The Silent Avatar Speaks

I recently had a problem with hyperlinks not working in a PDF e-book which was written by a client to include in a website I was creating for her (see TravelPlanningChecklist.com)

The software I was using to edit the PDF (Adobe Professional became corrupt, so I deleted it and downloaded another copy. Each time the download would not install without errors, so in frustration I headed off to Google to find a PDF writer. I ended up downloading Cute PDF writer and Voila! The hyperlinks were happening again.

I then sent the PDF to the client and they informed me the hyperlinks wouldn’t work! (head bangs against desk). I asked he to leave it with me and I would investigate (again).

The e-book had been through a number of version edits to reach the final ebook. During the process, both the client and I were sending the PDF backwards and forwards via email. I initially thought this had created the problem. No doubt on some occasions the file edits were done at her work PC, and other times on the home PC.

Sometimes, the obvious is never quite obvious enough, and many hours later, many Google searches later, I had a call from her to say that she could open the PDF on her home PC but not her work PC (cue light-bulb moment).

I immediately knew the problem. Her work PC had not been upgraded to a more current version of Adobe. She was using an earlier version of Adobe which wasn’t compatible with the PDF I had sent her – so the hyperlinks wouldn’t work!.

Which leads me to this morning spending time upgrade this WordPress blog to the latest version. The upgrade is not a problem to do. If you can read instructions you can upgrade fairy quickly. As I was in “tecchie mode”, I decided to sort out my Blogroll problem.

I have always had a problem with my Blogroll not showing up in the side-bar, and just kept putting off resolving the problem.

Of course my first port of call was Google search which turned up many posts about the problem, but what caught my eye was a link to a Blogroll widget – Better Blogroll Widget for WordPress, and within minutes my Blogroll problem was sorted out. (I love it when stuff works)

I’m not a coder, so being able to download and install a snippet of code makes me want to give a big shout of ‘thanks” to whoever these people are who create these widgets.

WordPress plug-ins and widgets I have installed which make life easier when blogging or SEO are:

• All-In-One SEO Pack for WordPress
  
• Semiologics Do Follow (removes the “No Follow” tag on comments.
• Feedburner Feedsmith Plugin

Tags: Web Design // 3 Comments »