Google actively encourages its users to enable two factor verification for passwords. While this increases security, it also causes minor inconveniences.
After a long inactive period I have decided to blog more regularly and for that installed Windows Live Writer, but while trying to configure it for my Blogger account it complained about my password. After several attempts with various combinations, I remembered that I have set up a two step verification for Google services, so I have to manually grant permission to all third party applications. There is even a specific warning for applications connecting to Blogger.

Some applications that work outside a browser aren't yet compatible with 2-step verification and cannot ask for verification codes, for example:
Applications used to access Blogger
To use these applications, you first need to generate an application-specific password. Next, enter that in the password field of your application instead of your usual password. You can create a new application-specific password for each application that needs one.

After you give a name and generate a one time password problem gets solved.

Tagging became popular after the increase in Web 2.0 applications, especially in blogging among others. It allows to easily categorize and identify individual posts so that one can find related posts. When a reader clicks a tag, he is directed to an index page listing all the posts associated with that tag. That way readers spend more time on the blog looking for the posts they are more likely to be interested. One other advantage of tags is that blog software tracks and updates all connections between the posts with it.
There are all kinds of tagging visualization systems, the one we are particularly interested is "tag cloud".
If you want to have a tag cloud widget on your blog check out this tutorial.

One of the most appealing feature of blogging is that most of the blogging platforms offer easy customization. You don't have to stuck with default themes and other visual elements. You can either design your own custom theme, favicon and even cursor or you can choose and apply from among the thousands of free ones available on the Internet.
In this post I will try to show you how you can change your cursor for your blog.

Here is how to do that:

1. Find a cursor you like on the Internet or design yourself.

• Cursors have their own file formats, which you'll be able to identify by the file extensions .cur and .ani. The .cur extension is for static cursors, whereas the .ani extension is for animated cursors.
• The easiest and best way to design your own cursor is to use a specialized cursor editor,such as IconArt or use Imagine to convert images to ani/cur files. You can also try designing one online within your browser.
• If you find the idea of designing your own cursor too challenging, plenty of cursors are available on the Internet free of charge-just type "free cursor" into Google. Look for cursors with .cur and .ani extensions. You will find tons of them.

2. Upload it to a hosting service (make sure the service supports *.cur or *.ani files).

3. Insert the code to your page. ("about me" page for MySpace profile).

Some websites offer all in one solution; cursor, hosting and code. You just have to choose your cursor and apply its code to your blog. (i.e. TotallyFreeCursors )

Code example for websites/blogs:

<style type="text/css">
<!--
body {cursor: url('http://svr1.cursorhost.com/081008/1223460287x4gwg3.cur');} -->
</style>

Don't forget to replace the URL
http://svr1.cursorhost.com/081008/1223460287x4gwg3.cur
with your link of your cursor from the hosting site.

Free cursor hosting site:
http://www.cursorhost.com/

related:
Vista drive icons in Windows XP
Custom Cursors for XP
Specialized search engines