tyabblemons Said:

Tag: postach-io

One dad's way to communicate with his family

Published by Brad Lemon on June 27th, 2014


(Artwork by Dmitri/postach.io)
How many times do you find your mature family sitting around with their heads buried in their phones? Or their laptop?

The days of sitting around the dining table telling stories about family history have gone. I had to find another way to communicate our ancestral history to my family. The answer turned out to be really simple; a blog. But not just an ordinary blog, one that became a form of social media.
Engaging teenagers in 2014:
Not an easy thing to do. You can send text messages, but that has many limitations, and group messaging not easy. The way we chose to do it was to use some free tools - Evernote, Postach.io, and Disqus are all needed to host the blog.
Postach.io gave us the ability to make a password protected blog - and this was the key. I made our Disqus comments private, and we had a closed system behind a password that we could use to communicate from any browser.
"Our blog only has a tiny audience, but they are the most important people in the world - my family."
I thought it would be hard to get people to check the blog every day. I offered a small prize each day for a competition winner. Winning the competition was easy, and mostly relied on being the first person to read the 'prize' post. It turned out that I didn't really need to do this, although it's been so much fun that we've kept the tradition going. The family check the blog of their own accord, in their own time. And if I don't publish enough, they tell me to hurry up!
Other members of the family have made posts about stuff they're doing.
The things we post about are varied. Even our dinner plans are posted. This stops people asking "What's for dinner?" every night. We ask for jobs to be done, and we get no moaning about it. Everyone recognises that they're a part of a bigger picture, and the job they do is important. They can see that by looking at the post. They do their jobs without any protest. This is rather amazing!
We post about current events, and projects, and a million and one other things that families need to communicate. Politics, hobbies, pictures. Planned outings are a success. But the most important part to me is the family history. I do a regular post called 'Stories from Dad', in which I'll relate a part of our family history and how it relates to us now. I've had good feedback in the comments.
This recording of family history is an important part of our blog. I know that even after I'm dead and buried, the family blog can live on. The family history I'm writing now will not be forgotten. And with this family history, the kids have a chance to ask questions and have the answers recorded for all time. Maybe the history won't be lost.
We have opened up a radical new way to communicate as a family, but it's really working. I've moved away from Facebook, because it's not private. The postash.io platform is a closed loop behind a password. Only people with the password can read the blog.
I think some of my work in my family blog is my best work of all. I've had enormous satisfaction doing it. I am more motivated than ever to engage my audience and give them a reason to keep reading the blog. This doesn't appear to be very hard, but they deserve my best work.
Brad Lemon
27th June 2014

What we did with a blog

Published by Brad Lemon on June 20th, 2014

What we did with a blog

Communications is at the very heart of a successful family. We've found a way to use a password protected blog to share information really easily with all of our large family.
"I could never get everyone together in the same room!"
Our family is diverse, and while we're a tight unit, we all have individual lives. We can communicate by SMS text for free, with our phone plans. But text messages can be clumsy, and often arrive at awkward moments - especially if you're a student studying in class. We don't want to distract the kids while they're in school. Also, Facebook is blocked by the school, and Facey is not the most private of platforms. The blog is a much neater option.

By using a password protected blog, they can check for updates at a convenient time for them.
I use tricks to keep them checking the blog. We give away a (small) daily prize to the first person to text me the code number embedded in the day's post. But it turned out that this wasn't really needed. One of my sons said "Dad, if you put comments on this, I'll never use Facebook again!" So I put comments in (by Disqus), and we haven't looked back.

We post about all kinds of things - about appointments, after-school snacks, dinner plans, jobs to be done and a million and one little things that we need to communicate to each other to keep the family running smoothly.
The family really likes the blog. They like the concept, and they like using it. They are able to publish to the blog if they wish, and have done, or they can just interact via the comments. We no longer have to find each kid and let them know what's going on.
Communications has always been the secret to our family's success.
We're using free Evernote and free postach.io to host the blog, and they provide the domain for free. I don't know what other platforms have a login option for a blog, but we keep it behind a password because our traffic is private.

Off the record, to the investors in Postach.io

Published by Brad Lemon on July 25th, 2013

Off the record, to the investors in Postach.io



Look, I don't want to get all official about this - can we just keep it off the record?

     You see, you're onto a good thing. The Postach.io people have been very clever and have created a product that I'm sure is going to be very popular. It appeals to me, because I love the simple format I've chosen and the fact that I've dodged hosting fees by running my blog straight out of Evernote.

     Yes, I'm very tight with my money. I have seen the simple ideas behind the platform, and unashamedly set about modifying it to meet my needs. I've been able to create a 'business' (non-profit) webpage, a wildlife rescue group's community page, and my own personal blog. I haven't paid a cent for hosting. I seem to be taking you for a ride! I'll be happy to pay your measly premium fee - it is nothing.

     I think you need to take control of this situation. The clever people from Postach.io have out-thought us all. They make this simple, yet highly powerful product, and then just keep tweaking it in amazing directions - but they're just playing. They admit they're lounging around in their pyjamas while your hard earned cash is working its guts out! Surely you should get more for your money? Don't you want an international call-centre and and endless committees to advise them on the best way to spend your money?

     I will admit, I have a little bias. I am a huge fan of the postach.io platform. I've told everyone about it on social media, and a few people have shown solid interest. Some are even installing Evernote for the first time just to use the Postach.io platform. You can't put a lid on this thing now, word is getting around and a bushfire has started. You have really let the cat out of the bag.

     Please use your authority. Make these Postach.io people realise that you expect nothing but quality coding for your dollars. My personal belief is that work done in pyjamas is of a higher quality than work done in suits, because it's work done with passion, but you may feel differently. These Postach.io people are passionate and communicative. They love talking about their product. Just as long as you keep them motivated and focused.

     I'm seriously considering asking you to let me in on this investment. You see, I think I could turn $50k into $100k or more in less than a couple of years. By then Postach.io will be big, and the market will dictate how it moves. We can worry about that then.

Thanks for listening, and good luck with your project.

Brad Lemon.
25th July 2013.

9 tips for getting the most out of your postach.io blog

Published by Brad Lemon on July 21st, 2013



9 tips for getting the most out of your postach.io blog.


  • Be sure to select your theme before modifying any HTML (source code). A new theme overwrites your old code.
  • Use your default notebook for drafts. When you wish to publish, 'copy' the note (right click, select 'copy' from your note list) into your postach.io notebook. You have the option to also copy the tags. You'll also be able to choose the date of your post - either the date of the original draft, or today's date. If you choose the original date, your post may appear below other recent posts - even on page 2 or 3 of your blog!
  • Don't change the title of a published post. This will change its URL and anyone who bookmarked your post will lose it.
  • Choose the title of your post carefully. It should indicate the subject matter of your post to improve your search engine ranking. Another tip on improving your ranking is make a subtitle the same as the title of your post as a heading for your post.
  • If you haven't already done so, investigate Google Analytics. It is easy to set up with clear instructions, and gives you a lot of powerful information about your visitors.
  • Make sure the source URL box on your note is clear before you publish, or else you will just publish that link, instead of your post. This trap keeps catching me...
  • If you happen to experience a glitch, try manually syncing your blog with Evernote, using your postach.io dashboard, by clicking on the little sync button:

  • To embed a Youtube video into your blog page, just insert the code supplied by Youtube right in your note - eg:
(It didn't work in this post because the code above is a picture of the text. If I'd put the raw code in, you would have seen a video here.)

If you found this post helpful, please share it on social media. If you want to make my day, leave a comment.

If you get stuck with these tips, just leave a comment and I'll try to clarify. Note that I'm not associated with Postach.io. I'm just a user, like you :)

Brad Lemon
25th July 2013

A footnote: If your note is slow to post on your blog, there could be a couple of reasons for this. The servers might be busy, and you're in the queue but it takes up to 5 minutes sometimes to process and post. Notes with lots of images in them seem to take longer to parse through the servers than plain text. If you don't see your post after 5 minutes, try manually syncing your blog using the instructions above. That 5 minutes can be the longest wait of your life, but try to wait before manually syncing.
Update: This is worth watching:


How to put your own fav.ico icon in your postach.io blog.

Published by Brad Lemon on July 14th, 2013

How to insert HTML code into your postach.io blog to display a favourites icon.


     If you have a postach.io blog, you are probably already familiar with bits of the HTML (source) code. You may have wondered how to make the icon on the top of your browser tab your own, instead of postach.io's very nice green and yellow pistachio nut. It's actually very easy - it's just one small line of code.




     But first you will need two things. You will need to have an icon of your own, and you'll need somewhere to store it. You should be able to overcome both these problems by following these instructions.

Choosing your icon.

     There are three options open to find a nice icon. You can search the web for 'fav.ico' files. If you find one you like, be sure it's not owned by someone else before you steal it. Another option is to create one yourself. I found this handy resource for creating icons. If you want your branding to be unique, you should create your own artwork. Your third option is to simply steal mine. I don't mind. I created this icon before the turn of the century (I like saying that), and it's used on all web-pages we publish where we have control of it. I'd be pleased if I ever saw it pop up on someone else's blog. I still have the original, dated, artwork. The URL of my icon is http://home.iprimus.com.au/tyabblemons/fav.ico. If you put that address into your browser, it will download my icon, called 'fav.ico'.

     In any case, at the end of this bit, you must have a file of your icon called 'fav.ico' - that is your raw icon ready to be hosted.

Hosting your icon.

     I pondered this problem for a long time, and wondered how I could use image hosting services to just deal me out the raw icon with no strings attached. Then it dawned on me that my ISP also provides me with a small amount of personal web space. You've most likely got the same facilities with your account, along with your email and data allowance. This is the perfect place to stash your icon. Take a moment now to log into your ISP's account page and check out your personal web space. If they don't provide any, you might be able to negotiate for a small amount at minimal cost. You don't need to fork out for web hosting - that's why you have postach.io in the first place, isn't it?!

     There is a section on your ISP's web-page for you to load files into your personal web space. Go and load your icon into the root directory. Now your icon will have a web address similar to mine - 'http://home.iprimus.com.au/tyabblemons/fav.ico', but of course with your address on it.

     That's the hard part over with. If you get stuck here, leave a comment.

Changing your source code (HTML).

     Don't look at me like that. You probably know more about HTML than I do. I just know small handful of neat tricks, and this is one of them. The fact that you are reading this leads me to believe that you are familiar with postach.io's source code anyway. But if you're not, don't be frightened.

     The piece of code we are going to insert is just one short line. It will read:


Of course, you'll change [yourwebspace] to be the address of your personal webspace with the icon file in it. For example, to insert my icon, you will insert:


     You can see here that your file, called 'fav.ico' is hosted at the address in the link. That's the important part. You can enter the address into your browser and be sure you see the right icon. (Your browser will try to download it.)

     Depending on which theme you have chosen, your source code for postach.io will be different. But the head of your theme is probably much the same as mine is.


     I've put a couple of important arrows on the above picture. The first arrow points to where I have inserted my line of code. Don't worry if it's not on line 66 like mine is - your code might vary. The important thing is that your line of code must be inserted before the closing statement appears. It must be in the head of the HTML source code. With my theme, the author has left us plenty of room to modify code.

     To insert your line of code, copy it to the clipboard, and then put your cursor on the code and space down a couple of spaces to make room. Paste your code into the window where it should appear, and then hit 'Save', down the bottom.

     You're done!

     Your code should be changed immediately, so open your blog in a browser and see your handiwork. If it doesn't work, don't panic. Just go back over it until you find the glitch. I'm happy to help if you get really stuck - just leave me a comment on this post. I'm notified of comments and will respond as quickly as I can.

     If the fertiliser hits the windmill, and you somehow make a mess of your code, you can reset it all to default by reloading your theme. Note that any other changes you have made to your code will also be lost.

     Good luck!

     If you found guide this helpful, please make my day and leave a comment. Thanks.

Brad Lemon
14th July, 2013.


An open letter to the makers of postach.io

Published by Brad Lemon on July 10th, 2013

Note: postach.io is a third-party app designed for blogging straight out of Evernote. See other posts for info about Evernote.

To the makers of postach.io:

My blog has launched, and all DNS propagation has completed. I'm wiping the sweat from my brow, but thanks to you, I have a fantastic finished product that I'm very proud of. Now I just need to get better at blogging. I'm up for it!

I'm really grateful for the swift, excellent help I received from you guys about all sorts of things. It was your responsiveness that gave me the confidence to push myself to find all the right settings.

I'm planning on writing a how-to blog about setting up postach.io and the other third party apps, disqus and gravitar. It's a little fiddly, but not that complicated when you understand it. I think a how-to guide will really help, as I sought out posts from others about how to set up. It was there that I got important clues about editing the HTML code.

My setup is finished, and you guys, Brandon and Gavin, made it possible. I'm so very proud of the finished product, and if there is any way you can use it to endorse postach.io then please use it - I'm already a loyal fan.

Looking forward to premium, as I'm part of a wildlife rescue group, and it needs its own blog.

Thanks for all that you have done, and continue to do.

Warm regards,
Brad Lemon
tyabblemons.com
tyabblemons.postach.io
@tyabblemons

Official launch of Tyabblemons Said:

Published by Brad Lemon on July 10th, 2013

Blog setup complete - throw a party!

     A very warm welcome to you! The reason that I need a blog is that I had a lot of random posts just lying around in my Evernote files - things that I have published to a web-page, but had no index or any way for anyone to search for my posts. If you don't have the URL, you don't get to see it.

     Being just a little bit different, I was not keen on user-friendly blogs like Blogger, even though I've used them in the past very well. But they're complicated, and you don't control all of the information on your blog. I could go with something by Wordpress, but anyone who has dealt with them knows what a mountain that is to climb.

     Coincidently, I posted (on the Evernote Forums) my wishlist of Evernote features, on the 4th of July. On this wishlist was a request for statistics, and a way to insert comments on a published page. Using links, I could create my own 'Front Page' for my blog, and link everything from there:

"The only reason I would use a blog rather than Evernote is the ability for the reader to insert comments, and statistics. Otherwise, Evernote is a crisp, clean blogging platform. I'm using it now.
  • A preview of the page as it would appear published on the web. The web version format varies considerably from the note on the desktop client, mainly in line spacing.
  • Ability for readers to insert moderated comments at the bottom of the web page. (Yeah, I know, big ask. Perhaps a 'write-only' note?)
  • Style-sheets or another way to change theme for published version.
  • Readership statistics for web-page views. The ability to embed html widgets would achieve this."
     
      A kind reader by the name of 'forever-evernote' responded that I should investigate a third-party app for Evernote called postach.io, which publishes a blog straight from your Evernote notebook. I did investigate, and thus began a very steep learning curve, but at the end of it, we have a blog, with comments, and statistics thanks to Google Analytics. It took a bit of setting up, but I'm sure you'll agree that the end result is worth it.

     I've chosen a very simple theme. I wanted the blog to be easy to peruse and navigate. You'll notice there are no ads at this stage, but if the blog proves popular then I will put one single Google ad block in, and that will be all.

     Please enjoy clicking your way around Tyabblemons Said:

     Multiple blogs are a coming feature of postach.io, and I will be opening another blog as soon as possible for the Tyabb Cockatoos. I will publish further news of this on the home page.

     If you've found this page because you're setting up your own postach.io blog, then I recommend you persevere. If you're stuck, your first port of call should be to the support team - they are very responsive. Click the question mark at the bottom right of your screen on your postach.io dashboard. If you'd like instant help you can try posting here in the comments and I will be notified. If I can help with your setup I will, but I'm no expert and might teach you bad habits ;) My one piece of advice is to ensure you set your blog theme before adding anything to the HTML source code, as a new theme overwrites the code.

     I cannot specify a genre that my blog fits into. I will post about anything that may come to mind. My current projects are the Tyabb Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, and photography, and I'll post about those. We are nearly ready to build the Tyabb Cockatoo Sanctuary, and I hope you'll come along for the ride. The sanctuary will be specifically designed to house four birds with Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), and meet their ongoing needs. PBFD birds cannot be released back into the wild, as they infect other wild birds.

     I am waiting for my domain name ( http://tyabblemons.com ) to point to the blog, but since I've posted this welcome, that has happened now. I'm delighted to have you visit here, and I always appreciate, and try to answer all comments. Enquires regarding the wild Tyabb Cockatoos can be made by leaving a comment on one of the pages.

     For now, I'm not going to clutter up the page with Facebook 'like' icons and the such. If you'd like to share any page on social media, please copy the URL into your post.

     Comments on these pages are moderated. 'Please respect' - the only rule. I'll state up front that the comments section of my blog is a dictatorship, not a democracy...

     Having said that, if anything got deleted by me, it would be an extreme measure indeed. I encourage diversity of opinion. I've always believed that we have far more to learn from people who disagree, than those who agree.

     Please enjoy yourself here. These pages are written for you.

     Brad - 10th July, 2013.


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