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TRAVEL Hints and Tips Post your TIPS to travellers - all the interesting little tidbits you learned on the road about packing, where to get stuff, and how to cope with problems. Please make sure the subject describes the tip clearly!
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #1  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Websites...on the road...
So how did all you chaps keep your websites going. Are you techie guys and dolls, did you pay people to make your websites. My web design skills are non existant.

Or did you use a template type of thing and an editor. Can anyone reccomend something which is preferable free and will allow me to copy blogger into it (Obs not free hosting etc.. just something i can muck around with). Nick SAnders website is something very very simple but effective and informative.
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  #2  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Hi Joe,

this is me...

F650 Ride the World - A journey of Global Proportions

I built the website long before the trip so that I could drum up some sponsorship, which worked as you can see. Now I built it so that its mostly template based so that way each new month I have the minimum of coding to work on, and I have a distinctive look to my site. But you can get free blogging templates and they work pretty well.

Most of the software you can get by typing free website builder into Google

Apart from that you need an FTP client I actually use cute FTP as it's really easy to do.

then it's just a case of sitting down and doing a rough draft on paper working out what sections you want to do, then try your best to get it right on screen.

Any problems just give me a shout.

Lee
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  #3  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Web/blog site
As lee says, build it way before you go.

I use Textpattern. Again you need somewhere to host your site (domain name).
You can update the travel entries as and when you find an internet cafe just by logging onto your admin panels and typing directly into the admin interface.

There are loads of free templates available that have been written by Textpattern users.
A clean and simple one is Soren.

My blog is just another page of my main website at BikerBytes.com the the blog is at BikerBytes.com/txp or get there via the menu.

Best of...

John
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  #4  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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If you only want to tell your story in words and pictures so family, friends or anyone else can view it then just start a blog. Google "blog". You can be up and running in 15 minutes. If you want more then you need a website. Try starting a blog and see if it's what you want, it's free.
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  #5  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Or just use Blogger itself... If you Google "Blogger Widgets" and Blogger Templates" you can find loads of free add-ons for Blogger, which means you can get almost anything you like out of it.

And of course they provide free hosting.

Paisley - Peking

Nothing on it yet as I'm in the early stages, but it started as a standard Blogger template.
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  #6  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Actualy, I am a "techie guy". I make a living working with computers.

For updating my website (Jan Krijtenburg homepage (Trips)) while I am on the road, I do the preparation before I leave.
I have all pages ready and just "fill in the blanks" with some short notes and maybe a picture, from an Internet cafe or another PC I can use. Then when I am home after the trip, I do it again with more pictures, more stories etc.

It may not be the best way for everyone but I like it this way.
I'm thinking about bringing a simple laptop next time because more and more campings, restaurants, railwaystations and hotels have WiFi so then I can update my website form my own laptop.
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  #7  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Hi Alexlebrit,

Would love to set up a website prior to this summers travel but all my time seems to be taken up in raising funds for the trip.

I have posted Alexlebrit a question on the China Guide sharing August 2008 forum.

Regards
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  #8  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkrijt View Post
I'm thinking about bringing a simple laptop next time because more and more campings, restaurants, railwaystations and hotels have WiFi so then I can update my website form my own laptop.
Why not use a PDA. So much smaller to transport and more robust... imho.

John
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  #9  
Old 27 Dec 2007
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I've just bought a 250GB hard drive that's powered from a USB and have a SD card reader. I plan to download from one to the other as I travel and update my blog as I go. That way I can organise my photo's and video off-line. I'll have to guard that hard drive with my life though as it'll have everything on it. It's small enough to carry in my bike jacket 6"x3"x1/2". I'm hoping this will save me having to carry a laptop.
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  #10  
Old 28 Dec 2007
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I use MyTripJournal.com - Your Personal Travel Website

There are two options they offer. A free subscription with limited services or a premium subscription with full features at about $89.00 per year. Both include hosting.

It takes about 5 minutes to set up your web site. I have found it to be extremely user friendly and I am by no means a techy. I have used their technical help line once and they were very quick, helpful and knowledgable.

My site is at www.backroadexplorers.com if you would like to see a sample.
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  #11  
Old 31 Dec 2007
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its all good...so far...
hey joe,

i have set up a site and gone through all the building of it (thanks to my techie brother) and managing of it...it has been quite a lot but very fun and enjoyable to see it all come together...we leave in two days time for our "journey to the equator" so i cant say how it will be managing a laptop and a sat modem but lets hope it all goes well...
cheers
mike
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  #12  
Old 31 Dec 2007
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I took a Samsung Q1 and hooked it up to the mobile to access my blogs

Journey To Morocco
and
Journey To Russia

however... when I got home I got the nasty surprise of a £400 mobile phone bill for the data roaming (which turns out to be quite expensive!).

So this time round I'll be using public wi-fi spots and internet cafes as needed. There are loads of ways to update your blog - I notice that you're using Joomla - there's loads of plugins that will allow you to automatically insert updates using something as simple as text messages.

Start here - Joomla! Extensions Directory

I use Word Press on our sites which is great because there are so many easy ways to update it - via text, email, or just sitting in an internet cafe with your own machine or a public one.

m
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Last edited by mattcbf600; 31 Dec 2007 at 19:38.
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  #13  
Old 31 Dec 2007
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I use a PDA to write my notes and then FTP them and photos to a website that a friend at home then tidies up and makes presentable. BUT it takes both her and me alot of time and sometimes I think I am during a world tour of the internet cafes.

I would recommend you go with the simplest solution possible, a blog, and you don't take a laptop just use a decent mobile with a popout keyboard
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  #14  
Old 15 Jan 2008
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I must say, its funny how many of these sites don't work. Hoepfullyt he designers at work can gimme a hand, but they are very busy!
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  #15  
Old 15 Jan 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeSheffer View Post
I must say, its funny how many of these sites don't work. Hoepfullyt he designers at work can gimme a hand, but they are very busy!
Ours work :-)

m
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