ActiveRain Customizer Update

For the past week, I have been working with ActiveRain to move the ActiveRain Customizer from Dakno's servers to ActiveRain's servers. The ActiveRain Customizer website has been temporally disabled until the move is 100% complete. Rest assured that all blogs that have been "customized" will continue to maintain their design during this transition. Don't worry, the ActiveRain Customizer isn't going away. If anything, this move will allow us to offer even more tools to enhance your ActiveRain Blog (My Company is already cooking up a few new ideas). The AR gods tell me that they expect the Customizer to be down only a few more days. Stay tuned!

It’s here. Version Two of the Active Rain Blog Customizer - complete with ActiveRain's approval.

As many of you may know, I recently found a way to customize ActiveRain blogs. The original approach required knowledge of CSS and HTML. This led me to create the ActiveRain Custom Blog Generator. It gave users the flexibility to create customized ActiveRain blogs without having to edit CSS. While it did make things easier, it still wasn’t "Realtor proof." Incorporating images was cumbersome and there was no way to preview the new look of your blog. At first, I didn’t really think much about it. After all, this was just a side program I wrote over the weekend. And, trust me, I am not a programmer! But, the comments kept pouring in and more and more people were contacting me with questions – including the guys from ActiveRain. I called them back, nervous that they would be sending me a C & D. Their response was quite the opposite. ActiveRain loved the concept so much they wanted to partner on the project.

If You’re Going to Do It - Do It Right

Now that I had the okay from ActiveRain, I quickly began to think about how I could really make this a valuable tool. I reviewed all the feedback and suggestions from my blog and started developing Version Two of the Custom Blog Generator. Keep in mind, this new website is still in Beta. But, feel free to use it and give us your feedback. Below are a few new features that you will notice with the new version.

Your Own Control Panel

You now have the ability to "save" your design theme. This means if you want to make an edit to the design of your ActiveRain blog, you just login to your Customizer Control Panel and make the change. Your existing design settings are automatically loaded. When you have completed your edits, you simply click save. You no longer have to paste the updated code snippet into your ActiveRain Blog!

Image Uploading

One of the most requested features was the ability to upload images. The ActiveRain Customizer now does exactly that. You select a graphic from your computer and the system handles the rest!

Blog Color Preview

The ActiveRain Blog Customizer also gives you a real time color preview of your blog. This means that you can design your blog without having to continually go back and forth between your blog and the Control Panel. And remember, even if you decide to change a color later on, you can login and make the change. Your ActiveRain blog will instantly update with the new color – without having to paste in a new code snippet.

Let Me Know What You Think

I would love to get your feedback on the new version. In the coming weeks, we will be wrapping this project up and handing it off to ActiveRain. They liked it so much; they want to make this an official ActiveRain feature!

We are still calling this a "beta" version so let me know if you encounter any problems. And remember, if you want to stay updated concerning enhancements to the New ActiveRain Customizer, just click here to subscribe to my ActiveRain blog.

Thanks,
Brad

h2 { color:#356D9E!important; font-family:Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:24px!important; font-size-adjust:none; font-stretch:normal; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; font-weight:normal; letter-spacing:0pt; line-height:24px; margin:9pt 0pt 0px; padding:6px 0pt 0px; } h3 { color:#356D9E!important; font-family:Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:20px!important; font-size-adjust:none; font-stretch:normal; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; font-weight:normal; letter-spacing:0pt; line-height:24px; margin:9pt 0pt 0px; padding:6px 0pt 0px; } a { color:#356D9E; text-decoration:underline; } p{ margin-top:2px!important;} a:hover { color:#ffffff; text-decoration:none; background:#356D9E; border 1px solid #DDA603 }
 
Post is included in group: Active Rain Newbies
Post is included in group: Blogging & SEO
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364 Comments on ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

NOV
12
2009
241,202 Points

Wow!  The great folks at Dakno are at it again.  Looks exciting.  Thanks for your continuing efforts.

1:36pm • #352
241,202 Points

Wow!  The great folks at Dakno are at it again.  Looks exciting.  Thanks for your continuing efforts.

1:37pm • #353
241,202 Points

Wow!  The great folks at Dakno are at it again.  Looks exciting.  Thanks for your continuing efforts.

1:37pm • #354
DEC
04
2009
609,296 Points Outside Blog

Brad,

Awesome idea and plan. Now, it will take me awhile to absorb it all but it is definitely worth absorbing.

Thanks for being so creative.

 

12:56pm • #355
609,296 Points Outside Blog

Brad,

Awesome idea and plan. Now, it will take me awhile to absorb it all but it is definitely worth absorbing.

Thanks for being so creative.

 

12:56pm • #356
MAR
10
2010

Sounds like a hit.  Will just depend on cost, or, *ahem*, excuse me ~ the "investment."

3:47pm • #357
MAR
11
2010
559,330 Points 12 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Called Shot Master

This is great.  Is it easy to use because I need help with this.  I will let you know if I get stuck... and is that ok to let you know or by now is it available?

12:55pm • #358
APR
02
2010
277,389 Points 9 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Sounds like the right changes have been made.  I am going to have to play around with this.  Thank you!

8:22am • #359
277,389 Points 9 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Sounds like the right changes have been made.  I am going to have to play around with this.  Thank you!

8:22am • #360
APR
12
2010
APR
16
2010
321,258 Points Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Brad,

I have been away for a bit and need to get back on track here in AR.......I need all the help I can get, thanks.

8:28am • #362
AUG
25
2010
SEP
16
2010

Thanks for u r information

its very useful

web design india
2:08am • #368
DEC
17
2010
502,332 Points 25 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I just found this in a search. Wonder if it still works? I'll check it out.

9:21pm • #369
NOV
10
2011
158,970 Points 3 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Hey, Brad,

You posted it in 2008?!?!?! and I just found it. Lucky me :) I will definitely check it out. Bookmarked your blog and will read it tomorrow. Thank you!

Good night.

11:33pm • #370
JAN
23
561,272 Points 17 Featured Posts Called Shot Master
Very cool! I'll have to check this out!
10:18am • #371
MAY
14

Thank you for the info. I will check it out.

4:31pm • #372

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All


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Brad Carroll - Real Estate Web Designer

Knightdale, NC

More about me…

Dakno Marketing

Address: 1100 Navaho Drive, Suite 204, Raleigh, NC, 27609

Office Phone: (888) 325-6610

Cell Phone: (919) 926-7010

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