in which i take an indeterminate hiatus · 21 December 2011
Every year, I look forward to the holidays season not because of Christmas, but because of all the end-of-year posts. I love reading them. There’s something about the reflection of the year past and the hope for the year coming that makes me giddy with joy. I had also planned on writing my own maudlin posts: favorite books of the year, what I learned this past year, my New Year’s resolutions, etc.
Except I won’t be writing them.
Can’t write them.
Because just typing for more than ten minutes at a time brings me pain now.
Early last week, I experienced shooting pain in my right shoulder and forearm. I wasn’t extremely worried, because this has happened before, and the pain would often go away after a day or two. But this time, it didn’t. It got worse. I started feeling wrist and hand pain, along with the finger aches that have come and go for the last year. Then the pain spread to my left arm.
And then I started feeling pain all the time, not just when I’m using the computer.
My doctor isn’t sure what the problems are, but I suspect the pain is associated with various Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI). My symptoms closely match Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel, and possibly Trigger Fingers. I have to admit I’m panicking right now. Are these permanent? Does this mean I won’t have the full use of my hands ever again? How will I write? How will I work as a dentist in the future?
The one thing I do know, however, is that the injuries will only get worse if I persist on doing what caused it in the first place: Using my laptop for hours and hours each day.
So for the foreseeable future, I will be taking a total break from the computer until my arms and hands heal. (I hope they will heal.)
To all my writer friends: If you give yourself one gift this holidays season, give yourself the gift of a healthy body. Take care of it. Develop good typing habits. Rest and stretch your hands and arms every twenty minutes. Don’t wait until permanent damage is done.
I hope you all have a Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!
Google Friend Connect Fix: How to use a Blogger GFC for WordPress · 19 December 2011
I promised a while back that I would share what I discover about Google Friend Connect with WordPress bloggers who are affected by Google’s recent decision to delete GFC for non-Blogger blogs. I just want to note that I actually know next to nothing about computers and coding and all those awesomely smart things. All of these came from an OCD person who spent hours and dozens of “test” blogs testing for all the eventualities she could come up with.
I found 3 ways to “fix” the problem. Unfortunately, each of them comes with their own drawbacks. Below are the steps and the pros and cons for each.
Option I. Use a new Blogger’s Followers widget — not embedded
For this option, you will be using a Blogger blog’s Followers/GFC widget. Thus, you will need to create a Blogger blog, then redirect that blog’s RSS feed to a WordPress or Feedburner feed of your WP blog — so that everybody who subscribes to that Blogger blog’s Followers widget will receive your WP blog’s updates.
1. Create a new Blogger blog at Blogger.com
2. In Blogger’s Dashboard, go to Settings –> Site Feed tab –> Post Feed Redirect URL: copy & paste your WP RSS feed (i.e. http://yourblogaddress.com/?feed=rss2 or http://yourblogaddress.com/feed/) or Feedburner feed here
- This will redirect all Blogger blog’s traffic, including traffic through the Followers widget, to your WP feed
3. In your WP blog’s sidebar, link to the following link: http://www.blogger.com/follow-blog.g?blogID=123456789
- Replace “123456789″ with your BLogger blog’s ID. To find your Blogger blog’s ID, in Blogger’s Dashboard, click on “Stats”. Your blog’s ID should be at the end of the link in the URL address bar.
Pros: This method is the one most likely to continue working after Google deletes GFC, because it uses a Blogger blog’s GFC and only fiddles with the RSS feed.
Cons: You’ll lose all your current Followers (although you can ask them to refollow you on the new GFC).
Edited to Add: Since the deletion of GFC on 3/1/2012, the two (2) methods below no longer work. However, you can still use the first method above. :)
Option II. Use a new Blogger’s Followers widget — embedded
You’ll also need to create a new Blogger blog for this method. However, you can embed this GFC directly to your WP blog.
- Steps 1 & 2 from Option I
- Login to Google Friend Connect
- Click on your Blogger blog –> Settings –> Advanced tab
- Other Options –> in Alternate Addresses: copy & paste your blog’s address (http://yourblogaddress.com/)
- Copy & paste the GFC code into a WP widget (in WP: Appearances –> Widgets). However, the GFC widget will NOT show up on your blog (there will be an error message) because the blog address in GFC is the Blogger blog’s address (and you WANT it to remain this way). To fix this:
- In WP Dashboard: Plugins –> Add New –> Search for “Google Friend Connect Integration” –> Install –> Activate
- In Settings –> GFC Integration –> Friend Connect SiteId: enter your siteID (can be found in the GFC code: just the #, don’t put the “id”)
- Appearances –> Widgets –> drag “GFC Members” to the sidebar –> change both width and height to “1″
- Your GFC widget should show up now
Pros: The GFC widget is embedded.
Cons: Again, you will lose all your current Followers. Also, I’m not 100% certain this will work after Google deletes GFC. Technically, this is this a Blogger blog’s native Followers widget, so it should continue to work. However, the physical embedding using WP’s GFC Integration plugin does depend on GFC: This might not work afterward.
Option III. Use your CURRENT GFC widget — embedded
You’ll be using your current GFC and thus will retain your current followers. However, though this might initially seem like the most attractive option, chances are high that this will not work after Google’s deletion.
- Steps 1 & 2 from Option I
- Under your current GFC –> Settings –> Home URL: Replace your WP blog’s address with your Blogger’s blog address
- Now, all your current followers will be directed to the Blogger blog’s feed — which is itself redirected to your Feedburner/WP feed (through step #1)
- Steps 4 to 9 from Option II
Pros: Retain all your current followers.
Cons: Because the original GFC you created was a Non-Blogger blog’s GFC, even if you change the home address to a Blogger blog, it is still not innately a Blogger blog’s Followers widget — and thus very likely will be deleted when Google deletes GFC. It also has all the previous problems described above with GFC Integration.
Personally, I am using Option I. You can click through to my blog to see how it is implemented.
If you have any questions, or hit any snags, let me know in the comment. I can’t promise to have the answer, but I will try to help troubleshooting if I can. :)
giveaway! CINDER by marissa meyer · 12 December 2011
Thank you for the comments on my last post! Over the weekend, I was able to recover my previous Blogger blog with an intact Followers widget that I can re-use. It’s awesome because if you originally followed me on there, you won’t need to re-follow.
When I installed the new GFC on the blog last Monday, there were quite a few snags (i.e. widget not showing up, empty boxes, etc.) — and for that, I’m sorry to all of you. To be safe, this time I’m using a placeholder image on the blog that links to a separate page with just the Followers widget.
For today, I am giving away an ARC of CINDER by Marissa Meyer, which can be shortly summarized as “Cinderella as a cyborg.” Doesn’t that sound fabulous? I’d pick up a copy just on that alone.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
How to enter:
1. Be a GFC follower or an RSS subscriber
2. Fill out the form below
For extra entries:
1. Old follower/subscriber (+1)
2. Blog about the giveaway (+3)
3. Tweet/Facebook/Google+ about the giveaway (+1 each)
You can copy & paste: Enter to win an ARC of CINDER by @marissa_meyer: http://bit.ly/roWMlF — @emy_shin
This contest has ended. Please check back shortly for the winner. Thank you for entering!
an accidental new blog · 5 December 2011
Last night, when trying to fix the GFC widget, I accidentally deleted my entire blog.
After suffering mini heart attack, I was able to recreate the blog without too much trouble. Unfortunately, there is no way of recovering the lost posts — and more importantly, the precious comments you all left. I’m trying to look at the bright side: Because my blog was still relatively new, I didn’t lose as many posts as I could have. For that, I feel I am very fortunate.
My only worry is that both GFC and Feedburner are disconnected with the deletion of the blog. In theory, they should both continue to work — as I am using the exact same blog address. But I’m not sure, so if this post shows up in your Reader or Blogger Dashboard, please do let me know!
However, I did manage to fix the Followers widget by routing it through Blogger. Unfortunately, that required me to create a new GFC and lose all readers from the old one.
If you’re following me through the old GFC/Followers widget, please consider adding me again on the new one — because the old Followers widget will be cut by Google March 2012. Thank you! <3
I am maybe only 60 percent certain this “fix” of mine will continue work after the deletion. However, it’s the best solution I have, and I will have a how-to post up soon for all WP bloggers who might be interested.
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