Blogging 101

[Boogie]

Getting Started

First you'll need a blog script. Currently there are three very popular and very easy scripts to use.

My personal favorite is Wordpress , which is an open source blog that is commercially free. yes free.

It requires SQL and must be installed on your server, but is highly customizable in all ways including the look of it (themes) and the application of the hundreds of plugins being developed by knowledgable coders. From incoroparting polls to category pages, for many blogging source integrations, or amazon.com intergration, you'll find its pretty easy to do all of these things by simply installing a plugin. Most trained monkeys can use wordpress.

typepad is likewise very popular. It is one that I've never personally used but it seems to be one of the most prevelant. From looking at their tour they have a free trial so giving it a shot shouldnt be a problem. They also offer hosting options.

The third suggestion is Blogger, which is owned by our good friends (or hated enemies) at google. This script can be done either on your site, or hosted at their domain blogspot.com. Both are good choices. Blogger lacks many of the features of typepad and wordpress, but is incredibly easy, is integrated into the google toolbar and the free hosting makes it pretty much mindless.

So choose a script, get it installed, and tomorrow we'll talk about your theme and/or content choices.

[Opti]

Originally Posted by Boogie

Getting Started

So choose a script, get it installed, and tomorrow we'll talk about your theme and/or content choices.

Ok I'm in!

I choose Blogger for mine. what's next?


One thing I hope you will end up covering if possible, is stuff like the blog linktrading things like blogroll and pinging/trackback and all the other cool little bits n pieces bloggers seem to have.

[Boogie]

choosing a subject

What kind of blog should you write? There really is only one answer to that question and I dont know it. But I can help you figure it out for yourself.

You should choose something you're knowledgeable about. do you like finding links on the web that are fun to view? Create something like iambored.com

Do you like "Single Girl" content? Raven Riley and FTV Girls and Met Art? then creating something similar to badgirlsblog.com (Their blog, in my opinion, lacks an important part however... that's text)

Its best that you write about things that

1) you enjoy viewing yourself so it doesnt seem so much like work
2) you are knowledgable hats (MML, sounds like you need a boobshat blog)
3) something with plenty of resource material at your fingertips
4) something that is "news worthy"

One important step here is 'what is newsworthy?' Well, if you create a gay blog, you'll want to write daily articles about the gay community, about new gay websites and pictorials, about new gay events and other such information.

Alternatively, some of the most popular blogs dont even have a theme. Fleshbot, Eros Blog, BoingBoing... these blogs link to whatever catch their fancy. They write interesting to read articles every day that are from a wild variety of topics.

But its newsworthy. Its something they learn about before writing. Its something people find amusing. That's what keeps someone coming back to read your site day in and day out.

My blog is another example of a 'multiverse' blog. I pretty much write whatever covers my fancy.

The added difficulty in creating a multopic blog is that people stop coming for the subject matter and start coming to hear _YOUR_ voice... just to hear what you have to say, like calling up an old friend.

If you arent a decent writer and dont feel comfortable about that its best to pick a topic and write on.