HTML Help Needed, Please, For We Do Not Consent Blog

[GuvWurld]

There is something wrong with the template for my blog and I just can't seem to figure it out. If you visit http://WeDoNotConsent.blogspot.com the page should appear in three columns (I've heard some people have some overlap among the columns but that's the next problem, not this one). Scroll down to the bottom of any post and click the Permalink button. Or just use this direct link to see the problem:

http://wedonotconsent.blogspot.com/2006/07/reflections-on-independence-volume-4.html

Now instead of three columns there is only one. I'm no HTML pro but I'm not illiterate either. I've done all sorts of experimenting but no dice so I figure I better ask for help. Thanks in advance.

[Nicole]

1. Maybe this?

The Center Tag on Line # 296

An open tag was found without a matching close. This may be an extra tag you should remove, or there may be a missing close tag later in the page that you need to add.

[GuvWurld]

2. Thanks for the suggestion. How did you ID #296?

What is the easiest way to find the line you are referencing since I don't have them numbered? I just did CTRL-F through the whole page making sure each <center> was followed by a </center>. I didn't find the problem. Thanks for your help.

[Nicole]

3. I cheated

and I guess not so good :rofl:

I ran it through the html doctor program.

http://www.doctor-html.com/RxHTML/cgi-bin/ssi.cgi?l=intro.html

It said line 296 had the html error.

You can find the line number at the very bottom of the page, where it shows your entire page's codes.

If that doesn't help you, try this other online html "doctor"

http://watson.addy.com/nph-watson5.cgi

Sorry if my earlier post wasted your time. :(

[Nicole]

7. I didn't ask if you have a MAC or PC?

On a MAC, while viewing the page source, you click on edit, then click on Go to line, a box will open for you to enter the line number in. Do PCs have that same option?

Here is what I found on line 296 doing it that way:

<div class="timestamp"><center>Posted by Dave Berman - 5:53 PM | <a href="http://wedonotconsent.blogspot.com/2006/07/reflections-on-independence-volume-4.html" title="permanent link">Permalink</a><br>

line 298 is this
</div>

I don't see a closing tag for center, which is what the error message I posted last night was. :shrug:

[GuvWurld]

11. I'm on a PC, and there IS a tag

I'm sorry I didn't see your message sooner. I wasn't checking the thread, only looking at replies to my messages in My DU. Since you replied to your own post I missed it. Sorry.

Anyway, from my blog template:

<div class="timestamp"><center>Posted by <$BlogItemAuthorNickname$> - <$BlogItemDateTime$> | <a href="<$BlogItemPermalinkUrl$>" title="permanent link">Permalink</a><br>

<MainOrArchivePage>

<BlogItemCommentsEnabled><a href="<$BlogItemCommentCreate$>"
<$BlogItemCommentFormOnClick$>>Comments (<$BlogItemCommentCount$> So Far)</a> | <a href="#top">Top of Page</a> | <a href="http://wedonotconsent.blogspot.com">WDNC Main Page</a></center>
</BlogItemCommentsEnabled>


The problem with the columns has been going on for weeks. The code above was modified two nights ago to change the the link options that appear after each post. You might have noticed I <!--commented--> the code for "links to this post" because it is stupid (it came with the template) and doesn't do what I thought it should do. I wanted the more relevant internal site navigation links so I added those (top, main). Notice the </center> tag appears after these. I originally tried it with closing the tag after the permalink and then reopening the center tag for the comments, top, and main links and then closing again. But this added a blank row in between and I wanted them closer together. So by using only one set of open and close tags for centering I made it look the way I want. And, like I said, this problem predates this coding.

[GuvWurld]

4. Kicking for help still needed. Thanks.

I checked out the links Nicole posted above but I was still not able to identify the problem.

[Control-Z]

5. have you checked your style sheet?

[GuvWurld]

6. I'm working off a generic template.

I downloaded the code from some page builder. I've customized it quite a bit and a I like it. Please right click on the page and click view page source to view the code. Thanks.

http://WeDoNotConsent.blogspot.com

[Control-Z]

8. if you have the original

code I might be able to find something


edit to say: that I've got all I need - let me take a look at it - I'll check back in a bit

[Control-Z]

9. okay - I really need a little more info

to know exactly what you want. I've started from scratch and have three columns with what I think is the information you want in the center column but I'm not sure if you've made any changes to the sidebars.


Edit: check this and see if this is what you're looking for

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/jgrif/

[GuvWurld]

10. This is perfect.

I found your link in my stats and followed it from there. I was psyched by what I saw but I didn't check back here to see your comment or that you had also posted the link here. Instead I started trying to compare the source on your page to the source on the current page. I couldn't find the difference. Please tell. And thank you, big time.

[Control-Z]

12. Hey - no problem. Happy to help.

I didn't do much -just started over. Debugging is a bitch. Sometimes it's just better to start fresh. That's what I did. It took me all of 5 minutes - tops. Give me a couple more and I'll throw up some markers to help you steer clear of future problems.

edit to say: I've added comment tags into the code to help you find the sidebars and center column. (they are invisible to viewers)

they look like this:

<!--LEFT SIDEBAR BEGINS HERE--!>

<!--LEFT SIDEBAR ENDS--!>

<!--CENTER COLUMN CONTENT BEGINS HERE--!> and so on...

I've left quite a bit of white space to help break up and define the three areas. Keep the three separate from each other if you are making any changes. I think that's where you went wrong. Make sure you don't accidentally drop any of your closing </div> tags. (or any other tags, for that matter, but it is easy to drop the closing div for some reason.) Copy and past the entire code into your directory. There's too much code to manually edit it. You'll just end up with more bugs. Make sure you save a copy to your hard drive and if you want to make changes be sure and make a copy first. Saves a lot of frustration later on down the line.

[GuvWurld]

13. Actually...

There is only this problem, and the fact that some people say the columns bleed over into each other when the site otherwise looks correct in three columns. I've knocked myself out trying to change the column widths to solve this problem but it always results in a totally mangled page.

BTW, I don't know what you already did on the page I said looks perfect. Could you please give me some explicit instructions to change the actual template?

Thanks again.

[Control-Z]

14. You have AIM?

That would be much easier.

[GuvWurld]

15. No, but I just PM'd you.

n/t