Publishing a Blog with Blogger : Visual QuickProject Guide

If you want to start blogging fast, but don?t want to get sidetracked by the details, then you need a Visual QuickProject Guide!

Writing in a journal is all well and good, but when you're ready to share your musings with the world (and you think the world is ready to receive them!), a blog is the way to go. For just $12.99, this compact guide shows you how! Using big, bold full-color pictures and streamlined instructions, it covers just the need-to-know essentials that will get you blogging with leading free blog software--Google?s Blogger--in a matter of minutes.  Best-selling author Elizabeth Castro takes you through each step of the blogging process--from acquainting you with the interface to setting up your blog, creating your profile, posting email, adding pictures and audio, and more. Occasional sidebars and tips point out other useful blogging tips and tricks. 

User review
No longer relevant
Elizabeth Castro is one of the best tech authors out there. Her book on HTML (HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)) is an absolute classic and belongs in every serious techie's library.

However, this book on using Google Blooger dates from 2005 and is seriously outdated. The newcomer will be much better served by Google Blogger For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))which has just been released.

Blogger's interface has changed considerably since the time Castro's book was published and a newcomer might not be able to easily understand the differences. `Google Blogger for Dummies` also offers somewhat more depth.

`Publishing a Blog with Blogger` was good for its time, but its time is past.

Jerry

User review
Okay, BUT Outdated (already)
Published in 2005, this book has, to an extent, become obsolete. In general the HTML hasn't changed, but during the last few years Blogger has updated its interface so what you see as an example in the book won't correspond 1-to-1 with what you'll see on today's Blogger pages.

Now if this doesn't intimidate you, then you might go ahead and consider this little book for a quick-look-see into how Blogger works. (I'd get it from the library though).

Here's the TOC so you can see what's covered.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Starting your blog
Writing your blog
Blogging from afar
Personalizing your blog
Telling others about yourself
Getting others to contribute
Hosting your blog yourself
Getting the word out
Appendix a: template tags
Index

Appearance of the material:

Nice format with enough color to keep it interesting. The font is large-ish so that I didn't have to wear me specs. In general, there's not alot of text which is something I appreciate. Ms. Castro gets down to business without a great deal of fluff.

The material is taught using the `screen shot` approach. This approach seems to work well for computer oriented learning.

My Impressions

While the screen shots of the menus no longer correspond with Blogger today I had no problem following what she was saying. I DO think it might be a problem for the true Newbie. If you are too timid to just throw yourself into Blogger and experiment, then this book will likely only succeed in confusing you.

To give an example, there is no Layout Tab in the book's Blogger examples.

Sooo, in my opinion the true residual use of the book is the html fixes that the author demonstrates. She shows, for example, how to rename `Archives` as `File Cabinet` in edit mode; and also how to change the look of the header, changing the padding and altering the color to exactly what you want.

Pam T.

User review
Sorry, Out of Date
Well written and easy to use but some `settings` have changed on Blogger and it is a bummer to have to figure that out.

Time for an update.

User review
A Bit Dated
Back in the day, this would have been a most excellent book. It still is in some respects. But, saddly, it suffers from the fact that Blogger has moved on, and like most technology books in this rapidly changing world, it has not.

I truly respect Ms. Castro's talents as a writer and teacher. Her books on HTML, XHTML, and CSS (for example HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)) have saved me much time and grief over the years. However, much of the still useful information in this book could just as well be found in the Blogger Help pages.

Still, if you need a little hand holding to get started I highly recommend `Publishing a Blog with Blogger.`





User review
Great book.
I love the Visual Quick Start series, and this book is no exception. It has jump starred my blog and I feel it is worth keeping around for hints and questions that come up. I wasn't sure if the book being published a few years ago would still be relevant but it is.