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.
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.
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…”
A difficult choice of lip colour, comfortable purple shoes, a new green dress, and nostalgic gold nail varnish set the stage for an unexpected encounter.
Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
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.
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.
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.
Insert an ‘Image‘ or ‘Gallery‘ Block on your post/page.
Click ‘Select Image.‘
From the dropdown menu, select ‘Your Phone.’ A message will pop up on your phone with a QR code.
Click ‘Select Image’ and ‘Your Phone.’
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.
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.
You can toggle ‘Optimize Images‘ off (not recommended) or adjust the ‘Max Image Upload Size‘. The default is 2000 x 2000px.
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.
Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
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.
WordPress has managed to do it once more! It’s relocated a setting I frequently use, seemingly without informing anyone about it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
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.
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.
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.
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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Did you check out these nine blog posts that got everyone talking and wondering? If you haven’t joined the conversation yet, why not jump in and let us know what you think!
Categorising and tagging your blog posts correctly is one of the most powerful way of getting your blog posts noticed. My post will show you how to add categories and tag words correctly, resulting in more visitors to your blog.
A difficult choice of lip colour, comfortable purple shoes, a new green dress, and nostalgic gold nail varnish set the stage for an unexpected encounter.
The first Gay Pride march in London in 1972 marked a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history, paving the way for rights and acceptance. Pride events continue to celebrate progress and advocate for equality, but have changed considerably over the years. Have you ever attended a pride event? Share your Pride stories here.
Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
Would you like to come for a walk with me here?
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.
Hugh's Views & News 