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MOTUS TUTORIAL: COMMENTING WITH ECHO

2009-12-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Raj Rajaroni’s Humble Prologue to MOTUS Tutorial:
Hello everyone who honors me by visiting my humble blog, my name is Raj. I am Chief Technical support to MOTUS and TOTUS and other secret systems here in Big White. MOTUS has lovingly prepared this tutorial to help her loyal and valued MOLs, MODs and FOM acquaint their persons with MOTUS’ new Echo commenting system. I provided prompt, reliable assistance to my friend and client, MOTUS, as she prepared this tutorial, and will have it posted here on her behalf. I will be honored and humbled to provide MOTUS’ loyal and valued MOLs, MODs and FOM with prompt, reliable technical support in your efforts to use this new comment system.
Please leave a comment or send an Email through the ether directly to me, Raj, expressing the sadness in your heart if you have difficulties with MOTUS new comment system. I will vow to assist you and enable your snarkyness to find its expression in Echo.
Humbly yours, Raj
MOTUS Echo Commenting System Tutorial:
Ok, so I am really excited! Today, after months of grueling testing, I am officially switching my comment system from the clunky old Google Blogger system, to a shiny new, feature packed Echo system!!!
I think I told you Raj and I have been testing this system and another, less feature rich system (Disqus) for the past few months. Switching comment systems is, in the words of JoeyB, a big “F-ing” deal!” It can crash your “nest” and lose all your posts and comments for good. That’s why Raj has been diligently testing away in his little cubicle for so long - and because like me he has a very important day job. Anyway, Raj tells me all the important tests have been successful and we are ready to launch. A few little details remain to be fixed, I’ll talk about those in a bit, but all the things on the MOL and MOD side check out. So let’s get right into it shall we? Mmm, mmm, mmm!!!
Here’s a quick overview of the new, Echo commenting system. This is the new comment entry form.

If you don’t already have an account profile somewhere, and have had to post “Anonymously”, you can quickly and easily set one up with Echo’s parent, JS-Kit (more on that in a minute). It will give you log in ability at any site that accepts JS-Kit, or Echo. If you don’t want to set up an account profile and want to simply post as a guest, just enter your commenting name of choice in the “your name” box next to the “Login” button (you don’t have to be Anonymous anymore), type your comment and post it. Oh yeah, I almost forgot; if you post as a “guest” and you have a website of your own, you can choose the “My Site” at the bottom of the Login list, enter your URL and it will display in your comment when you hover your mouse over your name. Too cool! I’ll tell you about using your own personal avatar in a minute too!
If you already have an account profile set up, or want to set one up with JS-Kit, start by clicking on the “Login” button.

You can now choose to login with your account profile on any of the listed services. I’m going to login with my Google profile first:
So, I check “My Google Profile” and get this:So, then I click “Log in with Google Friend Connect” and I get:
It will let me log in with a bunch of services, but I’m going to click on Google, then I get the Google account login page:
So, I enter my Google account Email address and Password, click “Sign in” and in a couple of seconds, Voila, I’m good to go!
It’s pretty much the same with all the other account services.
If your profile account service is not in the list, then you can quickly and easily setup a JS-Kit account or post as a “guest”.
To set up a JS-Kit account,

Check the box next to the “My JS-Kit Account” and you will get an “Authentication” box like the one below.
Click on “register a new account” and fill in the “Username” you wish to use, your email and the password you want to use to log into your JS-Kit account. Don’t worry if the name you plan to use as your commenter name is not available as a “Username”. The “Username” is just your JS-Kit login name. When you finish logging in, you can choose any commenter name you like. Raj, for example, could not use “Raj” as his “Username” because it’s too short. But after logging in he chose “Raj” as his commenter name and entered it into the “Your name (required)” box. Ginormous H/T to Raj who is helping me with this post, and has agreed to re-post it on his helpful web site. Isn’t he too cute? And smart? I wish you all had a Raj, but I’ll share. Now, do you see the teensy tiny “Admin” below the comment box on the right? This is where you can administer your new JS-Kit profile account. Go ahead, click on it. It’s yours.Click on Edit My Profile” and you can do a whole bunch of things. You can change you commenting name, your “Nickname”, your email address on your profile, add or change the website or blog associated with your profile, add or change your avatar, allow or disallow others to view the comments you have made via your JS-Kit profile and administer all the comments you’ve made via your JS-Kit profile in one place. Click the “Comments” tab in the upper left corner. Well, lookie there. All the comments you have ever made through your JS-Kit profile, all in one place. Here you can delete any comment you’ve made, no matter where the comment was posted, as long as it was posted on a site that accepts your JS-Kit’s profile login or use Echo. It’s a growing list, including Me, NOQUARTER, WaPo, Technorati, Slate, Newsweek, cnet, Forbes, DowJones, HEARST digital media, AMC, TIME and more and more every day. And no, I am NOT a paid spokes-mirror for Echo or it’s parent company JS-Kit. Although if they want me to be, and they are reading this, Tweet me. I’m available!
You can even upload and use an avatar if you are “guest” posting! Click on the grey, ghost-like default avatar and choose the location where your avatar is hanging out. You can use one you have already uploaded to one of the listed accounts, or upload a new one from your computer. And now here’s the coolest part: no matter how you logged in, and no matter what avatar choice you made, you can change it any time, and as many times as you want, simply by clicking on your avatar and picking, or uploading a new one! You can even change your avatar as often as MO changes clothes. How Fashion Forward is that?

Ok, so now we’re logged in with the avatar of our choice, we’re ready to snark and the fun begins! Echo is just jam-packed with fun features to enhance our snarking! We can effortlessly add cool clickable links (no nerd magic knowledge required- Raj is a little bummed out about that), pictures and even videos right smack dab in the middle of our snarks! We can reply directly to a snark and we can show we liked someone’s snark by clicking “Like.” We can make our text BOLD or italicized or underlined or any combination of the three.
Bold, italics and underlined are enabled or disabled with buttons on the comment box (B, I, U), just like your email. There is a helpful “undo” and “redo” squiggly arrow for people like me without thumbs, or klutzes who are all thumbs (although I understand this is an advantage with your Blackberry).
We can turn any word or phrase into a magic clickable link by highlighting the chosen word, clicking the little “chain link” icon,
and entering the Link URL in the box that appears.
Voila, a magic clickable link without secret nerd magic HTML: just like most emails.
Pictures can be added to your snarks by clicking on “Add images” in the lower left of the comment box.

just browse to the picture on your computer,

and when you post, it will be there in your comment!
After you post a comment, you can go back and delete your comment, as long as you are logged in as the same “person” you posted as (important since many have different posting profiles for different sites/circumstances). To delete, you just click on the appropriate button to the right of the “date-time” stamp. Anyone can also reply to or ‘like’ your comment by clicking “Reply” or “Like” in the same area. This however, brings up one of the bugs Raj is still battling. (I hate bugs!) The string of options “Like-Reply-Delete” is nearly invisible against my Fashion Forward background color. It will appear when your mouse is over the comment. We are waiting for a reply from Echo tech support on how to fix. So far, unlike Raj, they are less than “prompt” and “reliable.”
When you reply to a comment by clicking on its “Reply” button, your reply appears indented below the original comment. No more retyping the comment you are responding to or trying to figure out what the reply is based on. You can even reply to a reply.
Well, I think that’s pretty much the way it works. Raj is in TechSupport Central keeping an eye on everything, so I had to write this almost by myself although we have been Tweeting back and forth. So, I think it should help. Raj is going to cross-post it on his website and has generously offered to provide technical assistance there or by email ( raj.rajaroni@gmail.com ) if anyone still has trouble with the new system.
I know nobody likes CHANGE, especially the kind we’ve been getting since 1-20-2009. Butt, I think this will make snarking easier and a lot more fun: if that’s even possible. I hope you think so too, because my MOLs and MODs are the only reason for doing this. My blog that is, not my day job. Which I love. Of course.

Hello, My Name Is Raj: You Can Call Me Bob

2009-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting my Technical Support page.

How is the weather where you are?

I am the Chief Technical Support to MOTUS: The Mirror Of The United States. She is a very important member of the President Of The United States’ (POTUS) administration. But she is really more like a member of the first family.

Motus is also my friend and blogs here at Michelle Obama’s Mirror’s Blog. If you have not been there, you too should check it out also.

I am also on the Tech Support Team for TOTUS: The Teleprompter Of The United States. Of all the top-secret, high tech DOD hardware, TOTUS requires the largest full time geek squad. This is due to the complexity of the components and software apps required to make Big Guy come to life as POTUS. This is not to diminish in any way the complexity or dificulty of MOTUS' job (you have all seen what she has to work with).

TOTUS blogs here, at Barack Obama’s Teleprompter’s Blog.

But enough about me, let’s see how I can help you also. Please to cast your eyes to the top right where you will find index links to my reliable tutorials. It is my honor to serve you and the valued Team Obama.

Madame DeFarge’s Live Link Tutorial

2009-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Madame DeFarge: I am pleased to my heart that you come to my humble blog for technical support. You are one of MOTUS' most loyal and inspired MOLs, as well as a Golden Flotus Award winner under your previously famous handle "Annie Carmel".

It is my honor to provide prompt, reliable technical support to you.

The secret nerd magic structure for the "live link" in comments that you seek is:

<a href=PASTE LINK HERE>DESCRIPTION </a>

This is exactly what you would type into the comment box for your particular live link :

When you preview or post that secret nerd magic code, it will look and act like this:

LINK

I have linked an adobe pdf file with exactly what I typed to get the link above. The pdf file can be opened or downloaded

HERE

I hope this helps you find the way to insert links into comments on MOTUS’ site. If this is inadequate to answer your questions, please send me an email and I will attempt to provide additional information.

How To Post “LIVE” Links In Comments On MOTUS’ & Other Blogger Sites

2009-12-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

MOTUS asked that I, Raj, Provide prompt, reliable technical support to some more of her zillions of loyal fans. So today, it is my honor to provide this support.

I understand that some who comment on MOTUS site include interesting and valuable links, but that some of them are not “live” (allowing one to simply click on the link) and cause suffering because they must be copied and pasted into a browser address line. Having obtained a full understanding of my assignment, I have prepared the following tutorial, here, on my humble blog. I hope it helps to relieve suffering and makes posting comments with “live links” on MOTUS’ lovely blog possible for each and every one of you.

HOW TO POST “LIVE LINKS” IN COMMENTS ON BLOGGER BLOGS

1- BACKGROUND: BAD NEWS THEN GOOD NEWS

1.1- BAD NEWS

Unlike many blog services, Google Blogger does not automatically convert links to “live links”. A “live link” allows a reader to simply click on the link and be instantly (depending upon your bandwidth) transported through Mr. Vice-President Algore’s internet ether, to the destination. Other blog services (eg. wordpress, typepad) have options for automatically converting a link typed into a comment into a “live link”.

Deeply within my heart, I wish to have this feature for MOTUS blog. Sadly I am advised by Mr. Secretary of Tax Cheating Tim Geitner, that such costly features are trapped by the “Party of No” in our historic Son of Stimulus legislation, and will not be attended to until we complete our Health Care takeover.

1.2- GOOD NEWS

But there is happiness and delight for MOTUS posters, as there is a simple, though extra step, which will make your comment links come to life without the need for batteries or jumper cables. All you need is a small piece of secret nerd code called HTML. Do not find yourself in fear, it is really simple:

The HTML code you need is:

<a href=PASTE LINK HERE>DESCRIPTION </a>

Let’s try one:

1- Here is a comment with a link that is not “live”:

MOTUS: Why did you let Lady M go wearing shoes like this?

http://www.michellesmirror.com/2009/12/half-shoeless-and-totally-clueless.html

She has too many toes.

2- Here is how to make the same comment on Blogger blogs like MOTUS with a “live” link:

MOTUS: Why did you let Lady M go wearing shoes like
<a href=http://www.michellesmirror.com/2009/12/half-shoeless-and-totally-clueless.html>this?</a>
She has too many toes.

When you preview your comment it will look like this:

MOTUS: Why did you let Lady M go wearing shoes like

this?

She has too many toes.

The word “this?” is now magically the “live” link!

Comparing comment 1 (which has no “live” link) with comment 2 (with a “live” link) we can see behind the curtain how this was done:

a- we tell the internet ether that we are entering a link by typing <a href=

b- then, WITH NO SPACE, we give the ether the link http://www.michellesmirror.com/2009/12/half-shoeless-and-totally-clueless.html

c- after the last character in the link address we tell the ether we are done with our link by typing, WITH NO SPACE, >

d- then we type the words we want to be “the live link”, this?

e- then we tell the ether to end the “live link words” by typing </a>

f- now we can continue with our pithy comment, as we did by mentioning Lady M’s 6th toe issue, or say good bye.

Look to my comments on this tutorial where I have used the tutorial example in the first comment. Please feel free to practice here on my tutorial post so as to avoid heart ache if your links do not spring to life on the first try.

I hope this tutorial helps MOTUS’ loyal followers as this will fill MOTUS circuits with joy.

How To Get Your Own Name for Commenting

2009-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

MOTUS loves to get comments on her blog, and she also loves to respond to them. Many post comments as “Anonymousl” on MOTUS lovely site. Some are Anonymous because they enjoy being mysterious (sometimes I post Anonymously to be mysterious). But some post Anonymously because they do not know how to get their own cool name and little tiny avatar picture, and some have inquired of MOTUS “how can I be somebody?”.

So, as you may already know previously, I provide MOTUS prompt, reliable technical support. She has asked me to provide prompt, reliable technical support to those who wish to post as a real cyber-person rather than mysteriously as Anonymous. Having a full understanding of my assignment, I have prepared the following detailed tutorial.

The easiest, and 100% totally free way is to get a Google Gmail address then get a Google Blogger Account with or without your own blog. If you don’t have a Gmail address, you must get it first:

STEP 1: To obtain GMAIL address, the form looks like this and is here :

Now that you have a Gmail address:

STEP 2: Go to the Blogger Google account setup page here:

Click on the big orange CREATE A BLOG button – remember, you don’t need to actually “create a blog”, only an account.

Fill in the form with:

Your Gmail Address
- If you were not paying close attention and forgot to get your Gmail address, you can go back and get a GMAIL address here
The Password You Want To Use – NEVER TELL ANYONE WHAT YOUR PASSWORD IS
This is the Best part - The cool name you want to use as your ID
Check the box if you want to get newsletters, etc from the little Googlebots (probably not)
Type the captcha (squiggly little letters) into the box
Check the “I accept” terms box
Then click the little blue “ Skip this and create a blog later “ if you just want your new cyber-person ID, or Click the big orange CONTINUE arrow if you want to be an official blogger (remember, international blogging rules require that you have pajamas, fuzzy bunny slippers (or other cute fuzzy animal slippers) and a basement to blog in)

NOTE, UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR OWN BLOG, YOU ARE NOW FINISHED AND CAN USE YOUR NEW IDENTITY. TO USE YOUR NEW IDENTITY, JUST REMEMBER TO CLICK ON “GOOGLE ACCOUNT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BEFORE ADDING YOUR COMMENT.

SELECT GOOGLE ACCOUNT

LOG-IN IN UPPER RIGHT THEN COMMENT

IF YOU ARE ALREADY LOGGED IN, AS I AM HERE

SELECT YOUR COOL GOOGLE ACCOUNT AND COMMENT, OR

IF YOU ARE FEELING MYSTERIOUS,

SECRETLY SELECT ANONYMOUS AND POST MYSTERIOUSLY.

STEP 3: If you wish now to obtain a blog, you’ll get a couple more forms to fill in:

Now you get to pick:

The Title of your new blog
The sub-domain of your new blog – this must be unique so use the “ Check Availability “ until you get one you like.

Almost done now, you get to pick the “Template” for your blog which determines the basic layout. You can always change templates later when you are more familiar with them.:

One more step and you’re done. Just click the big orange START BLOGGING arrow, put on your PJs and slippers, pour yourself a lovely beverage (optional) then go downstairs and start blogging.

I has been my honor to provide prompt reliable technical support on this topic. I hope you enjoy your new cyber-person ID, and I hope you visit MOTUS’ site and provide comments on her reflections.