This Blog is No Longer Active.

This BLOG is Closed.
Effective: December 9, 2010
Please use whatever information is posted.

Here is the Fix for Installing a Blog Rating System

Click Here for NEW Rating System Widget for Blogs:
Google Blogging Tip # 102

Reference: This is the FIX for the failed Blog-o-Rator, which was not functioning on many Goggle Blogs including this one.
After writing to blogorator, and they never responded, I have found a NEW Widget - 'Outbrain.'

Outbrain will RATE each individual Comment on your Blog.
It works on most Blogs - Google, Wordpress, etc.
It will not work on web pages or websites. I am still looking for something that may accommodate that feature.

Known Issues:

Please be advised of the following known issues with Google Blogs-

1) - Google has identified a third-party widget called BlogLinker to actually be malware, and have temporarily disabled the blogs containing the script in their template.
If you are using this Widget, delete it immediately and run a detailed Anti Virus/Malware Program.

2) - Blog-o-Rator is not functioning on many Goggle Blogs including this one. The users experiencing this issue also cannot sign-in to their blog-o-rator account. I have notified Blogorator of this issue.

Update : I have written to these idiots but they have not responded. What was once a good Widget is now useless.
If you have this on your BLOG remove it immediately.
I am looking for something else to use.
I will advise my readers when I find a suitable and reliable Widget.

Note: Sometimes the criteria for WIDGETS change. I do not control the designer of the widget.
Blog-o-rator should no longer be used by Bloggers, Website Developers, or Website Owners.

The Blog Guy Talking

I have gotten numerous emails and comment postings if I would evaluate 'Auto-Blogging.'

I am in the process of doing this and will issue my full evaluation very soon, so please be patient.

Ask The Blog Guy for an Answer

Important Talking Point

Q :( I received an email offering a lucrative deal for advertising on my Blog. Essentially they offered to place ads and pay me 50 percent of what they made. When I made further inquiry as do these ads work like Google AdSense and I just install the code in JavaScript format, the reply came back: 'Our ads are sophisticated and only our techs know how to install them.' I immediately marked the email as SPAM.
Is there any validity to this type of offer?

A ): Thanks for bringing this to our readers attention.
NO there is no validity to this type of AD.
First of all never give your personal data such as your sign-in and password to anyone. That was the first BIG Red Flag.
Next, what proof would you have that you get fifty percent? They could be making ten dollars and telling you they are getting 40 cents, thus paying you 20 cents if anything.
This is just another Internet SCAM.
These scammers are getting more sophisticated and coming up with new ideas all the time.
Several things could happen such as -
1) They could use your data to access all the files on your computer.
2) They could use your Blog or Website for illegal purposes thus making you the fall guy.
3) They could redirect any other Ad Revenues such as Google AdSense to themselves.
4) They could delete your Blog or Website.

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of our readers, now they have been alerted to this scam, and hopefully will avoid these types of errors and mistakes.



Do you have a question about Blogging, Websites, SEO, HTML Coding, JavaScripts, or the Internet then email your question to me, I am The Blog Guy.
Email me at:
alternate4craigslist@yahoo.com

Look for your answer here on my Google Blog, Blogs I am Following

Please Rate this Blog.
Join my BlogFrog Community.
If you are a Twitter User, check out my Blog, Blogs by Twitter.

Please get all your Blogging and Website Tips, Tricks, Hints, Fun Stuff, HTML Codes, and JavaScripts FREE from me - The Blog Guy, check what's new on my Google Blog, Blogs Follow Me (http://blogsfollowme.blogspot.com)

Thanks for visiting, support my efforts, follow this Blog and I will Follow you.

Just Ask The Blog Guy

Q :( Why do these stupid email programs even ask you things like your Birthday; Zip Code; Name, and have those damn annoying characters to verify who you are and then they don't work anyway?
I have included a picture of the Yahoo Email account I tried to fill out.



A ): This question requires multiple answers:

1) Lets address those annoying characters, they are designed to stop robots from creating random accounts that can be used for SPAM or illegal purposes. If you type the characters in correctly and they still didn't work, I bet you are using an iMAC Apple Computer and Safari Browser. Try using Firefox.

2) Name - It is kind of stupid since you can make up any damn thing you want to as long as it appears as a first and last name. The email address is the only thing that is important.

3) Birth Date (DoB) - I agree, another really dumb idea, but probably created by some lawyer to avert lawsuits. This is suppose to stop anyone under the age of 18 creating an account without their parents knowledge. If you believe this works go back to your bat cave.

4) Zip Code - This is 100 percent moronic and is derived from a bunch of marketing jackasses who use this data to generate ads that appear within your email account. Zip Codes can also be falsely entered.
Example: You live in Philadelphia and you enter a Miami zip code, Yahoo only verifies that the zip code is valid.

5) Security Questions - If you had an older Yahoo account which I did they made you upgrade from one to two security code questions and answers. This upgrade is the result of someone having a serious brain fart.
However, the purpose of the security question and answer is so someone cannot access your email account, or if you lose the password to regenerate access to your account.
NOTE: I suggest if you lose access just get another email account. And, yes it is NOT wise to store opened emails and addresses in your email account even though Yahoo and others tell you they are secure. Again, if you believe this go back to your bat cave.


I hope this information helpful?

Do you have a Blogging, Internet, or Website issue; problem or question just ask The Blog Guy - send me an email and find your question posted here.
Email me at:
alternate4craigslist@yahoo.com


Follow This Blog, I will Follow You.
Please Rate this Blog.
Join this Blog's BlogFrog Community located on the sidebar near the bottom of this page.

Now don't forget to VOTE for your favorite Blog or Site so they can win the Google Blog Award, issued weekly.
Voting closes Saturday at 11:00PM East Coast Time, USA.

Seeking The Blog Guy's Knowledge

Q :( What are Phantom Followers?

A ): These are people who follow you on your Blog or Social Network such as Twitter, and once You Follow them, they drop you off. This builds their Following Base and helps them but does nothing for you.



Was this information helpful?

Do you have a Blogging, Internet, or Website issue; problem or question just ask The Blog Guy - send me an email and find your question posted here.
Email me at:
alternate4craigslist@yahoo.com


Follow This Blog, I will Follow You.
Please Rate this Blog.
Join this Blog's BlogFrog Community

Now don't forget to VOTE for your favorite Blog or Site so they can win the Google Blog Award, issued weekly.
Voting closes Saturday at 11:00PM East Coast Time, USA.

When in doubt, Ask The Blog Guy

Q :) The other day I got this pop-up notice when I tried to follow a Google Blog, see the picture attached. I got real panic and ran my anti virus program thinking someone hacked into my computer but it came up free of infection. Is this Google Notice real or should I be concerned?



A ): The Google Notice is sound. There is nothing wrong with your computer. If you had sign-in too your Google Blog / Profile account page you would have seen a notice of maintenance that looked like this.

If you did not see this notice, then there could be a remote possibility that someone hacked your computer.






I hope this information was helpful.
Got a Blogging, Internet, or Website issue; problem or question just ask The Blog Guy - send me an email and find your question posted here.
Email me at:
alternate4craigslist@yahoo.com


Can you be so kind as to Follow This Blog.
Please Rate this Blog.
Join my BlogFrog Community
Don't forget to VOTE for your favorite Blog or Site so they can win the Google Blog Award.

Just ask The Blog Guy

Q :( I uploaded a video yesterday but it wouldn't play. Now all my videos from previous postings which did play will not play, see picture enclosed, what is the problem?


A ): I received about 13 emails with similar questions.
Google is experiencing problems with Videos, both with new uploads and those that previously played. They are aware of this issue and are trying to resolve it. This may be why some people have not seen their favorite Blogs uploading anything over the past few days.
Important: This is not affecting all Bloggers, just some.
If you are uploading a Video, I suggest that you wait another 72-hours.
If you are visiting a Google Blog and the video doesn't play then come back in a few days, it should be fine.
You have not done anything wrong in uploading if the 'Publish Post' is in orange and ready for posting. The video will eventually play once Google resolves the issue.

NOTE: Some Google users are also experiencing problems with Followers and adding pictures. This may be caused by bad weather throughout the country with a particular Google Server in your area, or it may be your Internet provider having issues.
Again, hopefully, most of these will clear themselves up over the next 72-hours.




I hope this information was helpful.
Got a Blogging, Internet, or Website issue; problem or question just ask The Blog Guy - send me an email and find your question posted here.


Please Follow This Blog.
Don't forget to VOTE for your favorite Blog or Site so they can win the Google Blog Award.

Seeking The Blog Guy's Knowledge

Q :( Blog Guy tell me why I am getting this message when I try and create either a Hotmail or Live email account, see picture I enclosed? What do you recommend I do?

A ): I received about nine emails since last Friday asking me this type of question about MSN / Live email accounts. So I tried to create a live.com email account for myself and got the same message. I only have yahoo and gmail email.

The picture emailed to me below is typical of what you get.

The most likely causes for this rejection are:
1) The system is under cyber attack.
2) There is a problem with accepting your IP address and returning and acceptable email account confirmation, this is MSN/Hotmail/Live problem.
3) The servers are down for maintenance.
4) The email servers and system are having an interface malfunction.
5) Not likely, but possible your IP Server is sending the wrong information. This is unlikely because so many people have complained and I couldn't get a live.com email address to set-up either.

See the picture below for a typical response from Microsoft.
Note - don't bother clicking on 'contact support fro assistance' it's a waste of time.

My Recommendations:
1/ Use Gmail or Yahoo. I have never liked Hotmail; MSN; or Live email accounts.
2/ If you are bent on getting a Hotmail or Live email account and if you have Internet through a cable subscriber, you can try unplugging your modem and restarting your computer, this will reset the IP Address.
3/ Wait 72-hours and try again.

Note: Microsoft you could at least put a message up that you are having problems, try again later. When I tried to create an email account it accepted my email address and allowed me to go through all the steps before I got the rejection message. You are wasting peoples time.
I wonder what your advertisers would say about that?






I hope this information was valuable.
Got a question, then just ask The Blog Guy.

Please follow this Blog.

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Join my BlogFrog Community.

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Thanks for your support,
The Blog Guy