This is the second in a new series on my blog, “Make Your Blog Better” (MYBB) where I’ll stretch my nerdy wings and share tech/blogging information that will improve the quality of your blog. Check out the previous MYBB post here, and the MYBB-Minibite here!

Do you ever use URL shortening sites like

• bit.ly
• tinyURL
• or the proprietary shorteners like those in facebook or twitter (and their respective 3rd party apps)?

With the surging popularity of microblogging sites, and the fact that keystrokes are at an unprecedented premium, shortening long URLS is something that has become second nature to most of us in the social world.

I’ve been wanting to make sure that the links I share on twitter and Facebook are easily identifiable as legitimately from ME, and tiny URLS have changed the game in that regard. Someone in your stream says,

“OMG, Check out this LINK: http://bit.ly/gxxEeQ” And you, (trusting your friend) click on this now unidentifiable link and the next thing you know, Rick Astley is jumping out in all his glory, and you done been RickRoll’d. (Yes that is a live Rick Roll. LOVE it.) or worse… clicked on a spam link, because your friend let their fb get hacked by clicking on some random facebook application that promises electronic eskimo kisses or something… (hey, we ALL have some of those fb friends, right?)

So, here’s how you can implement your own, customized URL shortening service using bit.ly pro.

Before you begin, here is what you need…

• the tiny domain you want to use. I’m hosted through godaddy, so I used their domain search functions to find one that suited me… my short domain is kels.es so all of the short links that I generate using this method will be kels.es/S0MEthIng. This is NOT free. I was able to get my domain for $13 bucks for a whole year. You don’t need any additional hosting, so that was the only expense.
• a bit.ly account.
• access to your DNS manager (which you access through your hosting panel- mine is godaddy)
• The ability to follow pretty basic instructions about changing things in your DNS manager, and perhaps a bit of experience in clicking around a bit to find the right way to edit simple values.

*click through to finish the tutorial*

So, First, you need to buy your new domain. The whole point is to keep it SHORT, so use some of the international endings like .co, .me, .us, .it, or .am… If you’re creative you can probably find a great way to tie in your blog branding and make it cute and memorable. I’ve even seen some people who have been able to find a way to break up their name/blog name and use a suffix to be the ending of the word. Be creative. Buy it. Have access to it in your account manager. I strongly recommend you purchase the new domain through the host you already use and have experience with.

Let it get all set up so you have access to it. It might take 10 minutes, it might take 24 hours.

Then go to http://bit.ly/a/pro_request and request a Bit.ly PRO account. It is FREE, but is in Beta, so you need to ask for access. They require you to already have your short domain, and regular domain, so make sure that’s in place.

I don’t think there are any prolonged waits. I asked for and was granted an account within 24 hours, and it didn’t seem to be based on any sort of merit, so request, and you (seemingly) shall receive.

Once you have your bit.ly pro account, they’ll email you, and you’ll need to go ahead and log into your domain manager/web host account, and log into your shiny new bit.ly pro account.

Just a few settings to change.

ALL OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE BIT.LY PRO SETTINGS AREA. THESE ARE MEARLY SUPPLEMENTARY DIRECTIONS, MEANT TO ADD CLARIFICATION. (DISCLAIMER, DON’T BLAME ME IF YOUR CLICKY-CLICKY MESSES SOMETHING UP. FOLLOW THE INTSRUCTIONS AND YOU’LL BE FINE.)

1. set up your custom short domain…

this is your new domain you purchased, the tiny one… mine is kels.es and you need to set a DNS record in your domain manager.

Go to the DNS area of your web manager (mine is through godaddy)… (it is probably called DNS manager or something similar.)

See where it says, A (HOST)?? That’s the A Record heading.

The table below stores the A record… where it says, “Host” is @ and “Points to” has some ip number.

Find the edit button for the “points to field” and change the value to the one bit.ly specified on your pro settings/set up page.

Then you just need to confirm that you are the owner of your Dashboard Tracking Domain… This is your regular long URL… Mine is kelseytoney.com 

To prove you own it, there are 3 options, I strongly prefer making the simple DNS addition. It’s easy, cause you’re already in your DNS manager.

Go to the DNS page for your OTHER/REGULAR website domain.

Find the CNAME heading (this is not the A (Host) heading.) and hunt around for the Add button.

You’ll add a numerical value (provided to you by the bit.ly pro settings page in the “HOST” field, and cname.bit.ly in the “points to” field. 

Give Bit.ly 10 minutes to 24 hours to get everything all verified. Patience is a virtue.

Once that’s up and running, you’re ready to go!!

Here are a couple of the COOL things this means for you, as a bit.ly pro and CUSTOM URL creating master!!

1. The AWESOME bit.ly analytics!! Bit.ly has great analytics which means that you can track who clicks on your tiny url, and from what sources. I love that…
2. You can use your bit.ly API key to use your bit.ly integration in many popular twitter apps…

(It’s a super cool Norway Tourism site powered by google maps. It’s gorgeous, by the way.)

This… turned immediately into this :

(just add your bit.ly username and API key from the bit.ly settings page in the tweetdeck settings- This also works with TONS of other 3rd party apps)

3. And lastly, people will get continued access to your name/branding which is great, plus they know it isn’t some auto generated tweet, it will have HAD to be generated through your password protected bit.ly pro account. (which you’ll keep safe, with a complex password, right?)

Hope this is helpful. Leave any questions in the comments section, and I promise to TRY and help you out if I can.

© Kelsey for Kelsey Toney, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: MYBB, tech, twitter

Sure, friendships started on the internet might seem a little strange to your grandma, (Hey! Nothing against your grandma, really!!) but it is becoming the norm, as our world continues to shrink into a global neighborhood, where finding a blogger you like is the equivalent of having a face to face conversation with someone as you both reach for the same book at the library. So, in an effort to further eliminate the stigma about these types of relationships and friendships, I thought I’d put together a little list of some people who are super awesome that I was introduced to because of the internet.

6 Cool people I’ve “met” on the internet.

1. My Lola

contact: message boards first, then emails, then trans-atlantic flight

Lola and I met on her website early in the new millennium… It was a Star Wars fansite for young women, mostly… Laugh if you must, but trust me… we’re awesome. And the site was HUGELY popular. It focused a great deal of it’s attention on the wardrobe, and costume designs of the films, and was very artsy and awesome. Through talking on the boards regularly, I eventually became a mod, then an admin, and eventually, we were talking more via email, im, and video chat than on the website. As lola’s interests changed and began to focus more on her artwork, (HAVE YOU SEEN HER FREAKING ARTWORK??? Click, Click, CLICK!) the website fell away, and we were left with a deep and lasting friendship. I’ve written about lola before, several times, she’s closer than a friend, she’s my sister!

Summer of 2009, I went to Spain to speak at the international association of special education conference in Spain, and was able to spend a few weeks with her, and “my spanish family”… We’re already thinking about how we’ll get to each other’s continent again soon, and without the internet, I’d never know her.

2. Heather

contact: Then Heather Said her super blog! Then texts and emails, and eventually a meet up in my home town!

from thenheathersaid

Heather is a blogging maven, and social networking diva extraordinaire. She has a gift for engaging people on her network through blog comments and tweets, which is endlessly endearing. I’m not sure that we met through our blogs, but during the 2009 blogger secret santa, Heather drew my name, and discovered that her family lives, LITERALLY one street over from me in our neighborhood. So when she came to visit, and we planned a local blogger get together, we realized that we had a great deal more in common than just our address. She’s wonderful, and I’m so glad to know her. I deeply hope that we continue to get to know each other more.

3. The Book Club…

contact: nationally based newlywed message board, and eventually, email.

From here via weheartit

Ok, this is a little bit of a cop-out, I KNOW, but I can’t list them all individually, or you’d never read anything else I wrote again. I have about 15 or so ladies, who I email DAILY… and not just a couple of emails, but DOZENS of emails daily, as we talk about our love of books, and eventually, our families, experiences, and dreams. These girls are AMAZING. One is one of my favorite people and we actually share another circle of friends too, so we meet up as often as we can and talk about tons of amazing things. One was my secret santa and hand delivered an amazing box of goodies this year. One girl is the object of my ultimate girl crush, as she’s a teacher, just like me, and loves YA lit even more than I do! One is the mother of an absolute princess, and exhibits kindness at every turn. One is a fierce pole fitness enthusiast. One just gave birth to the most gorgeous triplets. Still another is writing a book with a tie in to a love of music that makes me grateful for her brightness in my life. There are more, but you get the point. These ladies are unique, SMART, and so compassionate to each other. I’m so grateful for this support group, because we’ve truly become great friends even though most of us have never met.

4. Nicci

contact: bloggy love, then meetups in our town!

Nicci is one of the very few bloggers who actually lives in my home town! We’ve been awfully busy lately, and I wish I could express how sad I am that we’ve not been able to hang out more lately… but I know, at least for me, that our time apart hasn’t zapped any of the affection!! We are able to keep up to date with each other easily due to social networking sites like facebook and twitter. I feel like we’ve barely been apart because we share “likes” and comments on each other’s updates al the time! She’s really great, and I know I never would have met her, if it hadn’t been for the internet!

5. Trinity

contact: blogs, work, and meetups

Trinity is amazing. Like, seriously. If you know her, you’re better for it. PERIOD. She’s brilliantly intelligent, and clever. A teacher as well, we have plenty in common, not to mention her love for wholesome food and yoga. She introduced me to the yoga studio that I call home, and that has subsequently provided me with SO much growth and knowledge. Like Nicci, I haven’t been able to spent very much time with Trinity lately, which breaks my heart. My early bed-time, combined with my location on the opposite side of town makes it hard for me to meet up with them often, but I think about our handful of outings fondly ALL the time. I’m so glad that the internet brought us together!

6. Sarah Lane

contact: blog, and, like, literally a gazillion social networking sites (cause that’s kinda her thing)

via Sarah’s awesome flickr

This is a bit of a stretch… cause I don’t know Sarah very well, but she’s a great example of a cordial and pleasant acquaintance that is super common in today’s web based human interaction. Sarah is a tech maven, has worked at several awesome tech outlets, but always brought a bit of artistry, and creativity to her projects. It was that extra piece that lead me to keep up with her endeavors, as she moved about. Through the last, I dunno, few years or so we’ve exchanged a handful of silly emails, RT’d awesome cat photos, and annual birthday smiles (as ours are a day apart). She’s just good people. I’m moderately confident that we’d be more than happy splitting a block of cheese and a barrel of wine if the occasion ever arises.

____________________________________

Honorable mentions:

My class of DFW knotties

contact: national wedding board, followed by emails, meetups, and eventually facebook

From here via weheartit

So this is another one that’s a bit of a batch maneuver, but there are several dozen women, who I’ve known now, for 5+ years who met on this wedding planning board. We’ve all separated into smaller factions, and my switzerland status has kept me neutrally connected to most of these ladies over time, which I’m SO grateful for. These girls are funny, and have become a regular part of my friendship circle. I’m very glad to have them, all, absolutely.

Think about it, really think! Do you have any friends that you made online that you never would have met otherwise!? If you blog about them, please let me know, I’d love to read about it! Or let me know in the comments.

© Kelsey for Kelsey Toney, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blogging, friends, tech

Have you wondered how sometimes, in the comment area of people’s blogs, they have a spot for a picture, but yours is always blank? Have you ever asked?

-How do I get an avatar to show up when I post a comment on someone’s blog? or
-Why doesn’t my avatar show up on the comments area of that site, I have a blogger avatar? (or something like that)

Maybe your photo shows up when you post on one type of blog, but not all of them… like it works in blogger, but not on wordpress blogs.

STOP BEING THE FACELESS COMMENTER!!

I’ve been way more active in the blog-o-sphere, and was wondering that myself… well, I finally figured it out!

You need to get a GRAVATAR!!! That stands for Globally Recognized Avatar!

All you do is sign up, and tell it all the email addresses you use when you post comments (it doesn’t publish that information, and you can even assign different gravatars for each address if you want)

So, if you want those ugly little blue men or little monster people on my site to be replaced by your cuteness, get a gravatar.

Your friends want to know this information, and I would be honored if you would link to/quote+credit to repost this information via twitter or your blog… I see so many little blank faces lately, that it makes me sad!!!

** My next full MYBB post will be on Google Analytics, and I hoped to release it last weekend, but after starting my research on the project, have decided to take a bit more time and do it properly. so look for that soon.

© Kelsey for Kelsey Toney, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blogging, MYBB, tech

This is the first in a new series on my blog, “Make Your Blog Better” (MYBB) where I’ll stretch my nerdy wings and share tech/blogging information that will improve the quality of your blog.

As bloggers, we all know about the pitfalls of having a blogroll… have you ever found yourself asking these questions?

• how can I have the feeds I follow in google reader show up as my blogroll?
• I hate that my blogroll is full of links that I read years ago, but I never remember to take old links out, even if I’ve removed them from reader?
• I add blogs to google reader all the time, but I never remember to update my blogroll, WHYGODWHYISTHISSOHARD?

Okay, maybe that last one was a little dramatic, but generally, manually listing blogs SUCKS.

Most of us are using google reader anyway, so did you know that you can use google reader to be the source for a list of links that you currently read? It is easy… Here is how…

1) Go to your Google Reader (You’re obviously logged in, right?) and click on Settings.

2) Go to the second tab called, Subscriptions. On the right side, next to one of the blogs that you’d like to add to your blogroll, click on the pull down menu and select New Folder

3) Name your folder. As you can see, I named mine “Blogroll”

4) Still in your manage subscriptions area, you can now check off ALL of the blogs that you would like to have listed in your blogroll PUBLICLY. **Remember, you can still have blogs that aren’t listed here in google reader**

Once you’ve checked them all, go to the more actions tab, and select Add to folder> *your folder name*

5) Now you need to go to the Folders and Tags tab in settings. Check the folder you created, and use the drill down menu to change sharing to PUBLIC

6) Now, it gets REALLY easy. On the right hand side, in the Folders and Tags setting screen, click on “Add a Blogroll to your site”. Once there, you can customize the title, choose one of the preset colors, and retrieve HTML code that you can implant in your sidebar, or on a links page (like I did here)

7. Now, in google reader, you’ll have a blog roll folder in your subscriptions list, much like a folder you might have in your email inbox. The best part, is that you can add and remove bloggers at your discretion from your reader. If you read a post that is particularly inspiring, give them the ole “clickclick” and they’re added to the blogroll folder, and immediately, instantly included in the list you’ve already added to your site.

Likewise, if someone in your blogroll folder stops updating, or otherwise loses the right to be on your roll (ouch!) a right click –or even a drag and drop- and their back in your unfoldered set.

Know that you could have all of them in the blogroll folder, but I personally have a few guilty pleasures that I’d rather keep off my blogroll. ;D

You could also use this, if you’ve got the time and patience, to make separate folders (aka GROUPS) of links. Like make a folder for runners, and foodies, and crafters, etc. Once you’ve made all the folders public, nothing is stopping you from grabbing several bits of code, and putting them near each other in a sidebar or links page. (I may do this sometime) Voila! instant categorized blogroll that is fully integrated with google reader!

Please share, link to, tweet, or otherwise share this story with friends, because this is good stuff!

2 Questions for you, dear reader:

Do you currently have a blogroll/link list?

If you don’t use reader, but something else, please let me know.

If you have questions, please leave a comment. I will reply here, so that I can keep those questions and answers in this post for the benefit of the community.

© Kelsey for Kelsey Toney, 2010. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blogging, Blogroll, google, googlereader, MYBB, rss, tech, wordpress