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Formatting issues with WordPress editing

WordPress formatting issues and problems
on posts and pages can often be a challenge – because. . .


These WordPress formatting issues drove me so crazy that I ended up
buying expensive software just so I could make posts and pages without
a lot of hassle.

I tried the major plugins that were suppose to fix these
Wordpress formatting problems that keep occurring editing
content on a post or a page. Even they were unreliable.

WordPress Upgrades

Along came several upgrades on WordPress themes, and with
them came fixes to the WordPress text editor. GREAT!

But where did my formatting go?
What happened to my formatting when I needed to add
and make a few tweaks using the text (html) editor?

Things got dropped, code got added, everything was screwed up.
Yeah, real great.

The problems always occur when you make a change in the Text Editor,
and then switch to the Visual editor to see the changes.

You see changes okay, but what you don’t see
are the changes that YOU made, just the
changes that the WordPress editor made.

Well, here is what often happens (at least to me).

Maybe I want to change the size of several words in a sentence to make them larger.
I do not want (or need) to make the entire post “H” tags. The way that WordPress
is presently set up, you can’t just change the font size or style
unless you use the text editing that WordPress provides, or a plugin.

In a nutshell, when you switch between editors, depending upon what
you change, you can lose a lot of your formatting.

Here is what WordPress has to say on the subject:

“Switching Editors
Switching between the Visual and Text editing modes is easy.
Just use the tabs directly above the right side of the editing area.

A Word Of Caution

Switching between Visual and Text view can cause some of your HTML entities to be lost.
This is due, in part, to the manner in which TinyMCE handles your HTML.

If formatting is very important, do not switch between views.
If you’re writing a lot of code, we suggest you remain in the text editor.”

Hopefully, you will never need to use any code.

Okay, if that’s how it is, that’s how it is, but how do you check
all of your work, and formatting changes
without using the visual editor?


It is very convenient to just click on the “Visual” tab to check
on your changes, but that causes WordPress formatting issues when you
go back to the html (text) editor. So what do you do?

Well, here’s what you have to do. Drop everything, and go to the
“Preview” button in the right column. Click it and wait for the
page to load. If you page is optimized then it shouldn’t take long.
Then click over to the page and look at your changes.

Now you have to start over for any more changes that you need to make.

HINT:
Leave your “Preview” post page open in a new tab.
After more changes, simply refresh the page
or hit the Preview button again to see your changes.

Usually, you need to make a lot of changes, especially if you have
a decently long post or page. So much for ease of use.

The Plugin Problem

plugin wordpress formatting
So why not a plugin? They seem to work for a lot of people.
One of the difficulties that I have had with some of the
text editing plugins is that they often interfere with other
plugins, or operations of the website.

This is when I gave up and bought this expensive software so
I did not have to deal with all of the problems that kept occurring.

I could also start letting the hair on my head grow back!

This turned out to be fine for building pages, but for
posts, the look turned out to be slightly different.
I realized that I now had to go back and figure this thing out.

I am not plugging software, or telling you to go an buy anything.
What I am going to tell you is how to deal with these WordPress issues
that seem to continue to creep up and bite when you don’t expect it.

There is no reason to have to buy more software. WordPress gives you
what you need. You just have to know how to work with it effectively.

First, let me tell you that it appears that some things seem
to change depending on what theme you are using.

I thought that I had the editor thing all figured out, until I went
to my other websites that used different themes. The WordPress editor
produced different results when I used the other themes.

This maybe due to certain defaults in the theme itself, but I
don’t know for certain. I do know that I had to revise my thinking
when writing and editing content using these different themes.

Your Easy Formatting Workaround

Here is what I do now. It saves a lot of time, grief, and effort.
Not only that, it is a really simple fix. This is what I do.

Your Format Fix

fixing WordPress formatting

The fix is as simple as doing a lot offline.

SAY WHAT?!

You take a text edit program that most computers have already
installed, and you create a basic formatted template of sorts
and start filling in the blanks, and making changes as you need them.

For instance . . .

Here is how I began this post. I set up the font, size, and color,
by using a basic html code, and added or deleted as I went.


Here is the code:
<span style=”font-family:arial; font-size: 16px; color: black;”></span>
You need to have the brackets(<) and (>) at the start and finish.
Use browser friendly fonts, but just substitute the name of the font, size, and/or
color if you need to change them.

You put your text in between the <span style=”the code you use:e.g.font;”> and the </span>

Then you copy and paste that basic code 10 to 15 times (you will need more)
and change the font, size, or whatever to suit your content.
Then just write. When you need another paragraph,
use then next code set (you should have at least 10).
you can always copy and past more.

Don’t forget to occasionally check to see how things look.

If you are online you can copy and paste the entire file (all of the copy w/code) into your
Wordpress editor to make certain things are formatted correctly.

If you are not online, no problem.
All you need to do is copy the file and save it as a .html file (file.html).
Then open it up in your browser window. It will give you an idea of how things will look.

Clicking on it as you would open any file should bring it up in your browser window.
There are a few differences that you should know about.

1.The <span> does not “Span”, or create a space as it does in the WordPress editor.
What this means is that you will need to use an extra <br> or “Break” code.

2.This then poses more WordPress editing issues and problems
as the WordPress editor does not recognize the “Break” <br> code symbol, but your browser will.
Which means that if you don’t delete the “Break”codes before you format in WordPress,
you will have double spacing between lines.

And what if you are online?.

This makes it easier. Even though your browser shows a good representation of the formatting,
it will not show exactly what you will get with your WordPress editor.

Here are several WordPress formatting issues that can cause you problems.
The DO’s and Don’ts.

DO #1: Only use your browser to check the general look of your post or page
if you want to check your work offline.

Different browsers will generate different looks, but should give you a good idea of your general formatting.

If you want to check your work with your browser,
then remember that the <br> will give you an extra line.
Always remove those tags before you copy and paste them into your post.

when you use the WordPress editor to create a new line, you simply hit “Return”, or use the <span> </span> coding.
The span tags will automatically create a new line./span>

DO #2: Use the WordPress Visual Editor if you don’t need the paragraphing code (i.e. <p>),
are okay the the default font, don’t need to change the font sizes, or
won’t be making any straightforward changes in the post.

DO #3:This is something that I highly recommend,
and that is keeping a file of your posts and pages.
When you have your copy formatted, and your content looks
the way you want it to, then copy and paste it into the respective file.

DO #4: if you do need to go to the WordPress Visual Editor for formatting,
then copy and paste your code into a text document so that
you can re-install the code if you lose formatting.

HOLY WOW! Can this get more simple – MAYBE?

This method is really easy, if you have a compatible word processor.
You can do your entire page or post in a word processor and simply
copy and paste it into the WordPress VISUAL Editor. Supposedly there
will be no WordPress formatting problems and issues.

I will believe it when I see it.
Nothing I have is compatible. BUMMER!

What’s a blog?

Blog platforms (also called content management systems), are now designed to create
and design a web page.

A couple of the most common CMS are Drupal, Joombla, and WordPress.

The CMS was originally set up to organize and maintain larger
amounts of content that could easily be shared with others.

The decision on which type to use is determined by ease of use, security,
and a few other points that are becoming less and less an issue. Continue reading

Make Money With Your Blog – An Answer

 

“Make Money With Your Blog” is from a forum post that
asked that question. Some references still exist that
refer back to other posts.


is something that everyone wants to learn how to do,
and a question that I see over and over in forums,
posts, comments, and from the questions of my clients.
 
Remember that a blog is just a website that is structured
for easy content management (i.e. posts). A blog is
designed to give information. So, isn’t it just logical that
to make money with a blog that you will have to write
about something that people want to read and learn about?
 
Even though what has been said is correct, there are
reasons to stay away from a few of the suggestions.
 
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) can get really expensive is you do
not know what you are doing. The general consensus
is that, unless you have a decent budget to start with,
it is best to stay away from PPC – at least at first.
 
Adsense is also not such a great way (in my opinion)
to make money with your blog as it needs to be
set up properly so it does not detract from the content
and flow of the blog. It is not so easy to do.
 
But, you did ask how to make money with a blog, and
the very best thing that you can do is to scour your
brain and decide what you know about and like (“And Like”
is really important).
 
Develop your blog around that topic (posts and such),
and create your own product; one product to give away,
and another to sell. Your giveaway product only needs
to be a few pages, but what if you were to give your
subscriber (get to that in a minute) 20 pages of really
good information on your subject.
 
Your first impression will be much more lasting,
and your credibility will go through the roof!
As far as the paid product that you create,
relate it to the giveaway topic,
but don’t make it the same.
 
Another essential in the is the “All Powerful” auto-responder.
The auto-responder is crucial to making money online (the way
you see it supposedly being done by others).
 
I have gone on a bit long here so…

In a nutshell

Your auto-responder collects email addresses, and sends
back a message to your subscriber. You send out more
great content to your subscribers (kind of like posts, but
specific to your niche), and build up trust with those who
are on your list.
 
To get people on the list you use a squeeze page (I know
you know what that is) with the super-duper headline
and all that. But, you also put in your sign up form
that you created from within your auto-responder service.
 
Oh, I almost forgot, that trust that I was talking about
building with your list, you do that with a follow-up
series of emails that you need to write. Many marketers
will tell you that a week of follow-ups is good enough.
I think that it should be at least 3 weeks. Just me.
 
That squeeze page (mentioned above) will have the
“Plug” for your giveaway product. Then somewhere
in your email follow-ups (5th through 7th), send them to a sales
page for your paid product. Some might buy, or no one will.
So, at email 10-12, you send them back to your sales page.
And so on. These are certainly not set in stone, and will be
varied depending on the niche, and product.
 
Seems like a lot of work to make money with your
blog – right? YEP! It is at first, but once
things get rolling it is not as time intensive. Plus,
once you catch on to what you are doing, you will
be able to get more done in less time.
 
 
Doing my best,
so that you can do yours.

Bob

How to organize and get more done

Organize your chaos so that you can have
more time for yourself and be more efficient.

Why did I forget to do that?
Where in the blazes could I have put that?
What were those numbers again?

If you find yourself often asking these kinds of
questions when you go to do things, then you
may be a victim of being a little, or a lot, disorganized.

Being disorganized is not so much a disaster (although
it can feel like it at times), but more of a mental
mindset with which we are possibly born.

Even if being disorganized is built into your
gene pool, you can still rise above it and
give yourself more ordered and less stress.

A friend of mine has a son and a daughter.
Growing up the son, starting at 2-3 years old,
would line up blocks, trucks, and organize
everything into neat little stacks.

He would then aways be sure that he put everything back
(in its proper place) when he was done playing.

His sister, also at the age of 2 or 3, would
take everything out of cupboards and pile them
up in the middle of the floor – then leave.
Mom had to clean up the mess.

To this day, these two have not changed.
This young woman has her PhD. and you
cannot walk across her living room floor
without tripping over something.

Her brother still has a proper place for
everything, and can organize anything.

Being organized is not easy for everyone.
It is a state of mind that can be taught
to respond in a different way – a different,
more organized way.

If you are often in a rush (another sign of
being disorganized), and you tend toward
the disorganized side of things, then you will
often just toss things anywhere they may fall.

Things such as clothes may end up on a dresser
or coffee table. Bills that you can’t find to
pay will find their way to the bottom of a pile
of newspapers. Nothing is placed in any kind
of order – because you don’t have the time!

Okay, even if you do have the time, you tend
to wait until the last minute, and go through
the same process of creating your disorganized
environment.

Here are a couple of quick tips to get
more organized immediately.

Plan in extra time

1. Always give yourself that few minutes of
extra time when you are going to do something
or go somewhere.

At the beginning of your extra time,
gather your keys, glasses, and other essentials
(that is if you can find them) together so that you
have them when you leave. Make a permanent place
for these items near your exit.

You may also want to make a place for your
most used items. Your 12 pairs of shoes
may find their place in a corner of your
bedroom out of the way of your walking
through. Try to pair them up if you can.

Place your clothes, don’t throw them

2. If you are a “Clothing Thrower”, then the
easiest way to handle them is to place them at
the foot of a bed, not necessarily folded, but
laid out so that they are not piled up.

If you are not in the bedroom, then you can put
them on a hook or on a small stool.
No, the kitchen table is not the place
for your underwear.

Be generally specific

3. Think in terms of general. Your clothes
will be in one place – usually the bedroom.
Dirty clothes in a box or hamper and not
on the floor.

You may have tools that do not always find their way to
their toolbox, but should have a drawer or area near the
toolbox where you can easily get to them.

You are still creating a “Place” for things, but these
“Places” are only quick fixes for when you
can actually put things where they should be,
like drawers, tool chests, and closets.

This process requires only a very small
amount of planning, but can save you
a lot of time in the long run.

Doing my best, so that you can do yours,

Bob

Distraction Can Be Your Worst Enemy

Distraction can be your worst enemy – but only if you allow it.

Distraction is like one of those sneaky little devils that likes to
hide under and behind places that you can’t see.
Then when you least expect it, a distraction will jump out at
you and say “Surprise! Now, what were you doing?”

My vision of a distraction is one of those cute little horned
devils with the pitchfork and the triangle at the end of its tail.
Pesky, annoying, and a pain in the a… – you know.

Why does it seem like whenever you are in the middle of
something important that one of these pesky little critters
comes out of nowhere and lands on your face?

Like trying to write this article. I get started, finally get
my thoughts together about what to write, and my dog
starts barking. I have to get up and see what’s wrong.
I could let it bark, but that distraction is one that I
simply cannot ignore.

Different people handle distractions in different ways.
For some people a distraction can ruin their entire day.
I’m talking about those little pesky distractions. These
poor souls allow distraction to be their own worst enemy.
It doesn’t need to be.

While some cannot deal with distraction very well, there
are others who find distraction annoying, but allow it,
organize it, and deal with it. These people manage to keep
those pesky little critters in labeled boxes so that, annoying
as they are, they do not take over.

How do you keep these distractions from becoming your
worst enemy?

Some distractions are major. If you are driving along and
in a hurry to get to work, but you see a head on collision
in front of you, then you would likely stop to see if you could
do something to help. At the very least you would try to
get help. This is a major distraction.

A minor distraction is when you are running late and trying to
get out of the house, and you spill milk all over the floor.
It takes a few minutes more of your time to clean up the mess.
Another distraction that is annoying, but not one that is
going to alter the course of your life.

Distractions take on many forms. They can be sounds, visual
distractions such as a dog running across the road in front of
your car, or they can be technical like deleting something
from your computer that you really wanted to keep.

Those little (and big) distractions are annoying to be sure.
It is your perceptions of those distractions that can transform
distractions into huge critters that stomp on you, or small things
that you can put in a corner until they settle down.

There are a few things that you can do to help keep those
small distractions from ruining your life – or day.

1. You can make sure that you give yourself plenty
of time to get those important things done.
By waiting until the last minute, you set yourself
up for an emotional tornado if something goes wrong.

2. If you are working on something that is important, then
make your space as distraction-free as you can.
Turn things off, keep kids and pets in another area.

3. Allow yourself a few moments of distraction. These
“Critters” will always be around trying to get to you.
Give them their way on occasion, but do not allow
them much time. Keep your distractions on their leash
and in their place. And, keep yourself in your place.

3 Tips To Out Perform Yourself

Here are 3 tips that you can use to out perform yourself in the things that you have been doing. One of the main things that you can do is to organize. When you organize, you are also simplifying your “Stuff”, such as paperwork, tools, kitchen utensils, etc.

Whatever you have that seems to look like clutter, should be organized. Don’t forget to get out that trash can when you organize. It is almost a certainty that when you go through things that you will find plenty to toss into that trash container.

So far I have been referring to those things that are in your home, office, or other workplace offline. What about all of those thousands of files on your computer? And. . . how about those hundreds of bookmarks that you have punched into your computer’s memory banks that you will never in a million years remember why you have them bookmarked in the first place?

These are just a few examples of the many things in your life that can get completely out of control if you let things go too far, for too long.

We all seem to have varying levels of organization. Some people are organize fanatics. I have written about a cousin who has his screwdrivers organized in his toolbox by direction. Flathead screwdrivers facing one way, and the phillips head screwdrivers facing the other. Everything is also “Ultra-Clean”, but that is another subject.

For you getting organized may just be very natural. You may be one of the few who finds organizing things easy and necessary. Or, you may be one of the many who are not so organized, or not organized at all. If you are like most people, you likely fall someplace in-between. No matter where you are at in the scheme of organizing (unless you are like my cousin and his screwdrivers), you can improve your organizational skills. Daunting a task as it may seem, anyone can improve this skill, even you, if you take things one step at a time.

 

Tip #1: Pick a day and time to organize

You need to pick a starting point, especially if you do not organize very often, if ever.

 

Tip #2: Keep Things Small at first

If you are going to organize something at home, choose only a small space, or amount. De-clutter just a bedroom, or bathroom, or just a desk at first. You don’t need to do everything at once.

To organize your computer you can actually use the “View” option and decide if you want things organized by files, date, or whatever other options that your computer gives you. In most cases this only separates the files into their respective categories. Using the date option, if you are not already organized, could cause even more confusion as it would mix up all kinds of different types of files.

When you name your files, don’t try to abbreviate what your file is about. Make sure that you can look at the name and know where it goes. If you can’t tell what the file is about by it’s name, then you will always need to open up the file to find out what it is about, and where it should go to be more organized. You will also want to take your computer files and organize in sections, or even by folders (if you use them).

 

Tip #3: Schedule when necessary

out perform

It does no good to clean things up one day, get things messed up the next, and then just let things get more and more disorganized. Unless you stay on top of keeping yourself ordered (at least a little), you will find yourself spending countless minutes or hours searching for things that should only take you seconds to find if only you had things put into some kind of ordered space.

Not everyone is willing to take the time to clean his/her box wrenches every time that they use them, or to hang them in order of size on a pegboard in such graphic perfection that you want to take pictures. Yes, my cousin again.

The real key to staying more organized is to dedicate a logical place for certain things, and after you use the item, put it back in it’s place. You may find yourself in a hurry, lazy, unmotivated, or just not thinking to place things back in proper order. If you find yourself living with this behavior, then you really need to schedule a weekly “Organizing Hour”.

 

Now all you need to do is to stick to your schedule!