Saturday 11 April 2009

The interactive map


In order to get this to work, you have to use Blogger-in-draft because the location link isn't yet available in standard Blogger. If you haven't used it before, all you need to do is to log in to your blog at Blogger in Draft and then on your dashboard tick the box saying "Make Blogger in Draft my default dashboard." Otherwise you will keep forgetting, believe me.

When you prepare a post, you will now see a link

add location
underneath the Compose box and above Post Options. This will open up a Google map where you can choose your location. If you need to edit the post later, you do need to remember to be certain you are in Blogger-in-Draft, or the location will be lost, even if you don't change it. You can go back and edit old posts to set the location, if you want to.

Having prepared your posts, you need the BlurbBits widget from their site. Follow the link and, in the body of the post, click on Add to Blogger which will open an Add page element window, then click on Edit Content.


You need to change "blogger=YOURBLOG" to your own blog name, the part before .blogspot. You can also change 100, which is the number of posts displayed, to something else. I've changed mine to 150 but I'm not sure how much effect this has on loading time. Click on the "Add widget" button. Save, and your done.

Then, hey presto!

I hope that makes sense. If you have some really simple and straightforward questions I may be able to answer, but I found the people on BlurbBits very helpful indeed when I was setting it up.

12 comments:

  1. hmmm, ok...hold on...i need something cleared up, and yeah, i know this will sound very bold but oh well :)
    Ive been trying to use that 'add location' option, but nothing worked, i mean, no location appeared anywhere (which remidns me that i tried to use some other things in blogger-in-draft but unsuccessfully...).
    Anyway, does it actually mean that i HAVE TO use that BlurbBits widget in order this 'location' thing to work properly? so all my efforts till now have been in vain? :)

    I really need help with this, so if you actually have any idea, PLEASE answer me :)
    Thank you a LOT in advance!

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  2. Hi Ana.
    No you don't need the widget at all. It's only a way of displaying the locations. You can add the location in the normal way, and what you get is a link at the bottom of the post. If you look at my previous post, Egypt, you will see a Label Egypt and below that Location Egypt. If you click on the Location, it will open up a Google map showing where it is.

    I'm not keen on them because they are always so zoomed in that you get no idea of placement until you zoom out again, no matter how I save it. That's why I prefer the widget.

    As for your difficulty in setting location, that I'm not sure about at all. It hasn't been a problem for me, so I can't really say where it may have gone wrong. It may be worth trying again because it was much more buggy and erratic at first.

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  3. Sheila I always wondered what Blogger in draft was!! Does this work with Google Earth as well if I put the co-ordinates on a photograph (you can do this with Picasa)?

    I can see value for your site especially with lots of different locations.

    Have you applied it to your site? I can't see widget on this page.

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  4. Sheila, I am stupid I have answered my last question by re-reading your post......sorry!

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  5. Sheila, this is neat!
    I tried it today but was unsuccessful, perhaps mainly due to faulty internet connection at my end. Will try and try again :)

    Postcards Crossing

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  6. Hello,

    I am here to say Happy Easter.

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  7. @Mike, it's ideal for this site I think. It's the sort of thing I love playing with, and it does give some added value if anyone is interested.


    @Sreisaat, it took me quite a few goes to get things working. Keep trying! ;)

    @Amy, hi there, and a happy Easter to you too!

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  8. Sounds overly hard for just a little doggie. But it is okay because I already know where I am, more or less.

    PS - I hope you don't consider this a spam, Miss Sheila.

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  9. Welcome to my newly organised worldwide
    lighthouses and ancient sailing ships blog,
    http://gulfmannlighthouse.blogspot.com

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  10. Well, I have been entering locations on one blog for a long time, but can't find any way for a reader to ever call them up. I don't see "location" at the bottom of the post.

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  11. so im not the only one with the problem....the 'location' options just doesnt work for me....ive been entering them ever since it came out as an option, but it had never appeared below my posts...as well as 'reactions'...instead of the blogger one, where you yourself can enter your own options, im using a third-party widget...

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Welcome to my postcard collection! I love hearing what you think of the cards - but spam WILL be deleted.

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