The file you need to edit is /blog/skins/andreas_01/_main.php

8| They really need to write a primer in fifth grade English for me I guess. I opened the_main.php file and made the following edit underneath the left sidebar. It's crashing the blog so evidently I have something in the coding wrong. I can tell there's an issue because the end of affiliate line will not return properly in my editor. I'm going to attach the code they can someone give me a brief idea of how I attach it properly? Thanks for your patience!

//-----------------------------affiliates---------------------------------------
<div class="bSideItem">
<ul>
<p><a href="http://www.Bloggernity.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.Bloggernity.com/images/80x15.png" alt="blog search directory" width="80" height="15" border="0"></a></p>
<p><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://www.blogcatalog.com/bc_button.js.php"></script>
<noscript><a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com" title="Blog Directory, Find A Blog, Submit A Blog, Search For The Best Blogs">
BlogCatalog Blog Directory</a></noscript></p>
</ul>
</div>
// ---------------------------- END OF AFFILIATES ----------------------------- ?>

Without seeing the code around it, I can't be too sure, but try this:

//-----------------------------affiliates---------------------------------------
?>

<div class="bSideItem">
<ul>
<p><a href="http://www.Bloggernity.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.Bloggernity.com/images/80x15.png" alt="blog search directory" width="80" height="15" border="0"></a></p>
<p><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://www.blogcatalog.com/bc_button.js.php"></script>
<noscript><a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com" title="Blog Directory, Find A Blog, Submit A Blog, Search For The Best Blogs">
BlogCatalog Blog Directory</a></noscript></p>
</ul>
</div>

<?php
// ---------------------------- END OF AFFILIATES ----------------------------- ?>

Everything inside <?php ?> tags gets parsed as php. Everything outside those tags just get sent to the browser directly as html. By adding the ?> before your html begins, you may be able to avoid the php errors you were seeing.

If that doesn't work, post your code again, but include a few lines above and below it.

One problem down and a few more to go.. Thanks much :)