Tip

This Worked For Me

~ beetleypete ~ 72 Comments

I finally managed to get one of the many tips to work. One issue was that I have ‘Two-Stage Verification’ on my Account Settings. Once I worked out how to get into that, I used this easy tip, and now have access to the Classic Editor every time.

Remember to ‘Save Settings’ though.

Click to access how-to-return-to-the-wp-admin-navigation-sidebar-3.pdf

If you can’t read that on screen, here’s a link to the original post.
https://weeklyprompts.com/2021/03/22/changes-to-the-wp-admin-navigation-revised-support/

I don’t know how long WP will let that loophole exist, but if you are unhappy with the Block Editor, this will work.

A Tip For All Writers

~ beetleypete ~ 36 Comments

Ray Bradbury’s Greatest Writing Advice

“I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 years now: Don’t think!”

Ray Douglas Bradbury; August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th- and 21st-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres including fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mystery fiction.

Bloggers and Gravatars: More advice

~ beetleypete ~ 74 Comments

I often mention how lucky I am (and how much I appreciate) to have steady stream of new followers. Many of those are also new bloggers, and the majority of them make the same error, time and again. This is not the first time I have highlighted this, but for the benefit of new people, I will try again.

They fail to link their Gravatar profile to their WordPress site, or their own self-hosted site. So when I decide to click on their Gravatar, prior to heading over to their blog to thank them, or to see if I might want to follow them, I almost always find that the most important link is missing. That means I can’t easily click onto their site, and it also means I am unsure if they even have one. So that blogger doesn’t receive my customary thanks, and I am unable to read any posts on their site, or leave comments. Crucially for them, I am also unable to follow, should I wish to do so. I could try Googling the names of the websites shown, but in many cases, I am only seeing the ‘username’, so that won’t work.

If you are not sure what a Gravatar is, here is an explanation.
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/what-is-gravatar-and-why-you-should-start-using-it-right-away/

You will have one, though you may not know why, or what it is. If you didn’t choose to use a photo or graphic, then WordPress will generate a random pattern or image to accompany your name on comments. For example, I have a photo of a Sharpei pup, (shown below) as my own choice of Gravatar. I can change this by using any photo, anytime I want, with the size altered on my profile page. Many people use a portrait photo of themselves, or a logo they have designed. It can really say something about you or your blog, if you chose wisely. Once you have decided what to use, or are content to remain with the random image assigned, then the next step is to add a link to your blog or blogs. That will appear under your Gravatar profile, every time someone clicks on it.

This is how to add your site or sites.
https://en.gravatar.com/support/profile-links/

It can’t be that hard, as even I managed it! But nobody really tells you about it at the start, so we can all be forgiven for not knowing.

Those are my top tips for getting your site recognised from your Gravatar, every time you leave a comment on another blog, or decide to follow another blogger. If you choose not to bother, then you are reducing your own impact in the community of blogging, and will notice a significant lack of engagement.

Best wishes to you all, Pete.