Posted by: Billings Gazette at 1:30PM MT on February 13, 2009
If you find a clip out there to share with the My Billings Gazette community, you'll need to do a little HTML work to be able to embed the player in a blog post. Fortunately, that's just copying and pasting, and it's pretty straightforward. Here's how:
Go to the page that contains the video you want to grab - usually a video profile page on YouTube or other services.
Look for something that says "embed" or "embed this". There should be a text field next to it with a bunch of code starting with "<embed". Highlight all the text in that field and copy it to your clipboard (CTRL-C on PC, CMD-C on Mac).
Go to your My Billings Gazette blog and create a new entry.
Click on the "Advanced" Tab beneath the blog name, and above the posting form. You will see the blog editor options change a bit.
Type in your post title and any text you want to appear above the video.
Click the 'Edit HTML' button at the bottom of the form and paste the embed code below the text you see in the editing box. Paste is CTRL-V on a PC and CMD-V on a Mac.
That's it! Just click 'Publish Now' and you're done.
You can upload as many videos as you would like to your account. The most recent videos display on your profile page.
Uploading a video
To add your first video, click on the "My Stuff" tab and then "My videos" in the second navigation bar. If you have no videos, there will be a link that says "Click here to add videos" that takes you to the upload form.
Click on the "Browse..." button to choose a video from your computer to upload. You may upload .flv, .mov, .wmv, .mpg, .mpeg, and .mp4 formatted videos. We recommend a
resolution of 320X240. Maximum file size is 100mb or 10-30 minutes. The system will automatically create a thumbnail (small version) of your video.
You should see the thumbnail and some additional options:
• Change the Title of the video. It defaults with filename.
• Add a caption that will be displayed under the video on your pages.
• Choose to allow or deny other people to post comments on your videos.
• Add tags to your video. Tags are keywords that relate to the subject matter of your video. If you and other users both tag your video "Dog" then when someone clicks on the tag of "Dog" they would see any videos with that tag.
Editing and Deleting videos
To administrate your uploaded videos you click on the "My Stuff" tab then on the "My videos" link again. You should see any videos you have previously uploaded. To edit a video's properties, click on the video. This will take you back to the page just like when you uploaded the video. You can make changes or add to the information in the list above.
To delete videos, use the checkbox in the lower left of the thumbnail. Once you have checked off any videos you would like to delete, click the "Delete Selected" button at the bottom of the page.
You can upload as many photos as you would like to your account. The most recent photos display on your profile page.
Uploading a photo
To add your first photo, click on the "My Stuff" link and then the "My Photos" link in the second navigation bar. If you have no photos, there will be a link that says "Click here to add photos" that takes you to the upload form.
Click on the "Browse..." button to choose a photo from your computer to upload. You may upload gif, png or jpg formatted photos. The system will automatically create a thumbnail (small version) of your photo.
You should see the thumbnail and some additional options:
• Change the Title of the photo, it defaults with filename.
• Add a caption that will be displayed under the photo on your pages.
• Choose to allow or deny other people to post comments on your photos.
• Add tags to your photo. Tags are keywords that relate to the subject matter of your photo. If you and other users both tag your photo "Dog" then when someone clicks on the tag of "Dog" they would see any photos with that tag.
Editing and Deleting photos
To administrate your uploaded photos you click on the "My Stuff" tab then on the "My Photos" link again. You should see any photos you have previously uploaded. To edit a photo's properties, click on the photo. This will take you back to the page just like when you uploaded the photo. You can make changes or add to the information in the list above.
To delete photos, use the checkbox in the lower left of the thumbnail. Once you have checked off any photos you would like to delete, click the "Delete Selected" button at the bottom of the page.
A blog is a Web site, maintained by an individual or group with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other writings. Blogs can provide commentary or news on a particular subject or function as personal online diaries. The ability for readers to leave comments on the blog entries is an important part of the interactive nature of blogs.
Creating the Blog
If you have not set up your first blog, you can create it by clicking on "My Stuff" then "My Blogs" then the link that reads "Create a blog!". You will be asked to give a title to the blog. It defaults to your username's News. You can change this to whatever you would like. You can change this in the future, as well. You can enter an optional description of your blog if you would like. Once you have submitted that information, the system will give you the URL to the blog and you will be prompted to make your first entry.
Making your first Blog entry
A blog entry is how you post news and updated content. Think of these as pages in a book. To add a new entry, click on "My Stuff" then "My Blogs." You should see any blogs you have created or that have been assigned to you. Click on the link "Add New Entry" to create your first entry.
The required fields for a blog entry are Title and Entry text. So choose a title for your post. This would be a headline of what the entry is about. Then write some text in the Entry area. Hit the "Publish Now" button at the bottom of the page, and that's it. You are a blogger. A new tab will show up on your public profile page called "My Blog" with the text and title you just entered.
You can make entries as often as you like. The most popular blogs on the Internet make entries many times a day.
Basic vs. Advanced text editor
The editor shows up right above the entry text. It is similar to Word or other applications and can help you Bold, Underline or create bulleted lists, just to name a few things it does. I would suggest mousing over each icon to see what can be done.
The advanced editor has more options than the basic editor, and can be accessed by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.
How to edit/delete a blog entry
To edit/delete an entry, click on "My Stuff" then "My Blog". You should see any blogs you have created or that have been assigned to you. Click on the link "Past Entries" to edit/delete your entries. You will be presented with a list of all of your blog posts. You can click on the Title of the entry to edit it, or select the checkbox next to the title and hit the "Delete" button at the bottom of the page to delete.
After clicking on "My Stuff" and then clicking on "Account Settings" or "Edit Profile" you will see a link in the left gray box called "Manage Lists." Clicking on this link will allow you to make lists of favorite URLs that is displayed on your profile page.
First step is to create a new list. This is the title of the list and will be displayed as a headline above each list. You will be asked to complete a title and an optional description. Also there is a checkbox that gives you the option to display the list on your Public Profile.
Once you have completed the above step you will be presented with that information and a new yellow box to the right. In that yellow box are the links for "Add/Edit Items" and "Delete this list".
Click on Add/Edit Items to enter your first favorite URL. You need to give each a title, the URL and an optional description. Click on the Add Item button at the bottom once you have completed filling out your link.
Now go check out your public profile page by clicking the "View Profile" link to the right of your Avatar. You should see the new List Title and link underneath it.
The Link List editor can create multiple lists with as many entries under each list as you would like.
Messages and Bulletins are methods of contacting people in the Quadsville community. Messages are sent to individuals by clicking the "Leave a Message" link on their profile page. A bulletin is a group message sent to all of your Friends.
You will be notified on the "My Stuff" page if someone has sent you a message or a bulletin. You can click on the notification to read the message. Once you have read the message, the notification goes away. You can also click on the "Inbox" in the gray box on the left to view any messages once they have been read.
In the Inbox, you can sort/search through your messages. You can reply to senders or delete them.
What are friends?
The friending process allows you to link to other users or businesses and they can link to you. It is the process that builds the social network of people. By looking at your friends' profiles, you may find people you wish to contact or businesses whose services you require. Once you've clicked on "My Stuff" a second navigation bar appears. Clicking on the "My Friends" link will show current friends and open a menu on the left for other friending options
Adding friends
To add friends to your account, simply navigate to the person's or business's profile page and look for the "Request as a Friend" link. Once the user approves you as a friend, the link is established.
Friend requests
After clicking on the "My Friends" navigation link you should see a link called "Requests" in the gray bar on the left. Clicking this link takes you to the management area for friend requests. You can allow or deny any requests that are waiting. You can always remove a friend later if you choose to accept them.
Pending Requests
After clicking on the "My Friends" navigation link you will see a link called "Pending", this link will display any friend requests that you have made that have not been accepted yet.
Top Friends
Also in the gray bar on the left is a link called "Top Friends". This link allows you to sort your top 24 friends for presentation on your profile page. Once you have clicked the link, simply drag and drop your friends into the order you would like them to appear.
Removing a friend, banning bulletins
Clicking on the "Manage" link in the gray box on the "My Friends" page takes you to a page showing all current friends. You can check a box in the right column to delete them and also select a box to not allow bulletins to come from them.
What is Marketplace? My Billings Gazette Marketplace connects your business with local consumers where you can control your business information, post store news and events as well as upload photos and videos. Your business profile will help drive users to your existing website or can serve as your primary web presence, providing you with a lower cost alternative that is fast and easy to update.
Is Marketplace free? Marketplace is free for registered members of the My Billings Gazette community. For businesses, basic listings are complimentary. If you are a business and would like more information on the expanded business profiles please see the Marketplace for Businesses section or email marketplace@billingsgazette.com.
Why use Marketplace? Marketplace provides a hub for local people like yourself, to share real-life experiences and opinions with friends and other community members on the places you know and visit. It also acts as THE LOCAL source for finding current and reliable reviews and information about a business or service in your area..
For Businesses:Marketplace is an all-in-one marketing platform you can use to reach out and engage with your customer base. Your business profile will help drive users to your existing website or can serve as your primary web presence, providing you with a lower cost alternative that is fast and easy to update. Please contact marketplace@billingsgazette.com for more information on getting started today.
Who can see my profile? In your Account Settings, you can set your preferences to show your profile to everyone in the community, just your friends or no one.
How do I change my email address? You can change your email address by going to My Profile > Edit Profile. From the box on the left click on Login/Password. Update field titled 'User Name'.
How can I add photos or videos? You can upload either by clicking My Photos or My Videos on your main profile page under My Stuff and following the directions on each page.
What is a friend? A friend is either a member of the community or business who you can attach yourself to. Your friends can send you messages, bulletins and give you a shout out on your profile page.
What is a profile comment? A profile comment is a message from one of your friends that will be displayed on your profile page.
What is a Bulletin? A bulletin is a group message from either a business or member of the community. You can disable bulletins from certain friends by going to the My Friends section and clicking 'Disable Bulletins' by their name.
How do I invite friends to join the community? Once you have logged in, you will see Invite Others in the gray bar at the top. Click Invite Others to invite friends and family to join the community.
What does Marketplace do with my personal information? Our No Spam Pledge: We won't share any information you provide with a third party without your permission. This means you won't receive emails from anyone other than the The Billings Gazette as a result of registering. You may receive messages and bulletins from members and businesses you are friends with in the Marketplace community -- but can control these settings in your Account Settings and in your Friends section.
Who can see my profile? You have several display options when it comes to your personal information. You may choose to share your profile with all registered users, only your friends or no one. You can change this at anytime by going to the Account Setting section.
Can I make my profile private? Absolutely. Simply go to your Account Setting and check the box underneath Private Profile that says Yes (This setting hides your public profile).
How can I block a user or business from seeing my information? You must set your profile preferences under Account Settings one of two ways: make your profile private to the entire community by selecting Yes or Only to be viewed by friends, making sure that business or user has been deleted from your friend list. The business will be able to see that you are a member of your community, but not access your profile, send messages or bulletins
I forgot my password. Please go here: http://my.billingsgazette.com, fill in your email address and then and click on "Email my Password". You will receive an authorization email at the email address you entered to accept the changed password.
How do I cancel my account? You may cancel your account by emailing My Billings Gazette with Cancel Account and your username in the subject. We will have your account deleted within 2 business days.
What makes a great recommendation? A great recommendation is useful, detailed and honest. We want to hear about your experience and what made it so great. Was it a great atmosphere or place? Did you have excellent customer service or find an exceptional deal? Let us know why you liked the products and services that you used.
Why should I make a recommendation? Pay it forward! Your recommendations and the recommendations of others in the community make My Billings Gazette Marketplace a great and useful place because people like you take the time to share thoughtful insights on local businesses and services.
Who should I recommend? You should leave feedback on any business that you have purchased products or services from.
Can I recommend a business I'm associated with? If you are connected to a business either personally or professionally, you may recommend that business -- as long as you are clear in the recommendation about the details of your affiliation.
What if I had a bad experience? Can I say something negative? Marketplace's mission is to accurately portray both positive and negative aspects of all of our members' experiences. We are an open forum; however, we strongly recommend you try and work out any problems with the business directly before writing a negative review.
Can a business remove my recommendation? Yes, a business may remove your recommendation if they feel it is unfounded or untrue. They may remove your review if it is hearsay, a personal attack or outright slander. We encourage our business members to let the free flow of information occur knowing that not all reviews will be the most positive. We also encourage them to contact the negative reviewer directly to work out any problems or issues that might have caused this bad experience.
How can I take control of my own listing? Search for your business listing in the directory and click Sign Me Up! Fill out the form and you will be contacted in less than 2 business days with more information. You may also email or phone 406.657.1370 to get started right away.If you want to read more about this, please click here to be directed to our Business Owners Guide.
How can I make an employee an Admin of my listing? You an assign an administrator to help you manage and update your business profile listing. Go to My Stuff > Administration, locate your business and click on (Manage).Click on Manage Customers in the gray box on left (employee needs to be a registered user of My Billings Gazette.com and have clicked on "be our fan" from your business profile page. Within this section you can click to add them as an Administrator.
How is this different than my ad in the yellow pages? Marketplace is an interactive, two-way conversation between you and your customers. Although the yellow pages are important, the habits of how people find and consume information are changing rapidly. In most cases, the data that's available consists of your business name, address and phone, mined from another database that you have no control over or may not even know exists. Marketplace has no deadlines and never closes - you can change or add to your listing whenever you need to get information to your customers.
How will Marketplace help my business show up in search results such as Yahoo! or Google? Marketplace's pages, including your business profile page, are "optimized" to direct users to your profile when a search is performed about you in major search engines. What does that mean exactly? Our directory was built to make your listing display in search results. Your Marketplace listing gives your potential and existing customers an even easier way to find your information online.
How can I post special offers or coupons? You can post store news and events by
clicking on My Blogs under My Stuff and locate your business blog.
Click on Add New Entry next to your Business Blog.
Fill out with Title and Description, or upload a graphical coupon by using the tools available to you in the editor. To edit, click on 'Past Entries' and select the offer or event you want to edit from the list provided..
How can I upload photos and videos? You can upload either by clicking My Photos or My Videos on your main profile page and following the directions on each page.
How can I message all of my customers? You now have the tools to reach all your customers in one message. Simply go to My Stuff > Administration, locate your business and click on (Manage). Click on 'Post a Bulletin' in the gray box on the left. This will send an email message to ALL users who have friended (become a fan) of your business. You can reward your loyal customers by sending them previews to events or special offers and coupons.
How can I view recommendations? From My Stuff > Administration locate your business. If a new recommendation has been written, you will be notified here with the number of pending recommendations.
How can I recommend other businesses? You are able to recommend your other favorite businesses. Locate this businesses by searching for them by category or name here: http://my.billingsgazette.com/community/homeowner.htm. Click on the business to pull up their business profile page and click on "Be our Fan" button on the right side of the page. You will be prompted to "friend" them as your personal account (your personal avator) or as the business owner (your logo). Choose one or both. If you chose to friend them as the owner of your business, your logo will be displayed on their page under "Businesses Recommending Us".
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