Tuesday, July 15, 2008

10 Tips for the newcomer to Blogging

By Goroka Bogger, Robert Schilt (http://www.trupela.com/)

(This is a follow-up to the story I posted a couple of days back on: “Blogging in Papua New Guinea“)

Wikipedia defines a Blog as: A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

First of all some basic terms…

A Blog is the same as a Weblog (Web Log).
A Blog is a type of website.
All Blog’s are websites but not all websites are Blog’s.
People that write Blogs are called Bloggers.
The collection of all Blogs is called the Blogoshere.
Blogs have a certain type of software running in the background.
Blogs make it easy to frequently add content to your website.
To publish a story or article is to post a story or article to your Blog.
If you already have access to the Internet - a Blog can be setup for little or no cost.
Blogging is easy and it’s fun.

OK - here’s that list of 10 tips on how to get started:

1. You must have a reasonable level of computer literacy.
2. Regular and easy access to the Internet is a must.
3. Ask yourself: Why do I want to start a Blog and what subject will I be writing about?.
4. Do a little bit of research and reading (google) on the subject. There’s a great book for the novice called (you guessed it!) : “Blogging for Dummies” by Brad Hill.
5. Decide on a Blogging Host - these are currently the most popular:
LiveJournal.
Yahoo! 360.
My Space.
Blogger.
Blogspot.
Facebook.
Typepad.
Wordpress.
6. Once you have decided on a Blogging Host then take the time to familiarise yourself with the blogging tools and administration software available.
7. Design and configure the style of your Blog. Consider incorporating one or more of the following:
A Photo Album.
Reader comments.
Links to other Blogs or websites.
RSS or Atom news feed.
Page header graphic.
Include a list of your recent posts.
Collect visitor/reader statistics.
Categories and keywords (tags).
A Contact form.
About the author.
8. Time to start writing and posting! Aim to post something on a daily basis. Better to post short stories regularly rather than longer stories intermittently.
9. Tell as many people as possible about your new Blog!!
10. Start reading and interacting with other blogs (social networking) that have similar topics.

Finally, if you do get stuck… you can always put up your hand and ask for some help. Most bloggers are only too willing to share their experiences with others.

Thought for today…
The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery. The greatest quality is seeking to serve others. The greatest precept is continual awareness. The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything. The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways. The greatest magic is transmuting the passions. The greatest generosity is non-attachment. The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind. The greatest patience is humility. The greatest effort is not concerned with results. The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go. The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances. - Atisha ...

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