[2008 NOTE: We now also have Wordpress as a blogging software on campus. That is what this blog is using.]
We put ourselves on the line and asked you to ask us the questions you wanted answered. Here is a short summary of the questions and answers…not in any particular order.
What is the difference between a blog and a web page
Technically, a blog page IS a web page. It is just a specialized one. Typical web pages and web sites are built in HTML. Things like navigation, organization and images are all controlled by the webmaster of the site. Blogs (which is short for web log), started out more as online diaries and have grown to become even more.
Blogs are usually edited by a single author or a small team and what makes them different from traditional web pages is that they are powered by blog software, which controls how the information is presented and organized and simplifies the process of publishing content online. For sites that have periodic updates of information, blogging software makes that much faster and easier.
Blogging Software
At PSTCC, we use Movable Type as our blogging platform. Other popular blogging platforms include WordPress and Textpattern. Each has their own plus/minus aspects. Here is a “smack down” review of all three.
Blog Examples
Blogs can be personal, topical and marketing oriented. Here are some blogs and a directory of how to find all kinds of blogs.
- PSTCC Blogs – all of our blogs linked in one place
- BoingBoing – a blog of “wonderful things”, great time-waster
- The Apple Blog – guess!
- D’arcy Norman dot net – a personal blog of a educational technology guy in Canada
What is the advantage of using Picasa over Photoshop?
It really depends on what you want to do with your digital pictures. For basic editing and organization of your digital photos, you cannot beat Picasa’s feature set for the price (FREE!) on the PC. (Mac users already have iPhoto available)
If you want to make more complex collages with your photos, erase things like powerlines (or people), then you will have to use a more high powered editor like Photoshop Elements or Photoshop. The PS Elements package is affordable and offers a good deal of options for doing a lot with digital images.
I need to edit some text in Photoshop?
Photoshop text is always placed on a separate layer. You can edit the text by either double clicking on the small “T” that is on the layer in the layer palette (top figure) or selecting the text tool in the tool bar palette.
How can I remove the border in a table in PowerPoint ?
To remove a border in a table, select the table and then right click. From the contextual menu, select Borders and Fill. Make your changes and click OK to close the dialog box.
How can I animate one cell in a table in PowerPoint?
To animate a cell in a table, first complete the table with data and formatting. Then, right click on the table and select “Ungroup”. This converts the table into individual objects for each cell.
Then, you can select each object and apply custom animation to it that fits your needs for the presentation.
How can I start a program while I am in a PowerPoint presentation – without leaving the presentation?
Stump the Chump shoutout goes to Greg Walters of CSIT, who asked this and then answered it himself. You can use the ALT+TAB key combination on both Macs and PCs to toggle between open programs on a computer but if you forget to start a program and want to get to the Start button on a PC without having to quit the presentation, the elegant approach is to right click on the slide and choose “Switch Program” from the Screen menu. This will open the task bar on the PC and give you access to the Start button to start another program.
How can I share a Distribution list from Outlook with Someone Else
We had a lot of discussion on this and our friends at Vanderbilt have a nice page with step by step directions on doing this very task.
Helpful Resources
Folks always ask how we keep up with stuff here in ETS. Some favorite techno-resources include:
Engadget – a blog about personal electronics, computers and other gadgets
Wired Blogs – news and opinions about all kinds of technology topics
Reading MacAddict, PCWorld, Presentations and Campus Technology magazines