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Ever wonder how people do that links in their posts?

I've been looking for the solutions for weeks, and thank God, I've found the answer.

It's fun to learn!

New look

I missed to post yesterday. But today I come with new look. I know, there are lots more things to do. This is just a beginning.

I'm still learning the CSS and understand how Blogger's HTML code works. I hope one day I can use all of my creativity!

Bright futures onwards!

Blog as a home

This idea came across my mind yesterday, when I try to understand better about blogging.

Think a blog as a home. Then, readers as friends. Invite friends to our home and gives them what they need. Then, they'll show their appreciation by helping us improving our blog.

Hm, I guess right now I want to focus on content first, before I invite anyone here.

Use words wisely

This is a long post by Lorelle VanFossen. 30 tips on how to use words wisely in blogs. Since it's too long, I'll pick 5 which suits me.

1. Show and tell in order for point to be fully understood.
2. Write clickable titles.
3. Make point in the first 200 words.
4. Make timeless words.
5. Present a problem, the solution and the result.

Read the full post here. It's in the Problogger blog.

Daily updates

How to maintain a blog with daily updates?

After reading Darren Rowse's post about pressures of blogging, I think I need to spend some time thinking how to overcome them.

I'll take the first one first. That is regularly posting articles.

One of the solutions is, make a post series. I mean, write a long article, then split it into several posts and post it on regular basis.

For better explanation, this link might help. It's another Darren Rowse's article.

Tips from Colbert Low

I think everybody should listen to this interview.

Colbert Low is a professional blogger who is maintaining several blogs and he's working with Darren Rowse at b5media.

It's nice to hear from experts. Thanks to Gobala for this excellent interview!

For beginners

I think, this is a good start. John Chow wrote a good post for beginners like me. Here's the list:

1. Blog about something your passionate about.
2. Get your own domain name.
3. Update the blog often.
4. Get to know your readers.
5. Monetize the blog with multiple sources.

I've done 2/5 so far. Tips number 3 and 4. I try to write a post a day and I know my reader (without 's') very well :)

I know I'll do better someday. Anyway, there still thousand tips to learn!

3 top blogging gurus

In order to improve my blogging skills, I should learn from experts. There so many blogging experts or blogger who claim that they're experts.

At first, I use Google with keyword: blogging gurus, blogging gurus lists... But then, the results is quite frustrating. Either, Google is not a suitable place to find gurus or I'm the one who didn't know how to use Google.

However, I already have my own list. I just want to see if there's any better gurus out there. I'm sure there are. But, I'll stick to this three as my main reference:

1. Darren Rowse: His Problogger site is a real help for beginners. I'll spend more time reading his posts.

2. John Chow: I can't remember how I know him. His blog is full of fresh information. I think it is worth to learn from him.

3. Gobala Krishnan: I'm interested with his life journey. How he quit his job to commit in what he's doing right now. It is an inspiring story to read.

All of them are professional bloggers. Experts in their own field. It doesn't mean that I want to be just like them. I'm new in this blogging thing, and want to know, is blogging suits me, and I need reference, so I choose them.

P/s: I will start digging blogging tips from their blogs and learn how to use them and then see if they're working for me or not.

My reasons to blog

Every people have their own reasons to blog. Here's mine:

1. Keep my writings. I love writing but I didn't know how to keep it. So, I start a blog and make some posts to keep them.

2. Practicing language. As you continue reading this blog, you'll say that I need to this more. Most of them are grammatical errors since we have the spelling checker tools here (Blogger and Mozilla Firefox). Hope I'll show some progress...

3. Do brainstorming. Since I started this blog, my mind keeps thinking about what should I write next. Sometimes it's bother me, especially when I can't get prepared for my exam thinking about my blog. However, at least I have something to think about seriously.

4. Share information. Maybe later... I still have lots of papers to sit...

5. Earn money. Not now...

Next: Blogging gurus

Introduction to genus opuntia

What is genus opuntia?

I also don't know what it means. After searching using search engines, I know that it is related to cactus.

I found this word when I try to use word optimization for my blog name, but it is unavailable. So, I search from a dictionary and the most unique word is opuntia. And somehow I found the phrase genus-opuntia.

Next: Reasons to blog

Main problems...

Months after the tragedy, I suddenly interested in blogging. Everybody has their own blog. I also want to have one. After some readings, I started this blog and keep updating till today.

Main problems that I have to face are, lack of ideas and my bad English. However, I'm ready to learn and correct my mistakes. There's too many things to learn and I know, we'll never can stop learning.

So, if read this, and you want to help me improve, please show me my mistakes and help me overcoming it.

Thanks.

Next: genus-opuntia

No more connection

My friend receive Cd's from Ubuntu team. It is free Ubuntu installation Cd's. And also included, installation Cd's for Kubuntu.

Ubuntu is an operating system (OS) that have been created on Linux platform. It's free and updated frequently. It's a new experience for me. Installing programs using codes, make settings using codes... all of this makes me feel like a programmer :D

However, the Internet cafes owner finally realize that we have more than 1 computer. He told us to pay double since he thought there are 2 computers. Nope... actually, there are four computers and three of the are connected to the Internet.

Although we pay double for the month, we have bad service. They frequently plug off our connection and we have to tell to plug in every time we want to get online.

It's OK since it's our fault from the beginning. And since there's no more broadband connection, I'll say no more Ubuntu for me. Most of good things for Ubuntu is from Internet and if I want to install it offline, I have to learn more about coding... and I don't think I have much time for that.

Next: Learn blogging

Broadband experience

As the exam ends, I decide to travel. I'm not just visiting places, but it is for my seeking knowledge activity. I went for educational reason.

3 month later, I return and moved to new home. The decision is made before I travel. Thanks to my friends who reserve a place for me. And the most important thing is, I have broadband! It was from the neighboring Internet cafe. It's like a dream come true! I learn about lots of things such as torrents, softwares, games, ... and Ubuntu!

Next: My Ubuntu

P/s: Tomorrow is my first paper.

These characters are not allowed

This error message appears just now. If you received this message, read the whole text. Mine is:

These characters are not allowed: &

I used the "&" symbol for the labels. Once I replace it with word "and", everything is OK.

Heard about it

Then, I heard about blog. But, I'm not interested in it. If it comes to web designing, I prefer creating the whole site by myself.

I bought a new PC and that stops me from going to Internet cafes. I spend most of my time playing games. My favorites that time are Command & Conquer: General Zero Hour and Need For Speed Most Wanted.

Next: Travel, then move to new home

P/s: A brilliant idea came to me last night. It is so good to forget, but I can't do anything for it. It is a good thing to have brilliant ideas, but I can stop thinking about it, and because of that, I can't do anything else... I think I need a better 'Thinking Management'.

There goes my USD100...

It's during my first exam at the university when I was being introduced to autosurf program from a friend. At first I'm curious about the program because I have some experience in scam programs before. However, everything looks perfect, except after I read an article about how this program can be a scam.

Then, I asked someone I that I can take his word as an advice. I hope that he'll stop me from joining the program. But then, he's the one who interested to join the program. From this, I learnt that, people easily get fooled by money. Trust your own heart.

I bought USD100 e-golds and 'invest' in the most popular autosurf program at that time. Not long after that, the whole tricks behind the autosurf programs revealed. I lost my money. Although I'm sad for the money that I lost, I'm happy that I didn't do anything stupid for that program. I didn't quit studying. I take it as a part time 'job'. The best thing is, I didn't encourage people from entering this program from the very beginning. I'm glad I didn't do it.

Next: Learn to blog

P/s: My story about myself is about to end. What's next?

Fly away...

After almost a year of break from school, I was accepted to study abroad, far away from my home.

Since call cabin costs lots of money, most of the students are using the Internet to keep in touch with their families. Here, I learnt about PC to phone applications. Of course it costs some money, but it is far cheaper than call cabin or international call through mobile phone. I can talk to my parent almost every week! (Even my brother and sisters who study in local universities can't do that :P)

Next: Me and autosurf

P/s: I tried to change to new template but I still unsatisfied with my choice. I think it is better to do it after the exam.

Web designing competition

One day, my teacher called me and asked me to design a new website for my school and she told me that she will submit the website to an interschool web design competition. I'm so excited and spend a lot of time for it. It was my first time publishing a website with Flash content. Thanks to Flashkit contributors for the Flash tutorial. I learnt a lot from them.

And the result is... third place.

A year later, I moved to a new school. It is a full boarding school and it is hard to get Internet connection. I no longer receive e-mails from my friends since I failed to reply them on time and every time I get a new friend, I easily forgotten about his/her details.

3 years later, I found myself far behind the others. There are too many things that I missed. However, in the past 3 years I discovered a new skill, magazine designing. I designed 6 magazines in 3 years. Holding a hard copy of my design gives a different excitement. Plus, I also made a comic series too. And the excitement increased when readers enjoys my design and my comic.

Next: Study abroad

P/s: I started something yesterday. I did everything calmly. And this morning, I can't wait to continue preparing for my exam. The story is about to finish. Hope everyone enjoys reading it!

Must be at most 200 characters

When I tried to publish my latest post, this error messange appears: Must be at most 200 characters. The first thing that come across my mind is to shorten my post. On the second thought, shorten to 200 characters? :)

The error message is for labels, not posts. If you received this error message, shorten you labels and publish. If you still can't publish, save it as draft, then publish. If still doesn't work, copy you post in Notepad, turn off your browser, clean the cookies, and try publising it again.

Hope this post will help someone... or tell me if I'm mistaken.

The introduction to web designing

Hope everybody is fine. Here's more about me.

At the end of 2000, I'd been selected to participate in a free web designing course. That was my first formal lesson. I'd been introduced about HTML and how to create a HTML page by using Notepad and Netscape Composer. Then, upload it by using CuteFTP. I was so excited because at that time I know what is Frontpage for.

The first time I use the program, I thought it is another word processor program like Word. But, I was dying to know what it really is when my brother showed me a HTML page with colorful text animation which he created it himself. Since I was a kid, I'm really interested in animation. However, I don't think my brother know that what he had just created is something that we can publish to the Internet for public view.

Thanks to the teachers that gave us good lesson from the beginning till the end of the course.

During the school holiday, I designed my school's website. I gathered information from the school's annual magazine and designed them in HTML pages. Although I'm already had strong basics in Photoshop, I can't do much designing since I had too little images to manipulate. I didn't have a scanner at home. The only picture available at that time is the school's badge. And for the whole design, I use the FrontPage templates.

When the school starts, I was eager to tell my teacher about the site. It was already published although at that time, it is quite difficult to find free hosting that support Frontpage, and nobody taught me how to publish a website by using Frontpage. I discussed the publishing problems with my friend and we found the solution.

Then, my teacher told me that the site is dull, need more bright colors. Despite of the heartbreaking comment for a boy who is looking for something that he good in, the teacher knew my interest and ability.

Next: My first web designing competition.

P/s: I want to stop here. The exam is near and I'm unprepared. I didn't know where to start. Hopefully, I'll get some clues when I start doing something.

Since 1997

Hello everyone. Feel free to visit my blog and tell me what you think about it. I'm new here, so please be gentle.

I've been using the Internet since 1997. At that time, Internet is rarely available at home in my area and the easiest way to connect to the Internet is from Internet cafes which was quite far away from my house and the price was too high for a primary school student like me at that time. And the primary usage at that time is for e-mailings and chatting. I sign up an account at Hotmail, and I'm still using it nowadays.

P/s: The exam is near. Do pray for me. I'll continue my story if I have free time.