How to make your own widget

[Shelagh Watkins]

Most of the responses to my last blog post asked for help to make a widget for a blog. If you have a blogger blog, follow these simple instructions:

Click on this link:

http://www.widgetbox.com/create/create_widget.jsp

Then click on this link:

BLOG/FEED

A box will open up:

Make your blog or any feed (RSS/ATOM) into a widget.

Blog/Feed URL:

(e.g. http://www.myimaginaryblog.com or http://www.myfeed.com/rss.xml)

Type in the address of your blog and click "Continue"

If you don't have a blog, type in : http://shelaghs.blogspot.com

When you click "Continue" the widget will be created and you will see just how simple it is. Now, set up your own blog and make a widget for it.

[Aidana WillowRaven]

Thanks, I'll try this.

[Amber Rigby Grosjean]

Sounds cool. I may have to try it! Thanks!!

Amber

[WR.PARK]

Great looking graphics. But what does a widget do? Why a widget on your own website? What does it do that your website doesn't? And if you have widgets elsewhere, how would anyone know where to look for it, if they were so inclined to look?

What's a blogger blog? A Blog/Feed? RSS/ATOM?

I began when we used pencils, erasers, and something called a typewriter.

[Shelagh Watkins]

This is a widget for the Published Authors Forum. You can paste it onto a web page of your choice and see the latest posts on the forum:

[WR.PARK]

Not to beat a dead horse, but why would I want to do that when I can go directly to the site? Or is a widget just another electronic gimmick to play with?

[Shelagh Watkins]

Have you visited the site yet? Even if you haven't, my blog widget received over 5,000 hits without me having to do anything. Like a Google ad, people saw it and clicked on it but I didn't have to pay anything.

[WR.PARK]

Yes, I visited the site and followed your directions, but since I haven't a blog, I couldn't go any further.
Your blog widget that received 5,000 hits; where is it located in inner space? And how did the 5,000 searchers find it?

[Shelagh Watkins]

I'm a member of 22 Ning networks and my widgets are on all of them, as well as on my blog, myspace, facebook and other social networks.

[Susie Sunshine]

WR.Park... I feel as though you didn't get an answer you were looking for. The reason for the widget on your blog or site, is not to make it easier for you to get to it, but for others to get to your blog or site. It is a connector, a notifier, a little bit of knowledge to encourage people to "keep up" with your blog, articles, website, etc.

If you use other people's widgets on your site or blog, you can keep up with them rather than taking the time to go to their blog or site.

I find widgets rather confusing, but I believe that is because I still haven't found their use in my life. I can't seem to get a handle around the technology of them and thus I shut them out. Also, I haven't really taken the time to learn about them. Just bits and pieces here and there. Hopefully some day I will have the time to devote just to them.

I hope this clarifies what you have been asking.

[WR.PARK]

No Susie, it's still rather confusing. Those who think up all these new concepts ans those who are familiar with them do not realize that all the new terms (Blogger/blog. Blog/feed, RSS/Atom, etc., etc., etc) are foreign to most of us, and unless things are spelled out, we remain in the dark. I've just made a blog, but no where is there information as to what to do next: step by step instructions, I guess, are to come to me by osmosis.

These Internet gurus are genius of sorts, but, in my opinion, lack common horse sense.