One button 29 bookmarking sites!

Now that's called convenience. Making life easier for your visitors should be the aim of every blogger. And if in return you get lots of traffic, I would say its even better. As blogs became widespread, many free services sprang up to help you make your blogs popular, to bring your blog contents to a wider audience and to help gain some loyal visitor's etc. So what are we talking about today?

I wrote an article about Socialize one-stop, multiple-bookmarks a few days ago. Here is another related post but about a different service. The service is called Add This. How this service helps you (and your visitors) is by providing you a button to place in your blog. (Its placed on your right hand sidebar, click to test). When a visitor clicks it he is taken to a page that opens in a new window. Here you'll find links to 29 bookmarking sites. Upon clinking the link you are taken to the bookmarking site where you can enter details about the post you want the world to know about. Some of the fields are already filled and some you fill manually. Oh and yes you've to be a member of the bookmarking site to be able to bookmark a page (Add This can't post by itself).

Here is the list of bookmarking sites supported by Add This;

1. Del.icio.us
2. Digg
3. Reddit
4. StumbleUpon
5. Ask
6. Simpy
7. RawSugar
8. BlinkList
9. Backflip
10. Spurl
11. MisterWong
12. Netvouz
13. Diigo
14. Segnalo
15. GoogleBookmarks
16. Furl
17. Newsvine
18. YahooMyWeb
19. Technorati
20. LiveBookmarks
21. Blogmarks
22. Netscape
23. Shadows
24. Wink
25. LinkaGoGo
26. FeedMe Links
27. Magnolia
28. BlueDot
29. Tailrank

And yes you'll have to become a member of Add This to utilize their service. One benefit of using their service is that you can see how many times your pages were bookmarked by logging into your account.

Here are the steps to getting the Add This button onto your blog;

1. Goto this page
2. Select Bookmarking widget from the drop-down box which says "Which kind of widget?".
3. Select the size of button by clicking the radio-button next to the label which says "Which widget?". Middle one is fine.
4. From the drop-down box (which says "Where?Where do you want to put the widget?") select your blog location. There are four options to choose from; on a Website, on a blog, on a MySpace page or in an Ezine or Newsletter.
5. If you selected "on a blog" option then you are asked about the blogging platform. The supported platforms are; Typepad or MovableType, Blogger, Wordpress or other.
6. Next you chose whether you "want stats with that?". If you choose yes, you'll have to register with Add This.
7. Press "Get Your Free Button" button.
8. Next you'll be presented with code to insert into your blog (or whatever you chose in step 4).

Well that's about all there is to getting that button onto your blog. I have not covered each and every scenario in the above step-by-step tutorial (that will make this post too long). Hope you'll manage it on your own. I am always here to help. Just leave a comment.

Thanks for reading. Happy blogging. Have a nice day!

Free screen capturing software for your blog postings!

So you are looking for a way to make your posts more effective, more impressive, more colorful, more eye-catching, more picturesque etc. Maybe you have heard that golden maxim which goes something like this "a picture is worth a thousand words". The question is how? One solution is to add screen shots. Screen shots of software or web page or dialog boxes etc (almost anything that you see on your PC screen and would like to describe to your viewers through your blog). There are many good (and not so good) commercial applications out there (just Google it and see for yourself). But if you can get almost the same (ok maybe a little bit less) functionality from a small but effective (and absolutely free) utility.

So what's this utility called? Its called MWSnap. Its tiny in size (well software that is less that 1 MB in size can be safely categorized as small-sized), only 601 KB. Here is a description about the software in developers own words;

"MWSnap is a small yet powerful Windows program for snapping (capturing) images from selected parts of the screen.

Current version is capable of capturing the whole desktop, a highlighted window, an active menu, a control, or a fixed or free rectangular part of the screen. MWSnap handles 5 most popular graphics formats and contains several graphical tools: a zoom, a ruler, a color picker and a window spy. It can be also used as a fast picture viewer or converter.

MWSnap does not require installation and does not need any special dlls, drivers or system files which can mess up your system.

MWSnap is free ware."

Features;

• 5 snapping modes.
• Support for BMP, JPG, TIFF, PNG and GIF formats, with selected color depth and quality settings.
• System-wide hot keys.
• Clipboard copy/paste.
• Printing.
• Auto-saving, auto-printing.
• Auto-start with Windows.
• Minimizing to system tray.
• An auto-extending list of fixed sizes, perfect for snapping images for icons and glyphs.
• A zoom tool for magnifying selected parts of the screen.
• A ruler tool for measuring screen objects lengths.
• A color picker showing screen colors with separated RGB parts.
• Fast picture viewer.
• Adding frames and mouse pointer images.
• Multilevel configurable undo and redo.
• Multilingual versions.
• Configurable user interface.

Here's some more data about the utility;

• Current stable version: 3.00.0.74
• Last update date: 06 Jul 2002
• Platform: any 32-bit Windows (including XP)

Here are the download links;

• v.3.00 as Setup (recommended): site 1, site 2 (643 KB)
• v.3.00 as ZIP file: site 1, site 2 (601 KB) Be sure to unpack internal "Lang" sub folder!
• languages pack: MWSnapLang.zip (123 KB, 16 Mar 2003)

And here's the software's page link.

Hope I've been of some help in your blogging endeavors. Happy blogging (full of live images). Take care!

Post to your blog from within Firefox!

Now wouldn't it be nice if somehow we could just write a post from within our favorite browser (I don't want to annoy and loose my IE friends but the truth is that Firefox is much better; Oh I also occasionally use IE). Some of us write about websites or web pages we find interesting and want to share with others (well there is an easier way to do that by using the social bookmarking sites). So what we usually do is open our blog writing page in one tab and the page we are describing in another tab (and maybe our blog's main page in a third tab just to see how the new blog posting appears to our visitors). Now switching multiple times between tabs is quite painful and annoying. So is their an easier solution?. The answer is yes there is.

The answer is called ScribeFire. Its a Firefox extension created by Christopher Finkle (I'll let you know where to get it in a moment). Here is a screen shot of ScribeFire in use.


In the upper half you can see a web page that is open in Firefox, while in the lower half of the browser is the ScribeFire editor open. You just work from within the same tab. No need to hop back and forth.

All you have to do is to configure a blog (you can add multiple blogs too if you like). Configuring a blog is an easy chore. ScribeFire has a configuration wizard which helps you set up your blog in a matter of minutes. It recognizes many blogs automatically.

So before I go on describing some of the other great features this add-on provides, here is the page link from where you can install this editor into your Firefox browser.

Here are some of the cool features of this editor;

• An editor that supports WYSIWYG editing.
• You can bookmark your post directly to Del.Icio.US bookmarking site right from within the editor.
• Add ons and themes integrated support (not working at the moment).
• You can also view (and read) latest posts about ScribeFire in the about tab.
• A help link, link to support forums and a link to report bugs and request more features (they are also not working at he moment as ScribeFire website is under construction).
• You can navigate to different browser tabs while the editor remains open (i.e., editor is not tied to the tab you initially opened it in.
• A small icon is always visible in the Firefox status bar so that you can start writing post with one click of the mouse.
• You can also categorize your posts form the four tabs present at the right side of the editor.
• You can view the previously written posts (even those that you posted directly prior to using ScribeFire) in the history tab.
• You can also save your writing as notes which are also visible in the notes tab.

So to wrap-up the discussion I would say that you bloggers must get it and see for yourself how it makes your life so much more bearable.

How popular is the topic you are writing about?

If only (somehow) you could find out whether the people all over the world are looking for the topic you are planning to write about. Is Google being searched for it? Are other blogs writing about it (who and what comes next following immediately)? Wouldn't it be nice to find out what keyword the online world is buzzing about, so you could at least tweak the post title and keyword entries for the post (if not discard what you have already painstakingly keyed in). The answer to all these questions is yes you can find out (and make your posts appear in people's search). Hang on with me while I describe one such tool (Oh and yes as always its free too so don't go about poking into your wallets looking for how much cash you have left in there).

Ok ok! I heard you impatient soul. Can't wait to get your hands on the cool tool. So for all those impatient souls which can't wait till the end of my rantings here's the link. Well those patient enough to have held you mice from clicking the link (and are willing to read on) here's the step by step guide;

1. Visit this page
2. Enter the keyword you want to enquire about.
3. Wait a little while ekstreme (the website that is providing the free tool for you) searches all over the place for you.

So what type of results do you get (you can also call these the features of ekstreme buzz search features. Below is the rundown of the different sections of the results page;

• At the top is the page navigation section. From here you can quickly jump to the desired section without having to scroll down all the way.
• Next come the Buzz Again section. Here you are presented with the same search box, so that you can perform a search again (it should have been at the bottom of the page). But don't get carried away, you still haven't seen the results of your previous search. Scroll along, you can always do a search later.
• Next stop is the Blog Popularity section. Here you can see how popular is your searched word with the bloggers.
• First you are presented with a Technorati graph which shows you the popularity level of your keyword over the past month.
• Next comes Google trends. It shows you results since 2003 in a line graph.
• Next comes the interesting part. Now this section rocks big time. I can bet that it will keep you away from writing that post that brought you there in the first place. You'll want to click the links and go surfing to see what that blogger is ranting about. It shows the blog posts which were tagged with the keyword you are looking for. Hey you just stumbled upon a mini search engine. You can even click the links and view the posts too (cool hun, might even find some food for thought here). Here's a tip: you can use this section to search for stuff to read (and write about later). Hey come back right now! You have a post to write.
  

Well that's about all there is to it. Hope I have been of some service to you nice folks out there. Keep in touch. Share some of your wisdom with me.

Thanks for the visit. Have a nice day and happy blogging. May God (or Google or Yahoo or......) send lots of visitors your way.

How popular is your Blog?

An interesting question that bugs the minds of every blogger. You want to know how many people are linking to your post (back linking)? Has anyone bookmarked you? Are you on Google (Oh boy! if only Google would enlist you and put your blog on front page of searches......its quite difficult to conquer that obstacle in your ultimate popularity.....if only I could find a frog princess and kiss her and.......hey hey! Stop there. Things don't run that way in real life). Does Yahoo know about my blog? Here is a tool to find answers to all these questions.

Well you can find answers to these questions easily (and freely). But before to get excited (and carried away with your new found enthusiasm) and run along searching for yourself on the web, let me warn you that if you find disappointing results then you are bound to be hit by depression and disappointment. (Or look at the situation from another angle; you are not generating enough interest;stop;rethink;surf around;find something people are looking for and then start blogging about it).

So what do you have to do? Nothing much. Here are the steps;

1. Visit this page
2. Paste your blog address in the three text boxes you find there (manual links list,Google and yahoo site search). You can type more then one blog address in the first text box (use it to compare yourself to a rival's blog; or just search on all of your blogs from one place).
3. And sit back (cross your fingers, praying a little will also help keep you calm), wait and read the results.

Well that's all there is to checking your on-line popularity.

Happy hunting! Take care (of yourself and your blog)!

Notes: 1- Don't post more than 20 links at a time.
2- Enable JavaScript or you won't be able to view the results.

Getting traffic with BlogExplosion!

So you want more people to read what you write. You want more hits for your blog site. So listen up carefully while I describe another way to bring some more visitors to your blog site.

There is a website out there by the name of BlogExplosion. This website has lots of ways to promote your site and send you some visitors too.

First of all its completely free to join them (Oh yes! you have to become a member to start getting the benefits they have to offer). After you become their member you'll obviously want to enroll your blog in their blog directory. They will visit your site within three days to approve its inclusion in their directory. If you happen to have multip[le blogs running you can add all of them here too. Another benefit is that BlogExplosion is a community of bloggers. So you can view blogs of other members (and get some new ideas that you may incorporate into your own postings). In return other members will also visit you and may also review your blog. Another feature is that you can view your blog statistics. You can also bookmark (blogmark) some of the blogs that you may want to visit later. It is also possible to view only certain type of blogs; you can do it by applying a filter which will show only blogs which full fill the criteria supplied by you.

All this concept is based on credits. You have to earn credits to utilize some of the features this site presents. You earn some credits and then you spend them by purchasing some traffic for your blog. So how do you earn credits? Simple by visiting other blogs. The more blogs you visit the more credits you earn. You visit a site, stay there for about 30 seconds minimum and you have earned some credits. And while you are surfing a blog (and earning credits) you may also;

• Rate the blog your are viewing.
• Blogmark the blog for later viewing. You can also see all your blogmarks
• You can choose if you want to see blogs with (or without) sound on them.
• Choose whether you want to view blogs that contain vulgarity or not.
• Add a blog to do not view list. You will not see that blog again as long as it’s on your do not view list
• Add a comment to a blog.
• Report the site if it breaks any of the rules.
• View stats for your account, earned credits for that day and for that particular session.

They also arrange several games in which bloggers can participate and win thousands of visitors for your blog.

You can also chat with other members through on-line shout box. If you are into podcasting you may add your blog to podcasting directory and get some ears to hear your stuff. Ask questions about BlogExplosion features in knowledge directory. And you may also rent out your blog space to other members. You can also download your free copy of RSS blog reader and read your favorite posts right from your pc without having to surf to each individual site.

So here's your link to some traffic. Click and register and enjoy some more hits. Happy blogging!

Bookmark your postings to 50 bookmarking sites!

So you want your posts to be read. You want more visitors to your blog!

One solution is to bookmark your post to many bookmarking sites out there. The problem is that there are so many of them. How to keep track of which of these sites you have already bookmarked your page. One solution is to keep track of your book markings with a paper-based checklist. As soon as you have bookmarked your page to a particular site you put a check mark against the relevant site. Not a nice and easy solution! Well I agree with you. Switching back and forth between keyboard+mouse and paper+pen is quite annoying. So lets go on to discuss solution number two.

There is a website out there that provides some respite for your agonies (not complete only partial; you still have to endure some manual labors though). The site is ekstreme.com and the tool is called socializer. Basically what it does is that it provide you with some tools which you yourself or your visitors can use to bookmark your post to about 50 bookmarking sites. Maybe you are already a member of some of these bookmarking sites. For some it will provide a place to find out about some other bookmarking sites. Become a member of most of these sites (you want more visitors don't you, then you'll have to take some extra pain). Second, you can drag a Socializer button onto your toolbar. Next time, when you have finished composing a post and are ready to let the world know about it, just click the "Socialize this" button on your toolbar. Pressing the button takes you to the Socialize page. From there you can click individual links to social bookmarking sites. One benefit is that you don't have to retype page URL and page title every time (they are automatically submitted).

So what are the sites that socializer supports? Here is the complete list;

1. Blogmemes
2. del.icio.us
3. digg
4. Furl
5. Netscape
6. PlugIM
7. reddit
8. Slashdot
9. Squidoo
10. StumbleUpon
11. Technorati
12. Yahoo My Web
13. Backflip
14. BlinkBits
15. Blinklist
16. blogmarks
17. Buddymarks
18. CiteUlike
19. Diigo
20. dzone
21. FeedMarker
22. Feed Me Links!
23. Give a Link
24. Gravee
25. Hyperlinkomatic
26. igooi
27. kinja
28. Lilisto
29. Linkagogo
30. Linkroll
31. looklater
32. Magnolia
33. maple
34. MesFavs
35. netvouz
36. Newsvine
37. Raw Sugar
38. Rojo
39. Scuttle
40. Segnalo
41. Shadows
42. Simpy
43. Spurl
44. tagtooga
45. Tailrank
46. unalog
47. Wink
48. wists
49. zurpy

So how do you use this facility. Here are the steps;

1. Go to this page
2. Find the heading web surfers info.
3. Drag and drop the link titled "Socialize this" onto your bookmarks toolbar (Firefox users). (javascript must be enabled or this will fail). You'll see a button labeled "Socialize this" on the toolbar (oh and yes! Enable the bookmarks toolbar first).
4. Compose your post.
5. Press "Socialize this" button.
6. You'll be taken to the Socialize link page.
7. Click the links to bookmarking sites that you have an account with (you can also find some bookmarking sites to become member of).
8. Log into each site.
9. Fill some info's like tags and some description about the contents of the page you are bookmarking. Submit.
10. Start all over with second site and so on. (Pretty painful process if you ask me).

On the same page you'll also find some codes (javascript and php) that webmasters can post into their webpages (and you too if you have a blog on your own hosting site; but most bloggers are blogging because they don't want to be bothered with the technical details). Also you'll find links to Socialize for the following;

• Wordpress Plugin
• Movable Type Plugin
• How to integrate socializer into Blogger
  
• How to use socializer with Blogware
• ExpressionEngine Plugin
• Mod for Zen Cart to Social Bookmark using the Socializer.

If you find that one/some of your bookmarking site(s) are not listed with socializer you can also request them to include it from the same page.