following link to easily pick the color code of your choice - HTML Color Codes Generator.

To see the effect on all the browsers, simply combine the above mentioned codes. So, you'll have a browser compatible CSS gradient effect. However, I strongly suggest you to provide a simple color as a background in case the user is using a browser that does not support CSS3. Hence, your final code should be similar to the one shown below.

background: #ccc; /* for non-css3 browsers */
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr='#cccccc', endColorstr='#000000'); /* for IE */
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#ccc), to(#000)); /* for webkit browsers */
background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #ccc, #000); /* for firefox 3.6+ */

If you feel the above the post is too complex to understand, then I suggest you to visit this link -  Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator and choose the gradient effect of your choice for different colors. Once you make a choice at the left, you can preview the same at the right. Moreover, the required CSS to be inserted in your theme will also be generated. So, just copy that & insert it in your template. That's it!

Why gradient effect using CSS? Simple! No external HTTP requests - increases the loading speed of your web page on all browsers... I recommend you to read the following articles to know more about page speed of your blog - Speed Up Your Blog - Tips And Tools, How To Speed Up Your Blogger Blog? and Using CSS Sprites On Blogger - Introduction. Share your opinions about the article via comments!

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