Using File Manager to Fiddle With Hit Counters

Okay folks...as mentioned in my previous
post, we've got the new Web-based File
Manager. Obvious benefits

of having it include the ability to upload and manipulate your files

without having to use your AOL client (also the ability to upload
files

to one screen name's space while you're signed on with another), as well as

being a lot easier to use than the old
tool.

Now, I'm not sure if this is an
unexpected benefit or an unintended
consequence, but the new File Manager also allows you to
change the count of your blog's hit counter. It will
be most valuable to those who've had their hit counters reset (due to
the write-lock
problem I talked about last week), but it also means that you
can have your hit counter read whatever you want it to
say.

I

will leave the moral and ethical implications for others to hash

out.... other than to say that, sure, you can have a hit counter that

reads 120,096 hits, but if you've got 3 entries and no comments, well,

perhaps you would be better off interacting with
other bloggers and telling your friends to read your
blog.

So here's how it works (it's moderately
involved):

1. Take the counter off your blog via the
Edit Journal button. It'll make things
easier.
2. Open the Web-based File Manager: http://hometown.aol.com/_fm
If you're not
signed in, you'll be asked to sign in with your screen name and
password.
3. Click "Browse My
Files"
4.

You will see a list of files that live in the top level of your
storage

space. Among them, you should see a list of files that begin with
".odometer"

(notice the beginning period), and ending with the name of your

Journal. (If you have multiple Journals with hit counters, you'll have

multiple .odometer files.)  [Please note: the filenames are case-sensitive -- if your blog has a mix of upper and lowercase letters, the filename will have to match; matching the capitalization, spelling, and punctuation is critical, or else this won't work.]

For example, if my blog's address is http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/MagicSmoke -- my blog's odometer file will be .odometer.MagicSmoke


(4b. If you just want to reset a counter that's not working, just
delete the .odometer file and put your counter back on your blog. It will recreate itself automatically from
zero.)
5. Right-click and save
the odometer file you want to change to your computer. If you
can save it as a plain text file with a .txt extension,
that would be best. (Also, if you're using Mac OSX, you might have to delete the period in front of .odometer in order to save the file. You will need to add it back in step 14.)
6. Using Notepad or another text
editor,

open the .odometer file you downloaded.  You'll see that it's
just

a plain text file with an eight-digit number (no commas). This is your

number of hits: If you have 1,235 hits, the number
in your .odometer file will read:
00001235
7. In your text editor, change the
number to what you want it to show. Make sure you use just
numbers,

and include the zeroes in front to make it 8 digits. And make sure

there aren't any spaces or anything after the number. I'm not sure how

picky this is. 


8. Then, save the file with the same name -- make

sure you have it as a plain text file (.txt).
9.
Looking back at

File Manager, you should still be at the top level
of your folders.

Delete or rename the old
.odometer file. (Click the blue Change button next
to the old .odometer file, then click "Delete This File" in the right
column. It will ask you if you really want to delete the file -- click OK.)
10. Click the "Add More Files"
link in the upper right corner.
11.

Upload the modified .odometer file you just made, by browsing to it,

selecting it, and hitting the blue "OK" button to upload
it.
12. In

your file list, find the modified .odometer file you just uploaded. It

will probably look like .odometer.yourjournalname.txt
13.
Click the blue Change button next to your new .odometer file, and click
"Rename This File."
14. Rename the file to remove any extensions at the end of the filename.
For example, if my

blog's address is http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/MagicSmoke, the .odometer file should be

.odometer.MagicSmoke (with nothing after the blog
name) -- make sure there's a period (no spaces) in front and behind the word "odometer"
15. Go back to "Edit Journal" and add your counter back onto your
blog.


That's it, you should be done -- your hit counter should
say whatever you said it should say.

(The

reason why step #1 was "take off your hit counter" was because if

people hit your blog while you were doing all this, it would just keep

recreating your hit counter, which could make it tough to swap in the

new one you made.)

Also, FYI, while I was writing
these

instructions, I tested putting in 99999999 as my
number to see what

would happen. After you hit 99,999,999, it'll just roll over
to zero --

just like a regular odometer.

Whew,

hope this helps. Let me know if you have any problems or if there's
any

way I can streamline these instructions.

[Update: If you've tried these instructions but it didn't work for you -- you need to be veeeery careful with the filenames -- it's very picky about matching the capitalization and spelling exactly.

If you look in your file list, you will probably see a few different versions of the .odometer file. As an example: If my blog's address is http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/TestJournal/
then my odometer file needs to be named .odometer.TestJournal

If I try to name it .odometer.testjournal (note the capitalization doesn't match), it's not going to work -- the .odometer file will be recreated, starting from zero.]

Thanks. -- Joe

Tags: aol journals, file manager, hit counters, journals tips