Editing Sidebars

[FundamentalCharlie]

Is there a video or some kind of tutorial to help a newbie learn to manipulate the sidebars and insert ads etc? There are some things that I want to delete, and I'd like to monetize but cant figure this out yet either. How do you insert an affiliate ad? Can each page be edited separately so that different things appear on different pages?

Also will RSS send feeds concerning new pages or is it only for sdetecting posts, within a home page?

Help?

[Blaine Moore]

Have you looked at What Is Blogging? We Explain Blogging So That You Too Can Become A Blogger | Become A Blogger yet?

[FundamentalCharlie]

Yes, I have watched all of theose videos but they don't go into the details of working with the side bars. That's why I was wondering if there were any other tutorials or videos that would help. Thanks for the response.

[Blaine Moore]

Okay. I haven't watched all of the videos yet, just the first one, so I wasn't sure it this was covered.

Are you using a widget enabled theme? If so, you can probably create a text widget, assign it to your sidebar, and paste your ad code into it that you get directly from the ad network.

My theme doesn't have widgets so I haven't played with them very much yet. (Yes, I know it's outdated, but I haven't changed themes since wordpress 1.5 and just keep updating my theme to keep working. You can't even download the original anymore.)

[FundamentalCharlie]

So how can I tell if it is a widget theme? What is, and how do you write a text widget ? And how do you assign it to the sidebar? Also, how do you delete the things in the side bar that you don't want? Everywhere I look, it is like, "Oh everyone knows how to do this stuff so all we need to do is tell them to do it!"

That's why I was looking for more tutorials somewhere, or an online users manual to tell me all of this stuff that a person is apparently supposed to, (through osmosis), know already. I don't want to be a drag on the forum pages. I feel like I'm taking a cake decorating class and don't know how to bake. The first step in all the lessons is, "bake a cake!" That's the part I'm struggling with.

Is this a ploy to make me sign up for the mentoring program, just to learn this stuff? I really can't afford that right now!

Yaro has 2 sidebars and runs ads that are two columes wide, how does that happen? First things first though, I'd be happy to get an adsense ad running and a couple of affiliate hookups, while trimming some of the stuff that I don't need.

I appreciate the assistance, and again, I hate to be a pain with all of this I'm-a-WP-virgin baloney! Thanks

[Blaine Moore]

I don't have a widget enabled theme, I just have a general idea of how they work, so I can't give you any specifics.

Look where you downloaded your theme, it should state whether it is widget enabled or not. If you go to your dashboard, there is a message right near the top that tells you how many widgets you are using. (I'm using 0.) If I click on that, it brings me to a page that tells me that I don't have a widget aware theme. I imagine that if you go to that screen it will be relatively straight forward for adding or editing widgets from there. Alternatively, you can click on Design and then on Widgets.

A text widget is just a type. It will just put whatever text you type into the widget into the theme, so if you put your ad code then it effectively places your ad code onto the sidebar (assuming you add the widget to a sidebar widget.)

For more information, you can check the Wordpress Codex:
Plugins/WordPress Widgets « WordPress Codex

[FundamentalCharlie]

Thanks, that should help. I was able to find a way to put adSense in the body and wrap text but then the adSense site dent down! Now I'll have to wait to get ads that match my theme and place them.

[Trisha]

Hi Fundamental Charlie,

I have wordpress 2.5 and to get to my widgets I have to go to Settings, Design and then widgets.

I have just had to upgrade to wordpress 2.5 and the way the widgets work is different - so I'm having to learn again.

I've had my blog a year. I'm ashamed to say I still don't fully understand wordpress 2.5 widgets. I have had someone local come and help me understand widgets, because as you say everyone seems to assume everyone knows how they work.

Hope you get things sorted.
Trisha