Author: Hugh W. Roberts

My name is Hugh. I live in the city of Swansea, South Wales, in the United Kingdom. My blog covers a wide range of subjects, the most popular of which are my blogging tips posts. If you have any questions about blogging or anything else, please contact me by clicking on the 'Contact Hugh' button on the menu bar of my blog. Click on the 'Meet Hugh' button on the menu bar of my blog to learn more about me and my blog.

Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – July 2024

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts

Did you see these nine blog posts that got readers talking, asking questions and wondering? If you haven’t joined the conversation yet, why not jump in and let us know what you think!

  • After a decade of crafting short stories and flash fiction on my blog, I’ve learned valuable storytelling techniques, which I shared in a guest post. But what helped me write better stories that many readers love? Read on for more details.

How To Write Fantastic Stories That Will Impact Readers

  • Question: Would you swim to the boat or wait by the lamppost for somebody to bring it to you?

An Interesting View #WordlessWednesday #Photography

  • WordPress has relocated the ‘Discussion’ setting to a more visible and accessible position, simplifying the control of comments and pingbacks. My post outlines where to find the ‘discussion setting’ and when you should consider turning comments off on specific posts.

WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know

  • Question: What would you have liked to have been behind the shutters?

Behind The Shutters #WordlessWednesday #Photography

  • You can now add images to WordPress posts directly from your phone using the Jetpack app, with simple resizing options. Read my posts for all the details.

Blogging Simplified: Adding Images From Your Phone To A WordPress Post

  • Question: Have you seen signs of nature fighting back?

When Nature Takes Over #WordlessWednesday #Photography

  • Time is the enemy for all of us, especially Mr Kingston, who needs to frantically clean his house before time runs out and his visitors arrive. But why the panic?

Flash Fiction – Has Anyone Seen Felix?

  • Question: What kind of creature is this?

The Nighttime Visitor #WordlessWednesday #Photography

  • Question: Have you ever attended the Olympic games?

Olympic Rings – London 2012 #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Comments are closed here. Please leave any new comments on the original posts.

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Did you miss any of these blog posts?

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Olympic Rings – London 2012 #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts52 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Photo taken at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games showing the creation of the Olympic rings inside the London 2012 stadium.
London 2012 opening ceremony

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

The Nighttime Visitor #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts50 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Photo of a light green moth that has brown edging to its wings resting on frosted glass.
Is it a moth or a butterfly?

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Linking to Sunday Stills hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt: Theme: Wings.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Flash Fiction – Has Anyone Seen Felix?

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts33 Comments

Time! I never have enough of it. Do you?

I have so much to do today and need more time before my visitors arrive. They’ll be here anytime. I don’t know the exact time, but it’ll be today. The anticipation is killing me.

But at least I have everything I need to do those household jobs. I only cleaned the house last week, but it needs cleaning again before they arrive. I hate visitors coming to a dirty house, don’t you?

I’ll grab the mop with the frayed handle and start with the kitchen, scrubbing every corner, even the ones that don’t need it. Then, I’ll move on to the bathroom, ensuring it’s spotless without a speck of anything suspicious. I need enough time to ensure I get rid of any proof of my recent visitor. I had better check that the stairs carpet is also free of fluff and fur and give it a good vacuuming.

When the supermarket delivery driver arrived with all the cleaning products I’d ordered, he asked if I had a bad cold. ‘It’s not a cold, just an allergy to cat fur,’ I told him. ‘I didn’t know you had a cat,’ he replied, his eyes widening in surprise. ‘I don’t,’ I responded. He looked at me as if I were some mad person. But at least he was on time. ‘And why all the bleach?’ he asked. ‘It was on offer,’ I lied to him. ‘You know how it is; can’t resist a good deal,’ I added nervously. For a moment, I thought he was on to me.

87 minutes later

Phew! Where did the time go? I’m finally done. And just in the nick of time, because here come the visitors. Don’t they look smart in their uniforms? Just like they did last week when they visited. Right, I better answer the door. I can’t help but wonder if they’ve figured it out yet. They’ve had enough time. They look like they’re here for a friendly chat, but little do they know I’m onto them.

“Mr Kingston. We meet again.”

“Yes. I thought you’d be back. Is this the third time?

“The fourth. I’m Constable Summerfield, and this is my colleague Constable Jones—-“

“There’s no need to show me your identity cards; I know who you are; come on in.”

“We need to ask you more questions about the recent disappearances of the neighbourhood cats. This time, I intend not to waste any more police time than I have to. Is that bleach I can smell? Every time we come around, you seem to have just finished cleaning. I wish I had the time to keep my home as clean as yours. Now, about those missing cats…”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Written for Esther Chilton’s writing prompt – Time.

More flash fiction from Hugh

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

When Nature Takes Over #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts39 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Photo of a gate that is covered in brambles and plants.
Have you seen signs of nature fighting back?

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Blogging Simplified: Adding Images From Your Phone To A WordPress Post

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts42 Comments

Do you draft blog posts on a desktop computer or laptop? If so, did you know you can now add photos to your post directly from your mobile phone? No more having to download photos to your computer or laptop.

Light blue image with the words 'Blogging Simplified: Adding Images From Your Phone To A WordPress Post' in white text
Now you can add images and photos directly from your phone to a WordPress post.

Here’s how to do it: 

Ensure you have the Jetpack app on your phone. If not, download it from the app store.

  1. Insert an ‘Image‘ or ‘Gallery‘ Block on your post/page. 
  2. Click ‘Select Image.‘ 
  3. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Your Phone.’ A message will pop up on your phone with a QR code.
Image highlighting the 'Select Image' and 'Your Phone' links on an Image block on WordPress
Click ‘Select Image’ and ‘Your Phone.’
Image showing the QR code that pops up on WordPress when selecting 'Your Phone' when selecting an image or photo.
Scan the QR code.

4. Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code. This will automatically open the Jetpack app on your phone and then your photo library. 

5. Choose the image(s) you want to use: From there, simply click the image or images you wish to add to your post/page.

6. Click ‘Add‘ (top right corner): Watch your image(s) automatically appear in your desktop/laptop editor. Here’s one I added directly from my phone.

img_0529-1

Can I adjust the size of images in the Jetpack app?

Yes. This is important to do to prevent images from taking up too much storage space in your blog’s media library. By default, the “Optimise Images” option is turned on. You can set the ‘Max Image Upload Size‘ so the original file is resized automatically when you upload it.

Here’s how to do it:

In the Jetpack app for iPhone and the Jetpack app for Android, to adjust the settings, follow these steps:

  1. Log into the Jetpack app on your phone.
  2. Click your profile icon in the bottom right.
  3. Click ‘App Settings‘.

You can toggle ‘Optimize Images‘ off (not recommended) or adjust the ‘Max Image Upload Size‘. The default is 2000 x 2000px.

img_0527-1

As you can see from the above image, I’ve set the maximum image upload size to 1000 x 1000px. I recommend not going any higher than this.

Is there anything to remember when uploading images directly from your phone?

Yes. If you add copyright information to images and photos on your computer or laptop (something I recommend you do), remember to add copyright information to your images and photos on your phone before you add them to your blog posts.

Remember to also complete the ‘Alt-Text‘ and ‘Description‘ details of the images in your blog’s media library. My blog post ‘Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do,’ gives full details as to why this information should always be completed.

Would you use this method for adding photos and images to your blog posts? If you have questions, please leave me a comment.

Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Behind The Shutters #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts65 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Photo of some light green shutters where one shutter is open showing half a view of a coastline and the sea.
What’s behind the shutters?

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts38 Comments

WordPress has managed to do it once more! It’s relocated a setting I frequently use, seemingly without informing anyone about it.

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know' in white text.
Turning comments off is simple to do. But WordPress has moved the settings!

During a recent post-drafting session, I attempted to disable comments on a post. I encountered difficulty locating the ‘Discussion‘ setting, which is the usual place for enabling or disabling comments on individual posts.

Why turn comments off?

I consistently close comments whenever I share another blogger’s post or a guest post I’ve written on another blog. This strategy ensures that new comments appear on the original post, consolidating the discussion in one place rather than being split between two posts. Kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

Some bloggers also choose to close comments on older posts as a proactive measure. This practice became popular when WordPress faced a significant spam issue. Specific posts received hundreds of spam comments daily, making it challenging for bloggers to sift through the spam in their WordPress folders to find authentic comments that can sometimes end up there.

The installation of the updated Askimet anti-spam software in 2023 has led to a significant improvement in the spam situation. Thanks to Askimet’s enhanced functionality, the previously prevalent issue of hundreds of visible spam comments daily has been effectively curtailed to just a few a week. Consequently, there is no longer a necessity to close comments on these posts.

Where has the ‘Discussion’ setting gone?

The ‘Discussion’ setting used to be located at the bottom of the settings box of a post.

Image highlighting where on WordPress the 'Discussion' setting used to be.
The ‘Discussion’ setting used to sit under ‘Tags.’

Now, the discussion setting has been conveniently relocated to a more prominent position at the top of the post settings panel rather than at the bottom. This new placement, coupled with the clear indication of whether comments on a post are open or closed, significantly enhances the ease and user-friendliness of managing comments and pingbacks.

Changing the discussion setting is straightforward. Click on ‘open‘ or ‘closed‘ to make the change.

Image highlighting where a WordPress post's 'Discussion' setting is now located.
The ‘Discussion’ setting is now further up the ‘draft post’ section of a post.

This simple, user-friendly system also allows you to control comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks.

Image highlighting where to enable or switch off pingbacks and trackbacks on a WordPress post.
This is where to turn on or switch off pingbacks on your WordPress posts.

Pingbacks and trackbacks are methods for alerting other blogs that you have linked to them. However, they only work when the blog you’re linking to has enabled pingbacks and trackbacks and you do not link to a blog’s home page. My post, ‘The Power Of Pingbacks: How To Create One‘, has more details.

Do you disable comments on posts? If so, which posts? Do you have any questions about the ‘Discussion’ setting on WordPress? Please leave them in the comments box.

Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

An Interesting View #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts37 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Photo of a gap between two buildings that leads to the sea where an empty boat is about 50 metres out to sea. In the distance is a hill with a small town.
Would you swim to the boat or wait an hour for somebody to bring it?

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

How To Write Fantastic Stories That Will Impact Readers

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts6 Comments

As a dyslexic writer, I’ve been improving my writing for a decade by crafting short stories and flash fiction on my blog. Throughout this journey, I’ve gained valuable insights into the art of storytelling from fellow blogging community members and authors.

Excitingly, I’ve crafted a guest post detailing what I have learned and sharing tips that have empowered me to create short stories and flash fiction, which I take great pride in.

SCY3 # 1 Tips: How To Write Fantastic Stories That Will Impact Readers is available on Masha Ingrao’s delightful blog, ‘Always Write.’ Click the link to go straight there.

If you have questions or are eager to contribute tips and advice on writing short stories and flash fiction, feel free to share them in my post on Marsha’s blog. I’m closing comments here so that they all appear in one place.

Light blue image with the words 'How to write fantastic stories that will impact readers' in white text.
Are you a short story or flash fiction writer? Share your writing tips with us.

Thank you, Marsha, for inviting me to write the guest post. It’s the first of several writing tips posts as part of her blog’s wonderful ‘Story Chat’ feature. My story, ‘You’re It,’ was the first to be featured in year three.

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.