Anytime I switch to a new bike, it’s bound to feel a little different from what I’m used to riding. So, I like to do a little parking lot practice to get familiar with the controls and handling before I head out on the highway. I recently installed blog software on my web server and re-loaded all the content for Biker Chick News using that software. The site is essentially now a blog instead of a static site, so it looks and functions a little differently. So, I thought a little “parking lot practice” would be helpful. Here are a few tips to help you get comfy with the controls and handling!

1. The entire site is now organized so that the articles can be sorted in several different ways. So, no matter how you like to search, you can find what interests you:
Newest items first - the homepage lists the 20 most recent articles (called “posts”).
Archives - click a month in the right-hand column to see all the posts from a particular month.
Categories - Each post is filed under one or more topical categories. You can browse just the categories that interest you and save the rest for a rainy day.
Keywords - Type a couple keywords or a key phrase into the sidebar search box, and read the articles relevant to your search.

2. You can comment on every post! You no longer have to click away from the article to send me an email if you have something to say. Blogs by nature encourage two-way conversation. Every post has a link next to the headline that references “Comments” - click that link to add your own comment to a story that trips your trigger!

3. Every article is easily shared with others! Click on the headline for any post, and it loads with its own unique web address (URL). In blog lingo, these unique URLs are called “permalinks.” If you want to share a specific story with others (via email, forums, or even your own blog), use that story’s permalink.

A button at the bottom of every post also allows you to save that story to your favorite “social bookmarking” site (Digg, StumbleUpon, De.licio.us., Technorati, etc.).

4. RSS Feed now available! RSS is a technology that lets you “subscribe” to site updates so you can get notified any time something new is added. Many websites and most blogs publish RSS feeds, so you can find yourself some feed reader software (such as Bloglines or Google Reader) and subscribe to lots of feeds at once. That’s right: you can get updates from all your favorite sites and blogs, and read them all in one place with your feed reader! Once you get set up with a feed reader, you can subscribe to our feed using this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/bikerchicknews .

And finally, a few cosmetic items to note:

1. I’m trying to get away from using the phrase “click here” in my links. It’s more useful to the search engines (and therefore to people using the search engines) if links use text that’s relevant to the subject of the article. While I don’t intend to go back and change links in all the old articles, all the new material will be written with this in mind.

2. If a story’s “Comments” link says “No Comments,” that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to comment - it just means no one has commented on that story yet. Don’t be shy, be the first to comment!

As always, if you have any questions or comments about the new ‘ride’ here at BCN, please use the Comments function to let me know about it!