Thursday 6 September 2007

News Flash: Old Dog Learns New Trick

Today, an old dog has learned a new trick. Bear with me: I am going to show you something that will knock your socks off. Or rather, it will knock your socks off if you know me.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I can do this!!

I am new to blogging. I have many blogging friends: Kim, Eryl, Carole, Kanani, Katie, Merry, Paul, Carolie, Kathie, and many other kind people who don't mind my see-it-to- believe-it ignorance of all things computer-related. Please meet my new friends!

See Mary link. See Mary link fast! Link, Mary, link!

Go on and laugh, but this post took me all of an hour and a half to write and I'm shattered -- and pathetically proud. I would have figured it out a lot faster if my husband hadn't tried to teach me HTML coding instead of the hyperlink shortcut. How dare he overestimate my intelligence? You'd think he'd know better by now.

Please be kind and visit my first real book review, of James Patterson's Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, on my book reviews blog, right here.

By the way, I owe it to James Patterson. If it hadn't been for writing this book review, I might never have learned how to link.

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18 comments:

Unknown said...

Absolutely great. You link well.

debra said...

Absolutely lovely linking, Mary,

Eryl Shields said...

Splendid linking, well done that girl!

A Paperback Writer said...

If it makes you feel any better, I still don't know how to link anything but the post title.

Mary Witzl said...

Carole -- My not-so-humble thanks. I am just so proud.

Debra -- It is, isn't it? I showed my children, but they don't appreciate true art: they merely looked astonished.

Eryl -- This is great; I love all these compliments. If only I could link for a living!

APW -- Now I'm dying to teach you. But I suspect you are just being kind when you say that...

Kanani said...

ha ha ha ha!
You know something funny? I still can't use that hypertext shortcut. I just write it out using the code, I'm so used to it!

But very good linking! I'm giving you HIGH marks for this!

Mary Witzl said...

Kanani, please don't tell my husband that you can link in HTML code! I feel sick with envy. It's like going to someone's house and finding out that she makes her own fondant AND mayonnaise, quilts, fixes cars, and has an M.D. from Harvard.

I have a Japanese keyboard and all the symbols are different from what they ought to be. Is that any excuse? Nah, I didn't think so either.

Anonymous said...

Mary, this is so great. First, thanks for mentioning me in your post, that's so very kind. And secondly, congrats on the review. That's AWESOME. I'm heading there to read it now...

brianf@ozonline.com.au said...

I dont have a blog so I don't link with anybody.

But I know the sensation -- the Eureka moment -- when one manages to work out something that until now seemed impossible.

Then one sneers at the computer and snarls :

GOTCHA , YOU SON OF A BITCH !

Which is the genteel way of course !

Congrats !!!

patterjack

Kim Ayres said...

Good stuff!

Give me a shout if you want to learn how to put up an avatar or learn to link inside comments :)

Mary Witzl said...

Kathie -- Thank you so much for noticing my linking and reading my review! I'll have to practice doing it a lot just to keep my hand in.

Brian -- It is humbling just how many Eureka moments I have had lately. But if all of this stuff came naturally, I would be so blase about it and what fun would that be? Delighting in pittances and having low expectations are two of the best gifts anyone can have, and I for one am truly blessed.

Kim -- You started me on all this high tech stuff in the first place, you know! As for an avatar -- gee, I'll have to give that long, careful thought. But linking inside comments? I am dizzy at the very thought.

David T. Macknet said...

Ahh, but now that you know there's html coding behind there, you can add the following to each link & not have people navigate away from your site when they click one: target=_blank added to the inside of that <A> tag will pop open a new window for you. :)

Mary Witzl said...

Davimack -- Honestly, I live and learn! I will try that, and thank you for the tip!

Unfortunately, I tried to put a link in a posting to an agent today, and was unable to do it. I am such a slow learner when it comes to computers...

David T. Macknet said...

Oh, you'll get there, I'm sure. :)

Katie Alender said...

I'm so proud of you, Mary!

Snapper said...

Well done, Mary! I go away for a couple of weeks and when I come back you've turned into an IT whizz-kid!

Mary Witzl said...

Davimack -- Your faith in my IT capabilities is heartening, but sadly unwarranted.

Katie -- Thank you! I'm rather obnoxiously proud of myself.

Paul -- Glad to have you back! And thank you for appreciating my linking. Amazing, isn't it? And it only took me three days!

silken said...

I found your blog through Merryone. I must say I have been enjoying reading your posts. They are really fun to read and you have a great, easy to read style. Good for you for learning to link. I know what a great accomplishment it is! :) I remember how great I felt when I learned to make links, with a copy and paste method of course! :)