Category: Blogging

Image of a desktop computer and camera with Christmas decoration and festive lights..

7 Essential, Easy Ways to Help You Blog Through December

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts95 Comments

This is my annual post about blogging in December, and it’s also my eleventh December in the blogging world. As I’ve discovered previously, December in the blogging world differs from any other time of the year. Why? Read on for more details.

Image of a desktop computer and camera with Christmas decoration and festive lights..
Are you planning a blogging break in December?

I see a familiar path. As December arrives and the days tick by, the blogging world grows quieter.

I’ve already had the pleasure of witnessing bloggers saying farewell to their blogs and followers for Christmas, joyfully extending warm wishes to their readers for a Merry Christmas while eagerly expressing their intention to return promptly in the New Year. Some have published their final posts of 2024, while others have happily shared their anticipated dates for a well-earned blogging break.

And who can blame them? Blogging is enjoyable, but all bloggers need a break from the blogging world.

However, just because the blogging world gets quiet, it doesn’t mean you have to stop blogging. Instead, it’s the perfect time of year to focus on the behind-the-scenes blogging tasks you may have meant to do throughout the year but never quite got around to.

Embrace this opportunity to make progress on all that behind-the-scenes work and watch your efforts flourish in the New Year.

1. Fix broken links.

It can be daunting if you’ve never checked for and fixed broken links on your blog, but don’t be put off doing it.

I use the free version of Brokenlink.com to check and fix broken links on my blog.

Fixing broken links helps improve your blog’s SEO score and reduces spam.

Your readers will also be happier once those broken links are fixed because they won’t be taken to pages and posts that no longer exist. No more ‘404-page not found’ errors!

Top Tip: Don’t try to tackle your list of broken links in one go. Do a few each day. Before you know it, you’ll have smashed it.

2. Update your ‘About’ page.

Every blogger should definitely have an ‘About’ page on their blog! Why? Well, not only do most readers enjoy getting to know the person behind the blog before deciding to follow, but it also happens to be one of the most visited sections of any blog. Therefore, it’s a win-win situation for bloggers and their readers alike!

It’s just as essential to keep your ‘About’ page updated. When did you last update the ‘About’ page of your blog? I updated mine a few days ago.

Not sure what to put on the ‘About’ page? ‘How to Write the Perfect About Me Page For Your WordPress Blog‘ by blogger and writer James Lane has excellent recommendations.

Top Tip: Tell visitors when you last updated your ‘About’ page by inserting the month and year you updated it. For example, mine reads, Meet Hugh – updated November 2024.

3. Do some blog housekeeping.

December is perfect for performing behind-the-scene blog housekeeping.

From sorting out the tags and categories on your blog to updating the menu bar, maintaining your blog is vital to keeping it fit and healthy for the New Year.

Blogs where little or no housekeeping is performed lose more followers and readers than well-maintained blogs. Why would anyone want to follow a poorly maintained blog or website full of broken links? They can also appear spammy and unsafe to visit.

Prepare your blog for the New Year by performing some housekeeping during December.

Top Tip: Blog housekeeping may seem daunting, but doing a little each day will significantly improve your blog.

4. Explore the WordPress Editor.

Are you still terrified of the WordPress (Block) Editor? As the number of bloggers using the WordPress Editor continues to skyrocket, now is the perfect time to explore the WordPress Editor and join all those already using it.

The WordPress editor isn’t complex to use; it’s just different!

WordPress has excellent tutorials on how the editor works and how to use it. Check out Using the WordPress Editor: Video Tutorials and more.

Remember that you can use the Classic editor via the ‘Classic’ Block. Soon, this may be the only option available to gain access to the Classic editor, so start using it today rather than panicking when the old Classic editor is removed.

Top Tip: Create a free WordPress blog to test the WordPress editor. That is what I’ve done, and it has helped me greatly.

5. Declutter the blogs you follow.

Following too many blogs is not good for your mental health. It can cause some bloggers stress and guilt from being overwhelmed by too many posts they feel obliged to read and comment on. Why follow a blog if you feel compelled to read and leave uninspiring comments?

Take control of your time rather than lose it on blogs you are not interested in.

Check which blogs you are following by clicking on the ‘spectacle (glasses)’ icon at the top of your blog. Click on ‘Manage’ (next to ‘Subscriptions’). You will be presented with a list of blogs you are following. Go through them and unfollow the blogs you are no longer interested in.

Image of a list of blogs being followed on WordPress
Look after your mental health by unsubscribing from blogs that no longer interest you.

Top Tip: Set yourself a limit on how many blogs you follow. When this limit is reached, do not follow any more blogs unless you unsubscribe from some first.

6. Choose a new theme for your blog.

December is the perfect time to change the theme of your blog.

If the WordPress theme you are using has been retired, you are likely (or soon will be) having problems with your blog. This can result in being unable to leave comments on other blogs and not being able to draft and publish posts without encountering issues.

Once WordPress retires a theme, it removes support for it. Don’t waste your time trying to find workarounds. I have witnessed many bloggers give up blogging because they are trying to work around problems with their retired themes.

To choose a new theme, go to your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance—Themes. You’ll be presented with a selection of current themes. As soon as you find one you like, select it.

Many of the themes on offer are Full Site Editing themes. However, Classic themes are also available that still come with full support from WordPress.

The current theme I’m using is Toujours. It’s a Classic theme and is still fully supported by WordPress.

Top Tip: To find fully supported Classic themes, type ‘Classic’ in the search box of the themes page and click on ‘Classic theme.’ A complete list of Classic themes will appear.

7. Delete old blog posts.

Did you know that keeping old, out-of-date posts can damage the health of your blog? These outdated posts are often the source of many broken links and errors that attract spammers.

Not convinced? My post, ‘Are Your Old Blog Posts Damaging Your Blog? How To Stop It From Happening,’ gives full details.

Top Tip: Deleting old blog posts will also free up storage space in your media library (if they contain images or photos). However, you must manually delete photos and images from your media library to free up space.

Conclusion:

Although all the above tips can be performed at any time of the year, make the most of December by undertaking these tasks.

Remember, doing a little daily goes a long way, rather than doing nothing to look after your blog.

December is often a busy time outside blogging, with holidays and festivities. Taking a break from blogging allows you to recharge, relax, and fully immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. It enables you to step away from the computer and focus on spending quality time with family and friends, as well as doing other fun things.

For those who do not celebrate Christmas, taking a break from blogging while other bloggers do the same will help improve their well-being. Whenever I have returned from a blogging break, I have come back refreshed and full of new ideas for blog posts.

While taking a blogging break in December is a personal choice, finding a balance that suits your needs and goals is essential. Whether you decide to take a break or continue blogging, ensure to prioritise your well-being and enjoy the holiday season.

Am I planning a blogging break?

Yes, I’m taking a blogging break in December. This year, I’ll recycle some Christmas-themed posts and publish a Wordless Wednesday post on December 4th, 11th, and 18th. I also have a book promotion post planned, which may happen in the new year.

My monthly round-up post will go live on December 31st.

I won’t be reading and commenting on blog posts during the Christmas period. However, I will respond to comments left on my blog posts.

What will you be doing with your blog during December? Are you planning a blogging break, or will you continue to blog?

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

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

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

The image shows a laptop computer with 100 across the screen and streamers and balloons surrounding the laptop.

Want More Blogging Success? What Happens When You Find It.

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts97 Comments

This is post number one hundred and four this year. It was meant to be my one-hundredth post, but life got in the way (I’m not going to bore you with the details), and my Wordless Wednesday post from a few weeks ago earned the honour of being post number 100.

When you think about it, one hundred and four posts in ten mouths seem like an awful lot. Am I overwhelming readers with too many posts, or do you want more? I’m averaging nine monthly posts, which appears to have become a good balance.

If you asked me, ‘Am I publishing too many posts?’ I’d respond, ‘Do what feels best for you.’ However, we should never forget our audience, so there’s no harm in reaching out and asking. Without you (my audience) reading these posts and engaging with me, this blog would be like arriving on a barren planet. And nobody wants that.

I’d be interested to know how many posts you have published in 2024 and if you’re happy with that number. Let me know in the comments.

Let’s discuss other blogging topics

Did you see my recent post about whole blog posts being shown in emails? No? It’s titled ‘WordPress: Excerpts Are Working Again!‘ It’s worth reading if you only want an excerpt of your posts to show in email notifications and want visitors to visit your blog to read them. Reading posts by visiting a blog is a much better experience than reading them by email, especially since some blocks do not appear in emails, making posts look odd and broken.

There are many reasons to encourage visitors to visit your blog, one of which is that they are more likely to engage with you if they are on your blog (rather than reading from an email). Furthermore, visitors can explore your blog, catch up on posts they have not read, and check any links. This brings me nicely to the subject of engagement.

Are you engaging or comment spamming?

As regular visitors to my blog know, I am passionate about engagement in the blogging world. Recently, I came across an alarming article stating that engagement has decreased to an all-time low in blogging. How sad is that? However, when you look at some blogs with low engagement or, conversely, blogs with numerous non-engaging comments, it is evident that this is happening.

Here’s an example. I recently discovered a writing challenge blog and wanted to get involved. But when I checked out some of the comments left, I knew that participating would not be worthwhile. With lots of non-engaging comments such as ‘Nice one’ and ‘great attempt” being left on stories, nobody wanted to engage with one another. It was a barren planet. I left with a heavy heart.

When I publish a post, it’s the engagement I crave. So when I publish a short story or piece of flash fiction, I look for feedback beyond being told it was a great story. Engaging feedback is critical for all of us to improve our writing.

Do you agree? Do engaging comments help to improve your writing?

Take action if you want engagement

This may seem like a shock-horror move, but I’m now marking comments such as ‘nice’ and ‘beautiful post’ as spam. Leaving short comments all over the blogging world is like leaving spam everywhere. We all know how spam can cause frustration and diminish the enjoyment of blogging.

One main reason readers do not leave engaging comments is a lack of time. However, many who offer that excuse leave non-engaging comments everywhere. They spend the time they could have used to leave an engaging comment, posting numerous non-engaging comments everywhere. The flash fiction challenge I mentioned earlier seems to confirm this.

Some bloggers believe that nobody will leave comments on their blogs if they don’t comment, so they leave short, non-engaging comments everywhere. Honestly, that’s a crazy thought.

Before I finish discussing engagement, I want to reassure everyone that they should not feel obliged to leave comments on any of my posts. I won’t be upset if you don’t comment, but I will mark comments as spam if they are those pesky, non-engagement comments I mentioned. One engaging comment every once in a while is worth a thousand non-engaging comments.

I don’t know about you, but it makes all the difference if somebody wants to engage with me and does so in a way that proves they’ve read the post and are interested. Do you agree?

Please preview your posts before publishing them!

Did you know you can preview your posts before publishing them? It seems that some bloggers do not know they can do this. From seeing upside-down images to posts with a terrible and hard-to-read layout, there is no excuse for anyone not to preview their posts before publishing them. It’s so simple to do.

Before publishing a post, click the little ‘laptop computer’ symbol at the top right of the page on which you are drafting the post. You will be able to see a preview of your post as it will look on a desktop computer, tablet, and mobile phone. Plus, and this is fantastic news, WordPress has now moved the ‘preview email’ option to the same menu for how your post will look in an email.

Image showing the preview post and email option on WordPress.
Always preview your posts and WordPress notification emails before publishing them.

Thank you for making that option more accessible to find, WordPress.

There is no excuse for sloppiness in ensuring your posts and WordPress notification emails are at their best for your audience.

Finally, how are your blogging stats performing?

I’m delighted that my blogging statistics have rocketed this year. I’ve surpassed last year’s total number of visitors and views to my blog. But to make things even better, 2024 is on track to be my best year ever (in the ten years I’ve blogged) in terms of viewing statistics and engagement. I believe this disproves those who tell you that you must publish posts every day for your blog to be successful. You don’t need to force yourself to blog every day.

A blog’s success depends not on how often it publishes posts but on the quality of those posts.

Thank you to everyone who visits my blog, reads my posts, and engages with me. Without you, Hugh’s Views and News would never have reignited my passion for writing and engaging with others.

How are your blogging stats this year? Tell me in the comments section.

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

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

WordPress: Excerpts Are Working Again!

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts33 Comments

Earlier this week, in my post, ‘Is This WordPress Problem Affecting You? It’s Been Reported.’ I outlined a problem where excerpts no longer appeared in WordPress’s new post email notifications.

Is This WordPress Problem Affecting You? It’s Been Reported

I’m delighted to say that the problem has now been fixed. Unfortunately, users will need to change the ‘For each new post email, include‘ setting back to ‘Excerpt,’ as the fix has caused the setting to default back to ‘Full text.’

Do the following now if you want your new post email notifications to only show an excerpt.

  • On the dashboard of your blog, go to Settings – Newsletter.
  • Scroll down to the Emails sections of the Newsletter settings page, and change the ‘For each new post email, include‘ setting back to ‘Excerpt.’
  • Click the ‘Save Settings‘ button.
Image highlighting where to change the 'For each new post email, include..' setting to 'Excerpt,'
Change this setting to ‘Excerpt.’

Your new post notification emails will now only show an excerpt rather than the full post.

The ‘For each new post email, include‘ setting can also be found on your blog’s dashboard under Settings—Reading.

My thanks to Dave Martin at Automattic and WordPress for fixing this problem.

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

Any questions? Leave them in the comments section.

Follow Hugh on social media. Click the links below.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Turn This Setting On To Stop Seeing Too Much Spam On Your WordPress Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts51 Comments

Is your WordPress blog getting too much spam?

Do you want to free up the time it takes you to filter through spam looking for genuine comments?

Turn this setting on now.

Light blue image with the words 'Turn This Setting On To Stop Seeing Too Much Spam On Your WordPress Blog' in white text.
Does your blog get too much spam? Turn this setting on.
  • On your blog’s dashboard, go to Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam.
Image highlighting Jetpack - Akismet Anti-spam on the dashboard of a WordPress blog
Click Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam
  • On the page that opens, look for the Settings box. Under Spam Filtering, ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it’ is selected.
Image highlighting the 'Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it' setting on WordPress.
Ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it’ has been selected.
  • Click the ‘Save changes‘ button.

You’ll now see much less spam in your blog’s spam folder.

Obviously, you can continue to review all spam, but this can be very time-consuming if your blog gets a lot of spam.

On average, I now see less than 10 spam comments per week in my spam folder. It used to be hundreds. Turning this setting on has helped.

On the same page, you can also see how much good work the Akismet anti-spam software has done in capturing spam comments on your blog. Here’s a snapshot of my blog.

Image showing the stats of how much spam has been blocked on Hugh's Views And News.
How much spam has been blocked on your WordPress blog?

Akismet has caught over 308,000 spam comments since I started blogging in February 2014!

Occasionally, spam comments will get through, but you can help WordPress by marking them as spam. Likewise, if a genuine comment ends up in the spam folder by mistake, mark it as ‘not spam.’

Something else you may find interesting is that WordPress now deletes spam that is over 15 days old in the spam folder, so you no longer have to do it! Another win! Thank you, WordPress.

Don’t stress about spam!

I’ve come across some bloggers who allow spam to stress them. This does nothing but spoil the enjoyment blogging brings.

If your blog receives too much spam, turn on the setting outlined in this post. You’ll soon see a vast decrease in the amount of spam you see.

How do you deal with spam on your blog?

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

Did you enjoy this post? Then you may like…

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

How Easy Is It To Follow Your Blog? How To Add A Subscribe Button To All Your WordPress Posts

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts59 Comments

Sometimes, I struggle to find a subscribe or follow button on blogs. I came across one recently where there wasn’t one. I spent ages looking and even left a comment asking how to subscribe to receive more posts, but the host didn’t reply to my comment!

But I’m delighted that WordPress now makes adding a subscribe (to my blog) button to all your posts (past and future) even more effortless. And the best part is that once you switch on this setting, you won’t have to do it again.

Light blue image with the words 'How Easy Is It To Follow Your Blog? How To Add A Subscribe Button To All Your WordPress Posts' in white text.
Is it easy for visitors to follow your blog?

Where and how to switch on the Subscribe Block button.

  • On the dashboard of your blog, go to Settings – Newsletter.
  • On the Newsletter settings page, look for ‘Add the Subscribe block at the end of each post,’ and slide the button to the ‘on’ position.
Image highlighting the 'Add the subscribe block at the end of each post' button on WordPress.
Slide the button to the ‘on’ position.
  • Click the ‘Save Settings’ button.

That’s it! The ‘Subscribe’ block will appear on all of your posts (past and future), making it easy for anyone visiting your blog to follow you.

This is what the block looks like if you’re already subscribed to the blog or have just signed up.

Image showing the Subscribe block once you've subscribed to a blog on WordPress
You’re following my blog. Thank you.

How easy is it for a new visitor to follow or subscribe to your blog?

Did you enjoy reading this post? Then you may also like…

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

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader? This Is Why You Should Use It.

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts91 Comments

I don’t use the WordPress Reader nearly as much as I should.

I get email notifications when new blog posts are published by the bloggers I follow. This makes sense as I only follow around 55 blogs, most of which publish no more than a few times a week.

Am I missing out on not using the WordPress Reader? I think so, yes! But why?

Light blue image with the words 'Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader?' in white text.
Tell me why you use or don’t use the WordPress Reader.

One of the reasons I stopped using the WP Reader was that when I was following over 500 blogs, I felt like a hamster constantly running around a wheel in my endless battle to reach the top of the reader. I never reached the top, so I thought I was missing out!

However, I occasionally use the WordPress Reader to search for posts on subjects I enjoy reading. In my opinion, this is where the WordPress Reader is at its best!

For example, I recently entered the word ‘WordPress’ into the reader search bar and was presented with a long list of blog posts in which ‘WordPress’ had been used as a category or tag (this shows how important categorising and tagging your posts is).

But before I discuss some of the search results, let me first say that, unlike some bloggers who seem to think WordPress has deleted the ‘Reader,’ the WP Reader has moved.

Where is the WordPress Reader?

If you’re using a desktop computer, the WP Reader is now located in the top right corner of your blog. Look for the pair of spectacles icon.

Image highlighting the WordPress Reader icon and where to find it.
The WordPress Reader icon has changed and moved.

Click on it, and you’ll be taken to the WordPress Reader.

On mobile phones and tablets (using the Jetpack app), the WP Reader icon (spectacles) is located at the bottom of the screen.

What I found in the search results!

I was delighted to see some of my posts appear in the search results. However, I was more interested in the posts from blogs I don’t currently follow.

One of those posts that grabbed my attention was from Mitch, who blogs at The Power Of Story. Mitch’s post, ‘What’s Up WordPress?‘, was about the sudden ups and downs of his blog’s number of subscribers/followers. Indeed, I’ve noticed the same thing happening with my blog.

Image showing the ups and downs of subscriber/follower numbers on WordPress

My subscriber/follower stats have become like a fairground rollercoaster ride. Some days, I lose a lot of subscribers/followers, and then the numbers suddenly return, although not the same subscribers.

I did some digging and found that WordPress are now actively deleting spam blogs and blogs run by spambots. That’s a good thing, especially since I’ve been manually unsubscribing them for many months. WordPress is unsubscribing these blogs for me, although I will unsubscribe any I find myself.

Have you noticed your subscriber/follower numbers going on a rollercoaster ride recently?

Another post that grabbed my attention from the results page was from Kevin, who blogs at Chef Kevin Ashton. Kevin’s post, titled ‘The Thorny Issue Of WordPress Likes.’ touched on a subject I’ve often written about – the ‘like’ button!

Love it or hate it, the ‘like’ button is something just about every WordPress user and visitor will use. However, Kevin touched on the subject of ‘guilt’ by not using it, especially when he doesn’t have enough time to visit and read blogs.

I’ve been there, Kevin. Many bloggers feel guilty or stressed about not clicking ‘like’, visiting blogs that follow them, or leaving comments. Yet, in my opinion, nobody really cares that you can’t always visit their blog. I’ve discovered that leaving one engaging comment occasionally that shows you read the post is much more appreciated than leaving short, non-engaging comments just to prove you visited. However, you may not have read their post.

I’ve written many posts about blogging guilt and stress. In my last post on the subject, ‘Stressed Or Feeling Guilty About Blogging? Please Read This Post. Let’s Keep Blogging Fun,’ many readers spoke up about how bad they feel when they don’t have the time to read blogs, click ‘like,’ and leave comments, often resulting in blogging feeling like a chore rather than something that should be enjoyed.

Nobody should ever feel obliged to read posts, click the ‘like’ button or leave comments. Keep blogging fun.

How do you deal with blogging stress or guilt?

The happy and sad sides of blogging!

It was also lovely to see blog posts celebrating milestones on WordPress in the results. From celebrating 15 years of blogging on WordPress to publishing their 100th post and some folks being notified that their blogs had achieved half a million visits, these posts brought a smile to my face.

Of course, posts complaining about how bad WordPress is and the problems bloggers are having also appeared in the results. Although I only read a few, most of the reported issues were related to WordPress’s changes, and the author often confirmed in the comments section that the issue(s) had now been resolved.

Personally, I’m pleased that WordPress does make changes. If they left things alone, the platform would quickly become outdated and dull, as would all our blogs. WordPress would lose many paying customers, and we’d all lose our blogs if they went out of business. I used to hate change but learned that adapting to it is much less stressful than fighting it

Are you encountering any issues with WordPress? My recent post, ‘WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly,’ may be of some help.

Are your blog posts appearing on the WordPress Reader?

I always check that my blog posts appear in the WordPress reader. To do this, I follow my blog and check the reader immediately after publishing a post. If it’s not there, I know there’s a problem.

There are several reasons why your posts may not appear in the WordPress Reader. The main reason is that you add too many categories and tags to a post. WordPress allows up to 15 categories and tags combined. Your post could be marked as spam and won’t appear if you add more, so ensure you do not add more than 15 tags and categories (combined).

There may also be technical reasons why your posts don’t show in the reader. If you don’t see your posts, contact WordPress. They’ll be able to help.

That’s it for today. I’ll share other interesting posts when I do more searches on the WordPress Reader.

Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader?

Did you enjoy reading this post? Then you may also like…

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

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts25 Comments

If you missed my recent post, 7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog, you won’t have seen the fantastic discussions in the comments section that raised many questions.

One of those questions was, ‘How do I Unsubscribe From A WordPress Blog I’m No Longer Interested In Reading?’

Not sure why you should unfollow a blog? Read the post for the answers.

Light blue image with the words '5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog' in white text.
It’s easy to unfollow a blog on WordPress.

For this post, I’m using a desktop computer.

1. From The WordPress Reader

Ensure you are viewing posts from the WordPress Reader.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

2. From A Post

Open the post from the WordPress Reader.

Right-click on the post title and click ‘Open in a new tab.’

Click the ‘Subscribe‘ button in the screen’s floating action bar in the lower right corner.

You’ll now be unsubscribed from following that blog.

3. From An email Notification

If you get email notifications of new posts, click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link in the email.

Image highlighting the 'Manage your email settings or unsubscribe' link on a WordPress new post notification email.
Click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link

On the new page that opens, click the ‘unsubscribe‘ button.

4. From the ‘Manage’ subscriptions list on the WordPress Reader

From the ‘manage‘ section of the blogs you’re following, click on the ‘Manage‘ link (next to ‘Subscriptions‘).

Image highlighting the 'Manage' link in the WordPress Reader page
Click the ‘Manage’ link.

A list of all the blogs you’re following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

5. From a WordPress Web Address

Ensure you are signed into WordPress.

Type or click on the following URL address https://wordpress.com/following/edit

A list of all the blogs you are following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow.

Click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.

More blogging tips posts from Hugh

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts100 Comments

How many blogs do you follow?

How many of those blogs do you regularly visit and comment on?

How many of those blogs do you never visit? I bet most of you never visit at least a few. Yes? Then why are you still following them?

I used to follow over 500 blogs! I merely followed many because they followed me first.

What a big mistake that was!

New blog posts were continually dropping onto my WordPress reader and email box.

It wasn’t long before I started to feel overwhelmed by it all and realised I couldn’t possibly read and comment on every new blog post. Only fools try doing that.

Then, I started feeling guilty about not having enough time to visit and comment on every blog I followed.

Something had to change.

I decided to go through all the blogs I followed and unfollow some of them – gulp! Shock horror. Wouldn’t that upset somebody?

Today, I’m following 55 blogs, and I’ve set myself a target of never exceeding a total of 75.

For some, that may seem like a lot of blogs to follow. For others, not enough. But it’s the perfect balance for me.

But what mistakes did I make when following blogs?

1. Following blogs that publish content I had no interest in

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But look through the list of blogs you follow and count how many of them publish content you’re not interested in reading.

Then, ask yourself why you are following them.

Many of the blogs I unfollowed were blogs that followed my blog first. I felt it polite to follow back even though I had no idea what content they published.

It was like buying a car without having test-driven it first.

Before following a blog, check out some of the posts and ask yourself these two questions.

Does the content interest me enough to keep me coming back?

Does the content motivate me enough to leave engaging comments? 

If you answer ‘No’ to the first question, then don’t follow.

Some bloggers you unfollow may unfollow you but don’t get yourself all worked up about it. It’s no big deal.

My blog loses followers almost every day. If readers no longer find my content interesting, they have every right to unfollow me.

2. Following unfriendly blogs

Two things that I dislike in blog posts are lots of swearing and belittling others. Even worse is swearing in blog post titles. There’s no need for it.

I’m adult enough to know that most adults do swear, but when there’s too much of it in blog posts, or there isn’t any need for it, then I won’t follow.

The same goes for bloggers who publish content that belittles other people or criticises them for how they live, look, write or talk.

By all means, warn readers at the beginning that a post contains swear words or may offend, but never swear at or criticise others in the post or comments section.

If you think you’ll be offended by the content on a blog or in its comments section, don’t follow it.

3. Following non-engaging blogs.

While reading blog posts, remember to check the comments section to see if the blogger responds to them. If the comments are all one-way, think seriously before following and commenting.

If they don’t respond to comments (especially on their ‘about‘ page), ask yourself if the blog is worth following.

If the content is interesting, then, by all means, follow, but think hard about whether it’s worth trying to engage with the blog host.

If they do respond, look at the way they respond. Are they lazily interacting with their readers? Do they respond to all comments in the same dull, non-engaging manner (e.g. ‘Thanks for reading!’)?

Even though a blogger may respond to all the comments, if they are not engaging with their audience, ask yourself if it’s worth leaving comments and following their blog. 

4. Following blogs that could damage your health

There are lots of things that can damage your health when online. For example, too much screen time, addiction to social media and reading too many negative articles or comments.

One of the worst things that can happen to a blogger is feeling overwhelmed, stressed or guilty. This usually occurs when they can’t keep up with reading blog posts or leaving comments. It also happens when a blogger feels obliged to read and comment on other blogs simply because that blogger follows and comments on their blog.

Don’t feel obliged, guilty, or stressed because certain bloggers comment on your posts. 

If you’re following blogs that you believe publish too many daily posts, think about unfollowing them or turning off notifications for those posts when they are published.  

Of course, we can ignore all those posts, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you could miss out on something if you don’t read or comment on them all.

Remember to make the most of setting up to receive notifications on a daily or weekly basis rather than every time somebody publishes a new post. This gives you the power to pick and choose which posts to read.

5. Following ghost blogs

I’ve mentioned it many times before, but the first thing I now do before deciding whether or not to follow a blog is to visit its ‘about’ page. If there isn’t one, I consider it a ‘ghost blog.’

If there isn’t an ‘about’ page, it isn’t easy to find, is outdated, or doesn’t contain any interesting information, I won’t follow.

Why? I want to find out about the person behind the blog before deciding whether to follow it.

If the site owner doesn’t care about having an ‘about’ page or updating it, the rest of their blog could also be outdated and not worth your time.

A blogger who does not care about their blog won’t care about their audience.

6. Following uncared-for or neglected blogs

If a new blog I’m visiting is eye-catching, well-organised, easy to navigate, has excellent content, feels friendly, and seems a great place to be, I will press the follow button.

After all, if it looks and feels good and the content is interesting, I will likely read posts and leave engaging comments.

If a blog’s design is poor, it takes too long to download, it uses a font that is too small to read, it has a brightly lit background that produces stars in front of my eyes, it hasn’t been updated in years, or it has lots of broken links, then I’ll move on quickly.

If a blogger doesn’t care about their blog, they are unlikely to care about their audience.

7. Following the blogs of trolls

We talked about checking out responses a blogger leaves to comments on their posts, but are those responses written in a friendly manner? And do they leave unfriendly comments elsewhere?

Because we blog or leave reviews, not everyone will agree with what we have to say.

I’ve witnessed many rude comments from the host and readers on many blogs.

I’ve been the victim of rude and unfriendly comments on other blogs where I’ve left a friendly comment. If the host of a blog responds to me in an unfriendly manner, I’ll unfollow their blog.

If a blog host allows other followers to attack readers without taking action, I will unfollow them.

I always respond to comments in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner, even if a reader disagrees with my words.

If there’s evidence of a blogger attacking somebody because they have not agreed with all or some of the content in a post or in the comments section, consider whether it’s worth following that blog.

Blog hosts should do all they can to prevent trolls from commenting on their posts. If they don’t, they probably don’t care much or have any concern about the welfare of their audience.

By all means, if the content of that blog still interests you, you can still follow and never leave any comments, but be careful when reading negative responses to comments, as they can often affect your mood.

Whatever you do, though, never respond to unfriendly comments by attacking the person who has left them. Leave the trolls alone. They’ll soon get fed up with not getting the attention they crave and will move on.

#blogging

I’m looking for 20 new blogs to follow. If you’d like to recommend any, please leave a link to that blog and a couple of sentences about why I should follow. Please do not just leave a link as it will be deleted.

How many blogs do you follow? Is that number the right balance, or do you need to reduce the number? What factors are important to you when deciding whether or not to follow a blog? Join the discussion by leaving a comment.

Looking for blogging tips from Hugh?

WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly

WordPress users often face problems, but they may not always be caused by their blogging platform. Device issues, internet browsers, poor blog housekeeping and retired themes can all contribute to problems.

My post outlines what to do if you’re experiencing issues with using WordPress.

Hugh W. Roberts's avatar by Hugh W. Roberts

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

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.

Hugh W. Roberts's avatar by Hugh W. Roberts

To follow Hugh on Social Media, click on the buttons below.

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts84 Comments

Do you encounter problems using WordPress? Are your posts not aligning correctly, or are you unable to leave comments on certain blogs? What’s causing these problems? Is it WordPress, or are you or your device causing them?

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress Problems: Don't Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly' in white text
Don’t panic when WordPress causes you problems. The problem could be you!

Like any online website, the WordPress platform experiences problems. Bugs occur. They can often cause havoc for users. Sometimes, things don’t go to plan when new updates are released.

But what causes these problems, and how can they be fixed?

Case 1 – Your posts are not displaying correctly.

A few years ago, a reader informed me that my blog posts were not displaying correctly.

I checked my blog and couldn’t see any problems. I used another device and couldn’t see any issues.

I contacted the WordPress Happiness Engineers. They assured me that from what they saw, there were no problems with how my blog posts were displaying. They even sent me screenshots and some short video clips showing me what they were seeing at their end.

But I was still not happy.

I decided to write and publish a post about the problem.

I asked my followers to check some of my blog posts and let me know if there were any problems with how they were displaying. Over 100 people came to my call for help. Only one person said there was a problem with how my posts were displayed, and this was the person who reported the problem to me.

It turned out that the problem wasn’t my blog or WordPress. The problem was the device belonging to the reader who reported the issue.

I asked them to make sure their device had the latest updates. They never informed me that my blog was displaying incorrectly again.

Case 2 – I can’t leave comments on certain blogs.

I recently saw a post from a blogger who said he had problems leaving comments on certain blogs.

He named the blogs so they knew who they were and apologised, saying that his comments were being cut off as he wrote them.

He asked if anybody else was having the same problem when leaving comments.

By the time the responses came in (and all were saying ‘No’), he’d gone to another device. He tried leaving comments on the same blogs. They all worked, and he came back and apologised.

The problem was caused by the device he was using. He updated the device’s software and also tried using another internet browser, and his comments worked.

Case 3 – When was the last time you cleaned your house?

Some of my WordPress data and stats were not displaying. ‘Have you tried clearing your browser history, cookies and cache on your computer?” somebody asked?

I did the clear-out, and the data all showed up.

Like your home, your blog device needs some housekeeping to keep it working correctly.

Case 4 – Have you tried the most popular advice when things go wrong?

A user contacted me saying they could not leave comments or ‘likes’ on any blog posts. She was using the Jetpack app on her mobile phone.

I told her to try signing out of the Jetpack app, delete it, reinstall it and sign in again.

Problem solved.

Case 5 – Has the blog theme you’re using been retired?

Another WordPress user was experiencing many problems with her blog. Her posts were not aligning correctly, and some readers contacted her to say they couldn’t leave comments. The sharing buttons at the end of her posts were also not working. There were also other issues like certain tools no longer working.

She contacted WordPress, which informed her that her blog theme was retired and was no longer supported. The advice was to change her theme. She didn’t want to change the theme; she liked it. She tried working around the problems. That worked for a while. Then, the issues worsened, and she eventually gave up on her blog.

The WordPress platform wasn’t the problem. The device she was using wasn’t the problem. She was the problem for refusing to change to a theme that WordPress supported.

If your theme has been retired, you will find this notice on the theme’s info page:

Image showing the message 'This theme has been retired' on WordPress
Has your WordPress theme been retired?

When a theme is retired, it no longer appears in the list of themes at Appearances – Themes or at Appearance – Theme Showcase if using the Classic Editor.  

But, if the theme is already active on your site, you can continue to use it. Some retired themes will usually stay available for the lifetime of your site or blog without any issues. However, if you continue using a retired theme, you should note the following:

  • A retired theme no longer receives WordPress updates or new features. This includes security updates that protect your blog from spammers and hackers.
  • A retired theme should continue functioning on your site. However, WordPress does not guarantee that it will always work well with its ever-evolving software.
  • You may lose access to certain features like sharing and reblog buttons, blocks, writing tools and clicking the ‘like’ button.

If you still use a retired theme, you will likely encounter problems at some point. Visitors to your blog may also experience problems viewing it correctly or engaging with you.

How do I change my WordPress theme?

Some bloggers are terrified of changing the theme of their WordPress blog. It can seem like a daunting task.

Once upon a time, changing your WordPress blog theme was a nightmare. I recall the first time I changed the theme of my blog. It took a whole weekend to finish.

But changing the theme of your WordPress blog is now easy and quick. WordPress provides full details on how to do it on the ‘Change your theme‘ page.

Have you checked the WordPress forum?

A user experiencing problems with their WordPress blog does not necessarily mean that other users are experiencing the same problems. Sometimes, problems can be exclusive to one blog (as in some of the above cases).

The WordPress forum page is great for determining if problems affect other users. Here, you can report issues and check what other issues users are experiencing.

Another way to find out if other users are experiencing the same problems with their WordPress blog is to ask them (as I did in Case Number One). Sometimes, issues can be theme-related. Once reported and provided the theme has not been retired, WordPress quickly fixes theme-related problems.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

  • Like any website, the WordPress platform will suffer from bugs and problems.
  • While some problems are widespread, many problems can be caused by a user’s device when blogging, especially if the device is old and does not have the latest updates installed.
  • If you can access another device, try using it to determine whether the problem is only related to one device or a certain web browser.
  • Some problems are related to themes. If a theme has been retired, consider changing to one WordPress support.
  • Changing your blog theme is now easier and quicker.
  • You can check if other bloggers are experiencing the same problems you’re having with your blog by asking them, posting on the WordPress forum, or doing both.
  • Consider that any issues lie outside of WordPress first before blaming them solely.
  • Ensure all devices you use to blog have the latest updates.
  • Report issues and problems to WordPress. They may not know about issues unless you report them.

Are you experiencing any problems using WordPress? Have you checked if the issues are sitewide or only affecting you? How do you deal with issues using the WordPress platform?

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

More blogging tips posts from Hugh

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

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.

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.