Blog 101: Starting or improving one is easy, fun
By Leonard Fischer
Gannett News Service
| • | One of the best ways to learn about Weblogs is by reading them. The blogging experts who participated in this report publish Weblogs that can be used as a reference for starting your own.
If you are looking for more examples, visit these sites. They publish lists of popular and recently updated blogs, where you also can find ideas: • www.blogger.com |
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These personal Web sites are often written as journals that reflect their authors' passions and personalities, but they can be much more, including photo albums, Web site directories or even online communities.
Blogs are easier to set up and maintain than other types of personal Web pages. The only software that's required is the Web browser that comes with your PC. You even can host your Weblog on the Net for free through several blogging services.
"That's the revolution," said Rebecca Blood, the author of "The Weblog Handbook" ($14, Perseus Publishing) and creator of Rebecca's Pocket, a popular blog (www.rebeccablood.net). "Anybody that has an Internet connection and a Web browser can be a publisher. That's what is getting people out there."
While blogs traditionally have been popular with Net-savvy teens and twentysomethings, they're also attracting more attention in the professional world. Everyone from actors to athletes to CEOs has started a blog to promote themselves or their ideas.
Perhaps you've read a blog or two and have thought about starting your own — or maybe you created one and want to make it better. Here are suggestions from four respected bloggers.
Decide what to write and for whom
1. Blogging is a writing-centered form," says Dennis Mahoney, author of "How to write a better Weblog," a guide for blogging newbies that's published at A List Apart (www.alistapart.com/stories/writebetter). "So write about what you know and have fun with it. Write about your personal life or your favorite band. Or find a niche and focus on that. If you're an expert you can build an audience."
Rebecca Blood suggests considering your audience when choosing a topic. "If your grandmother is going to read your blog, you'll want it to be appropriate. Think about the people you don't want to offend."
Choose a blogging service
2. Don't spend a cent getting started," Blood says. "Someone starting out should choose a service that's free and easy to use. As with any hobby, spend the least amount possible to get started until you're sure blogging is what you want to do."
Free blog hosts
Choose a template
3. Really simple stuff that so many experienced bloggers seem to take for granted — like creating a link or including a picture in a post — can be baffling to a new blogger," says Biz Stone, author of the upcoming book "Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content," and a diehard Weblogger (www.bizstone.com). He suggests that new bloggers use the canned templates provided by most services to get up and running quickly so they concentrate on their prose rather than Web coding.
Develop a rhythm
4. Blood suggests that before telling the world about your blog, you should develop a routine for your writing. "You don't want to kick off your blog with just one or two entries. Build up a couple weeks worth of articles and get into a routine about how often you want to write, and don't worry if it's not every hour or every day. Do what seems comfortable. Blogging is supposed to be fun."
Promote your efforts
5. Send e-mail to family, friends and colleagues to announce your Weblog or you can promote it at blog community sites such as Blogdex (blogdex.media.mit.edu). Blood cautions that you shouldn't expect a huge audience. She says even the most popular Weblogs only have a few thousand readers a day and most have just a few dozen readers.
Customize your Weblog template. If you're familiar with HTML, the language of the Web, you can change colors, typefaces and even the overall design of most blog services' canned templates.
Add a comments system, which allows your readers to respond to your blog entries. YACCS (rateyourmusic.com/yaccs) is one popular system that's free and works with most blog services.
Upgrade to paid Weblog hosting. This will remove ad banners at some services such as BlogSpot and add features such as online spellchecking. Prices range from $1 to $10 per month.
Consider hosting your own Weblog. This is possible with free Web servers such as Apache and free blog tools, such as Movable Type (www.movabletype.org). This requires some technical knowledge.
Syndicate your Weblog content. Many blogging services can automatically deliver your Weblog as a "feed" that can be read by software called a news reader, according to John Hiler, who developed the Xanga and WebCrimson sites and runs Microcontent News, a Weblog for technology professionals. This can broaden your audience because readers don't have to visit your site. Instead it's delivered to them automatically. Amphetadesk is a top-rated news reader (www.disobey.com/amphetadesk). It's also possible to to e-mail your blog to subscribers using BlogLet (www.bloglet.com).
Because you don't know who is reading your blog, don't:
- Divulge too much personal information, such as your address or phone number.
- Write about your employer. It's gotten bloggers fired.
- Blog on company time, unless it's part of your job.
