Charles Gnilka’s Blog

There are many tutorials on how to create a multi-column site with CSS. I do not need many tutorials, I just need ONE that works, is easy to read, and gives me valid code.

It would seem simple enough to design a multi-column site in CSS, but do a Google search on how to create a 3-column or multi-column CSS code and you will be swamped with solutions.

Which one works best? I think this tutorial on The Design Edition explains it best, especially when it comes to making DIVs that expand to allow for more content.

Of course, I encourage anyone who thinks they have a better solution to share it. Send me an email at blog AT gnilka DOT com or post a comment.

Now that I have WordPress up and running, I want to change the look and feel of my blog. The Kubrick template is nice and clean, but I want my own personalized look.

I found the WordPress site features a docs section covering design and layout.

In the support section, there is forum offering reviews and feedback on blog designs.

As always, be careful to know what you are doing before tinkering with your blog code. If you do not know anything about using CSS, start with the CSS tutorial on W3Schools.

There are a variety of reasons to start a blog. Some bloggers express their feelings and opinions through their posts. Businesses use blogs to promote their brands and services.

One of the missions of my personal blog is to organize the vast amount of information I deal with.

A blog as a your personal information library

My RSS feeds and Google Alerts offer articles, tutorials, and useful information every day. I use del.icio.us and my Google Personalized Homepage to keep track of sites and blogs I know I will need later, but even these services have their limits.

Blogging offers a way to categorize information into an easy to search format. Google’s Blogger platform offers a label tool while WordPress can organize posts into categories. The format of a blog post lets me write out why the information is useful.

Beyond bookmarks

Back when my web browser was main tool for storing links, a bookmark folder was fine for managing links to modest numbers of sites, but they were difficult to share and could be difficult to manage across multiple computers. Social bookmarking tools, like del.icio.us, have their limits when it comes to adding comments.

I can blog about a useful tutorial or web site and go into more detail about its uses. I can mention more than one site or link at once, add images, use category links to organize information.

The most important thing is I can give context to the information. A simple web link does not do that.

Blogs bypass the email inbox and are always available

To share a particular link or article, anyone can visit my blog and and look under a category or date. It also helps that my last name is the URL for my blog. If someone knows my last name, they can find my blog.

A blog is always on (hopefully) and can wait till someone has the time to browse through it. Unlike magazines or news clippings, it takes up no space on a desk and does not get shuffled under other papers or get coffee mug rings.

I used to send friends links to sites or blogs using emails or instant message links. The problem is that important links can get lost in the mix of memos, documents, and spam that churn around in the average email inbox. A blog is beyond the chaos of daily email and accessible from anywhere.

Edit for yourself

The challenge in using a blog to organize yourself is to be a careful editor for yourself. Use your judgment to determine what is important enough to blog about. Will you actually use the information you posted?

While a personal blog can serve the purpose of being an information storehouse, you still have the responsibility to be interesting and concise.

Look out for the interests of your readers, even if you are the only one.

I’ve been getting email from people who have my same last name. I own gnilka.com and have pointed that domain to this blog. If you are member of a Gnilka family, you can send me an email at blog AT gnilka DOT com. Replace the AT with a “@” and the DOT with a “.” so the email will work. Or you can leave a comment.

People have asked me for advice on getting search engines to notice their blogs.

The best advice I can offer is write good content.

Most of the blogs that I read on a regular basis I found through content, usually when I was doing a search for a solution to a problem or daily research.

This tutorial on SEO from Lorelle on WordPress is useful as well.

Before I post anything else, let me introduce myself. I’m Charles Gnilka, a web designer and writer. I set this blog up to expand my skills and knowledge. I have a lot to talk about and a lot to learn. If you are just stopping by, leave a comment and say hello.

Once you have installed your WordPress blog, fine-tuning your setup from the start will allow you get blogging with fewer glitches.

Here are some resources and tips I found helpful.

• Download Squad features a post-install checklist. Going through this checklist will show you where all the features are located.
• When you read through the Download Squad checklist, take note of item #10 on permalinks. Permalinks can be configured to be more pleasing, but permalinks alone will not influence your search engine rankings. You need content to do that. You can find more on permalinks on this page.
• Get familiar with the writing interface on a few disposable test posts. Familiarity with the interface will make your writing easier. Tinkering with settings while trying to write breaks your focus.
• If you change your blog’s URI under the options tab to the wrong address, your blog directory starts looking in the wrong place. Getting back to the dashboard is impossible. To reset your WordPress URI, use this PHP script. Even if you have not broken your URI, keep this script handy just in case. It is like having a second pair of keys to your house. Always use caution if you are going to change any major setting to your blog. If you do not fully know what you are doing, do not mess with it. A good browse through the WordPress Docs page is recommended too.
• If you are using Mozilla Firefox and have the NoScript plug-in, make sure you add your blog’s URL to the allow list, or your blog dashboard will be missing key features.

If you have any WordPress tips, post a comment and let me know.

When I planned on starting my own blog, I thought about writing a grand mission statement. I would start out with carefully chosen words and a noble expression of principles.

There is so much work to do and so much to write. Let’s just get down to work.

Like Captain Kirk at the end of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I am going to point in the direction of the stars, set course for “thataway”, and see what happens.