A blog, or weblog, is a new kind of web site that is easy to create and update.
There are quite a few different programs you can work with when it comes to making your own blog. Two of the biggest are Wordpress and Blogger
We’ll all set up a blog in WordPress, an open source blogging program. Creating a blog with wordpress is easy!
Discovery Exercises
Step One:
Go to http://wordpress.com/.
Step Two:
There is a blue button in the top middle part of the screen, and it says “Start Your WordPress Blog.” Click on that.
Step Three:
Fill out the really short, simple form. Agree to the terms of service. Feel free to read the terms of service first, of course. Click Next.
Step Four:
Choose a username and give them an email address. You’ll need to provide one that works, because they’ll send a confirmation email to you there. Your username is unique to you – so it might be already taken, if you choose something too generic, like “supercool” then you might be prompted to try again. Once you’ve got your unique username and email address, click Next.
Step Five:
Choose a title for your blog. The title is what people will actually see when they come to your blog, and it doesn’t have to be unique. Type it in, and click Next.
Step Six:
A confirmation email has been sent to your email account. Go to your email and see if the message has arrived.
Step Seven:
In the email, there is a link, and you are directed to follow it. Do so, and you will be taken to a screen that tells you that you’ve been activated. It tells you what your user name and password are – the password is a random string of numbers and letters that Wordpress assigned to you.
Write down your password, and click “Login.” Then fill in the login form with your username and password. When you’ve logged in, you’ll be taken to what is called the Dashboard.
Step Eight:
First, Change Your Password. Near the top of the page is “Use These Links To Get Started.” The first one is “Write a post” and the second is “Update your profile and password.”
Click on “Update Your Profile and Password” and scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll see a place where you can update your password, just by typing the new password twice. Once you’ve done that, click the button “Update Profile.”
And Finally…
At the top of the Dashboard, next to the title of your blog are the words “View Site.” Click that, and you’ll be taken to your blog. Bookmark this page, so you can easily return to it.