Members
The Blog Peoria Project can save you THOUSANDS of dollars
It has come to my attention that people attend conferences about blogging. The whole thing reminds me of journalism conventions and conferences, which are mostly about getting away from the wife for the purpose of doing things you don’t want you wife to know about. In addition to the fees necessary to attend... »
‘How to create a WordPress blog post’
This is a brief YouTube video that some really new users might find helpful. If you are considering participating inj the Blog Peoria Project, but worry about switching from a familiar format — like Blogger.com — to an unfamiliar platform, this should alleviate your worries. »
No more Buddy Press, alas …
I deactivated the Buddy Press plugin and all the site issues went away. So, I won’t be re-activating Buddy Press. And it’s just as well, since it wasn’t used much. »
Advice for picking a new theme
I’ve recently replaced every available user theme at the Blog Peoria Project, which cut the number of available themes almost in half. Some of you had to pick new themes, or you were shunted over to the default Blog Peoria theme. And some of BBP members have never changed their theme or even made any... »
Welcome PH Pundit
PH Pundit blogs out of Peoria Heights. Now, all we need are Chillicothe Pundit, Dunlap Pundit, Bartonville Pundit, Hanna City Pundit, East Peoria Pundit, you get the picture. And my offer to help anyone migrate from Blogger to Blog Peoria stands. »
Celebrate Blogger’s birthday by moving to the Blog Peoria Project
Sunday is the 10th anniversary of Blogger, the little company started by Pyra Labs that opened the floodgates for blogging and citizen journalism. This free service let people go to a Web site, write someone in an empty form field, his a “publish” button, and those words magically appeared on a Website. No hand-coding... »
How to embed photos and other media on your blog
I’ve gotten a few questions about how to do this. The following video is from WordPress.TV a great site go get videos full of helpful hints. »
Site restore complete (almost) UPDATE: Finally completed
As I promised, I tried to upgrade to the latest version of the WordPress Mu software that powers Blog Peoria. It failed. I caused date from one blog to be stored on others. Posts were lost and themes were switched. We had to revert back to the original version of WPMu and reinstall a database. All... »
Changes to the terms of service
The difference is mostly clerical. The maximum upload space allowed any member blogger is 300 MB, and it’s been like that for some time. I changed the TOS, which previously set it at 25 MB. I added a line saying that the space can be increased for a fee. I haven’t determined that fee... »
New themes for Blog Peoria members
Via Weblog Tools Collection: Beauty Two column, WordPress 2.8 ready theme with an options page and featured posts using SmoothGallery. Game RV Game RV is a compatible with WordPress 2.8 with Gravatars, threaded comments, widgets, etc. It has a right single sidebar. Facebook Look 2 Three column theme that looks and feels like Facebook. All three of the themes have been... »
Welcome new Blog Peoria Project member
The notorious HipKat has migrated his blog from Blogger — where it was languishing with few readers — to the Blog Peoria Project. Now, his is part of the small but growing community of Peoria-area bloggers. HipKat also is active in the Peoria.com community. Cross posted from Peoria Pundit. »
Site news: Keep readers informed of new Blog Peoria member posts and comments
I am very, very excited about two new widgets that every single Blog Peoria Project member blogger can use. Global Recent Posts widget works like the “recent posts” widget many of you already use. But it displays recent posts from every single Blog Peoria Project blog. Global Recent Comments widget does the same thing... »
Site News: Introducing WordPress instructional videos
This is the first in a series of videos that will show how to use your Word Press blog. This one is an introductory video that is designed to give new users an overview in how to use their spiffy new blog. As I download and post more of them, we’ll get into how to... »
Site news: A new direction for default
If you previously were using the WordPress Mu Default Theme you may have already noticed some changes. The WPMu Default was, in fact, the default theme on this site. Today, I changed the default theme to a slightly modified version of “White as Milk,” which I think is a prettier theme and more more... »
Themes: All themes now BuddyPress friendly
What is the use of having all this spiffy new BuddyPress functionality if your theme doesn’t display the admin bar? Or won’t properly display the content from the BuddyPress widgets, like the list of recently updated blogs? Answer: Not much use at all. So, I spent four hours pouring over all the themes, eliminating the ones... »
‘How to Create a High Quality Blog’
Via Dan Blank: Focus on just one or two blogs. Speak to CRITICAL needs of your audience. Create a team, not just a blog. Content of the highest quality is content that HELPS. Create a schedule and content types. Create a marketing plan. Involve your audience. Set goals and measure your performance. Have a strategy. These tips... »
Re-open for business
The Blog Peoria Project is open for business. New and existing users can create their own blogs. I decided to reopen in advance of the imminent WPMu 2.7 upgrade. After the ungrade and the installation of BuddyPress, I’ll do a mass mailing to encourage new signups and migrations from Blog*spot. »
Bad news for print, good news for hyperlocal
From the Inquisitr: Hyperlocal Websites will Boom in 2009 as Community Newspapers Fold Community newspapers will fold in 2009 as owners are no longer able to turn a profit, or sustain losses any longer. The killer will be costs: even a small town newspaper could have a staff of 6 or 10 or more (usually... »
How to login when your site isn’t showing up
There are times when your cannot see your blog. This happens, usually, when a corrupted file or plugin causes nothing but error messages to appear. Sometimes, the theme you have been using gets deleted and you will see nothing but a white page. And by “gets deleted,” I mean “I deleted it” or “I lost... »
New blog creation temporarily halted
Due to a security flaw in this version of WPMu. Users willbe ableto createtheir own blogs soon after the WPMu 2.7 upgrade, sometime in January. I will be happy to start a blog for anyone who wishes. »
Some citizen journalism/online news org sites of note
Here is some interesting reading for all you citizen journalists out there (and those who fund them): Here is Windy Citizen, a group blog site based in Chicago. Media Mouse, based in Grand Rapids, Mich. MinnPost, a well known online news organization. The Citizen Media Law Project is dedicated to preserving the rights of CitJo’s. Chi-Town Daily News is... »
Site news: 30 new themes added to Blog Peoria
Here they are. None of them are tested with WordPress Mu (at least not with THIS version), but none of them are in Beta. Report any problems to me. »
Site News: New theme: Mike Little’s Journalized
‘Journalized’ has been around for years, and it came in Blue, Sand and Winter versions. The new Beta version includes those versions as “skins” and includes three others. This version also supports uploadable headers and a choice of 1,2 or zero sidebars. »
A funny thing happened …
I received two very dissimilar, yet related emails today. One was from from intrepid radio reporter Dave Dahl, formerly of WMBD, but now plying his skills elsewhere. It was a cartoon he came across and just had to share with me: I about died laughing. It’s so true. Sometimes I think I need an intervention to... »
Resurrection scheduled
Asthe administrator of the Blog Peoria Network, I should know better. I created a bunch of blogs during the past few years. I’ve been letting them sit unupdated. I just made an update to “It’s Billy’s Blog.” More will follow. Also, I notice that the Master Site Feed is not working. I’ll try to work on... »
Welcome David P. Jordan to BlogPeoria
If you follow Peoria blogs, you probably recognize David P. Jordan. He’s an expert on transportation issues, and posts comments here and at Peoria Chronicle quite frequently. He’s written several guest posts at the former Peoria Pundit site and also ran a blog here. He’s decided to start blogging here at the Blog Peoria Network.... »
How to change lurkers to blog participants
The summary to this fine article: In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action. And the bad news: These numbers are not going to change much, no matter what you do. All bloggers can do is... »
Need to add a Peoria.com logo to your sidebar?
Then see this post at the Member Support Page. »
‘How to be a citizen journalist’
Sometime soon, I plan to add a section to the front page that lets people browse through some citizen journalism-related videos. http://www.youtube.com/v/xdMPAocnu2E »
OJR.com closes its digital doors
NOTE: The following was sent to me by Rich Miller, and is of interest to those interested in online journalism: After a decade, the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication has decided to cease publication of OJR.org. The archives will remain online, but there will be no new articles. One of OJR’s goals over... »
AP is spoiling for a fight with bloggers that they will lose
For those who don’t know, the Associated Press is telling bloggers that they are violating copyright laws when the reprint any part of an Associated Press article. It’s BS of course, because fair use laws allow for the reprint of small parts of an overall article. It’s been an established part of communication law... »
THIS is what I wanted to do with Blog Peoria
From New Voices: Ten innovative citizen media projects have been selected as this year’s New Voices grant winners and will each receive up to $17,000 in start-up funding. Many of this year’s winners focus on special-interest communities as well as geographic locales. One grantee will create a new model for regional news coverage in Ohio and... »
Posts on BlogPeoria
Neglecting this blog
It's come to my attention recently that I've been neglecting this blog. I probably should do something about that. It's not like I've stopped writing or anything. So, I'll try to remember that I actually like writing here and go forward from there.In All Things #15 (Gabrielle)
Today I am thankful for the Church. Yessiree, that there Body of Christ is one wacky bunch. I have been in the church my entire life and I still don't get how it works. Somehow this collection of losers, sinners, arrogant fools, freaks and weirdos all get lumped together and made into something beau
Today I am thankful for clean laundry. It happens so infrequently around here that most of the laundry in the house is cleanish or at least not scattered on anyone's floor that I get really excited when I think it might happen. It never actually happens, of course, because all of the people in this
Today I am thankful for Flyleaf's new album Memento Mori. Their first album was excellent, but they have topped themselves with their second. It's kind of music that makes me want to dance and sing and cry. They understand life and sing about it in song-sized chunks. Pain, fear, glory, Heaven. The lWarriors 3 to be part of new Thor movie
Via Cinematical: The ranks of Asgard are just about full! Marvel Studios reports that the Warriors Three will be joining Thor in all of his frosty battles, and as usual, Kenneth Branagh has done a bang up job with the casting. Stuart Townsend, Tadanobu Asano, and Ray Stevenson have joined the cas
Good lists from io9: 15 Dumbest Superhero Retcons and 7 Superhero Stories Too Big For Movies. Good reading.326
Peoria Landmark #326
Today I am thankful for late night talks with Seth and Crystal. It seems like some of our best conversations have happened at mumble-thirty or later. Most of the time I'm stupid tired the next day, but I'm usually emotionally settled and back on track to do what I'm here for. Thank you, Seth and
This weekend didn't go quite the way I was expecting. We had a busy couple of days scheduled with Night of the Burning Plum and family coming in from out of town. Crystal and I were gearing up for stashing six more people someplace in this house and then feeding them repeatedly. The Lansberrys were
The Azeroth Chronicles, B2, Ch.1, pt.3
It is early morning, and the smoldering embers from the fires of the night before still warm those that sleep. Korrock is preparing his horse for the long ride out of this cursed land. You can smell the aromas of fall in the crisp chilly air. It's a good morning for a warrio
Talk on BlogPeoria
Hi Everyone - Another memory -- this one of Miss Cassidy and Gary Johnson...it was probably fifth or sixth grade and Gary raised his hand and said "Miss Cassidy, Sophie just called me a queer" and Miss Cassidy put her hand on her hip and said back, "Truth hurts, don't it, Johnson." We were shocked (More)
well yeah.. but then we'd pretend where we'd spend our share of the 'loot'. (More)
Hey guys, was it something I said? No one is writing. I need my blog fix at least once a day. Oh, Joe, where are you? I need you to make me laugh. I hope everyone is OK, I'm kinda lost without you guys. SOMEBODY WRITE!! Love you all, Julia (More)
Soledad O’Brien is such a phony. In April 2008, Reverend Jeremiah Wright gave a speech in Detroit to the NAACP. One of the things that he said in this speech was that black and white children learn with different parts of their brain, and then gave an "unflattering imitation of the way white (More)
Dingeldine Hall at Bradley. Had to "google street map" this to be sure. (More)
That pipeline was built to transport petroleum products from barges to the Amoco and Mobile Oil tank farms built in that area in 1947-1948. (More)
This is why I think that in the new heavens and the new earth we will all be naked. There's no way dirty laundry can exist in a perfect world. (More)