# General > The Literature Network >  Blog Upgrade

## Admin

I'm working on upgrading blogs. This is a big upgrade, major. The blog software company went out of business sorta, but since I bought the blog software the forum software company added their own blog product that integrates with the forum better. So I need to switch the software, this is big, some things may be lost, but it is necessary as if we kept the old software it would never be able to be upgraded in the future.

So blogs are turned off, hopefully I'll get them back up in a couple hours.

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## andave_ya

ooh, nice. Thanks Admin!

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## Virgil

Oh I was wondering what happened. All of a sudden there was no blog link. I do hope they are not lost. There's a lot of stuff that can't be replicated in there. Especially personal things.

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## Admin

don't worry, I've got numerous db backups incase something breaks during the import, including one done in the middle of the night last night, and one done just minutes before I started

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## Admin

okay okay, I _think_ I'm done. Some things may have been lost.. namely it looked like blog categories got ganked. But posts adn comments are all there, and you may notice new features, or changed features, explore.

the good news is, this software is much better supported and updated than the old stuff, so as time progresses it should get better and better and more integrated with the forum.

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## Nossa

Thanks for the incredible effort!  :Biggrin:

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## Admin

well... it looks like blog posts lost their titles... I'm not sure if there is an automatic fix for that. I will check.

If not... well... it'll be manual editing to fix it. sorry.

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## Admin

nevermind, think I fixed it.

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## pussnboots

just checked out the blog section and it is definitely different but I think in a good way. need to play around some more.
good job!!!

I just noticed one you comment in a thread it now states how many blog entries you have in addition to the # of posts

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## applepie

Oh.... so it isn't everything. I think that might be comforting since I was thrown a bit when I first hit the site. I normally go to blogs first, and the new format is nice. It is just so... well... new I guess. I like it, just didn't know what I had missed. Thanks!

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## kilted exile

It's good, but will take some getting used to with most recent comments being on the bottom of the list instead of top, is there a preferences button I can change this with?

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## Admin

I don't think so, its more like th eforums that way though

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## Virgil

Hey I'm confused. How does one add a comment to a blog? I can't find the button. :Redface:

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## Scheherazade

If you scroll down, you will see the window to type in Virgil. Once you finish typing you can press the POST button.

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## Virgil

> If you scroll down, you will see the window to type in Virgil. Once you finish typing you can press the POST button.


For some reason, some have the window and some don't. Janine's blog doesn't but mine does. I'm confused?????

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## Scheherazade

That is interesting. I can see the box for every entry.

You are looking at a specific entry right?

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## Virgil

> That is interesting. I can see the box for every entry.
> 
> You are looking at a specific entry right?


Yes, Janine's and Grace86's blogs do not have comment boxes for me.

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## Admin

the blog owner can choose to only allow certain people to pos tcomments

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## Janine

ahaha...then I will have to think or whether I will alow you to comment, *Virgil*.... :Wink: haha....just kidding. :FRlol: 

*Admin,* you did a great job on here lately! The blogs are easier to understand now - I was lost trying to start one the old method. I still don't know the ropes yet but it seems to be more user-friendly. I just love the profile pages; everyone is having so much fun designing theirs and it is creating a much closer friendly community. 

*Admin,* where is your avatar by DaVinci? I like Sam from LOTR, but I seem to identify you with the Virtuvian Man. I guess with all the changes you needed a bit of a change yourself.

I am adding this question. I can't seem to set my blog page for others to post. I went to the page of settings and thought I set everything but now it still does not seem to work. I am tripped up on the term for spam prevention: Akismet key.
Wordpress API Key: [what do I place in this box?]

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## Admin

Ignore the akismet key wordpress box, it is both advanced and unnecessary. 

Ya... my avatar was 7 years old, I decided to change it.

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## sprinks

Wow it's so different!!  :Eek:  Thanks!  :Smile:

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## Virgil

> Ya... my avatar was 7 years old, I decided to change it.


I always think of you in that previous avatar. It seemed so you.  :Wink:

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## PeterL

It is different, but it doesn't appear to be an upgrade, because it appears to have less functionality. It would be better to be able to see a list of blogs, as it was before. It isn't that I mind things changing, but it is unpleasant when things are inferior to how they were.

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## Admin

there is a list, it is just a little hidden.

http://www.online-literature.com/for...hp?do=bloglist

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## PeterL

> there is a list, it is just a little hidden.
> 
> http://www.online-literature.com/for...hp?do=bloglist


Great! How does one get to it without having that link?

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## Nossa

> Great! How does one get to it without having that link?


If you go to the blogs page (from the button on top of this page), you'll find something called 'Total Blogs' (on the left) and next to it is the number of the current blogs on Litnet. If you click on that number, you'll get that list. Hope that helps  :Biggrin:

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## Janine

> Ignore the akismet key wordpress box, it is both advanced and unnecessary. 
> 
> Ya... my avatar was 7 years old, I decided to change it.


Well, then I must be doing something else wrong because only the mods are getting to see a posting window. I will have to figure it out. Could it be because I actually posted but did not actually name my blog and write a description of it; I plan to do that tomorrow. After I do that do I need to click "post your blog"? 

So *Admin,* does the new avy look just like you? This week, with all the cool changes, you seem to be our hero!

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## PeterL

> If you go to the blogs page (from the button on top of this page), you'll find something called 'Total Blogs' (on the left) and next to it is the number of the current blogs on Litnet. If you click on that number, you'll get that list. Hope that helps


I thank you. That is a fine place to hide such a thing.

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## Janine

I did set the controls for my blog so anyone could see it but still there appears to be no window for *Virgil* and other members. I can see it but they can't; that is strange.

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## Nightshade

I think I might know what your problem is Janine... have you ticked allow people on your contact list to post comments?

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## Janine

> I think I might know what your problem is Janine... have you ticked allow people on your contact list to post comments?


Yes, I have done that twice now. It is still checked off; I looked at the page again.

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## Niamh

windo so people can post comments to your blog? like a quick post box? I dont se one, but at the very end of page there is a hyperlink for post comment, that i pressed to post a message to your blog.  :Smile:

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## Nossa

> windo so people can post comments to your blog? like a quick post box? I dont se one, but at the very end of page there is a hyperlink for post comment, that i pressed to post a message to your blog.


Really? I couldn't find any links to post a message for Janine.

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## Niamh

hummm... is it not there directly below my post to your left? its a brownish colour, i almost missed it myself. got an icon of a little tiny yellow pencil with a plus sign beside it....
....strange...

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## Nossa

> hummm... is it not there directly below my post to your left? its a brownish colour, i almost missed it myself. got an icon of a little tiny yellow pencil with a plus sign beside it....
> ....strange...


Yeah, I found that in my blog too, and it's not that obvious either. But I couldn't find it in Janine's blog.

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## Niamh

hummm, weird...

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## Admin

> Well, then I must be doing something else wrong because only the mods are getting to see a posting window. I will have to figure it out. Could it be because I actually posted but did not actually name my blog and write a description of it; I plan to do that tomorrow. After I do that do I need to click "post your blog"? 
> 
> So *Admin,* does the new avy look just like you? This week, with all the cool changes, you seem to be our hero!


No, I'm tall. Decidely not-hobbit.

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## Shalot

Will someone just delete my blog? Before the upgrade I had removed some entries and now they're all back up there again and I went through and was trying to delete them again and managed to delete some, but suddenly I don't have permission to delete them anymore....

I guess I shouldn't have done a blog because I ended up putting more in it than I should have so it would be best for me if it were just deleted.

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## Niamh

Is there any way of making the main blogs page only display one of the "Latest" entry by a blogger like it was with the old programme??? I'm only asking as i decided to re blog my story so i could sub catagories it, as the original entries wouldnt relocate due to a 10,000 character limit per entry, and all of the re entries have appeared one after another on the main page... I've probably taken over at least three pages of the newest entries because of this. (There where 26 entries done because i had to split nine chapters up into part one, two etc...) :Blush: 
Sorry everyone!

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## Janine

> No, I'm tall. Decidely not-hobbit.


How 'bout a 'resemblance' anyway - like just that 'face' on a tall person?  :FRlol: 

Sorry, *Admin,* I did not mean to suggest that you might be hobbit height!

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## Admin

> Is there any way of making the main blogs page only display one of the "Latest" entry by a blogger like it was with the old programme??? I'm only asking as i decided to re blog my story so i could sub catagories it, as the original entries wouldnt relocate due to a 10,000 character limit per entry, and all of the re entries have appeared one after another on the main page... I've probably taken over at least three pages of the newest entries because of this. (There where 26 entries done because i had to split nine chapters up into part one, two etc...)
> Sorry everyone!


There aren't a lot of customizations for the homepage available yet.

The blog is version 1.0.5 

The forums are 3.7.2

Consider that for the degree of complexity. Every time a new feature or a fix is added they add a 1, to which column depends on the degree of the change. 

I imagine when we see a 2.0.0 version of the blog software all these little annoyances will be ironed out, the good news is we WILL see it one day. With the old software we would have never gotten another update.

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## Admin

> How 'bout a 'resemblance' anyway - like just that 'face' on a tall person? 
> 
> Sorry, *Admin,* I did not mean to suggest that you might be hobbit height!


Nope, I've got short thin straight hair. If you wanna celebrity I've been told Billy Corgan, Chris O'Donnel, and Jim Carrey, I've also been told Clint Eastwood but I really don't see it.

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## Niamh

> There aren't a lot of customizations for the homepage available yet.
> 
> The blog is version 1.0.5 
> 
> The forums are 3.7.2
> 
> Consider that for the degree of complexity. Every time a new feature or a fix is added they add a 1, to which column depends on the degree of the change. 
> 
> I imagine when we see a 2.0.0 version of the blog software all these little annoyances will be ironed out, the good news is we WILL see it one day. With the old software we would have never gotten another update.


Okie Dokie Samwise. Just thought i'd ask! Everyone will have to bypass my 26 blog entries then!  :FRlol:  (go to page 6 folks!)
Well i'll remember not to do that again in a hurry! Only thing is if i post another chapter in the future i will have more than one entry in a row due to the 10,000 character limit. but at least it wont be 26!!!!!!!!!!

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## Janine

> Nope, I've got short thin straight hair. If you wanna celebrity I've been told Billy Corgan, Chris O'Donnel, and Jim Carrey, I've also been told Clint Eastwood but I really don't see it.


Ok then, I will picture one of those handsome young men, next time I see your avy. 

Quick question - I can't seem to get a photo to totally cover the background and can't quite figure out why. Just how big does the photo have to be to do so. I did designate 'none' so it would not tile but then it turned out small and only took up part of the top block. I have a shoreline and want to fill up the entire block - anyway of accomplishing that?

Otherwise, I just love the new format and all the choices. I was not going to join any groups, thinking I was too darn busy, but instead I ended up mysteriously joining 5! I am totally 'addicted' to this site now, but loving every minute of it.

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## Sweets America

I just tried to post an entry on my doggy bloggy and I could not post more than 4 images, including smilies! I am very disappointed in this because the purpose of my doggy bloggy is actually to post images according to the text I am writing, so really, this new rule ruins the thing. Is there a way to allow users to post more than 4 images?
I'm not sure it should be called an upgrade if it reduces the number of images one can post.  :Tongue: 

*Edit*: I am thinking that in case nothing can be done about this, I will just have to write more regularly so that I'll write shorter entries with fewer images, so there will still be a solution, it's ok.  :Wink:

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## sprinks

> I just tried to post an entry on my doggy bloggy and I could not post more than 4 images, including smilies! I am very disappointed in this because the purpose of my doggy bloggy is actually to post images according to the text I am writing, so really, this new rule ruins the thing. Is there a way to allow users to post more than 4 images?
> I'm not sure it should be called an upgrade if it reduces the number of images one can post.


Yeah that was annoying me. I put smilies in everywhere when I type! Now I have to watch what I say, because I can't follow it up with a " :Tongue: " to show that I'm kidding all the time. And I can't have as many " :Smile: "s

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## Bakiryu

NO!!!! But I always put lots of images in my blog  :Bawling:  why? whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!!!


In other news, why can't I comment some people's blogs?

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## Nossa

> NO!!!! But I always put lots of images in my blog  why? whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!!!
> 
> 
> In other news, why can't I comment some people's blogs?


Yeah I like putting smilies in my blogs too  :Bawling: 

And in order to comment on any blog, the blogger must activate the option that allows everyone to comment (that's in case you're not on his/her contact list. There's another option for those on the contact list, but I think it's automatically activated). I think some people didn't check this option yet. I kinda stumbled over it myself, cuz I thought that everyone can comment on my blog like before, but then I discovered that option.

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## Admin

The default for comments should be, everyone. I'll doublecheck though.

And I'll increase the smile thing.

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## Niamh

Its only four images, which includes Img's and Smilies!

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## Janine

Hi *Niamh,* Hope you are doing well today. I am reading this part about the images starting with Sweets America and I was wondering, is that only four images in 'each' posting in one's blog? I am new to this blog business anyway;  :FRlol:  I still need to go in and name mine and post a brief description.

Also, can we still post photos and emoticons in the thread posts, without limitation?

Also, I still can't quite figure out how to make the background on my profile page totally fill the page without tiling it - it that possible?

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## Niamh

it is just four images including smilies in each blog entry at present. I'd advise any members who want to set up new sub catagories, to be careful with what they are transfering as one of two things i've discovered so far may arise;
A) the entry will have more than four Images and smiles which you will then be asked to delete to bring down to minimum of four
and
B) your entry will be over 10,000 characters long and you will be asked to delete some of it. (hence why i ended up with 26 entries in one day!)
If i discover anymore limitations, i post them here.

you can still post more than enough imgs and smilies in regular threads.
I'll look into the backround profile thing for you Janine and let you know.  :Smile: 
Niamh

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## Admin

I upped theimage limit to 20 by the way.

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## Sweets America

> I upped theimage limit to 20 by the way.


 :Banana:  You are grand. Thank you.

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## Niamh

Thanka for that Admin.  :Smile:

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## kiz_paws

OK, maybe a silly question, but please ... please: Can someone tell me how to list the titles of my blog entries such that I see just the titles (like I used to be able to?), in order to quickly find something I wish to refer to, etc.?

I find that I have to spend a lot of time scrolling through partial entries -- pages and pages of 'em ... to get my end result. The 'old way' (sorry Chris, we keep ragging about the new software) did allow a convenient title list.

I am not complaining -- just asking ..  :Wink:

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## Niamh

If you have them catagorised, and you know which catagory they are in, use that method.  :Smile:  Only thing i've discovered so far and i'm trying to find out different things incase anyone is asking for info.  :Smile:  its one big learning game for everyone. (mods included!  :Tongue: )

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## Admin

maybe searching?

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## kiz_paws

Thanks Niamh and Chris. I suppose once we are used to the new way of doing things, they'll become second nature. But anyhow, I just wondered if there were things that I was missing.... I get like that, ya know.  :Tongue:

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