How to Properly Credit an Image in a Blog Post

It's something we hardly ever do. I usually just post a screenshot from the site I'm linking to. Other times, we upload other images, or even credit them with links. On very good days we make our own images (which is awesome). Odori doesn't use images in her posts for legal reasons, because she's Lawful Good. I've never asked anyone for permission to use an image. It's never really bothered me that we don't properly attribute images used here, because this blong is a communication tool used among friends.

HERE, THOUGH; is a flowchart showing how to properly credit images in blong posts. Just for the sake of your knowledge, awareness and enrichment. (TL;DR: Ask & get permission.) I'm not saying we should start doing this; I'm just presenting the information. BECAUSE OUR TRAFFIC IS HIGHER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN, GUYS

Analytics image via Google Analytics, who gave no express permission for the image's use in this post. Main image by me. You're welcome, universe. Link via @janetalkstech

Neat Tumblr Blogs

Been poking through some Tumblr blogs that folks have sent me to. I haven't spent much time there, so forgive the newness to me of an old thing. The spareness of the layouts seems to bring out some really thoughtful, contemplative, sometimes angsty, but generally compelling image combinations. Here are two I really like, via @theupturnednose:

youmightfindyourself

niflheim

Posts are easily reblogged, so good stuff tends to rise to the top, and it's easy to pinpoint where the quality is coming from.Many avenues of expression here. I really like Heather Rivers' log, here. And of course, there's bonerparty.

How to Blog

Here's a really interesting podcast on the subject of blogging by Merlin Mann (of 43 Folders and John Gruber (of Daring Fireball). (Drawing by Dave Gray.)

While I don't necessarily swallow their definitions of "success", they do offer some interesting takes on the nature of the medium, and ask some pretty great questions. They also make me glad that I write for a team blog, with a team as diverse, and as freakish, and good as this one. *HUGZ*

Collaborating on Posts

After that chat we had last night, I'm trying to think of ways we can collaborate on posts. Anyone have any ideas? Could we use other sites? We could start a Flickr Group for each post... That seems a bit much, but maybe it's on the right track.

Pieces of Things: How to Make a Link

Here is how you make a link:

<a href="http://piecesofthings.net">Pieces of Things</a>

This link will look like this:

Pieces of Things

Clicking the link text will take you the the URL you used in your link. Try it!

Pieces of Things: How to Embed YouTube Videos

Here's the code you should be copying into your post, in order to embed videos that play when clicked. Find this on the right-hand column of the YouTube video page. [note that after you copy the embeding link, you should click on the "Edit Html" tab at the upper right corner of the editing window before pasting].

To make your video fit better, change all of the widths in the embed code to 475 530 525, which is the width of the posts in this blog. There will probably be at least two instances of the "width" variable in the code. Change them all. NOTE: This works with nearly all embedable video players! Try it, you slobs!

Update: To get the movie to fit as best as possible, you'll need to change the height, too. Try a proportion calculator. Enter the embed tag's current dimensions for the original size, and enter 525 for the target (reproduction) width. Press "Calculate" and replace the current dimensions with the target dimensions in the embed tag (in both places).

Blogging technobabble

A useful flash dingy from Wired to show you where your blogging leads to. I especially like the idea that Text Scrapers and "Meme Trackers" are searching PoT for useful information. 

Pony, I think it's time we set up our "thing".

For the kids- Gever Tulley: 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do

i.e., Turbo. Though I have a thing about gauging age appropriateness, and he might be too young to break the DMCA, for example. Or binge drinking. Probably too young for that.

LINK.

The Results of a Poll

Okay, dudes, the results of the poll are in, and the results is this! You guys miss the smileys. I miss them too. I miss combining them most of all. There was that thing you could do where you could blow your own brains out in a cloud of blood. That totally surprised me when I first saw it, and I never got tired of it. Okay. I will see what the hell I can do about this.

Also more team members. I thought I'd invite you guys first, because the tone of the Old Forum rules because of you guys. Tone is important, probably. Other important team members to follow. God, this is all so important. Again, I will see what the hell I can do about this.

Other: You guys have admin powers. Please feel free to mess with this blong. Add widgets, if you like. There are some neat freaking widgets out there. There's a chat thing I added. Scroll down. As long as you're moving us in the right direction, no one will mind. When Fugu was all "I moved the thing up because I didn't know it was there," I was all "YESS!!" That's the spirit. Add links to the Links thing. Use labels in your posts. Tell stories.

Or, you know; don't. You are all my brothers. I will love you forever if you do exactly none of these things.

Vote Your Mouth in the Poll

Guys, there's like only 2 hours left to vote in the poll. I can't begin to tell you how important making your voice heard in the poll is. Because it's not.

This is yours, and for you.

Also, in case it's not blisteringly clear, you fellows should feel free to post anything you like here, as if it were the old forum. This one doesn't creak when you put something on top of it, like the old forum did. I'm finding this fact a little intimidating. We were clearly smarter than the software that made the last forum tick. That's not so apparent here. This Bloggar creature seems like it might soon be smarter than us, if it's not already. It's a little like the first time you use a chainsaw. Except we all have admin privileges. Which I sure could have used the first time I used a chainsaw.