Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with blog and website

Print is dead; help me replace it

TochterAusElysium — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:16:34 -0800

What's the best platform for a local community news and events site? I've volunteered to set up a site which will serve as a news source, events calendar, and community hub for an area encompassing three or four small cities. I've done personal blogs, and a single-area blog in Blogger, but for this larger project I'd like to expand my options. Is Wordpress a better way to go?

Are there other platforms I should look at? I know Ning is dead or dying (or so I've heard) but it seemed to have the flexibility to do something like this. I don't mind learning a new system, but I'm not a programmer, so I don't feel ready to build a site from scratch. Ideally, there is a pre-existing community news platform that I can customize to be exactly what is wanted.

Also, do you know of any local blogs or community news sites that are well-designed and useful that I could look at as reference?

Many thanks in advance!

Slow & Steady

ocherdraco — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:07:16 -0800

Why is my website loading slowly, and how can I fix it? My blog (linked from my profile page) seems to load incredibly slowly (sometimes taking up to a minute), even though it's not a content heavy site.

Things that may be relevant:

the blog is Wordpress v. 2.0.4

the admin page for the blog loads up just fine, with no delay

it used to be hosted at the .com version of the url, but after a brief scare in which I lost access to that url (though it was later regained) it was switched to .org, and I'm not certain that I changed absolutely everything that ought to have been

the page displays my Twitter feed, which is the main content that resides on the main page and comes from outside the site itself

Why is it loading slowly, and what can I do to fix it?

I want my blog posts, not my blog.

jefficator — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:26:45 -0800

How do I make the posts I make to my blog show up as integrated posts on a different website? I'm not entirely sure how to explain this question.

I have a blog. Its called blog.blogspot.com. I have a website. Its called website.com. My blog is obviously a blog. I would for their to be a page on my website called "My Blog." Instead of opening my blog in a new tab, instead of opening my blog in the same tab, I want to open a page that looks like every other page on my website. But in the middle of that page, where the content is on every other page, I want the content to be "pulled" from the blog. That means the content is constantly updated automatically every time I update the blog. As a result, no one visits my blog, but they receive the blog postings when they visit my website's blog page.

Does this make sense?

Can it be done?

Can it be done by a person who doesn't know enough to know how to explain what he wants?

How do I restore the formatting in my blog?

FireStyle — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:07:21 -0800

I'm using the Hybrid-News blogger template for my blog. After doing some tweaking to the code, I lost the feature I loved the most - the condensed posts on the front page. Any ideas on how to get it back? (more in explaination). Here is the link to the hybrid-news template

Here is the link to my blog

Notice how in the template the stories are condensed to a few lines. Somehow, I lost that formatting, and my skills in CSS are elementary at best. Any idea how to get it back?

Thanks much, and if you like politics, feel free to comment on the site!

Politely communicating that your site needs a total makeover

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:29:07 -0800

How does a lowly unpaid blog contributor tell his/her bosses that the whole site needs a major redesign? I've had the privilege of being invited to contribute for my former employer's new blog, and I've been enjoying producing some content on a weekly basis or so as part of a team of 5-6 people. However, their entire content management system is archaic, buggy, and needs a major systematic and aesthetic overhaul. I'm talking no RSS feed, disappearing posts, a comment system that doesn't even allow users to leave their names. Worst of all, I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm the only person involved in this whole project who is tech-savvy enough to be aware of solutions such as Wordpress that could fix this situation (or Drupal, if they wanted to fix their whole site.) And I'm no IT expert myself.

I'm having to balance my distaste (to put it mildly) for the way they're running this new blog with my admiration for the organization in general for allowing me to contribute, as well as my important and delicate professional relationship with them. The main communications/IT person has served as a reference on job applications in the past, and I care very deeply about how these important contacts view me if I end up working in their industry full-time in the future. I just graduated college and lack full-time employment, so I know that having this opportunity is an important privilege and professional and personal relationship I would never want to damage.

I guess this is a question not only as to whether I should or should not say something, but if I should, a question of communication. How can I express that their site, particularly this blog, has such an outdated look and feel that it must be negatively impacting their credibility without sounding like a snooty, ungrateful young upstart? Can I offer to help them redesign their site, or at least get them a Wordpress, without sounding or acting like I know better than they do? Is there a way to avoid the risks and pitfalls of this situation besides shutting up and putting up with this web 0.5 silliness? Similar experiences and suggestions for content management systems or blog hosting sites are also welcome.

throwaway email: helpmefixmyemployersblog@gmail.com

Is it a blog or a website?

Pineapplicious — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:10:39 -0800

I'm trying to understand what distinguishes a blog from a website. Is it technical? Content? User?

Wherein Whelk Wants Wonderful Words

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:06:07 -0800

Name My Blog! After years of creating things and then casually tossing them aside, I've decided to create a blog to put them all in. Cartoons, short fiction, audio clips, short video, etc. A bit like Lore's Bad Gods. The only problem is, I've got no idea what to call it. I'm torn between something direct like "John Did That" or something that just sounds cool, "Automatic Inspiration" was a leading contender for a while. Want to avoid anything suggesting random, junk, or trash (Even though that's what it is, the whole theme is overused). Shower me with your minds, Mefites!

What website/blog do you check regularly to keep yourself current and sharp in your job/field of expertise?

nitsuj — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:39:34 -0800

What single website/blog do you check regularly to keep yourself current and sharp in your job/field of expertise?

What's the right software to maintain and display a calendar of relatively infrequent future events?

gleuschk — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:49:49 -0800

What's the right software to maintain and display a calendar of relatively infrequent future events, as well as blog-like news postings? I maintain a website for specialists in my field of mathematics, and one section consists of announcements for upcoming and recent conferences. Another is for news announcements: a basic blog-style list of entries. Both are currently run by our 7-year-old Movable Type installation, in combination with a good bit of chewing gum and baling twine. I'd like to redesign the whole schmear, including the back end. Is wordpress (plus more gum and twine) the right solution? Is there some other system that makes more sense? Link.

Here's the current setup, which hasn't changed since launch in 2002: Movable Type runs two blogs: "News" and "Conferences". The former is your basic blog, except that we only show one entry on the front page, and generally have only an entry a month or so.

Each entry in "Conferences" is added when we learn about it, and post-dated to the first day of the conference. This system works ok, since most conferences are just a day or two, but there are some that are a week, month, or even a semester long, and this causes problems. When first posted, they're in an "upcoming" category that displays in one place, then changed by hand to a "past" category that shows up in another place when they're past. Drawback: I often forget to change the category, which makes me look stupid. We average about 3 conferences a month, though they tend to cluster in March, June, and October. Lead time is up to a year.

I'd like to redesign and bring it up to web-2.whateverwe'reuptonow snuff, both in front and behind. Wordpress seems to be the default these days. I could do the same acrobatics to get the conferences into wordpress, I guess, but it sure seems like there should be a better way. Do you know of one?

I run this out of my pocket and in my free time, so free and drop-in solutions are best, but if you've got good ideas, lay 'em on me.

My blog fails

nataliedanger — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:41:32 -0800

I have a website and blog I created with iweb on my mac. However, I cannot figure out how to put pictures in my blog posts- besides the one that there is already a spot for. So far I have added pictures by putting them on the actual page, behind the text box, but then they aren't visible in the RSS feed. How do I do this?

Show me good blog designs.

pineapple — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:08:35 -0800

Form plus function, please. Recommend some blogs that you like for their successful combination of design plus usability. I have been tasked with providing a list of well-designed blogs for review, to a colleague of mine who is heavy on tech skills and light on design, and wants to take a submersion course in those who are doing it right, right now. Content comes first, so we are seeking sites that execute well at pretty-but-quietly-effective wrappers -- instead of design for the sake of showing off one's design's skills.

(I have already seen this AskMe and this one, but the former was really seeking good content, and the latter is almost three years old -- I plan to peruse it but expect that the designs that were cited for goodness in 2005 have likely changed today. I also checked previous threads with tags "blogdesign"; the responses are obsolete IMO)

Open to all suggestions, but special appreciation will be given to those where the site ticks some or all of the following boxes:

Conveys the blogger's "brand" quickly and effectively

Easy-to-read posts, where the headlines and meta-data are distinct and don't distract from the content

Clever use of categories, tags, or whatever system the author is using to demonstrate the different topics of post

Effective incorporation of graphics and photos

Has the blogger solved content-variety problems without overwhelming the reader? ie. does the site manage to present "regular" blog posts, and also longer essays, and also those micro-sidebar-one-off things?
Some element of timelessness: is the design going to age gracefully? Or is it laden with what will become the Comic-Sans and shiny rounded-corner gradient buttons of its time... immediately dating itself as having been launched in 2008?

Effective handling of advertising, if applicable

Avoids "overdesign," where every element is some custom icon, the header is five inches high and crammed full of visual stimulus, and the decorative fonts are practically unreadable. You know the type.

There is potential for sites-which-are-not-blogs to be worth mentioning here, but the most helpful answers will be ones that understand that we are looking for design that complements a very specific site purpose... which is blogging, or otherwise providing short chunks of outward-looking content on a regular basis. For example, the site designs at Overstock, Etsy and the New York Post might ring all your bells, but would be of little use here.

Your commentary is exuberantly welcomed: why you like it, what works for you about the site, what the blogger seems to have "figured out" that other people haven't. Or what you maybe have gleaned, as a regular blog consumer, about the direction that design is headed. Or blog designs that you don't like, as long as you can articulate why in a constructive way that is relevant to the bullets above (A slamfest isn't productive, and I can certainly find generically bad design myself).

Thanks, MeFites! I look forward to the collective brilliance of your thoughts.

Maintaining a NYC college's undergraduate literary blog

omnigut — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:10:21 -0800

Deep breath: I am the online editor for a New York college's undergraduate literary journal's blog, and a complete beginner. I'm wondering about increasing net-presence, keeping the site timely, and making it vibrant. Very open to ideas. Hive mind? The website is here. We've been up for about three long days.

At the moment we have about six people posting a week (once a day), with the invitation for more people in our program to post. The three major aims of the blog are to advertise the program, advertise the talents of its students (the same thing as the first), and to give us lowly students a bigger audience.

But how do I go about increasing the traffic to our blog? I know there are many websites out there that list blogs, literary blogs, websites etc, but don't know how to get on their blogroll, or how to excite NY's literary community. I know there are people you can hire to do that, or robots, but not sure of the ethics of that kind of thing. Might be wrong about those anyway.

Here are our current ideas:
1) Organize a competition for poetry and flash fiction. We'll get reputable judges to decide on the winner, and give cash. How much would get people to submit; would $100 bucks do?
2) We'll play recordings of authors/poets reading their work, mainly published authors, but also students who want to read and discuss their work (comments).
3) We have an expensive hairdresser who is going to interview people on camera while giving them haircuts (hopefully big names), which we'll then edit into two or three minute videos.
4) I'd like to get our name out there amongst the web-community of New York. How do I do that?
5) We'll be keeping track of events, and making a calendar of stuff we recommend and are going to/reviewing.
5) Any other suggestions? Thanks!

1) web-site idea, 2) ??? 3) The Awesome

indiebass — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:52:23 -0800

Can the hive help me get a web site started? I have very specific ideas, but I'm a dinosaur when it comes to everything about the insides of websites. Back in the day when I set up a website, it was the late 90's and everything had to be coded by hand and ftp'ed to someplace. I realise we are in the 21st century and there are much easier ways to go about things.

I already have a domain purchased. What I want to make is a site that is very similar to the old Pajiba setup: graphic banner across the top, assorted goodies in one or two side columns (probably just links in one, at this point) and a main area in between. The idea behind the site is that I'll be reviewing things, but they won't necessarily be new things. That is, whatever my netflix might be, an album I listened to... things like that. So in the middle I'd like to have a photo, a title and one sentence, where you can click on the title and it takes you to a separate page that is cataloged as http:www.mydomain.com/review_title.html (or whatever) and looks like the front page, except the middle bit is just the extended article.

Further complicating things, is that I wanted to set up the website with free hosting, if possible, and if I actually start generating traffic outside my immediate circle of friends then I'd think about buying some space/bandwidth.

So how do I even start? I know you can use a unique domain name with, like, blogger - which is free - but do they let you structure the workings of it like I want to? (the title-link deal to pages behind the page) I feel confident that I would be able to make the page look like I want it to, it's more the workings and the hostings that I am unsure about.

I've put off asking this question out of embarrassment for a couple weeks, because of the n00b-ishness, and I've really tried to navigate it on my own, but put in "free web hosting" into the google and it's like the internet punches you in the face. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

How do I change the name and URL of my website without losing visitors and Google search placement?

rintako — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:39:15 -0800

How do I change the name and URL of my website without losing visitors and Google search placement? I want to change the name and URL of my website. It currently receives 3000 uniques a day. About 90% of my traffic is from outside sources such as Google, or others that have linked to my content. How do I change the name and URL so that my visitors can continue to come find my site, and so I don't lose my top 1-3 positions on the Google search pages for my terms?

What is an editorial plan?

divabat — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:35:38 -0800

What's an editorial plan? Do topic-focused weblogs (like the Gawker Media ones) have one? How do they work out what sort of content goes on their blog? I revisited my past question on magazines because I've got the beginnings of a web magazine but need some help on focusing my content. The comments there mention editorial plans, but I can't seem to find concrete examples of such.

I have a stronger idea of whom my webzine is targeted towards, and some ideas of what content I want in there. However, my idea can easily devolve into tangents, and I'm looking for ways to better structure the content of my webzine. (What categories? What can go in and what can't? Who contributes? What are the guiding principles?)

I tend to work best by example, so any examples or suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated. I'm also working on the more business-y side of things, but I feel I need to get this aspect down pat before I work on the rest. Or should I just start up the site, do a few entries, and run with it?

How to get my posts from Wordpress.com to Blogger?

reenum — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:07:18 -0800

I want to migrate entries from Wordpress.com to Blogger. Is there any easy way to do this? I made the Blogger to Wordpress.com switch a few years ago, but love the new Blogger interface. I find that being able to label posts is a lot less restrictive than Wordpress's categories.

Migrating to Wordpress was a flash. But, going the other way seems to be a problem.

I've tried to Google this, and most of the info out there seems to say that at the moment, this is impossible to do. I've found a couple of tools like blog2blog, but none have worked this far.

Oh technically inclined MeFites, please help.

P.S. I'm not technically inclined, so I really don't have a way to write a program or anything to do this.

What do you wish you had known when you started direct advertising on your blog?

kmel — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:17 -0800

What do you wish you had known when you started direct advertising on your blog/website? I'm using OpenX to serve my Google and affiliate ads, and I think I'm ready to start direct advertising. What do I need to know? I have a pretty good idea what to charge, but I'm wondering about other policies regarding ad hosting, changes/corrections to ads, whether to allow animated .gifs, contract renewal, cancellation policies. What else do I need to consider?

Also, is it a good idea to have your rate sheet available to download, or should I require people to email me first?

Two Blogs, One Site

Bageena — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:59:06 -0800

My wife and I want to start a blog. Amazing new idea, right?! Anyways, we're bored and we have too much free time, so we want a place to write down or show things we think are funny. I used to keep a blog on typepad, so I'm familiar with using a service like that, but how possible would it be to setup a website where there are two blogs on it, running side by side? I hope you can kind of imagine what I'm saying; a header at the top, some gradient and grungy background or something, but split down the middle with two areas to write on - one for her and one for me. Would this take some kind of insane code that would be impossible for a complete novice like myself to write? Please help. Or hey, if you're a web designer and want to help me, I'll draw you some artwork. I'm half decent. I mostly just want to know if it's possible and any links to websites demonstrating it, anyways. Thanks!

Efficient and Private Blog Redesign?

kmel — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:11:46 -0800

What's easiest way to work on a redesign of my blog while keeping the live version as is? I use Wordpress, fully hosted on my own domain. I need to redesign, testing out and tweaking various themes as I go, ideally using my current content. How should I go about this? I don't want random people or search engines to find it while I'm working on it.

I have some other inactive domain names hosted by the same host. The only thing I know to do is to install Wordpress on one of them, create a new database, and import my current content. But there's got to be an easier way, right?

Website startups - big or small?

Holly — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:10:01 -0800

I have an idea for a language-learning website which would take some time to set up. But while I'm doing that, I have thought about setting up a part of the future website - say a blog - and running it independently, hopefully to build up some traffic for a while before incorporating it into the full launch later, when it comes. Which does weblore say is better - to wait until your full site is ready to go, or to start small, potentially building up interest, and then develop? Are there any links giving thoughts on these issues?

Wordpress/website/internet novice seeks bailout.

sneakin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:35:12 -0800

Can I get some basic Wordpress help? So out of my depth here. I'm in way over my head here. I am helping a friend set up her organization's website. I have Wordpress all installed. Is there any way I can make the homepage not be a blog? I know I've seen other "Wordpress-powered" sites that don't have blogs as the main page. Am I seriously mistaken? How the heck can I do this? I looked through WP's documentation and couldn't make heads or tails of it. I'm using BlueHost, if it matters. If Wordpress isn't the thing for me, what is? I'm an utter novice, in case you haven't noticed.

Anyone who cares to walk me through it, shoot me a MeMail! Thanks a million.

Best non-Flickr Collaborative Photo Sites?

clever sheep — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:44:33 -0800

Do you remember a global online photo project where individuals took pictures of themselves in their room? If it's still out there, I need to find it, as well as other examples of collaborative, possibly community-building blog-style photo sites that aren't Flickr. My Google-fu has failed, although I did find some neat things along the way (laundry swapmeet, tabblo). Help me, o hivemind!

I am trying to convince my somewhat skeptical big'n'traditional employer that two work teams, separated by distance and culture, could possibly feel a bit more connected if they had access to a corporate-sponsored place pooling voluntarily shared images and a bit of explanation about why a particular poster is offering up a particular shot. I'm looking for models of intriguing & inspiring but work-safe topics, clean and thoughtful presentation interfaces, and any administrative best practices you can share from experience. Thank you in advance for your help as I try to give some good people a chance to get to know each other better!

I'm having issues with my AddThis button on my blog.

bamassippi — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:13:49 -0800

I'm having issues with my AddThis button on my blog. So I'm trying to add the AddThis button to the front page of my blog so that readers can email/save/send individual blog posts, though it continues to save my homepage and the AddThis.com website is very unclear as to how to adjust the code.

I know that other readers may have experienced the same issues... how did you solve it? How should I adjust my code? (I'm using WordPress by the way.)

Yes I have the horn but I have standards too

Neonshock — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:41:15 -0800

Help me find some interesting erotica and porn...(suprisingly NSFW) I came across this site today which I enjoyed immensely (no not in that way but...it was quite nice to look at) Im wondering if there are similar sites which are a bit more....I dunno, highbrow? More for the porn connisoiur.
If not what are your favourite/ the best websites/podcasts/blogs etc about erotica and porn (that whole deal) I dont mind smut or whatever but run of the mill porn and sites where I have to pay need not apply. Devient is ok, illegal and gross is not.
Im interested in culture, photography, art, writing that has a specifically sexual theme to it.

Personal preference - straight girl though appreaciative of female form but therefore not really into gay culture, but stick it down anyway, the link might help someone else.

I hope this isnt chatfilter/offensive.

CMS for a resource website

divabat — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:59:19 -0800

What would be the best CMS solution for a blog that I'm trying to expand as a resource/community site? I'm expanding one of my blogs (link in profile) into being more of a resource and community site (since most of my visitors show up Googling for information on certain things).

I'm looking for a CMS that would allow for the following:

* A blog with content contributed by the visitors. Anyone can make a post, which is then held in moderation. The moderators look through it, edit for spelling/clarity, delete spam entries, and post. So similar to the Communities on LJ, except moderators can't edit posts on LJ.

* A directory, with the following subsections:
- Programs
- Organizations
- Grants/Funding
- Volunteering
- People
(this list can grow)
Each sub-section would have different form fields - for example, the Grants would have a close date, while the People listings would have a phone number. There should be an ability to add tags that can be searched across the listings (so any searches for "travel", for example, brings up all the organizations and people and grants related to travel).
The directory should also have a rating system, where people can leave comments.

* A reviews section, for books/websites/other media. A lot of my entries right now are reviews, so I would like my review to be the core information in the entry, followed by people's ratings. I realize I could do a blog entry like this, but I would like a way to integrate title/ISBN/author/purchase link/etc easily.

* Forums

* An events listing, which links back to related blog entries (I was thinking that any entry tagged as "event" would allow for me to enter certain dates and then they'll show up on the events listing by date).

* A file uploads/downloads section.

* Great search capabilities across the site.

* Allowances for monetization (ad space, ecommerce, etc)

There are further ideas, but these are the basics for now.

I've looked at a few CMSes and Joomla seems to be the best bet since it's easier to understand (Drupal's terminology is a bit confusing). I do NOT want to use Wordpress as I am frustrated with their "support". I love Textpattern, but I don't think they allow for this level of flexibility. I'm fine with addons, but would rather not have to code anything myself.

Is this doable? Which CMS would allow me to painlessly do this? Would it be better off for me to hire a web developer to do this? I'm just a sole young person so I don't have the $5000 that's usually the price for these things, and I would rather hire a young person anyway (but I don't know where to find good help.)

Also, because my boyfriend is being a pain about this and insisting that me asking for "CMSes" is somehow limiting my options - what other integrated solutions can I look at? :P