Keeping up?! Time flies!!!

It's been awhile, I'm afraid to admit, that I've been in here to the blog to report in with any new things going on with the site. This has taken far longer getting it off the ground. Life happens, let me tell you!

I have over-committed my time, very apparently! Projects, work, projects, study, projects, family...

It's very simple really. The group is now up, but the Google apps site specifically meant for the Protogrove is still not hooked in. The group, ADF-Druids, has managed to get linked to our listing with ADF Groves. Very good! Now a thanks goes out to either our Protogrove Mentor for doing that, or perhaps noted by my personal study Mentor, or in my own rush and confusion, I've done it and have forgotten that I did. Now that's pretty embarrassing. Nonetheless, someone is looking out for the interest of the EDPG-ADF, so we haven't totally fallen in the cracks.

All that said, while watching a commentor on the news regarding setting up a site, would that be Google? Why yes, it was Google whose administrative executive, responsible for getting it out there so well, gave a quick run down on what gets it (readership/usuage) out there well. Here's basically what she said:

Keep the site as simple and clean as possible, because people honestly rush through sites and rarely remember more than 6 to 8 key headlines if they're surfing. So what do we want? Splash, color, pictures, discussions.

How do we get all that and more? Keep it simple, get the gallery going, brief captioning, header comments on articles with options to read more if the reader is interested.

Other work for those who wish to collaborate or learn or teach, those are for the more intricately involved, should and could be tied in at the right area; the users site that could be linked back to the main area.

Pictures tell a story, people like to see pictures, captions - brief, link to users' areas, discussions, etc.

Essays, short, concise, descriptive, but make the point!

Let resources be on the resource page: bibliographies, glossary, links and recommendations.

So what do we have?

We have a blog, calendar, group, 2 sub-groups type pages, but still no real gallery set up. Well, the gallery is set up, but not loaded! 

These are all primarily set on my personal (test) site for the moment, so let's get going already!

That's it for now! As mentioned, this blog has been set out mainly (for the moment) as a test site, therefore, most entries are pertaining to what's getting done, problems, and direction.

As for the actual Protogrove, people have been asking if we're still doing anything and still a working grove, basically. Now there are several underlying purposes for the fact we are so outwardly quiet. We are busy doing what we have always been doing, holding our routine pattern of rites, meet n' greets and community service, along with our personal path journeys. We are not out touting about it, actually, because things were getting rather too political among some other circles we were around and would rather just get on with our path work, less the distractions and difficulties. Life is good, let's keep it that way.

Blasting thru January 2009!

My apologies for such a long absence. Life. Yes, it's going on.
I've gotten about half of the general egroup copied over at the other place and still very much needing to copy the rest.
I'll be going ahead and setting up some pages for the new expanded version of the EDG-ADF.org website shortly, very many options will be used from the Google Apps, for now.
We've had a super busy time as we entered 2009 during January. I'll be getting back on here as soon as I can, with results of some of the other features we've been needing to get done to tack up on the new site, pictures / gallery for one... soon, very soon!

Review and More option to read about

Check it out! Here are some URL links of more features available to us!
Addtional things to check out -
About the readers:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#directory-welcome-page
http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlereader/tour.html
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About Google Books:
http://booksearch.blogspot.com/
Book search:http://books.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=43729&cbid=-4u5ung8z73s5&src=cb&lev=answer
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Google Scholar (beta):
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=druids&hl=en&lr=
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Picasa Photo Gallery:
http://picasa.google.com/intl/en_us/web/whatsnew.html

From my exploring quick notes all about blogging instructions LINK

All about the e-blogger instructions and features:http://www.blogger.com/features
a video how to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnploFsS_tY
Interesting little slide show:http://picasaweb.google.com/armannh/Vestmannaeyjar?feat=featured#5225895946201158610
Online books:http://books.google.com/books?tab=qp

Working the kinks out

Ok, it's been one little thing after another and primarily taking much longer than I wish.
It's not all that hard to figure some of this stuff out, it's just learning how to drive the thing and finding out where everything is. I'm driving my dear friends nuts with some options that automatically send out things via email to them, when I don't realize to unclick sending a post to upload or do certain things. Some options send notifications. That would drive me berzerk!

The google logo slideshow to the left of the screen (left at least at the time of this posting), is only a temporary set up because I rushed away the other day, having to leave it with a blank. This will do in the way of putting Picassa (photo server/software) in there for now. There are a couple of other options for the server/software in the dropdown box too, but we'll just start out playing with the Picassa since that's part of the Google set up use (for now). At least we know if there are those who have other places they keep albums, it's an option too.

I keep saying I'm going to get on the gallery aspect of the website. I am. I was actually waiting for a back up drive for my birthday so I can get things copied out of places all over the place and have them in one location so I can get a gallery set up. I guess for starters, since I set up the account the other day, I'll check out how to get a few things in there to put in place and how they work on the various formats available with Google, the sites, webpages, and so on. So far, I've sprinkled little gadgets here and there throughout this experiment test site, but they're commercialized, not personal shots of any kind, of course. It's just something to tickle the eyes while reading.

The HearthStone newsletter was the actual first subdomain (site) I created in the website. It has a few good options on it, such as the 'table of contents', which works well as headings, subs, etc., are set up on the fonts of the content. It gives a good and easy quick reference, plus a quick link to that particular spot on the site.
I added a collaborative couple of power point windows. The presentations in them are moot, one with pictures, a few texts, and they click over.
While the HearthStone is an invention of gathering news, announcements, possible articles, points of views, editorials and so on, it's worth considering it's collaborative central point of works that a community can work together to do. The workshop, if you will.
I would hope it is something others would partake in, not another area of constant work solely on my part to do. I hope if it's a good thought, it can be created in the actual protogrove website as either a part of the primary site, or a subdomain. I can see it as a primary part of the website, using a subdomain (as a workshop area, or newsroom) to create many of it's works to be carried into the main site for publishing. Something like that idea.
I did find a question on one of the help lists on google, that interested me and that I've been wondering about. Someone asked if you can use your own software to create portions of the website and add it into google apps. Google apps help response was no, but that one could use his/her own software, add it in directly to their domain, and somehow attach the google apps into the domain as well. I have to take a closer look at exactly what that is supposed to do and how to do it!
There are a couple of things I'm not entirely thrilled with. I don't like that I have to sign into so many different areas, such as the sites, the website, the egroup, the email, the blog, each has its' own area requiring separate sign-ins! GADS! Bother, bluck! It would work out better if they had an admin set up where I could click on all the permissions for which type of log in. That way you're either in or not in certain areas. Either the option would show up, or it wouldn't if you have access or if you don't. This is something I'm wondering if premiere level accounts have or not.
I also need to look into setting up the readers access on each page, for syndication purposes, what have you.
Well, let me dash for now.

Recent work following Thanksgiving holiday

To do with the website / egroup / blog / sites / etc work, I've been very busy at work but have finally thrown down and gotten on this again.

I'll try to keep this in list form to a degree to make it a quicker posting and quicker read. (I've worked enough on it for today):
Invited a long time friend who is active and also helpful to assist.
Have tried to fix access for Aige, Nan, and Todd with changing, adding, or rearranging acct stuff.
Looked around at some of the HearthStone (newsletter) options for a working, collaborative 'site' area created for use as a group/EDPG newsletter and work in progress thing.
Have noted a site question that is of interest for the actual website options for our domain, and have posted link about it on the egroup.
I still need to do further investigation on the picassa gallery option for the site too so we can get photos and videos set up somehow.
I'm sure I've a list of other things I've worked on today and last night and night before that, regarding the site, groups, etc., but have need to make for the kitchen right now!
I am making turkey enchiladeas and will also use a picture of the latest progress to the cattery that my 'Other' was working on as I sat on my but at the computer today.
I am thrilled that I have two days off in a row!

Druid Polarity: Circular Fountain And A video On Life

Druid Polarity: Circular Fountain And A video On Life