How To Start
A Blog
It is
assumed here that anybody wanting to know how to start a blog does
not already have one, and has only a slight idea about what a blog
really is. The first couple of paragraphs will tell what a blog
actually is, and then we will get down to explaining to you how to
start a blog using the two main free blogging services: Blogger and
Wordpress.
The
term ‘blog’ is short for ‘weblog’, the word ‘log’ being used as a
diary, such as a ship’s log, in which the captain would record the
daily events on board. A web log is a diary of a website, and the
main events happening on the site, including any changes made to any
of the web pages. Each change would be recorded on the blog, and a
link provided to the web page referred to.
Although some blogs are still being used
in this way, the majority are now being used without a website. You
can start a blog without having a website, and use it as a personal
diary of your thoughts or actions just like a normal diary, or even
as a mini-website, where you sell your products and place adverts.
So that’s enough about what blogs are. Now to the main question: how
to start a blog? There are two main types of free blogging software
– Blogger and Wordpress, so let’s find out how to register and get
your blog going with each of these. After that we will discuss which
is the better: that will depend on the use to which you put your
blog. First Blogger.
BLOGGER
Blogger is owned by Google, and there is
some speculation that Blogger blogs get preference in the Google search
engine listings, all other aspects of each blog being equal. To
register for a Blogger blog go to the Blogger website at
www.Blogger.com
and look for a link
that says ‘Create Your Blog Now’.
Click on 'Create
Your Blog Now' to create a Google account if you don't
already have one. Follow these instructions:
1. You will first be
asked for an email address, password and user name. You then have to enter the captcha
code that prevents autobots from creating a blog, and accept the
terms of service.
2. Next you will be required to name your blog. It will be easiest for
interested readers searching the Internet to find your blog if you
give it a title relevant to what the blog is about. If it is a
personal blog call it ‘Dave’s blog’, or ‘My Family Diary’ or
anything you want.
You will be asked for a URL. That is the web address on which your
blog can be found if anybody wants to access it. It is the address
you send to others in emails or online, that they click on to get to
your blog. The default you will be shown is http://(BOX).blogspot.com – you fill in (BOX) with the name you
want to give to your blog. Not the title as above, but the name for
it, such as ‘familydiary’, so that your blog can be found on
http://familydiary.blogspot.com
3. Finally, you will be asked to
select a template that will be the design for your blog page. You
will then be taken to a page where you will compose your blog post,
first entering a title for your post and then writing the post
itself - it is as simple as that.
4.
Custom Domain Name
You
will also see that Blogger offers the option of hosting your blog
elsewhere – such as your own website. If you take this option you
will be asked for the ftp server, and your user name and password.
You can then put the blog on your own website. That allows you to
use your own custom domain name for your blog. To this you first
need to have a domain, which is another topic, but if you already
have a website then that can be used as the name for your
blog.
This
is particularly useful if you have the option of subdomains on your
website. You can park the subdomain on your site and use that as a
virtual website. Use the name of the subdomain as the name of your
blog and you are all set: this is as true with Blogger as it is with
Wordpress. If you have a subdomain, then you will know enough about
using such names as the URL of your blog not to need further help
with this.
It is
only by doing that, however, that Blogger can begin to approach the
possibilities of Wordpress, although you still don’t have the
functionality or are able to use your own templates with Blogger as
you can with Wordpress. You are therefore likely better to use
Wordpress for custom blog domain names than Blogger because you can
also use custom templates and sidebars.
Also
a Blogger blog doesn’t belong to you but to Google – don’t forget
that. All Blogger blogs are the property of Google. Do not take this
option of using your blog on your own website if you are not sure of
how ftp and blog hosting works: this can come later once you are
more familiar with blogging.
Now
for Wordpress. This is one alternative to Blogger that some prefer,
although others prefer Blogger. It’s much like tea or coffee – each
has its own advantages and adherents.
WORDPRESS
To
start a Wordpress blog, go to the wordpress.com website.
Then:
1.
Click to start a new blog, and fill in the details requested. You
will be asked for a user name, password and email address just as
with Blogger. Your user name in this case will be the URL address of
your blog. If your user name is myblog, then your blog URL will be
http://myblog.wordpress.com – the blog title will also initially be
myname, but you can change that later.
2.
You will be sent an email and unlike Blogger will have to activate
your account.
3.
Choose a template and off you go, just like Blogger.
With
Wordpress, you own your blog, not a search engine, and if you want
to operate your blog from your own website you do so from
http://www.wordpress.org – you will then be provided with
instructions on how to do it, but unless you are familiar with ftp
and how to set up and work with mysql databases, you are best to get
help.
So
what’s the difference between them?
BLOGGER Vs WORDPRESS
They
are both just as easy to get started with for the beginner, but
Wordpress has more going for it if you want functionality,
especially if you upload the software to your website. Blogger is
not so easy to customize as Wordpress, but some find Wordpress
harder to set up, although if you have a modicum of intelligence it
is not difficult.
Wordpress is a full content management
system, made to look like a blog, and as such has far much more
functionality. If you know anything about HTML you can design your
own blog pages, although there are thousands of Wordpress themes
online, both free and professionally designed for a fee. You don’t
get that with Blogger.
You
can design Wordpress just like a website, with all the functionality
and plugins that go with it, something not possible with Blogger.
Nor can Google pull the carpet from beneath you as they can with
Blogger that they own.
So,
to put it in a nutshell, Blogger is best for newbies to blogging
since it is easier to start blogging and you don’t need any special
knowledge, while Wordpress is better for the more advanced that are
able to use HTML to customize their blog pages, sidebars and
headings. If you want to add your own custom graphics to your
heading, Wordpress is perfect, but if you simply want to pass on
information using a simple blogging system, then Blogger is perfect
for you.
It is
Blogger that we recommend for those starting their first blog, and
once you understand how blogging works, then you might want to
consider either checking out Wordpress, or first trying Blogger from
your website.
However, the choice is yours, and if you
need any further help on installation then we will be delighted to
help you. Try it yourself first though, since neither Blogger nor
Wordpress are difficult to get started with, and the way to learn is
to try it yourself. You will be surprised at how easy it is to start
a blog.
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