Admin Guide - Publishing to Vijay’s Journal

Your complete guide to writing and publishing articles

Quick Start - Publishing a New Article

5-Minute Workflow

# 1. Create new file in _posts folder
# Filename format: YYYY-MM-DD-article-title.md
touch _posts/2026-01-15-my-article-title.md

# 2. Open in your editor, add front matter + content

# 3. Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "New article: My Article Title"
git push origin master

# 4. Wait 1-2 minutes
# 5. Article is live!

Creating a New Article
Front Matter Guide
Markdown Syntax
Adding Images
Formatting Tips
Categories & Tags
Publishing Checklist
Updating Existing Articles

Creating a New Article

Step 1: Create the File

Naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD-article-slug.md

Examples:

2026-01-15-salesforce-integration-best-practices.md
2026-02-03-real-time-analytics-frameworks.md
2026-03-20-data-governance-strategies.md

Rules:

✅ Start with date: YYYY-MM-DD-
✅ Lowercase only
✅ Use hyphens (not spaces or underscores)
✅ Keep slug short but descriptive
✅ File extension: .md

Where: _posts/ folder in your repository

Step 2: Add Front Matter

Every article starts with front matter (metadata between --- lines):

---
layout: post
title: "Your Article Title Here"
date: 2026-01-15
category: analytics-bi
tags: [business intelligence, analytics, real-time data]
excerpt: "A brief 1-2 sentence description of what this article covers."
image: /images/posts/2026-01-15-article-slug/hero.jpg
---

Required fields:

layout: Always post
title: Article title (use quotes if contains colons)
date: Publication date (YYYY-MM-DD)
category: One of: analytics-bi, data-strategy, salesforce, consulting-insights

Optional fields:

tags: Array of topics (for cross-referencing)
excerpt: Short description (shows in cards on hover, SEO meta)
image: Featured image path (shows in grid cards)

Step 3: Write Your Content

After the closing ---, write your article in Markdown:

---
layout: post
title: "The Future of Real-Time Analytics"
date: 2026-01-15
category: analytics-bi
tags: [real-time data, streaming, business intelligence]
excerpt: "How modern organizations leverage streaming architectures for instant insights."
---

## Introduction

Your first paragraph here...

## Main Section

More content...

### Subsection

Details...

Front Matter Guide

Required Fields Explained

`layout: post`

Purpose: Tells Jekyll which template to use
Value: Always post for articles
Don’t change this

`title: "Article Title"`

Purpose: Article headline
Format: Use quotes, especially if title contains : or #
Tips:

Keep under 60 characters (better for SEO)
Use title case: “The Future of Real-Time Analytics”
Be specific and descriptive
Avoid clickbait

Examples:

title: "Building Scalable Data Pipelines with Apache Kafka"
title: "5 Salesforce Integration Patterns Every Architect Should Know"
title: "Why Data Governance Fails: Lessons from 10 Client Engagements"

`date: YYYY-MM-DD`

Purpose: Publication date (affects URL and sorting)
Format: Must be YYYY-MM-DD exactly
Behavior: Jekyll won’t show future-dated posts

Examples:

date: 2026-01-15
date: 2025-12-28

Note: You can schedule posts by using future dates. They’ll appear automatically on that date.

`category:`

Purpose: Primary topic classification
Values: Must be one of these exact slugs:

analytics-bi → Analytics & BI
data-strategy → Data Strategy
salesforce → Salesforce
consulting-insights → Consulting Insights

Affects:

URL structure: /category/article-title/
Category page filtering
Category badge on cards

Example:

category: analytics-bi

Wrong:

category: Analytics & BI  # Don't use display name!
category: analytics  # Wrong slug

Optional Fields Explained

`tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]`

Purpose: Topic keywords for cross-referencing
Format: Array in square brackets, comma-separated
Display: Pills at bottom of article

Best practices:

Use 3-6 tags per article
Lowercase, hyphenated for multi-word
Be consistent (reuse tags across articles)
Mix general and specific

Examples:

tags: [real-time analytics, apache kafka, streaming data, decision-making]
tags: [salesforce, integration, rest api, data sync]
tags: [consulting, client engagement, transformation, change management]

`excerpt: "Description"`

Purpose: Short summary (shows in cards on hover, search results, SEO)
Format: Quoted string, 1-2 sentences
Length: 100-160 characters ideal

Examples:

excerpt: "How forward-thinking organizations leverage streaming data to make decisions at the speed of business."
excerpt: "Five integration patterns that solve 90% of Salesforce connectivity challenges."

If omitted: Jekyll uses first paragraph (might not be ideal)

`image: /path/to/image.jpg`

Purpose: Featured image for article card
Format: Absolute path from root (starts with /)
Recommended size: 1200x720px (5:3 ratio), compressed to <300KB

Examples:

image: /images/posts/2026-01-15-article-title/hero.jpg
image: /images/posts/2026-02-03-another-article/cover.png

If omitted: Card shows gradient placeholder

Markdown Syntax (Complete Guide)

Headings

## Main Section (H2)
### Subsection (H3)
#### Sub-subsection (H4)

Hierarchy rules:

H1 is article title (set in front matter, don’t use in content)
Start with H2 (##) for main sections
Use H3 (###) for subsections
Use H4 (####) rarely (detailed breakdowns)

Best practices:

Don’t skip levels (H2 → H4 is wrong)
Keep headings concise (under 10 words)
Use sentence case, not ALL CAPS

Paragraphs

This is a paragraph. Just write normally.

Leave a blank line between paragraphs.

This is a new paragraph.

Line breaks within paragraphs:

This is one line  
Add two spaces at end of line to force break
This appears on new line

Emphasis

**Bold text** for strong emphasis
*Italic text* for subtle emphasis
***Bold and italic*** for maximum emphasis

Renders as:

Bold text for strong emphasis
Italic text for subtle emphasis
Bold and italic for maximum emphasis

Links

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Another article](/analytics-bi/previous-article/)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Hover text")

Internal links (to other articles):

Read my [previous article on data governance](/data-strategy/governance-frameworks/)

External links:

Check out [Apache Kafka documentation](https://kafka.apache.org/documentation/)

Email links:

Contact me at [athelivijay17@gmail.com](mailto:athelivijay17@gmail.com)

Lists

Unordered (Bullet) Lists

- First item
- Second item
- Third item
  - Nested item (indent with 2 spaces)
  - Another nested item
- Fourth item

Ordered (Numbered) Lists

First step
Second step
Third step
Sub-step (indent with 3 spaces)
Another sub-step
Fourth step

Mixed lists:

1. Main point
   - Supporting detail
   - Another detail
2. Next main point

Blockquotes

> This is a quote or callout.
> It can span multiple lines.
> 
> Even multiple paragraphs.

Renders as:

This is a quote or callout. It can span multiple lines.

Use for:

Quotes from sources
Key takeaways
Important callouts
Pulling out main ideas

Code

Inline Code

Use `inline code` for commands, variables, or technical terms.

Example: The `requestAnimationFrame` function improves performance.

Code Blocks

```python
def analyze_data(df):
    """Process dataframe and return insights."""
    return df.groupby('category').agg({
        'revenue': 'sum',
        'count': 'count'
    })
```

Supported languages (for syntax highlighting):

python, javascript, java, sql, bash, yaml, json, css, html

Best practices:

Always specify language after opening ```
Keep code blocks under 30 lines
Add comments for clarity
Include context before code block

Horizontal Rules

Use three hyphens for a divider:

---

Content continues after the line.

Use sparingly - section transitions, major topic changes

Images

Basic Image

![Alt text description](/images/posts/2026-01-15-article/diagram.png)

Image with Caption

![Data pipeline architecture](/images/posts/2026-01-15-article/pipeline.png)
*Figure 1: Modern data pipeline with streaming and batch processing*

Best practices:

Always include alt text (accessibility + SEO)
Use descriptive filenames
Compress images before adding
Recommended size: 1200px wide max

Tables

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Row 1 Col 1 | Row 1 Col 2 | Row 1 Col 3 |
| Row 2 Col 1 | Row 2 Col 2 | Row 2 Col 3 |

Alignment:

| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| Text | Text   | Text  |

Tips:

Use for data comparison
Keep tables simple (max 5 columns)
Consider using an image of a table for complex data

Adding Images

Image Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Images

Recommended specs:

Featured image (card): 1200x720px (5:3 ratio)
Inline images: 1200px width max
Diagrams/screenshots: As needed, but compress
Format: JPG for photos, PNG for diagrams/screenshots
Compression: Aim for <300KB per image

Tools:

Compression: TinyPNG.com, Squoosh.app
Editing: Photoshop, GIMP, Canva

Step 2: Organize in Folder

# Create folder for your article's images
mkdir -p images/posts/2026-01-15-article-title

# Copy images into that folder
# Name them descriptively
images/posts/2026-01-15-article-title/
├── hero.jpg          # Featured image for card
├── diagram-1.png     # First diagram in article
├── screenshot-2.png  # Screenshot
└── chart-3.jpg       # Data visualization

Step 3: Reference in Article

---
title: "My Article"
image: /images/posts/2026-01-15-article-title/hero.jpg
---

## Section with Image

Here's a diagram explaining the concept:

![Data flow diagram](/images/posts/2026-01-15-article-title/diagram-1.png)

The diagram shows how data moves through the system...

Important:

✅ Paths start with / (absolute from root)
✅ Use exact filename (case-sensitive)
✅ Include alt text in square brackets
✅ Compress images before committing

Image Best Practices

Do:

✅ Compress all images (<300KB each)
✅ Use descriptive filenames: salesforce-architecture-diagram.png
✅ Store in article-specific folder
✅ Use alt text that describes the image content
✅ Reference with absolute paths: /images/...

Don’t:

❌ Use spaces in filenames: my diagram.png
❌ Upload uncompressed RAW images (MBs in size)
❌ Use relative paths: ../images/...
❌ Forget alt text (bad for SEO and accessibility)
❌ Use generic names: image1.jpg, screenshot.png

Markdown Formatting Tips

Emphasis in Content

Bold for:

Key terms on first use
Important takeaways
Strong emphasis

Example:

The **modern data stack** has fundamentally changed how organizations approach analytics.

Italic for:

Subtle emphasis
Foreign words
Internal thoughts
Quotes within text

Example:

This approach requires *rethinking* the entire data architecture.

Creating Lists

When to use bullet lists:

Multiple related items
No specific order
Quick reference points

When to use numbered lists:

Sequential steps
Ranked items
Procedures or processes

Example - Mixing both:

## Implementation Steps

1. **Assess current state**
   - Review existing data infrastructure
   - Interview key stakeholders
   - Document pain points

2. **Design solution**
   - Choose appropriate tools
   - Create architecture diagram
   - Define success metrics

3. **Execute in phases**
   - Start with pilot project
   - Gather feedback
   - Iterate and expand

Using Blockquotes Effectively

For quotes:

As the CTO mentioned in our kickoff meeting:

> "We need real-time visibility into customer behavior, not yesterday's dashboard."

This became the north star for our analytics transformation.

For key takeaways:

> **Key Insight:** Organizations that treat data as a product, not a byproduct, build more sustainable analytics capabilities.

For callouts:

> **Important:** Always validate data quality before making strategic decisions based on new metrics.

Code Snippets

When to use code blocks:

SQL queries
Python/Java code examples
Configuration files
API examples
Terminal commands

SQL example:

Here's how you query the data:

```sql
SELECT 
    category,
    COUNT(*) as article_count,
    AVG(reading_time) as avg_time
FROM articles
WHERE publish_date >= '2025-01-01'
GROUP BY category
ORDER BY article_count DESC;

**Python example:**
````markdown
Process the data with this function:

```python
import pandas as pd

def clean_dataframe(df):
    """Remove nulls and standardize column names."""
    df = df.dropna()
    df.columns = df.columns.str.lower().str.replace(' ', '_')
    return df

result = clean_dataframe(raw_data)

**Command line:**
````markdown
Run these commands:

```bash
cd /path/to/project
pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py
```

Categories & Tags

Choosing the Right Category

Every article must have ONE category.

`analytics-bi`

Use for:

Business Intelligence platforms (Tableau, Power BI, Looker)
Analytics strategies and frameworks
Dashboard design
Reporting best practices
Data visualization
Analytics team organization

Example titles:

“Choosing the Right BI Platform for Your Organization”
“Building Executive Dashboards That Drive Action”
“The Evolution of Self-Service Analytics”

`data-strategy`

Use for:

Data architecture and infrastructure
Modern data stack
Data governance and quality
Data warehousing and lakes
ETL/ELT pipelines
Data platform selection

Example titles:

“Designing a Scalable Data Architecture”
“Data Governance Without Bureaucracy”
“Migrating from On-Prem to Cloud Data Warehouse”

`salesforce`

Use for:

Salesforce implementation
CRM strategy
Salesforce configuration and customization
Integration patterns
Specific Salesforce clouds (Sales, Service, Marketing)
Apex, Lightning, Flow

Example titles:

“Salesforce Integration Patterns for Enterprise”
“Building Custom Lightning Components”
“Sales Cloud vs Service Cloud: When to Use Which”

`consulting-insights`

Use for:

Client engagement stories (anonymized)
Consulting methodologies
Transformation projects
Change management
Stakeholder management
Lessons learned
Industry observations

Example titles:

“Why Digital Transformations Fail (And How to Prevent It)”
“Managing Stakeholder Expectations in Analytics Projects”
“5 Lessons from My First Year as an Independent Consultant”

Using Tags Effectively

Tags are cross-category topics.

Strategy:

Use 3-6 tags per article
Mix broad and specific tags
Be consistent (reuse tags across articles)
Think: “What would someone search for?”

Good tag examples:

# Broad + Specific:
tags: [analytics, real-time data, apache kafka, streaming]

# Technology + Concept:
tags: [salesforce, integration, rest api, middleware]

# Domain + Application:
tags: [retail analytics, customer behavior, predictive models]

Tag naming conventions:

Lowercase
Multi-word: Use hyphens real-time-analytics
Technologies: Use proper names Apache Kafka, Salesforce, Python
Concepts: Be specific data-governance not just governance

Article Structure Best Practices

Recommended Outline

---
[Front matter]
---

## Introduction (2-3 paragraphs)
- Hook: Why this matters
- Context: Set the stage
- Promise: What reader will learn

## Background / Problem (Optional)
- Explain the challenge
- Provide context

## Main Content (3-5 sections)
### First Major Point
Content...

### Second Major Point
Content...

### Third Major Point
Content...

## Practical Application / Implementation
- How to apply these insights
- Step-by-step guidance
- Real-world examples

## Conclusion (1-2 paragraphs)
- Summarize key points
- Call to action or next steps
- Forward-looking statement

Article Length Guidelines

Short articles (500-800 words):

Quick insights
Single-topic deep dives
Tool reviews
Best practices lists

Medium articles (800-1500 words):

Most common length
Good depth without overwhelming
Case studies
How-to guides

Long articles (1500-3000 words):

Comprehensive guides
Multi-faceted topics
Thought leadership pieces
Research-based content

Reading time calculation:

~200 words per minute
1000 words ≈ 5 min read
1500 words ≈ 7-8 min read

Advanced Formatting

Nested Lists

1. **First main point**
   - Supporting detail A
   - Supporting detail B
     - Sub-detail 1
     - Sub-detail 2
   - Supporting detail C

2. **Second main point**
   - Another set of details

Complex Blockquotes

> **Key Takeaway**
> 
> The most successful analytics transformations start with clear business objectives, not technology selection. Organizations that lead with "We need Snowflake" rather than "We need to reduce time-to-insight" often struggle.

Combining Code and Explanation

The query uses a window function for running totals:

```sql
SELECT 
    date,
    revenue,
    SUM(revenue) OVER (
        ORDER BY date 
        ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW
    ) as running_total
FROM daily_sales;
```

Breaking this down:
- `SUM(revenue) OVER (...)` creates the window function
- `ORDER BY date` ensures chronological calculation
- `ROWS BETWEEN...` defines the window frame

Creating Visual Breaks

Section divider:

---

New major section starts here.

Emphasis break (three asterisks):

* * *

Visual pause in content.

Full Article Example

---
layout: post
title: "Why Data Governance Fails in Most Organizations"
date: 2026-01-20
category: data-strategy
tags: [data governance, data quality, organizational change, best practices]
excerpt: "Data governance initiatives fail 70% of the time. Here's why, and how to be in the 30% that succeed."
image: /images/posts/2026-01-20-data-governance-fails/hero.jpg
---

## The Uncomfortable Truth

Most data governance programs fail. Not "underperform" or "take longer than expected." **Fail.** As in, three years and millions of dollars later, data quality is no better, compliance gaps remain, and the governance council has stopped meeting.

I've seen this pattern across industries—healthcare, financial services, retail, technology. The specifics differ, but the failure modes are remarkably consistent.

## Why Governance Initiatives Struggle

### They Start with Policies, Not Problems

![Governance framework diagram](/images/posts/2026-01-20-data-governance-fails/framework.png)

The typical approach:

1. Hire a data governance consultant
2. Create a comprehensive framework
3. Write extensive policies and procedures
4. Form a governance council
5. Wonder why no one follows the policies

The issue? **No one wakes up excited about policies.** They wake up frustrated about:

- Unreliable reports that contradict each other
- Customer data spread across 47 systems
- Compliance audits that reveal gaps
- Decisions delayed waiting for "clean" data

Start with these problems, not abstract frameworks.

### They Treat Governance as IT's Job

> **Reality Check:** Data governance is a business problem that requires technical solutions, not a technical problem that business happens to care about.

When governance lives in IT:
- Business teams see it as red tape
- Compliance becomes a checkbox exercise
- Real data quality issues go unaddressed
- Governance team lacks authority

**Better approach:** Business owns governance, IT enables it.

### They Aim for Perfection

I worked with a client who spent 18 months defining their "master data model" before attempting implementation. Meanwhile, their sales and support teams were using different customer databases, causing real business problems daily.

Perfect is the enemy of good in data governance.

## What Actually Works

### Start Small and Specific

Pick ONE critical business process that's broken because of data issues.

Examples:
- Customer onboarding takes 3 weeks because systems don't sync
- Finance can't close books without manual reconciliation
- Compliance can't trace data lineage for audits

Fix that ONE thing. Document what you learn. Expand from there.

### Make Governance Valuable, Not Burdensome

Good governance should make people's jobs **easier**, not harder.

**Bad governance:**
```
Submit data dictionary request → Wait for approval → 
Attend governance meeting → Wait for another meeting → 
Get dictionary 6 weeks later
```

**Good governance:**
```
Search data catalog → Find table with good documentation → 
Use immediately → Flag quality issues → 
Automated alerts improve data over time
```

### Measure What Matters

Don't measure:
- Number of policies written
- Governance meetings held
- People "trained" on governance

Measure:
- Data quality incidents (trending down?)
- Time to resolve data issues (getting faster?)
- Compliance gaps (closing?)
- Business decisions delayed by data problems (decreasing?)

## The Path Forward

Data governance succeeds when it:

1. Solves real business problems
2. Lives where the business is (not in IT)
3. Starts small and proves value
4. Makes work easier, not harder
5. Measures business outcomes, not process compliance

Start with your biggest pain point. Build governance around solving it. Let success breed expansion.

The 30% who succeed don't have better frameworks. They have better focus.

---

*Working on a data governance initiative? [Let's connect](https://linkedin.com/in/vijay-chandra-atheli) to discuss strategies.*

Publishing Checklist

Before Committing

After Pushing

Wait 2 minutes for GitHub Pages to build
Visit article URL and verify it looks correct
Check on mobile device (or browser mobile view)
Test dark mode toggle
Verify images load
Check category page shows new article
Verify homepage shows in “Latest Articles”
Test all links in article

Updating Existing Articles

Fix Typos or Errors

# 1. Open the article file
code _posts/2025-12-28-article-name.md

# 2. Make changes

# 3. Commit with descriptive message
git add _posts/2025-12-28-article-name.md
git commit -m "Fix typo in 'Article Name'"
git push origin master

Major Content Updates

Update the date in front matter if significantly changed:

---
title: "Original Title"
date: 2025-12-28       # Original
updated: 2026-02-15    # Add this line for major updates
---

Note in article:

*Updated February 15, 2026: Added section on new Salesforce features.*

Unpublishing an Article

Option 1: Delete permanently

git rm _posts/2025-12-28-article-to-remove.md
git commit -m "Remove article: Article Name"
git push

Option 2: Rename to draft (won’t publish)

# Rename without date prefix
mv _posts/2025-12-28-article.md _posts/draft-article.md

git add .
git commit -m "Move article to draft"
git push

Git Workflow

Daily Publishing Routine

# Check current status
git status

# Pull latest changes (if working from multiple computers)
git pull origin master

# Create new article
touch _posts/2026-01-15-my-article.md

# Write content...

# Stage all changes
git add .

# Commit with message
git commit -m "New article: My Article Title"

# Push to GitHub
git push origin master

# Verify deployment
# Go to: https://github.com/VijayChandraAtheli/vijaychandraatheli.com/actions
# Check for green checkmark

Commit Message Best Practices

Good commit messages:

New article: The Future of Real-Time Analytics
Fix typo in Salesforce integration article
Update About page with recent experience
Add images to data governance article
Feature: Enable comments on articles

Bad commit messages:

Update
Fixed stuff
asdf
Changes

Updating Featured Posts

Edit _config.yml:

featured_posts:
  - "2026-01-20-data-governance-fails"      # Newest/best
  - "2026-01-10-salesforce-integration"     # Second choice
  - "2025-12-28-welcome-to-my-journal"      # Third choice

Rules:

Use exact filename (with date, without .md)
Order matters (shows in this order)
Maximum 3 posts recommended
Update monthly with your best work

After editing:

git add _config.yml
git commit -m "Update featured articles"
git push

Writing Tips for Technical Content

Make It Scannable

Use:

Short paragraphs (3-5 sentences)
Descriptive headings
Bullet lists for multiple points
Bold for key terms
Blockquotes for takeaways

Example of scannable content:

## The Three-Phase Approach

**Phase 1: Assessment**

Start by understanding current state. Interview stakeholders, map existing data flows, and document pain points.

Key activities:
- Stakeholder interviews (5-10 people)
- Process documentation
- Pain point inventory

**Phase 2: Design**

Create the target architecture. Choose tools, define processes, set success metrics.

**Phase 3: Implementation**

Execute in sprints. Start small, prove value, expand.

Balance Depth and Accessibility

For technical topics:

Explain concepts before diving into details
Use analogies for complex ideas
Provide context before jargon
Link to external resources for deeper dives

Example:

## Understanding Stream Processing

Think of stream processing like a factory assembly line, but for data. Instead of waiting for a batch of parts to arrive (batch processing), workers handle each item as it arrives (stream processing).

In technical terms, stream processing systems like Apache Kafka process events in real-time as they're generated, rather than collecting them and processing periodically.

For a deep dive into Kafka's architecture, see the [official documentation](https://kafka.apache.org/documentation/).

Use Real Examples

Instead of:

“Organizations should implement data quality checks.”

Write:

“Before loading customer data into Salesforce, we added validation rules: email format checks, duplicate detection, and mandatory field verification. This reduced data errors by 67% in the first month.”

Specific beats generic.

Common Markdown Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong: Missing blank lines

## Heading
Next paragraph starts immediately (renders as same block!)

✅ Correct: Blank lines separate blocks

## Heading

New paragraph starts here (properly separated).

❌ Wrong: Inconsistent heading levels

## Main Section
#### Skipped H3 (wrong hierarchy!)

✅ Correct: Sequential hierarchy

## Main Section
### Subsection
#### Detail point

❌ Wrong: Inline HTML (avoid)

<div class="custom">HTML in markdown</div>

✅ Correct: Use markdown features

> Use blockquotes for callouts
**Use bold for emphasis**

Image Guidelines (Detailed)

Recommended Image Sizes

Image Type	Dimensions	Max Size	Format
Featured (hero)	1200x720px	300KB	JPG
Inline photo	1200px wide	250KB	JPG
Diagram/chart	1200px wide	150KB	PNG
Screenshot	Actual size	200KB	PNG
Icon/small	400px	50KB	PNG/SVG

Image Compression Tools

Online:

TinyPNG.com - Excellent compression, maintains quality
Squoosh.app - Control compression level, see before/after
CompressJPEG.com - Batch processing

Desktop:

Photoshop: “Save for Web”
GIMP: Export with quality slider
ImageOptim (Mac) - Drag and drop

Command line:

# JPG compression (requires imagemagick)
convert input.jpg -quality 85 -resize 1200x output.jpg

# PNG compression (requires optipng)
optipng -o5 input.png

Creating Featured Images

Tools:

Canva - Templates, easy to use
Figma - Professional design tool
Photoshop - Full control
Unsplash - Free stock photos

Template size: 1200x720px

Design tips:

Simple, bold compositions
High contrast text (if adding text overlay)
Related to article topic
Professional, not clip-art
Consistent style across articles

Free photo sources:

Unsplash.com - High-quality, free
Pexels.com - Curated photos
Pixabay.com - Large library

Videos & Embeds

Embedding YouTube Videos

You cannot embed videos directly in Markdown/Jekyll.

Options:

Option 1: Link to video

Watch my explanation: [Data Pipeline Architecture](https://youtube.com/watch?v=xyz123)

Option 2: Screenshot + link

[![Video thumbnail](/images/posts/2026-01-15-article/video-thumb.jpg)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=xyz123)

*Click to watch the full explanation on YouTube*

Option 3: Add HTML (advanced)

<div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;">
  <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xyz123" 
          style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" 
          frameborder="0" 
          allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" 
          allowfullscreen>
  </iframe>
</div>

Recommendation: Link to videos, don’t embed (keeps page fast)

Updating Your Bio

File: pages/about.md

Structure:

---
layout: page
title: About Me
subtitle: Business Analyst | Consultant | Technology Strategist
permalink: /about/
---

## Background

2-3 paragraphs about your experience...

## What I Write About

### Business Intelligence & Analytics
Description...

### Data Strategy & Architecture
Description...

### Salesforce
Description...

### Consulting Insights
Description...

## Connect

- **LinkedIn:** [Profile](https://linkedin.com/in/your-profile)
- **GitHub:** [Projects](https://github.com/VijayChandraAtheli)
- **Email:** [athelivijay17@gmail.com](mailto:athelivijay17@gmail.com)

Update when:

Change jobs/roles
Gain new certifications
Major projects completed
Contact info changes

Common Questions

How do I schedule a post for future publication?

Use a future date:

date: 2026-02-01  # Article won't show until Feb 1, 2026

Jekyll automatically hides future-dated posts until that date.

How do I create a draft?

Option 1: Use _drafts folder

mkdir _drafts
touch _drafts/work-in-progress.md
# No date needed in filename
# Won't publish until moved to _posts

Option 2: Use future date

date: 2099-12-31  # Far future = draft

Can I edit articles after publishing?

Yes! Just edit the file and push:

# Edit the file
code _posts/2025-12-28-article.md

# Commit and push
git add _posts/2025-12-28-article.md
git commit -m "Update article: add new section on X"
git push

Changes appear in 1-2 minutes.

How do I change the site tagline?

Edit _config.yml:

tagline: New Tagline Here

Commit and push. Appears site-wide instantly.

How do I add a new page (not an article)?

Create in pages/ folder:

---
layout: page
title: Services
subtitle: How I Can Help
permalink: /services/
---

Your content here...

Add to navigation in _config.yml:

navigation:
  - title: "Services"
    url: "/services/"

Quick Reference

File Naming Cheat Sheet

Articles: YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md
Images: descriptive-name.jpg (lowercase, hyphens)
Folders: lowercase-with-hyphens/

Front Matter Template

---
layout: post
title: "Article Title"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
category: [analytics-bi | data-strategy | salesforce | consulting-insights]
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]
excerpt: "Short description"
image: /images/posts/YYYY-MM-DD-slug/hero.jpg
---

Markdown Quick Reference

## Heading 2
### Heading 3

**Bold text**
*Italic text*

[Link](https://url.com)
![Image](/path/to/image.jpg)

- Bullet list
1. Numbered list

> Blockquote

`inline code`

```language
code block

### Git Commands

```bash
git status           # Check what changed
git add .            # Stage all changes
git commit -m "msg"  # Commit with message
git push             # Push to GitHub
git log --oneline    # See recent commits
git diff             # See what changed

Support & Resources

If Something Breaks

Check GitHub Actions - See build errors
Revert last commit - git revert HEAD
Validate YAML - Use yamllint.com
Test locally - bundle exec jekyll serve
Check browser console - F12 for JavaScript errors

Learning Resources

Markdown:

https://www.markdownguide.org/
https://commonmark.org/help/

Jekyll:

https://jekyllrb.com/docs/
https://jekyllrb.com/docs/posts/

Git:

https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2
https://learngitbranching.js.org/

Happy writing! 📝

For technical details, see DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md

Admin Guide - Publishing to Vijay’s Journal

Quick Start - Publishing a New Article

5-Minute Workflow

Table of Contents

Creating a New Article

Step 1: Create the File

Step 2: Add Front Matter

Step 3: Write Your Content

Front Matter Guide

Required Fields Explained

layout: post

title: "Article Title"

date: YYYY-MM-DD

category:

Optional Fields Explained

tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]

excerpt: "Description"

image: /path/to/image.jpg

Markdown Syntax (Complete Guide)

Headings

Paragraphs

Emphasis

Links

Lists

Unordered (Bullet) Lists

Ordered (Numbered) Lists

Blockquotes

Code

Inline Code

Code Blocks

Horizontal Rules

Images

Basic Image

Image with Caption

Tables

Adding Images

Image Workflow

Image Best Practices

Markdown Formatting Tips

Emphasis in Content

Creating Lists

Using Blockquotes Effectively

Code Snippets

Categories & Tags

Choosing the Right Category

analytics-bi

data-strategy

salesforce

consulting-insights

Using Tags Effectively

Article Structure Best Practices

Recommended Outline

Article Length Guidelines

Advanced Formatting

Nested Lists

Complex Blockquotes

Combining Code and Explanation

Creating Visual Breaks

Full Article Example

Publishing Checklist

Before Committing

After Pushing

Updating Existing Articles

Fix Typos or Errors

Major Content Updates

Unpublishing an Article

Git Workflow

Daily Publishing Routine

Commit Message Best Practices

Updating Featured Posts

Writing Tips for Technical Content

Make It Scannable

Balance Depth and Accessibility

Use Real Examples

Common Markdown Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong: Missing blank lines

✅ Correct: Blank lines separate blocks

❌ Wrong: Inconsistent heading levels

✅ Correct: Sequential hierarchy

❌ Wrong: Inline HTML (avoid)

`layout: post`

`title: "Article Title"`

`date: YYYY-MM-DD`

`category:`

`tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]`

`excerpt: "Description"`

`image: /path/to/image.jpg`

`analytics-bi`

`data-strategy`

`salesforce`

`consulting-insights`