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Have Mercy on a Confused WIDGET WANNA-BE!

  1. jennyfs
    Member

    I am completely confused. What ARE widgets? The explanation on the "Presentaion: Widgets: Sidebar Arrangement" makes no sense to me. And what does, "You can drag and drop widgets onto your sidebar below," mean??? Drop what from where? I don't see any way to drag anything.

    Are my 2 pages at the top of my http://adventurerevolution.wordpress.com/ widgets?
    Or can they be widgets? Would they be better as widgets?

    Are my 4 pages at the top of my http://pummeledbyadoringfans.wordpress.com/ widgets?

    If I add any more they will cover up the photo/top.

    I want to add widgets, even though I don't have a clue what they are... How do I do it?

    HAVE MERCY ON ME! I would REALLY APPRECIATE ANYONE who can explain this & help me! I want my site to be the best it can be.
    PS: I have photos on Flickr also... would that be a good widget instead of a blogroll?
    THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Jenny

  2. timethief
    Member

    Let's take this a step at a time.
    (1) What is a widget? The FAQs is your friend and so is the forum searchbox. :)
    From the FAQs http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/12/24/what-is-a-widget/

    In the everyday world the terms like gadget or gizmo are used to indicate helpful small devices, things or tools. In the computer world widget is used generically for a plugin that can be placed in your blog's sidebar to conveniently customize, and quickly increase blog functionality, without requiring you to acquire any knowledge of html and how to edit a web page.

    Click this link and read the material from beginning to end. Then follow the instructions.
    wordpress widget wizardry

    (2) Beginner's Guide to wordpress.com resources - bookmark this link as it contains links to other instructions that you will need http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=11280

    (3) Your pages have excessively long titles so http://faq.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/i-have-too-many-pages-at-the-top-of-my-blog/

  3. jennyfs
    Member

    This is so depressing... Now my beautiful blogroll disappeared... why does this have to be so complicated?

    My dragging FINALLY STUCK in the sidebar box (my "recent comments"). Now my blogroll that I worked hard on is gone.

    Any help out there?

  4. timethief
    Member

    (1) -> Dashboard -> Presentation-> Widgets
    locate the widget you wish to use in the "Available Widgets" box
    drag it out of that box with your mouse and drop it into the "Sidebar" box
    click "save Changes"
    View your blog

  5. jennyfs
    Member

    Yes, that's where I've been for the past few hours... how does that help me?

  6. timethief
    Member

    The instructions I gave you are the only instructions for placing widgets in your sidebar. What problem exactly are you experiencing with this?

    (2) blogroll
    It cannot "disappear". It's located here -> Dashboard -> Blogroll
    This is where you benter all links, assign categories to them and save them. When you place your "Links" widget in your sidebar the links you entered into your blogroll will appear in your sidebar.

    From the Beginner's Guide (link provided previously)
    understanding your blogroll, categories and links widget and their relationships - Read this carefully. If you have not assigned a category to a link that you entered into your blogroll then it will not be displayed in your sidebar when you place the links widget there.

  7. timethief
    Member

    Hello -- are you out there?

  8. raincoaster
    Member

    You need to put the Links widget in your sidebar. That will show the blogroll. All entries in the blogroll have to be in a category, even if only "blogroll" before they will show up.

    If widgets bother you or you are really worried about them, just don't use them. The default sidebar is plenty of functionality.

  9. timethief
    Member

    She's already go the Links Widget there renamed "Blogroll" so I'm not clear on what her problem is. http://adventurerevolution.wordpress.com/http://adventurerevolution.wordpress.com/

  10. jennyfs
    Member

    YEAH! THANK YOU! I'm SOOO glad I figured all of this out!

    Just to explain...Firstly, I've been trying to do widgets on the presentation: widgets: sidebar arr. for a couple of months, & the "Available widgets" were never present. When they finally did appear after viewing that part about 100 times, they would drag but not drop--- they wouldn't "stick." Now, the "recent comments one has workd : ) woo hoo!

    Now If I can figure the rest of the widgetry out!

    I don't see how you do this commenting/helping. But we all appreciate it! How do you have the time & sanity to do this???

  11. jennyfs
    Member

    Should I put my pages, that are at the top of my page in the photo, in as text widgets?

  12. timethief
    Member

    YAY! I'm so glad you've got this working now.

    (1) When you could find no widgets in the Avaialble Widgets box you should have contacted staff. If that happens again then use this on week days during working hours (US) http://wordpress.com/contact-support/

    (2) If you use the FAQs and these instructions http://wordpress.com/contact-support/ in a step by step manner you will get all your widgets into the sidebar and working.

    Happy blogging :)

  13. timethief
    Member

    Give me a moment and I'll check out your pages.

    In a blog there is only one page that automatically updates with each new post you make. This is usually your "front page" but it can be changed. Unlike posts, pages sit outside the blog structure; they do not automatically update and you cannot assign categories to them. They are for static content that rarely, if ever, changes. And when it comes to naming pages, wherever possible use just one word.

    HTH

  14. jennyfs
    Member

    I can't believe yall actually do this.

  15. jennyfs
    Member

    You should get Paid .... A LOT.

  16. timethief
    Member

    Thanks for the praise. You will find that just about everything I say here on the forum I have already written up and included in the Beginner's Guide. That's why I suggested that you bookmark the link to it. All of those who answer questions here on the forum are your fellow bloggers. We are unpaid volunteers. Most of us are multi-tasking when we are answering questions here. :)

  17. jennyfs
    Member

    I know, I can't believe it. I don't see how you do it.

  18. timethief
    Member

    To be honest sometimes I'm juggling so much on this forum and on others too as well as taking calls for business and dealing with clients and customers that I don't know how I do it either. ... lol. :D
    As my granny once said: If you want to get a job done give it to a busy person. If you don't have any more questions then I'm off to do some blogging of my own. ;)

  19. jennyfs
    Member

    Does anyone think my pages under both
    http://adventurerevolution.wordpress.com/
    &
    http://pummeledbyadoringfans.wordpress.com/
    should be on the sidebar as widgets? (I understand if "timethief" doesn't have the time to answer) Just a general question. And does it go under text widget?

    (Timethief has definately done her time : )

  20. timethief
    Member

    A sidebar is a small place and you have a lot on most of the pages I see. Would I put that information that you have into text widgets and place it in the sidebars? Answer - NO.

    Blogs are for posts. Are you sure that the information you have on pages wouldn't be better placed in posts? This is a question that only you can answer.

  21. nosysnoop
    Member

    Nice with the different colored text. I know if I did it that I'll forget to close a tag and my blog would drop to the bottom and go crazy again.

  22. timethief
    Member

    This was resolved yesterday. :)

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