How To: Use a Standalone Browser With Your Journal

Hi all. Here's how you can create new entries and edit your Journal, even when you're not using the AOL client software.

The front-end of AOL Journals is just about completely Web-based, which means that it's all Web pages. Generally, AOL Journalers access Journals from inside the AOL software, but there's no reason why you can't use any standard external Web browser -- you just have to sign in. (When you use the AOL software, you're automatically signed in.)

This can be a useful workaround when there's an AOL client problem, but it's also helpful when you're away from your usual computer, or even if you want to sign on with one Screen Name on the AOL software and want to work on a Journal that's on another of your screen names (just like you can use Webmail to check multiple e-mail accounts simultaneously).

To do this, all you need is standalone, or external, Web browser, like Firefox (which I'm partial to because of tabbed browsing and a lot of useful extensions), Netscape or the standalone version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer, or MSIE, is on just about every Windows machine out there, so it's always an option.

To open Microsoft Internet Explorer,
1. Go to the Start Menu
2. Click Programs, then Internet Explorer.

This should open up the standalone version of Internet Explorer.) 

There's also AOL Explorer, which is a standalone browser that also hooks into a lot of AOL features, but it's pretty much still an external browser built on MSIE.

Anyway, no matter what standalone browser you use, if you know the address of your Journal, just go directly to it (if you don't know your blog's address, I will tell you a shortcut in a second).

When you get to your Journal, there should be a link in the very top right of the page that says "Sign In" (it may show the screen name that last signed in there); go ahead and click it:

This will give you a little sign-in dropdown, which is the newer sign-in behavior; it's a little more convenient than the old version (which went to a destination screen -- you can still get to if you want -- just click the "Standard Sign In Screen" link). It will show you Screen Name and Password fields:

Type your Screen Name and Password and click the Sign In button.

When you've signed in, you should have the signed-in, owner's view of your Journal, complete with the owner's blue create and edit buttons. 

Here, you're able to do everything with your Journal that you can when you're editing your Journal inside the AOL software.

(You should also be signed in if you've signed in elsewhere with your Screen Name, like if you've been reading your Webmail.)

Now, if you don't know your blog's address, one thing you can do is go to the Journals main page (the shortcut address is http://www.aol.com/blogs) & sign on like I mentioned above. After you sign in, it should show you a widget listing all of the blogs you own under that screen name, which you can then click to edit.

Thanks -- Joe