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My next suggestion for those of you wanting to set up your own Wordpress blog, is to download the Firefox browser and switch to it. Aside from the fact that Firefox renders web pages more accurately to web standards (Internet Explorer 5 & 6 are the worst offenders here), Firefox offers many other advantages:

1) Tabbed browsing. You can have more than one page open in a window. I use this all the time. I open a link on a page in another tab, while still staying on the page I’m reading. I can then go over later and read the new page.
2) Pop up blocking. Need I say more?
3) Better security and protection from spyware. (with Firefox on my Mac, I’ve NEVER gotten spyware. Knock on wood. Knock on wood again for good measure.)
4) Firefox offers search suggestions in their search bar. If you start typing something in, a drop down list appears for you to choose from. Or you can finish typing it in yourself. I have to say, I use this often for things I’m not sure how to spell!
[Read more →]

Tags: How to Blog, Wordpress, Wordpress Setup Series by Kacey
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So you decided you want to set up your own Wordpress blog. I’m going to take you through the steps, one by one over the next few weeks. The first step is deciding on a hosting service to host your blog. A reasonably priced hosting service is BlueHost. You can get web space for $6.95 a month and a free domain name. Don’t forget to check the box for privacy if you want to hide your personal information.

BlueHost uses Cpanel for the administration interface for your website. I find CPanel an easy interface to use. They also have Fantastico which basically has a one click install of Wordpress.

For more information about picking a domain name see this post.

I’m going to be setting up another blog here on Dandelion on a subdomain to show you the steps on setting up Wordpress, uploading a theme and setting it up. We’ll then add some plugins and you’ll be all set to go with your very own Wordpress Blog on your own website.

My next post will be about finding an FTP client to use to upload files to your blog. I’ll be discussing Filezilla, which is free and available for both Windows and Mac.

Tags: How to Blog, Wordpress, Wordpress Setup Series by Kacey
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The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

Lesson Nine:

So you’ve got a blog.  You’ve got a purpose and an audience in mind, strategies for developing regular material, and maybe you’re even starting to think about creating a snazzy new design.  But how do you attract more readers?

Most bloggers start with a small audience.  Patience is key in building a blog.  Don’t give up!  Here is a list of ways to promote your blog, for little or no money. [Read more →]

Tags: Series Articles, The Writer's Blog Workshop by Suzanne McMinn
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The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8

Lesson Eight:

Choosing a blogging platform can be mind-dizzying. Blogging platforms are everywhere. I’m going to provide a list of recommended platforms, as well as a short list of some of the most popular blogging platforms I don’t recommend. All of these platforms are free to download and install (including the recommended ones), or if you prefer you may have a web designer help you with customization.

I’ve used WordPress, Movable Type, and Typepad extensively, and have dabbled briefly in Blogger, Bravejournal, and Livejournal. WordPress is far and away the best weblog software available. It’s free to download directly into your own website, with your own domain. It comes with great built-in features such as categories, blogrolls, preview, etc, and is highly customizable through plugins and template editors. It supports deeply functional options for comments, calendar, trackbacks, searches, content syndication, and importing from other platforms. Password-protection is available for selected entries, and it has extensions/plugins for photos, podcasting, video blogging, and more. It’s a powerful, easy-to-use, professional blogging platform.

Movable Type, Typepad, and Expression Engine offer many of the same features as WordPress. Find out more about them by visiting each platform’s website.

Recommended Platforms:

WordPress

Expression Engine

Movable Type

Typepad

Blogger is the most popular full-service (site hosting) blog platform around and is great for a beginning blogger just getting to know whether or not blogging is for them. Due to lack of deep customization and functionality options, it falls far short of what is available in a platform such as WordPress, and even with a custom design, the Blogger banner runs across the top–diminishing professional appearance and style. I don’t recommend any of these platforms for longterm, professional blogging purposes.

Blogging Platforms Not Recommended:

Blogger

Livejournal

Bravejournal

Choose a blogging platform carefully. Invest in design, customization, and installation of a professional blog for longterm functionality and style.  You, too, can blog like a pro.  Convinced yet?  Check out this article on how to choose a WordPress theme and get started!

The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -7- 8

Tags: How to Blog, Series Articles, The Writer's Blog Workshop by Suzanne McMinn
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The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Lesson Seven:

Your website/blog is your face to the world.  It should be professional.  If you choose to install your own blog platform and design, we have articles here to help you.  But if you aren’t technically or artistically inclined, there’s no need to despair.  There are many qualified and reasonably priced designers who can work with you to create the blog of your dreams.   Register a domain name and start looking for the right designer for you.

Tips to consider in choosing a designer: [Read more →]

Tags: How to Blog, Series Articles, The Writer's Blog Workshop by Suzanne McMinn
8 Comments »