Giving Credit

Hey Jammers! Vms915 here, with a little lesson-thingy on giving credit.

Many Bloggers complain that they don't receive enough credit. But, is it really complaining? Do they have a right to complain?

Yes.

However, there are different levels of credit you should give, depending on what the person borrowed.

Type A Credit:
Example: *Credit to vms915*
Things that anyone can find out easily
Item images (not at a party)
Well-known ideas/tips (like the fact that if you dance around the fire at Sarepia Forest, Mira appears)
If the person doesn't own their own blog

Type B Credit:
Example: *Credit to vms915 of Animal Jam Nox*
Things that may not be found easily, but can be discovered with a little poking around.
Item images from parties
Minor Glitches
Events (Flash mobs, anti-scamming rallies, etc.)

Type C Credit:
Example: *Credit to vms915 of Animal Jam Nox* (with link to blog)
Things/images that required tampering/poking around
Legends/Stories
Major Glitches
Graphics
Hand-made graphics (an image of something taken and had the background erased)


The reasons you should give credit:

• The person(s) who found the image/thing worked hard to find/make/write it, or at least took time out of their day to get on Animal Jam and take a screenshot. 
• Some blog owners, who take time just to, say, find graphics and glitches, would like more blog traffic, and it is not fair for you to take their "hard-earned" masterpieces and pass them off for your own.

I will not do anything like make a list of people to watch out for because they don't give (enough) credit, but I will say be careful about who you borrow pictures from, and who you give/lend/email them to.

If you see that a blog has something on it that you know you discovered/came up with, just ask the blog owner where they got it from, because chances are the blog owner got it from another person, not you.

Remember to be polite, though! Don't go and comment on someone's blog "Why did you steal my glitch images??? Give me credit NOW!"

And, lastly, just remember to check and see that the images/things you have "created" are, indeed, your own, because it is perfectly possible that someone had the same idea as you.


~vms915, signing off!

How to Make a Header (Request tutorial from Alisha Harris)

Hey Jammers! Today I will be posting the request made by Alisha Harris of how to make a header!
*note that this is the "vms915 method" (aka Quik N' Easy Header) and is therefore not the only way to make a header*
The process is really quite simple. First, you need to pick the emptiest server that you can find, for two reasons. One, it will not make your computer laggy due to the amount of people on at the same time, two, in order to get a good image for the header with only you in it, you need nobody to be around.


1) Once you are online, pick the room that you wish to take the picture in. I recommend the following places for the following occasions/blog themes:


Jamaa Township (no seasonal decorations): Normal
Jamaa Township (seasonal/holiday-ical decorations): Per holiday (Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc.)
Sarepia Forest: Earthy, nature-y blog
Crystal Sands: Summer, Beach theme
Mt. Shiveer: Winter, cold/frost/chilly theme
Appondale: Wild theme, blogs with AJ animal facts
Lost Temple of Zios: Mysterious theme, Phantom theme
Coral Canyons: wild, dry theme

2) Pick the location inside the room:

Jamaa Township:
The middle
Mira's statue
Fountain in the lower Township
Sarepia Forest:
Campfire
Slide
On the tree platform
Crystal Sands:
Slides
Ocean/dock
Platform with water spout
Water pools
Mt. Shiveer
Hot pool
Ice slide
Campfire
Mountain peak
Appondale:
Mud pool
Tree top
Lost Temple of Zios:
Zios statue
River
Archway
Coral Canyons:
River
Bridge

3) Take a screenshot! You can use the Print Screen button on your keyboard (prtsc for short), or, on some computers, there is a special program called "Snipping Tool." The image should be large and rectangular.
4) Open up MS PowerPoint, or you can go to www.cooltext.com or some other text website. If you are using MS PP, insert WordArt. Make the title of your blog in whichever font/style you want. You can also make text boxes with things like your name or blog slogan. If you use the website, save the image, otherwise, just copy it. Make sure the background is transparent!
5) Open the picture you took for the background in MS Paint. Paste/insert the text box. Position it the way you want. You can add clip art (with transparent background), for decoration, but don't add too much.
6) Save the image.
7) On blogger, go to Layout. Click on the "Edit Header."

In the window that pops up, you can upload the header.

Save and close, and now you have a header!

~vms915, signing off!

Contest Update

Hey Jammers! The contests that are going on now are temporarily postponed until I can work out the kinks of them, but don't worry, SilverDawn, your entry is still in the running! :)

HTML Glamour

Hey Jammin' people! This is the last post in the "Animal Jam Blogging Help" mini-series, so I will try and make it the best!

HTML: What is it?

HTML (or Hypnotis somethin' or another....Oh yeah! Hypertext Markup Language! Knew it was somethin' like that...) is the language of web pages. Many websites are created by typing hundreds of lines of gibberish that looks like <body> <img src="http://www.animaljamnox.blogspot.com/p/doo-dah.html" width = "100" height = "100"/>....and so on, so forth. A useful feature of Blogger is that you can directly edit the HTML of your blog. Many people bypass this feature because they either do not notice it or have no idea of what it is. However, you can use this feature to add some really neat stuff to your blog, such as custom cursor, falling objects, etc.

How to change your cursor:

Recommended website where to find cursor: www.cursors-4u.com

Once you have found the cursor you want, copy the HTML code provided.

Go to Blogger. Click on Template, and then on "Edit HTML."


On your keyboard, hit CTRL and F at the same time. In the small pop-up, type in </head>

Right before </head>, paste the code.

Save and close.

Visit your blog. Notice a different cursor? If you try this and it doesn't work, just comment your question below.


Falling Objects:

Falling objects is a pretty neat seasonal thing for your blog. You can change it with every different holiday, event, and party under the sun.

I recommend using the following link: http://24work.blogspot.com/2012/01/falling-objects-falling-text-marquee.html


Sorry for not helping any....but this website gives step-by-step instructions. Just scroll down to find everything!

Blog Music:

Recommended Website: www.soundcloud.com
You don't need to create a SoundCloud account to do this! Simply:
1) Find the music you want
2) Click on the title of the music
3) Click on "Share"

Yellow: Copy this code
Purple: Before you copy the code, you can change things about the music like autoplay

Now, open up the "New Gadget" window and add "HTML/JavaScript"

Paste the code into the "Content" space, and add a title in the "Title" space.

Save, and now you have blog music!

I hope those tips were helpful! I will now work on the requests. If you want to make a request, just visit the "Animal Jam Blogging Help" page and comment!

~vms915, signing off!

Layout & Gadgets

Hey Jammers! Here is the second part in the Animal Jam Blogging guide/tip collection/walkthrough thingy. Today, the focus is on Layout & Gadgets.

1) Configuring a favicon

Have you ever wondered how blogs get the little symbol by the blog name on the tab?

Here's how!

First, go to Layout.

Find the "Favicon" section and click "edit."

On the pop-up, choose "Choose File" and pick the file to upload for the favicon. Make sure it fits the requirements.

Click "Save." You now have a favicon!

2) Add a poll

Many bloggers want to know how you can add a poll to their blog, so they can ask questions and receive responses in an easy way.

First, click on Layout.
Next, click on "Add Gadget."

In the window that pops up, scroll down until you find "Poll." Click the plus sign to add it.
In the new window, there are different things you can change about the poll. You first need to add a question,  then add answers.

Key:
Red: Where you add the question
Blue: Where you can add the answers.
Black: You can remove an answer if you wish.
Green: If you have too few answers, you can add more.
Pink: Depending on the type of question, you can allow people to pick more than one answer.
Purple: Change the date of the poll closing.


3) Image links
Many people prefer to have links to pages in corresponding images on the sidebar, rather than in the traditional bar at the top of the page, or even on the side. The benefits of having the pages linked like this are:
> You can have descriptions of the pages
> It just looks neat :)

Here is what you have to do:
First, open up the "Add Gadget" window.

Scroll down to find "Image."

Click the add button, and you will be taken to the configuring page.

Now, the trick is to find the appropriate graphic/image to fit the page. Here are a few graphics/images that could correspond with some pages you may have on your blog. These images I extracted from the HTML of the Daily Explorer and the Animal Jam Help Desk. Since anybody can find these, you do not need to give credit for these images.
Questions:


Rare Item Monday:

List all of the rare items sold on Mondays.

The Alphas

Have information about each alpha.

Contests:

Epic Dens:

Have DE Epic Dens, or pick your own!

Scamming Awareness:

Trading Station:


Help (Animal Jam or Blogging):


Game Guides:


There are many, many more pages and graphics that you could use out there.


To set it up:

Once you have found the image you want, right-click on it and click "Copy Image URL."

Go back to the Configure Image window.

Insert the following information:

Red: The Page Title
Blue: Page description
Black: Add the page link (Ex: http://www.animaljamnox.blogspot.com/p/trading.html)
Purple: Paste the image URL

Click save, and you have your very own image page link!

Some ideas of how you can use this:

• Make all links images, if you have less than 10 pages.
• Make half the pages image links, half on the top bar

Be creative!

Happy Jamming!

Next: HTML Glamour

ENTER THE CONTEST NOW!!!!!! Or, as soon as you can. [click here]

Animal Jam Blogging: The Basic and the Bold

Hey there fellow Jammers! For the next couple of days, I will be posting some tips, hints, semi-secrets and tricks for making your blog eye-appealing, not to mention to draw in visitors!

I told Alisha Harris a while ago on the Questions page that I would do this, except I forgot. >.< I'm so sorry!!!

I am doing this now, however, so get ready to rock your blog!

Today, let's start with the basics of Animal Jam Blogging. If you are reading this for the detailed little tricks, just wait for a couple of posts. :)

Here are the basics of Animal Jam blogging for daily updates:

• MECHANICS, MECHANICS, MECHANICS!!!! This is a given for any blog, but I will emphasize it for Animal Jam blogging. Capitalize, punctuate, spell, and grammar-ify correctly! The whole point of  AJUB (Animal Jam Update Blogging) is so that people understand you. it doznt help iff ur sentces look like dis or eeven like dis espeshully like dis. u need to puntshuate corectly so that people ken undurstand u so ur sentces arnt all mashed up like dis. Example of a hard to understand post: hey jammers hows it goin todays new item is the tan carpet what do you think of this item bye jammers!!!!!!!
• Make your posts longer than a sentence. Any AJUB post can look like this: "Hey Jammers! The new item today is the Tan Carpet! That's all I have time for today, see you Jammers!" Some good ideas for lengthening posts to longer than a sentence are:
• Find some things of interest around Jamaa. Write a story about it, open it up for discussion, or just point it out.
• Have contests! Everyone loves a good competition! You don't have to have a fabulous prize to make a contest great! Just make sure the contest is original. Riddle contests, screenshot contests, and story contests are all great ideas!
• Create comics and funny pictures! Nothing gets a good blog audience involved like a few laughs!
• Show little things like tips and tricks for blogging/Animal Jam (like what I'm doing now). 
• Put up guides for player-controlled things, like clans, trading, and adoption.
• Engage the readers! Some Bloggers complain that they don't get enough comments. Well, to do so, you must add something to the post that will draw in the reader, get the reader to read, and then ask for a response. Things like funny pictures and interesting facts will get readers to respond, but if you can't do that, just add a question into your post. Things like "What do you think of this item?" and "What is your favorite ______?" should trigger responses.
• If you feel that you are not receiving enough pageviews/followers, be assertive! Go out and put your Animal Jam blog out on the Internet! Visit other blogs and ask if they will mention your blog, or even just ask if your blog can go on their blog list, if they have one. However you do it, just find the right people who will be kind enough to share your blog with the world.
• Last but not least, BE YOURSELF! Sure, you can look at other blogs for ideas of how to structure your posts, etc., but when it comes down to it, have your own, unique personality. Be as  spunky, vivacious, funny, and as you as you can possibly be. Be yourself, and you will find that you fit right it in the blogging world!

I hope you find those tips useful! More are coming either tomorrow or in two days. I will put these up on a page, so you can read them all together. Things that are coming soon:

• Managing your template
• Boosting stats
• HTML decorating
• More!

Happy blogging!

~vms915

Make a Day!

Okay, you probably think this is going to be a weird post, judging by the title, but it's not, I promise.

This is a post about making someone's day.


I have a buddy on Animal Jam. His name is tinytee123. (if you are reading this, I hope that you don't mind if I used you as an example, and please excuse me if I get your gender wrong :3). He is what you would call your typical non-member. He worked hard for his gems, and used those gems to buy clothing and den items. Like all Jammers, he has dream items, but he does not scam, hack, or lie to get them. He is nice and honest. He came to my den today, and asked if I would trade him. I said yes. Now, in my attempt to see if you actually could get rare items from Sky High, I won a lot of what members would call "junk items." Basically, they are just items you can buy, but in different colors. To a member, these are wastes of pixels, but to a non-member (excluding the ones who are "rarites"-ones who collect non-member super rares like Scary Bat Wings, Fox Hats, etc.), these items look nice. So, I traded him a bunch of these items. He was thrilled (or he acted so, anyway)! I ended up pretty much giving him a Heart Locket, blue Butterfly Wings, and more. Like I said, to members (particularly ones who are rarites) this is chicken feed, but also like I said, he was excited.

(I apologize to non-members who are offended by this statement-thing)


Well, to wrap up this short post, my point is that you too can make someone's day by doing something that seems, to you, insignificant, but is to the receiver, a great display of kindness.


Happy Jamming!



(Please, to anyone in general, I do not wish to offend anyone who is reading this. I was just using this scenario to demonstrate a life lesson)

Stock up your canned goods!

Hey there Jammers! I'm sorry, but I have to give a warning post today.

STOCK UP YOUR CANNED GOODS!
PROTECT YOUR BREAD AND MILK!
SAVE THE CHEESE!
GET TO YOUR SHELTER!

THERE IS A WAR COMING!!!

Okay, not really.

False alarm.

Or is it?

Will there be a war?

I don't think so.

Although that may be interesting if AJHQ could incorporate the "war" into a new game/land. Don't you think?

What if the new land is a "Phantom Land" and you have to have the required equipment to enter it?
Like...
Spirit Armor?

Or maybe Elf Tail Armor?


What do you think?


Happy Jamming!

Member Gifts

Hey Jammin' people! As you probably know, today is the day of the minor Thursday update. In a month, there is a major Thursday update and a minor Thursday update. Well, this is the minor one. There was a pretty cool thing for members, though. Members received an additional gift to the usual monthly one. At the beginning of April, members received the Spirit Armor, which turned out to be a hit, compared to the pets that have been the gifts since September. Well, they released the Spirit Helmet, to go with the Armor.

Here are all of the previous MMGs, in order from June 2011:

*credit for images goes to:

Animal Jam Cheats & Codes

Animal Jam Madness

Animal Jam Rage

The Animal Jam Expert

Animal Jam Spirit

June 2011: 

Member gloves:

July 2011:

Spiked Wristbands/Collars

August 2011: 

The Claw

September 2011:

Weather Clouds:

October 2011:

Caged Phantoms:

November 2011: 

Bubbletron 5000

December 2011: 

Gingerbread House den:

January 2012:

New Year's Party Hat

February 2012:

Giant Lion Plushie:

March 2012:

Elf Tail Armor

April 2012:
Hot Cocoa Machine

May 2012:
Phantom Invasion:

June 2012:
Golden Member Gloves:

July 2012:
Nature Archway:

August 2012:
Golden Phantom Statue:

September 2012:
Pet Monkey

October 2012:
Pet Tarantula

November 2012:
Pet Fox

December 2012:
Gingerbread Treehouse & Gingerbread House Den


January 2013:
Pet Owl

February 2013:
Pet Tiger

March 2013:
Pet Arctic Wolf

April 2013:
Spirit Armor & Spirit Helmet:



Whew! That's a lot of gifts! Imagine if you had all of those...anyone up to collecting?


Personally, for den items, my favorites are the Nature Archway (not lava or ice) and the Weather Cloud (rainbow).
For clothing items, I'd have to say either the Spirit Armor or the Elf Tail Armor.
Which gift do you like the best/which one would you like the most?

The cool thing about the Claw and the Phantom Invasion is that you can get special Phantom versions of what they yield: either plushies or toys. Sadly, the Phantom plushies are member. Shouldn't they be non-member?

Happy Jamming!