Adding custom smilies and emoticons to your phpBB forum is an easy way to insert personal style to your boards. It’s also rather easy to do once you know how. Unfortunately for me, when I searched for how to do it I got outdated information that applied to phpBB 2. I will never, ever, EVER accuse the phpBB interface of being intuitive, so figuring out how to do it in version 3 was a lot more painful than it should have been. If you’ve found this post, I hope to save you the trouble I ran into. Here’s how to add custom smilies in phpBB 3.xx.

• First off, make the actual smilies. Typically each smilie should be a 16×16 gif file. They can be animated. It helps if the file name is the same as the emotion the emoticon is expressing.
• Upload the smiles to the “images/smilies” directory of your phpBB installation.
• Log into the admin panel for phpBB.
• Click on the “Posting” tab.
• Click on “Smilies” in the left hand menu.

If you’re only adding a few smilies
If you’re only adding a few smilies, it’s probably fastest to do this individually through the phpBB interface. Click the “Add multiple smilies” button at the bottom of the page. You’ll then be taken to a page where you can select any image in the “smilies” directory and assign it a shortcode.

Hint: It’s best to create a shortcode surrounded by colons or some other marker to distinguish them from regular text, like :smile: If you just use a word, like “smile,” then anytime a visitor uses the word “smile” in a post it will be replaced by the emoticon.

If you’re adding several smilies
If you’re adding several smilies, it’s faster to create a .pak file that will import all the settings at once. You can create the proper file using Dave’s and Mykee’s *.pak Generator for phpBB 3.xx that’s hosted on RapidShare. (Click the green button in the middle of the page to download. I think they make it confusing on purpose.) According to this forum post you need VB6 runtime installed for it to work.

If you want the emoticons to show up on the right side of the screen when people are writing a post, be sure to uncheck the “Hide” checkbox on the left. Otherwise visitors will have to click a link under the regular emoticons to get a pop-up showing the extra emoticons, which sounds like a total pain. Check the “Click here!” box and you will be prompted to choose the directory that has your emoticon images. Your code will then be populated in the white box. Click the “Generate File” button to save the .pak file.

If the generator doesn’t work for you, you can make the .pak file by hand. Each line in the .pak file gives phpBB instructions on how to insert the emoticon in this format:

ImageFileName, ImageWidth, ImageHeight, Show on posts screen (0 or 1), Emotion, Shortcode

So an example line from my .pack file looked like this:

'angry.gif', '23', '19', '1', 'angry', ':angry:', 

Upload the .pak file to the “smilies” directory on your server which also includes all the smilie images. Go back to the Posting -> Smilies screen in the admin panel and click the “Install smilies package” link at the top right of the page. Your .pak file should be available to select from the dropdown. Select how you want to handle duplicate files. If you select the “Delete All” option, you will delete all other emoticons from the listings, whether they are duplicates or not. The images will still be on the server, they just won’t be listed. When you’re ready, click “Install smilies package.” That’s it! The smilies will now be active.

If you happen to accidentally delete the default smilies (not that I would ever do that), you can reimport them by selecting “smilies.pak” from the dropdown. If that’s missing from your installation, you can download the default emoticon pak here.

If you ever need to edit and delete smilie, this can also be done on the Postings -> Smilies page.

Have fun, and don’t forget to smile while you’re at it!

If you are interested in my Diaryland to WordPress conversion service, you will need to get a copy of your Diaryland entries. Instructions on how to do that are included below thanks to Weetabix!

1. Log into the Diaryland account that you want archived.
2. Look at your Profile. That will tell you exactly how many entries that account has posted. I charge $0.10 per entry to be imported.
3. If you’re no longer a Gold member, then pay for a 3 month Gold membership (it’s $12) which is the cheapest tier, and then wait an eternity for Andrew to flip the switch on your account and send you the email that you’re Gold again.
4. Go to the Gold Member resources.
5. Select Download Diaryland Backup or something like that. That will trigger a giant file that may take a very long time to build. When it finishes, save that file as an .html on your harddrive. It might be helpful to rename it (YOUR NAME) Diaryland Backup.html.
6. Send it to me (via my email address on the contact page) along with your WordPress admin address and log in information. I’ll invoice you for half the fee before I start and the other half once it’s complete.

I like to see the trailer for a movie before I plunk down $9.50 to see it at the theatre. If I haven’t seen the preview, I’ve most likely seen an ad or read a review or heard good things about the movie from friends. I like to know what I’m getting into before I commit two hours and a fistful of cash to a film. If you’ve hired me to make your blog pretty, or are thinking of doing so, you deserve to know what to expect if we work on a project together. You can see examples of our work on the portfolio page, but to learn about our workflow, keep reading.

The estimate

Before we decide to work together, I will ask you to submit an estimate request which details what services you are interested in. If you’re not entirely sure what you want, we can talk about that too and I’ll recommend the services I believe to be best for your needs and budget. I will also let you know when I can fit the project into my schedule. Before we start any work, we’ll agree on the specific list of services I will be providing, my revision policy and the final price.

Payment

I accept payment via PayPal, check or money order. Depending on the scope of the project, we can break the payment into 2 or 3 installments. A down payment is required to secure your place in my job queue.

New client questionnaire

I will send you a new client questionnaire. You can email your answers back to me or we can discuss it over the phone. The questionnaire helps me determine what you want and what your visitors will want. The questionnaire makes sure we get started on the same page. At this time I will also ask you to send me any images, videos or other elements you wish to incorporate into your project.

Initial mockups

After we’ve figure out what direction to head in, I will create mockups of your blog using a graphics program. These mockups won’t be a working web page, just images displaying how the final site will look. I’ll send the images to you and ask for comments. Please review the images carefully. This is exactly how the final blog design will look. You must reply with a full list of revisions you would like made. I will make a certain number of revisions for free, but I charge extra for additional revisions. The number of free revisions and the price of additional revisions will be agreed upon before work starts.

Template building

Once you’ve given final approval on the mockups, I will start coding you site in HTML and CSS so it will work as a functioning web site. If you’ve decided to host your site on its own domain, we will need to set up that service at this time. (Don’t worry, I’ll help!) I will need the login information to any services your project requires, from your blog software to Flickr etc. If you don’t feel comfortable giving me your password, you can temporarily change it to an alternate password and then change it back when I’ve completed your work. I will install any necessary plug-ins and adjust any settings in your blog software as necessary.

Final tweaks

Once your blog is online and working, we’ll take a day to shake it down and make sure everything is working as it should. You’ll be able to send me a list of any tweaks needed, but this list can only include items that were agreed upon in the original estimate. Any new requests will require a new estimate and will cost an additional amount of money. Large deviations include, but are not limited to, adding new features, new usability, or significantly changing graphics.

Walkthrough

If you desire, I will give you a walkthrough teaching you how to use the blog software and any other features I’ve installed for you. I can perform this tutorial over the phone, via Skype or via email. Final payment is due upon completion of the project

Let’s get started!

Thanks for reading over the process. If you have any questions or concerns, ask me on the contact page. Then we can get started making a blog we can both be proud of!

It is human nature to ask friends or trusted experts for advice before making a purchase. My clients often ask me what web hosts I recommend. A web host is going to be the home for what may be some of your most precious data, so you want to make a good choice. Read my Eight tips on choosing a hosting service to get an idea of what a good host provides.

Below I’ve listed some hosts that I believe offer reliable, affordable services*. However, it is important to remember that no host is perfect, and even the best hosting companies can experience machine failures or hack attempts. I cannot guarantee the reliability of any host. I use the site FindMyHosting.com as a guide to choosing a web host. They collect user reviews, allow you to compare plans, and keep a record of every hosts uptime.

Some hosts offer a free domain name in their packages. Some plans require you to sign up for at least a year or more of service to get the best rates. Personally, I prefer to pay for hosting month-to-month in case I’m unsatisfied with the service.

QualityHostOnline.com
Quality Host Online is one of my preferred hosts. I’ve got my main blog hosted here and the support has always been fast and helpful. They automatically keep weekly and monthly backups. Prices vary depending on what specials they’re running, but you can get a starter plan for $1.99-$4.99 a month.

TotalChoiceHosting.com
TotalChoiceHosting.com is my other preferred web host. I’ve hosted sites with them in the past with no problems, and their forums provide excellent customer support. They make their login information very secure, which makes it harder to remember, but safer from hackers.

Pronethosting.com
One of my clients uses this host and has been happy with their service. They charge $4.95/mo and have unlimited storage and bandwidth. They also keep daily backups of your site. Get Pronethosting.net Web Hosting

HostGator.com
I have several sites currently hosted with HostGator. They’ve provided excellent service and uptime, but my only quibble is that they do not have regularly scheduled backups of my sites. I have to do it manually.

* Please note, I am a member of the affiliate programs for several of theses sites, which means I make a small commission if you sign up for hosting via my links. I assure you that I have linked only to hosts with whom I or one of my clients has a positive experience.

Picking a web host can be like buying a house, you want to find a nice place for your data to live. Your blog is special to you, and the thought of having the server where your data lives come crashing down can be petrifying. Don’t let the fear paralyze you. Once you’ve decided you want to rent server space to host your own blog, here are seven things to look for when choosing a vendor.

Storage space

How much space will you need? A family of four needs a bigger place than a single college student, and the same concept applies to web servers. If you’re starting a video blog, you’ll probably need a lot of space. If your site will mostly contain text with only the occasional images, you won’t need as much. Most starter hosting plans offer up to at least 1 gigabyte of storage space, which is enough for most bloggers.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data your site transfers every month. If your home page has a 500kb of images and 20kb of text, every time someone visits your site the server hands their computer 520kb of data. Why does this cost you money? Think of you server like you do a server in a restaurant, every time they serve you a meal they earn a tip. The server has to work to hand out your site’s data. If your site is super busy, the host is going to want more money to handle the demand, just as a waiter who works a lot of tables gets a lot of tips.

Most starter plans give you ate least 10 or 20 gigabytes of bandwidth every month, which is more than enough for most amateur or beginner sites. If your site is already hosted elsewhere, you can look at your server stats to determine how much bandwidth you’ve used each month. It is important to choose a host that will let you easily upgrade to a plan with more bandwidth if needed. You should also find out what a host’s policy is if you go over the bandwidth limits. Some hosts will cut off your site for the rest of the month and other’s will start charging you extra fees.

Be wary of any site that claims to offer unlimited bandwidth. This is a lie. These sites sell shared hosting, which means you are sharing space on a certain machine with several other customers. If your site takes up a lot of bandwidth and makes the other customer’s sites run slowly, the hosting company will usually demand you upgrade to another, more expensive plan.

Backups

A blog is a dynamic beast, constantly updated not only by you but by your readers who leave comments. No hosting company is impervious to server problems. Find out if the hosting company makes regularly scheduled backups of your site. Some companies don’t make any, whereas others will make one daily, weekly or monthly. Once you’ve signed up for hosting, you should also learn how to manually download a backup just to be on the safe side. You’ll be happy you have it if your site is ever hacked by Russians.

Customer support

You’re not a web wizard, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article. The time will come when you need help. Is the hosting company available to answer your questions 24 hours a day? Will they be able to fix a problem if your site crashes at one o’clock in the morning. Are they polite? Most hosting companies have forums or support ticket systems, and some offer live chat services with representatives. Make sure the level of customer support meets your expectations.

Uptime

No hosting company can guarantee that your site will be up 100% of the time. Sometimes administrators need to reboot the server, just like any computer, if they’re fixing a problem or upgrading software on the machine. However, your site should be up at least 98% of the time. You can check the uptime of a host company by visiting FindMyHosting.com, clicking on the host, and then clicking on the graph icon that says “Reliability.” If your host has a lot of downtime, you might want to reconsider signing with them.

Control panel

As someone who works on lots of different sites, I prefer that web hosts use popular and commonly used web programs for server management. cPanel is a leading program that lets you manage basically everything from your blog to email to databases and more. Check to see what kind of control panel your hosting company uses, or if they have one at all. This can make the life of your web designer a lot easier or harder.

Payment terms

Some hosts offer a low rate, as little as $3 or $4 a month, however to get this rate you have to sign up for multiple years in advance, like a cell phone company that gives you a free phone if you commit to contract. I prefer to have the option to leave my host at any time in case their service starts to suffer. Check to see if you can pay month-to-month or if you have to pay annually.

Other features

Your project might require specific resources like a programming language or the ability to host many domains on the same site. Look over all the features offered in a hosting plan and make sure the hosting company is offering everything you’ll need.

It’s important to remember that there is no real “best” host, but some hosts are better than others. No one company is perfect, but if you pay attention to these eight items when choosing your vendor, your data will be living happily on a nice server in a good neighborhood for a long time.