It hasn’t been easy..at all. I’m taking bite size pieces trying to figure this out and by gosh I refuse to be beaten by a program!
Blogger is easier but they don’t have any of the cool features that are available on wordpress.
Blogger has no plugins. Widgets, yes but plugin ins?
What the heck is a “plugin” and how do I install and how do you chose which one to use?
There are HUNDEREDS of plugins. I know because I have spent roughly 20+ hours in the last couple of days trying to navigate around my dashboard without getting lost.
I needed hated the white boxes around my old “follow me” social media icons so I chose instead to re-format and freshen up what was there. Should be easy right?
Wrong…there is just one small teeny tiny problem.
My iMac has been at the shop for oh, a month or longer now meaning everything that I would have at my fingertips isn’t available.
It’s all gone. {{gulp!}}
Frustrating right… I thought so too until I found the media button.
What a snazzy feature that one is!
I dragged and dropped new buttons to upload, copied the html code that was visible to me and easy peesy swapped them in place of my old graphics. So much easier than the process I went with on blogger.
I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to make the switch!
Now I just need to figure out it if I am going to re-install all my “followers” buttons from my blogger blog.
You know the ones, the bloglovin’ or google+ ones that has a little number saying how many people follow a certain blog.
It’s starting to feel a lot like that guy who walks into a room yelling “Like me”.
Or is it just me who thinks that way? We would never do that in real life and honestly it sort of feels like a popularity contest.
I have never been any good with those anyway and most of the bigger blogs don’t have those.
Hmm, now have you ever given that a thought?
I’m excited to say that wordpress was one of the best moves I have ever done and I am loving the features I have figured out already.
Now can anyone explain a plugin to me?
I don’t do the follower widgets with the numbers announced on my sidebar. Partly because I have that same feeling of shouting “like me at a party” you described, but mostly because they just take up so much room. I think having the icons at the top linked to the appropriate account works just fine.
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That’s sort of what I was thinking too.
Along the way I have learned a few things that I can’t stand as a blogger and I am trying to steer clear of those annoying habits but I wasn’t sure what the protocol was for “follow me” buttons.
Thanks for your input!
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It took a while for me to get used to when I started blogging, but you’ll get the hang of it. And love it!
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Jenny, are there any plugin’s that you think every blog needs to have?
There are so many to chose from it’s hard to know which ones to use.
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I’m still trying to figure all of this out myself too. If you figure it out let me know!
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Will do!
This is a learning process for sure and it’s a steep one from the look of things.
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i don’t announce my followers. honestly? You can inflate your numbers any way you see fit- it doesn’t mean you have engaged followers, and that’s what matter most to me. and it does feel like tooting my own horn, you know/?
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Exactly what I was thinking and feeling. Sort of a double edge sword if you ask me.
On one hand it feels a little like bragging and on the other there’s pressure to get more “likes and followers”. **sigh**
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It is definitely confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s so great! I highly recommend you download the Jetpack plugin if you haven’t already, because that will really give you the basic needed plugins all in one!
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I know, everything is very confusing when it comes to blogging… I always struggled with plugins and widgets..
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Moving to WP was the best thing I ever did for my blog! I recommend adding an SEO plugin sooner rather than later (I still have to update old posts with better seo shtuff)
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I am so glad I am on WP, although having never been on Blogger I really can’t compare. All I know is any blogger who does compare them seems to prefer WP. You’ll get the hang of it! Sounds like you are already making great headway.
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Moving to WP definitely takes a lot of getting used to, but it’s well worth the effort.
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I made the switch to wordpress a year ago but so happy I did – good luck!
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Thanks!
So far I am really enjoying it.
I found navigating a little confusing at first but it’s much easier now.
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I love plugins and use many of them on my blog! They are fun and easy too!
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Which are your favourite?
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Yes, I love wordpress and I second Jetpack- love it!
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I’m going to have to look at that one for sure!
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I moved to WP in March and it was the best move I have mad. Definitely try jetpack!
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It took me a long time to understand what a plug-in is. There is so much to learn with blogging!
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I’m s- l- o-w-l-y figuring then out myself.
I wish my iMac was back!
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I totally rely on my husband to do all the tech stuff on the blog. I can screw up a site in record time!
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Roflmao
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Oh my dear – what a story! I wear many hats and one of them is programmer and Mac lover. I am so sorry about your iMac. If you ever need help, get in touch with me.. My hubby used to teach Mac repair. Congrats on your move to WordPress! I used to use Blogger and I also used Drupal. Supposedly, using Drupal showed some advanced ability and so I stuck with it, but I would look at all these cool WordPress sites and wish I had a WP site. Then, I realized, 1) it was pride, and 2) who really cared whether it was advanced?! Have fun! Yes, I am thrilled to use WP on all of my sites, even the ones that are not really blogs.
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I remember when I moved to WP from Blogger it was such a huge transition! But sooner or later it all starts to fall into place!
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Welcome to WordPress. Going from Blogger to WordPress is a big jump. It is like going from a VW Rabbit to a Formula 1 race car. I see you still have the wordpress.com in your URL so I’m assuming you are not self hosted. If you are still on the free platform the plugins that are available to you are going to be very limited. If you are self hosted let me know on FB and I’ll give you a hand sorting your basic plugins out so you have what you need in place. That will save you a lot of time. I took a year to find the safe reliable plugins that I like to use
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I moved to WP earlier this year. Like it better than blogger, but I am still trying to figure things out. There definitely is a learning curve.
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I just figured out how to do this on blogger, I wouldn’t know what to do for wordpress. I was lucky enough to have someone do my blog for me. I am not as savvy as all of you. I admire you all, I am like rainman when it comes to technology. PRetty soon my teenager will be helping me with my blog designs. HA
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I use a no-follow plug-in, and I think CommentLuv is great.
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A no-follow plug-in?
I have never heard of that one.
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I was only on Blogger for about 3 months before I moved to WordPress. At first, I hated WordPress because it was so much more difficult that Blogger {to me} but now I LOVE it – and I am so glad I switched. 🙂
And I am with everyone else – get Jetpack. 🙂
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I have blogger so I only have widgets I believe
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I recently made the switch from blogger to wordpress and the world of plug-ins and widgets! lol I’m glad I did, but there is a lot more to it. I was so comfortable and familiar with blogger! I feel like it is back to square one!
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Exactly how I feel!
How long did it take you to get more comfortable with wordpress?
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I switched to WP about 6 months ago and I’m lost with all of the plugins!
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It’s so overwhelming at first, and I know for at least the first month I was so mad at myself for leaving Blogger. Now of course, I am thrilled I did. I use some plug-ins, but I try to keep the number down.
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I love wordpress, never used anything else and my favorite plugins the calendar.. till I figured that one out I had no clue what I posted when and if the post even went live..that’s my lifesaver… good luck you will learn and get the hang of it soon
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I think you are just the woman I need to talk to . . . it’s long overdue for me to move my blog to WordPress. Any advice?
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Yup! Read every tutorial you can get your hands on and don’t delete your blogger account!
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I have a developer who adds them in. They can be cheap to help out.
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I need to find someone fast that’s for sure.
**sigh**
I hate feeling defeated my a computer
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