Friday, July 10, 2009

Playing around with Windows Live Writer

This is my first experiment with Windows Live Writer and blogging. Terry of Paradise Discovered highly encourages, even dares (um…challenges?), his friends to use it. Since he’s a smart guy I figured it was worth a shot. I did have it on my system and just hadn’t gotten around to messing with it. Looks like he’s right. It does indeed have a lot of really cool controls. They remind me of MSWord controls. I’ll have to recommend it to my favorite writing friend Susan of Rickety Contrivances of Doing Good. She likes to use MSWord to compose stuff, even letters which makes for some interesting translations when your email browser doesn’t have a rich text option to view with.

Wow! Hit the return key and you get a double space. Hit it twice, like I just did, and you find yourself backing up a line or two. :-)

When I started up Windows Live Writer it gave me the option to add my blog to my Windows Life page, a thing I’d been ignoring as to date I’ve only really used Windows Life Messenger to talk to a couple of friends. Wish I could add all my friends to that one. Yeah, Windows is kind of self loving and doesn’t always play nice with other software but there are worse OS’s out there. I used to keep Yahoo Messenger up and running so I probably need to try to add that one in or get a few of my old contacts to switch or connect through whatever medium they have which might allow that. Looks like the world is getting smaller and smaller as we connect in new and exciting ways.

Darn double enter habit has got to go! LOL

I also added my Facebook page and my Stumble Upon page to the Windows Live Page. Now all it needs to make it perfect is to be able to add the games I play on Pogo there. Wouldn’t that be fun! Go to Windows Live and play Scrabble or Pinochle with my buddies?

So, Terry, if you’re reading this, Thanks for the good suggestion. Is there a way to make this product pop up every time I click on the new post button? Or do I have to remember to put this on my quick launch bar? I’ll play with the picture thing next I guess. Let’s see how this thing posts.

But before I go I’d like to ask Terry to check out 7Stacks and see if he can figure out how to make that little Widows desktop utility to work. I sure couldn’t because it didn’t have any help files. It seems to think it is intuitive, but if you’ve never used stacks like Macs or Windows 7 has then you just might be as clueless as I am about how to create them. Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers!

7 comments:

Fletch said...

... Is there a way to make this product pop up every time I click on the new post button?

WLW
Shortcut on desktop or QL is the ideal, bearing in mind that you can add ALL your blogs to just the one programme, making it a one-stop-shop for all your blogging needs!

I know you don't drive another blog, but that's a "not yet!". When you do you'll be happy to have only one icon to click on to get your stuff published.

7Stack
I've not come across it before, and I use Stardock's 'ObjectDock'. But I've downloaded and installed it, and I will report back when I've made some sense of its functionality.

'Double-enter' - I have a similar habit, but it is easy to overcome when using WLW. And in any case the double entries are 'in-your-face' and you can't ignore them before publishing!

Fletch said...

I posted a comment earlier, but it appears either:

1. you have moderation ON and it won't appear until you've okayed it
or
2. something has gone awry ...

I downloaded '7Stacks', installed it, tried to figure it out for a half hour or so, then uninstalled it. Not a proggy I want on my desktop!!

If you are determined to 'tidy up' or 're-arrange' your desktop, take a look at the free versions of:

1. ObjectDock
2. Fences

Whichever takes your fancy ...

Lee said...

Thanks Terry! You came up with pretty much the same thought I had. 7Stack is uninstalled. If the creater doesn't want to tell us how to use it I'm assuming he isn't serious about how it functions. Probably better off without it.

Thank you also for the Windows Live tip and I'll check out those two utilities this weekend.

Yes, I do have moderation in place. Tried putting in word verification and somehow never managed to take out the send the post to me first requirement. Guess I need to go take a look again at those settings.

Cheers!

Sandi McBride said...

You know, I'm not afraid of new things...may give this a go when life slows down to ramble!
hugs
Sandi

Lee said...

Sandi, when you do get around to trying it please let me (and Terry) know how you like it?

hugs,
Lee

San said...

As you know, I'm not a "Windows person," but it sounds like you're having fun with it, Lee.

Lee said...

Yes, San, I know you are devoted to your Mac. This does indeed work well when it will post. Recently I tried to use it and it wouldn't post. I think there was something wrong with the connection between it and blogger. Sigh, blogger is getting weird these days.

Do you have something that works like this for your Mac?

Hugs,
Lee