Site Help

Changing your username

If you want to change your username after creating your account, go to the menu on the bottom of the right-hand column and click on the "Edit Your Account" link.  Then click on the "Edit" tab underneath your current username, and from there you will be able to type in a new username.  Be sure to press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page when you're done.

For site consistency, we recommend your username follow one of the formats below:

  • "Darcy Jones" (first and last names capitalized)
  • "James Connor and Lisette Garcia" - this is if you are sharing a cabin.  If you are a couple who is sharing a cabin but would prefer to blog separately, you are welcome to create separate user accounts.
  • "Ven. Lobsang Chukyi"

Creating a new blog post

To create a blog post, go to the menu on the bottom of the right-hand column and click on the "Add A Blog Post" link.

Formatting blog posts

When you edit your blog post, you can format it with bold text, italic text, links, photos, special characters, bullet list, subheadlines, etc., by using the little formatting toolbar.  To learn what the little icons mean, just roll your mouse over it and wait for the little help text to pop up.  Give it a try!

Pasting text from a Microsoft Word document

Unfortunately you can't just cut and paste text and photos from a Microsoft Word doc -- you need to go through some extra steps:

  1. Cut the text from your Word doc and paste it into a new blog entry by using the "Paste from Word" button, which looks like a little clipboard with a "W" on it:
  2. You'll have to upload the photos one by one.  To do that, follow the instructions "How to add photos to a blog post" below.
  3. You can then resize your photos by following the instructions right below those, "How to resize photos in a blog post."

Editing a blog post you already wrote

To edit a previously-published blog post, simply click on the headline of the post.  That will take you to a new page with only the blog entry (as opposed to the main page for your blog). Under the headline will be a button that says "Edit".  Click on that, then make your changes, and press "Save" at the bottom of the page.

How to add photos to a blog post

Sorry, this is a little bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it it's quite simple.

  1. Click on the little image icon in the toolbar:
  2. The "Insert/Edit" window will pop open. Click on the "Browse" button to the right of the "Image URL" blank:
  3. The file browser will open.  Click on the "Upload an Image" link, at the top of the file browser.
  4. Browse your computer to select the photo, then press "Choose". Then click "Upload."
  5. Once the photo is uploaded, click on the link on the top of the file browser that says "Use this Image."
  6. The file browser window will disappear and you'll return to the "Input/Edit" window.  If you like, align your image to the left or right using the drop-down "Alignment" menu.  Then cilck "Insert".

  7. Then you should be able to resize the photo by pulling on the corners (unless you're using the Safari browser on the Mac, but that's another story...)

How to resize photos in a blog post

Once you've added a photo to your blog post using the instructions above, you should be able to resize the photo by clicking on the corner and dragging it smaller.  Note: Don't try to enlarge your photo that way, because it'll just come out looking blurry.

If this method doesn't work for you, it's probably because you're using the Safari browser on the Mac.  The easiest way around this is just to use Firefox instead, but if that's inconvenient you can click on the photo in the "Edit" screen, click on the little image icon in the toolbar (the one with a little mountain and sun), and type in a new width or height (in pixels) in the "Width" or "Height" box.  Leave the other dimension empty so it will scale your image in proportion.

"Help, my photos aren't appearing!"

Try using the instructions under "How to add photos to a blog post" above.  If that still doesn't work, and if you're not having the <!--Session data--> error described below, send e-mail to Andrea using the Contact form.

"I posted photos but all I see is <!--Session data-->"

This is a weird bug caused by a pesky browser add-on installed (without your knowledge) by Skype.  For more information, see http://www.west-wind.com/Weblog/posts/871907.aspx.

If you try to uninstall the Browser Highlighter add-on but the "Uninstall" button is greyed out or otherwise inactive, you can uninstall manually by following the instructions at http://www.olymanifesto.com/?p=94

How to add a YouTube video (or blip.tv, Vimeo, etc.)

When editing a post, first click on the little film icon:

The "Insert/Edit Embedded Media" window will pop open.  Paste the URL of your video in the "File/URL" field.  Make sure the type is set to "Flash".  Click "Insert."