Google Page Creator - New Features For Blogger Users

This is an update to my post "Now You Can Add Static Pages To Your Blogger Blog With Links" on Tuesday (June 19). This is something that will make most Blogger users happy, I guess.

I'll not go into the basic details about Google Page Creator (GPC) which you can read in the previous post. Since setting up my Blogroll static page using GPC, I've gone back to it several times to dabble with its features.

I'm beginning to see a number of possibilities using GPC. Nice surprise here. Google have added new features which were not there when I first visited the site. They are:

• Image editing (This is what Google say...)

Now you can make a picture look just right in the context of your web page. Once you add a picture, crop, rotate, lighten, darken, and add crazy special effects to it right from within your browser.

How? When you click on any images you've uploaded from within the page editor, a small bubble will show up just below the image, giving you options for resizing, cropping, and rotating. Click the "Show more tools" link to explore even more image editing options. The "Mash-up" feature (available from the drop down list) is particularly fun."

• Multiple sites (Quoting Google again...)

When you first sign in to Google Page Creator, we automatically give you a site with the same name as your Gmail address. Now you can create up to five sites with different URLs. For example, you can have joespizza.googlepages.com in addition to joe.googlepages.com."

• Pages for mobile (Google say...)

Every Google Page Creator site automatically has a mobile edition. So when people visit your site from their mobile browser, they will see a version optimized for their particular phone."




How do I start creating a page?

After you have logged in, click on "Choose Layout" and you'll be taken to that page where you have four layout choices to choose from (see above). Not many I would say, but just enough for most people. Remember you don't need fancy stuff at this point in time.

Let's call these basic templates. Each one has page element containers (or boxes) on it where you're supposed to place text and images. Just click on your choice and you're switched to the "Page Editor."

Like I mentioned in my previous post, the GPC interface is a bit clunky in my opinion but it's manageable once you get the hang of it.

Step One: Type in your heading, body text, listing, etc., and bring in your images. The task indicators in the Page Editor are easy to follow.

My advice: It's a good idea to plan the placements of your content before you make your move.




Step Two: Now you want to turn your "ugly duckling into a beautiful swan." Look for the "Choose Look" button and click on it. And presto! 17 designed templates appear on the page (see above). Okay, they're not exactly hot designs you'll go gaga over...but they will do.

As you can see, I picked the greenish one which is called "Branches" (See below). You can try each one out first by clicking on the "Preview." Once you have made up your mind, click on the template and it will be saved for you. It takes you back to the Page Editor for you to view and you can still modify your page elements - text and images - until you're fully satisfied.



The features on the sidebar are obvious to you, so I just keep my mouth shut.

That's about it! Now you can preview your finished page and if everything is hunky dory to you, just click on the "Publish" button.

Child's play, isn't it? I'll be glad to help if you run into some snags or whatever. Just contact me. Okay, enjoy yourself.

Related post:
You Can Add Static Pages To Your Blogger Blogs

A Tinkering Blogger Becomes A Thinking Blogger!

How cool can it be. Coming out of the blue. Thank you, Christy of Coffee Break.

Yes, I've been tagged by Christy as one of her fave blogs to be given "The Thinking Blogger Award." As a blogging friend, Christy has always being encouraging, showing generosity coupled with a positive attitude towards other bloggers.

Now I find myself in a fix trying to figure out whom I should tag. I never expected this. Reason why: I've not been as prolific or enthusiastic as other bloggers in trying to build up links via the meme way. It's just not me.

By the way, this meme originated from Ilker Yordas of The Thinking Blog. It has been going the round for a couple of months.

I don't get that many visitors to my blogs, and I hardly get comments from those who came by, except for a few who have been generous and kind enough to come back often to read my blogs.

If I were one of the A-list bloggers and post a one-liner, I will probably get from 50 to 100 comments, or even more. I've seen it with my own eyes! But I'm not. If I were to write a one-liner, then I'm afraid people will dismiss my blog without a second thought.

Now I've to pick out five blogs to tag for this meme. And it's like scrapping the bottom of the barrel. That's how tough it is for me.

If I'm going to hand out five tags for the "Thinking Blogger Award", then it's only fair and reasonable for me to select those who have been communicating with this blog through comments, community site messages, emails or posts.

These are the bloggers whose sites I visit, read their contents and they, likewise, come to my blogs. Therefore, I know them better than those I'm not so familiar with in my blogging journey.

So I'm tagging the following five bloggers for "The Thinking Blogger Award" :


Goodness Graciousness
Jennifer is a multi-talented person who has this great capacity to share compassionate thoughts with visionary essays (yes, I would rather call it that than posts). A deep thinker she is - ethereal, esoteric and exuding goodness graciousness.

A View Of It
Although Carol's A View Of It has already garnered the award I'm giving her the thumbs-up for her belief that war is not the answer vis-a-vis the situation in Iraq. She has been critical of President George W. Bush's administration for the way it handles the Iraqi issue. In this respect, she deserves the award a second time around for her thoughts on war and peace.

Blogging To Fame
Divya Uttam has gained fame for her insightful posts writing in Blogging To Fame. A Mass Communication graduate, she has been surfing the Internet for the past seven years. Obviously, she knows what she's talking about as a thinking blogger.

Modern Musings
Danielle already has three citations and I'm giving the fourth one to her for her perception and concern about major issues faced by America. She loves modern poetry...

Kumiko's Cash Quest
Is this a surprise? Here's a spunky young Japanese lady with an "evil mind" to make more money than John Chow. Although she's still a long way off target, I believe Kumiko will go far with her boundless blogging energy and street-smart thinking. That's the way I see it, so she gets the vote, too.

Stealing these lines from Christy's Coffee Break...here's how the Thinking Blogger Awards work - These are Ilker's Rules:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so everyone can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote, there is also the alternative gold version.

Here's my brief view of "thinking bloggers"

There are many thinking bloggers surfing the Web. Truly those that are honored by being cited as "The Thinking Blogger" must be doing something right to deserve the mention from fellow bloggers.

A "Thinking Blogger Award" has got nothing to do with page rank or traffic. It's more associated with critical and analytical thinking, I guess.

I believe that the basic criteria in faving one to be "The Thinking Blogger" encompasses the following:

• Appreciation of the blog's content;
  
  
• The thoughts behind the writing;
  
  
• The vision of the blogger; and
  
  
• The blogger's ability to resonate with the readers.
  

Others may have their own definitions.

If I think rationally without prejudice of any kind, then I can say that "thinkers" are very diverse in their mindset.

Metaphorically, the playing field for "thinkers" is not level. There are different levels of thinking...and "thinkers."

It's a question of which level you're coming from. Yet everyone is a thinker.