how to do it TM

Computers & Technology

Blogging
published by Barnes & Noble

Claim your own corner of the web.

Blogs let you publish your ideas, experiences, and opinions on the internet and
share them with the world. If you’re lucky, you could make some money in the
process. Join a community of millions and learn how to:

• Launch your blog and decide what to include on it

• Add photo, video, and audio files to your blog

• Use your blog to make money or promote your business

• Diary-style: This style describes a blogger’s daily life a blogging service affords you less customization than
Blogging Basics and personal interests. Most are private, or read by creating a blog yourself with blogging software.
Blogging is a way of publishing content, often in an informal close friends and family, though some older, more • Blogging software: This is a software program
or personal voice, on the internet. A blog, short for weblog, established diary-style blogs are read widely. that you install and configure yourself to design a
is a website that contains such content. The author of a • Journalistic: This type of blog provides commentary customized blog. To create your own blog from scratch,
blog is called a blogger. A blog can have one or more blog- and, sometimes, breaking news on current events, you need some basic familiarity with the software and
gers. The blogger regularly adds content to his or her blog world affairs, and politics. Most follow journalistic computer code used to design web pages.
in the form of posts, or entries, with the newest content codes, citing sources and correcting errors, but often
presented first. Often, entries include links to web pages challenge mainstream media.
of interest or relevance to the post. Each post includes the • Topical: These blogs offer insights and opinions on The Anatomy of a Typical Blog
date and time of its publication. specific topics, such as parenting, technology, or auto All blogs share a few organizational traits and features.
racing. Often they feature advertising relevant to the
A Brief History of Blogging blog’s main topic. Blog Entries and Archives
The term “weblog” was coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger, • Photoblogs: This style features photography in The two most important and universal blog features are
whose website, Robot Wisdom (www.robotwisdom.com), is addition to, or instead of, text-based entries. entries and archives.
considered among the most influential early blogs. The first • Videoblogs: Also called vlogs, these feature video
blogging software services, such as LiveJournal ® and Blog- content in addition to, or instead of, text-based entries. • Entries: Also known as posts, these are the individual
ger ®, were introduced in the late 1990s. Although counts • Podcasts: Not exactly blogs, podcasts (a combination articles that make up a blog. They are updated
vary, there are believed to be more than 50 million blogs of “iPod” and “broadcast”) are downloadable digital, frequently and presented in reverse chronological
worldwide. The word “blog” now appears in dictionaries and audio-based shows produced by individuals or order, with the newest entry first.
is used in common parlance as both a noun and a verb. companies. Many blogs offer podcasts in addition to • Archives: An organized collection of past entries.
text-based content. Since all blog entries are dated, most blog archives are
• Noun: This year, I started a blog about French wines. • Moblogs: A combination of “mobile” and “blogs,” organized by year and month. A bare-bones blog will
• Verb: I blog about my favorite wines almost every day. moblogs are blogs that are updated using a mobile contain a series of current entries plus a list of archived
phone or PDA. Although there aren’t many stand-alone entries on one side of the web page.
What You Can Do With a Blog moblogs, bloggers often include a moblog section in
Bloggers use blogs to do everything from showcase fam- their blogs featuring text and other media produced Other Common Blog Features
ily photos to promote worldwide businesses. They’re used on a cell phone or PDA. News sites often solicit and In addition to entries and archives, blogs typically contain
most commonly to: publish mobloggers’ photos when breaking news hits. most (but not necessarily all) of these features:

• Stay in touch: Keep up with family and friends by Common Blog Traits • Blogroll: A list of links to other blogs, a blogroll can be
blogging about your experiences. No matter their type, most blogs include a few key traits: managed manually or with software.
• Express opinions: Air your thoughts on news, politics, • Calendar: A visual depiction of the current month, it
or whatever interests you. • Links: Blogs often link to other blogs and websites highlights days containing blog entries.
• Create community: Post primarily about a particular relevant to the subject matter in each post. • Categories: These are topics used to organize a blog’s
topic and you’ll likely find—or create—a community of • Interactivity: Blogs usually solicit feedback by allowing content. Blog categories are determined by the blogger
others interested in the same topic. users to post comments in response to each entry. and usually reflect the topic and scope of the blog.
• Promote a business: Attract new customers and • Multimedia: Most blogs are text-based, but many also • Comments: Comments are reader responses to
retain existing ones with a blog that offers useful feature photos, video, and/or audio. blog entries. Most blogging software includes built-in
content about your products or services. systems for configuring and managing comments.
• Earn income: Make money by hosting advertising on What You Need to Get Started Blogging • Permalink: Short for “permanent link,” a permalink is
your blog. Advertisers pay to be featured on blogs that There are two main ways to start a blog: use a blogging used by a blogger to link directly to an entry on another
focus on specific topics. service or create a blog yourself using blogging software. blog. A permalink often appears at the bottom of an
This chart covers both methods. entry as a linked pound sign (#).
Types of Blogs • RSS: RSS, which stands for “Really Simple Syndication,”
There are several basic types of blogs. Though not every • Blogging service: A blogging service is a website lets bloggers notify users whenever they publish new
blog can be strictly categorized, and some may fall into that lets you create a blog that’s ready to run in just a content of any kind (text, audio, video, and so on).
multiple categories, most blogs belong to one of the fol- few minutes. These services are usually free, but may An RSS feed sends either an alert or the actual blog
lowing types: charge for premium features. Creating a blog through content directly to readers. To receive RSS feeds from
 www.quamut.com Blogging

layout of a typical blog TypePad

TypePad ® (www.typepad.com) was introduced in 2003 by
MATT’S WONDERLAND: MATT BLANCHARD > BLOG Six Apart. A pioneer of the do-it-yourself blogging scene, the
ENTRIES CALENDAR company also created Movable Type ® (see How to Create
May 2007
At Long Last, a New Address (New York) RSS S M T W T F S
Your Own Blog). TypePad is a paid service, offering Basic,
1 2 3 4 5 Plus, and Pro accounts for a small monthly fee. Robust yet
After seemingly months of hunting on craigslist, I finally found the perfect new apartment, so I signed a lease this week. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
It’s a small but really charming studio in the West Village, right at the corner of Jane Street and Eighth Avenue. The 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
calendar easy for beginners to use, TypePad offers the most creative
location is just about perfect—near both the A/C/E and the 2/3, only about a ten-minute walk to work, and right smack
in the heart of the beautiful old historic district. Even after negotiating a discount with the broker, the broker fee was
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 flexibility of any prepackaged blogging service, making it a
27 28 29 30 31
ridiculous, so my luxury spending for the next few months is officially over. The move will be next week, and then once
« Apr great choice for artists, designers, and photobloggers.
the boxes are unpacked my next task is the inevitable Ikea/Crate & Barrel run. Décor suggestions are most welcome . . .

# link | trackback | 2 comments » posted @ May 14, 12:18:00 ARCHIVES

entry title category
Journal Home
Distinguishing Features that TypePad Offers
Spain/Portugal Pictures Up on Flickr (Photos) RSS Where’s Matt? (password)
Stuff for Sale • Photo albums: As a TypePad user, you can create an
I spent the last two weeks of April visiting friends in Spain and Portugal, where May 2007 (4) archives
despite internet cafés aplenty my free moments to get online were few and far April 2007 (27) unlimited number of photo albums and include links to
March 2007 (33)
entries
between. Fortunately, I’ve managed to put some (hopefully not too incriminating)
February 2007 (18) them from your blog.
photographic evidence up on Flickr. It was a great trip, spent with great friends,
(posts) great food, and great weather—10 days in Barcelona and 4 in Lisbon, all told. • Regulates readers and reader comments: TypePad
turtle@smithsonian Despite a lost wallet in Lisbon, which quickly turned the trip into Portugal on $10 PEOPLE
a Day, it was one of the nicest vacations I’ve been on in a while. helps regulate readers by using features such as
catherine lowe kristine solomon

# link | trackback | 1 comment » posted @ May 12, 17:01:51

emma chastain ktgreer password protection for private blogs as well as IP
jasham lady kessler of the ukraine
jim & joan molly cronin blogroll banning to block unwelcome readers and spam robots,
Adventures with Tarragon Chicken (Food) RSS RSS feed k-sutorius neenasr
kevin baier vargas!
or spambots, which post comment spam (unsolicited,
I haven’t had much time to cook over the past few months, but as the weather has gotten warmer I’ve dusted off some
old recipes that I used to make during college when I had ready access to a charcoal grill. One of my favorites has always CATEGORIES
ad-based spam comments).
been my mother’s tarragon chicken recipe (posted here), which has been a hit with virtually everyone I’ve made it for. So
I pulled out the George Foreman Grill the other night—there isn’t room for much else given the average kitchen size
• Design management: At the Basic and Plus levels,
Food (4)
here in Manhattan—and found that it does a fantastic job with this recipe. If you try to make this dish yourself, keep in Investing (8) categories you get prepackaged design themes and a drag-and-
mind that the longer you marinate the chicken in the Dijon mustard, the better the flavor will be. It also comes out more Movies/TV (15)
tender if you pre-bake the chicken for a bit in the oven before throwing it on the grill to finish off.
Music (16)
New York (23)
drop theme editor. At the Pro level, you can edit your
# link | trackback | 4 comments » posted @ May 3, 23:14:16
Photos (42)
blog’s CSS and HTML (the computer code that specifies
how to display your blog) by hand.
• Income: Pro-level accounts feature support for text-
permalink trackback comment(s)
based advertising and tip jars, which allow users to
a blog, you must have a software program called a Most blogging services now offer these additional features make cash donations directly to you.
feed reader. You can download the most popular feed as well: • Customer support: All levels of TypePad service offer
reader, which is free, at www.feedreader.com. email-based customer support.
• Trackback: Trackback is a system that allows readers • Moblogging: Post text or photos to your blog directly
of a blog entry to view posts on other blogs that link from your cell phone. WordPress
back to that entry. Trackback links usually appear below • Photoblogging: Post photos within your entries. A relative newcomer to the prepackaged blogging scene,
blog entries or in the comment section of an entry. • Podcasting (audioblogging): Post audio recordings of WordPress ® (www.wordpress.com) began as an open
Readers who click on these links are redirected to blogs your blog entries by phoning them in or uploading an source project for bloggers interested in hosting and man-
containing responses to the original entry or a list of audio file from your computer. aging their own blogs. Their prepackaged blogging service
links to those blogs. • Videoblogging: Post videos within your entries. is worth looking into if you want a free blogging service with
few bells and whistles.
The ease and convenience of blogging services make them
How to Use a Blogging Service ideal for beginners, though advanced users might miss the Distinguishing Features that WordPress Offers
A blogging service provides a complete and ready-to-use creative freedom and control that comes only from creat- • Design templates: Use one-click installation to access
blogging platform that enables anyone to create and main- ing a blog from scratch (see How to Create Your Own Blog). WordPress’s several predesigned blog templates.
tain a blog. Most blogging services have a tiered pricing The following sections describe each of the major blog- • Custom sidebar content: Add content, such as blog
structure that lets users create a bare-bones blog for free, ging services, including details on pricing and the additional stats or Flickr ® (www.flickr.com) photo previews, to the
then pay for additional features or hosting space if desired. features that each service offers. sidebar using WordPress’s drag-and-drop interface.
All blogging services include a simple signup process, after
which users can begin blogging right away. Some of the core Blogger LiveJournal
features that all blogging services offer are: Blogger ® (www.blogger.com) is a service that was started in LiveJournal ® (www.livejournal.com), an online blogging
1999 by a small company called Pyra Labs, and bought by community, was created in 1999 by a college student and
• Web-based software: This helps bloggers write, Google in 2002. Blogger is entirely free and considered to purchased by Six Apart in 2005. LiveJournal offers a free
organize, and publish content, even if they have no be the simplest and most popular blogging service, making Basic account, a free Plus account with ads and some spe-
prior knowledge of computer programming or code. it the best choice for beginners. cial features, and, for a small recurring fee, a premium Paid
• Web hosting: This service provides space on a remote account with all of LiveJournal’s additional features. Exten-
server for storing the files that make up a blog. Distinguishing Features that Blogger Offers sive community features make LiveJournal a good choice for
• Basic blog elements: This includes all the basics • Google AdSense® advertising: Blogger now offers young bloggers or those seeking a strong, well-connected
(comments, archives, and so on), plus additional, bloggers the chance to earn income with Google blogging network.
easy-to-use perks, such as color schemes and design AdSense, the web’s leading advertising platform (see
templates that allow you to customize the appearance How to Add Advertising to Your Blog). Distinguishing Features that LiveJournal Offers
of your blog. • One-click photo posting: Integrate photos into your • Profiles and friends: Each LiveJournal user can create
blog quickly and easily. a public profile listing his or her location, birthday,

The information contained in this and every Quamut guide is intended only for the general interest of
its readers and should not be used as a basis for making medical, investment, legal or other important
decisions. Though Quamut makes efforts to create accurate guides, editorial and research mistakes can
occur. Quamut cannot, therefore, guarantee the accuracy of its guides. We disclaim all warranties, including
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warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and must advise you to use our guides at Copyright © 2007 Quamut
your own risk. Quamut and its employees are not liable for loss of any nature resulting from the use of or
All rights reserved.
reliance upon our guides and the information found therein.
Quamut is a registered trademark of
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
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Printed in the United States
Photo credits: Page 1: Marc Romanelli/The Image Bank/Getty Images

Writer: Frances Duncan

 www.quamut.com Blogging

friends, and interests. LiveJournal’s unique “friends” Movable Type • Avoid careless mistakes and overly casual forms
feature allows its users to meet online in interest- or Movable Type (www.movabletype.com) debuted in October of expression: Emoticons, exclamation points, run-on
location-based communities. Bloggers can also add 2001 and has been the most popular blogging software ever sentences, and webspeak (LOL, and so on) make your
a “friends page” with links to all of their friends’ since. Its most celebrated strengths include: blog feel amateurish.
LiveJournal blogs.
• Easy integration: It’s simple to add a blog to an Bad Web Writing Good Web Writing
existing site.
How to Create Your Own Blog • Robust administration features: Managing multiple
You have no idea how hot New York in the summer
it is in the city people! is a hot, sticky place. To-
If you don’t want to use a blogging service, you can get soft- users, blogs, or large amounts of content are all a snap. Why did I not get A/C day, when the tempera-
ware that allows you to create your own blog from scratch. • Customization: You can customize every aspect of the even though everyone ture reached 97 degrees,
Making your own blog has a number of advantages: Movable Type interface to make your blog unique. said it would be hot!? I decided to buy an air-
IMHO this sucks big-time. conditioner.
• Creative control: You won’t need to conform to preset Movable Type offers licenses for commercial or personal
themes and design templates. If you have an existing use, which ranges from a basic free version to a paid edition How to Create Content with a Purpose
website, you can design your blog to match it. that includes premium features and customer support. Your blog should exist for a specific purpose, whether to
• Minimal cost: Creating your own blog is inexpensive— promote your business, catalog your favorite vegetarian
it costs no more than maintaining a personal website, How to Install Movable Type recipes, or comment on upcoming elections.
which you can do for a nominal annual fee. Download the latest version of Movable Type directly from
• User-friendly software: Many blogging software the Movable Type website. Along with the software, you • Choose a topic you feel passionate about: This will
platforms require only a bit more technical know- should download the Movable Type installation guide at make your posts insightful and interesting to readers,
how than the web-based blogging software offered www.sixapart.com/movabletype/docs and follow its in- as well as increase the likelihood that you’ll post often.
by prepackaged blogging services. Several of these structions to install the program. The installation process • Offer something new or unique: Even if you’re
programs are also free. can be tricky, though. If you have difficulty, search the Mov- writing about personal experiences, make your
• Custom advertising: Blog services force you to use able Type knowledge base (www.sixapart.com/movable content matter to your readers by presenting a fresh
their advertising programs. With your own blog, though, type/kb), a vast resource of questions and answers about perspective or writing on a subject no one has yet
you can pursue and feature advertising programs of installing and using Movable Type. covered in a blog.
your own choosing. Plus, you’ll always get to keep • Be consistent: Once you’ve figured out your niche,
100% of the revenue you earn. WordPress stick to it. Post only material relevant to your topic.
WordPress (www.wordpress.org) began in 2001 as an open
Domain Names and Hosting for Your Blog source project, meaning that it was built by a community of Photo, Video, and Audio Content
In order to build your own blog, you first need to buy a users around the world. Though its design flexibility doesn’t The main blog-writing rules, such as getting to the point and
domain name and sign up for a web-hosting service: quite match that of Movable Type, WordPress does include creating content with a purpose, should apply to any type of
customizable design templates. Dozens of templates cus- content you post on your blog. A few additional rules apply
• Domain name: This unique name, usually ending in tomized by existing WordPress users are also available for specifically to posting photos, video, and audio.
.com, .org, or .net, identifies your site’s address on the free online. WordPress’s main advantages over Movable
web. For example: www.quamut.com. Type are its fast and easy installation process and its price: • Post original material: Offer your own perspective by
• Web hosting: This remote server space on which your all versions are free. posting your original photos, video, and audio. Don’t
blog’s files reside is leased by web-hosting companies. just provide links to content on other sites.
How to Install WordPress • Post appropriate material: Remember, your blog
How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog Download the latest version of WordPress at www.word could be accessed anywhere. If you plan to post
You register, or buy, domain names through a domain name press.org/download. WordPress includes a simple five- potentially offensive material, warn your readers at the
registrar. Registration is usually effective for a year at a time minute installation process. Detailed instructions on install- start of the post, and include a separate link to
and costs about $10 annually. You can choose any name you ing WordPress are available at codex.wordpress.org. the sensitive material.
like that has not yet been registered by someone else. Three • Resize your photos: Images from most digital
of the most popular domain registrars are: cameras are too large to be posted on the web as is.
Create Content for Your Blog Use image editing software to resize photos before you
• Register.com®: www.register.com Your blog’s content consists of the entries you create and publish them online (for more on photo editing, see the
• GoDaddy®: www.godaddy.com publish on a regular basis. The key to creating a successful Quamut guide to Digital Photography in Barnes & Noble
• Network Solutions®: www.networksolutions.com blog that attracts and retains readers is to offer unique, bookstores and online at www.quamut.com).
high-quality content and update it as often as possible, • Consider disk space and bandwidth: Photo, video,
How to Buy a Web Hosting Plan for Your Blog ideally every day or even several times a day. The following and audio content consumes much more disk space
A web host is a business that rents out server space. It’s tips offer guidance on creating enticing content that keeps and bandwidth than text does. Check your blog’s stats
best to choose a web host backed by a reliable corporation your readers coming back to your blog. through your blogging service or web host to ensure
with a good reputation for customer service. Before you that you have enough disk space and bandwidth to
sign up with a host, figure out what you need and do some How to Write for the Web support the content you plan to include in your blog.
comparison shopping based on these main features: Although your blog can contain more than just text, good
writing is the bedrock of most blogs. Writing for the web
• Cost: Don’t pay more than $10 per month. is much like writing for a newspaper or magazine—clear, Blogging Etiquette
• Disk space: Buy a plan with 3 gigabytes (GB) or more. straightforward, and error-free. A few other rules apply Use the following guidelines to make sure your blog con-
• Bandwidth: Look for at least 100GB per month. specifically to writing for the web: forms to standard conventions of the blogging community.

For more guidance on domain names and web hosting, see • Get right to the point: Web readers have a very Making Corrections to Your Blog
the Quamut guide to Building a Website in Barnes & Noble limited attention span. In short, be brief. Bloggers often get blamed for distributing false or errone-
bookstores and online at www.quamut.com. • Use narrative techniques: The rules of storytelling ous information across the internet. If you uncover new
apply to the blogging world, too. Even if you write information about something you’ve posted, or if someone
Do-It-Yourself Blogging Software about actual events, you can craft blog posts like mini points out an error in your blog, it’s easy to update your
Once you have a domain name and a web-hosting plan, you short stories that contain plots, characters, rising posts with the appropriate changes.
need to decide which do-it-yourself blogging software to action, a climax, and falling action. What happened?
use. The two most popular software options are Movable Who was involved? Where did it happen? If there’s a • Delete and replace: If the error is simple or
Type ® and WordPress®. Note that in addition to the blogging backstory in your archives that would illuminate the inconsequential, simply correct and republish it.
software package you choose, you also need FTP software, current post, include a link to that archived post. • Strikethrough: To show that you’ve corrected a
which allows you to upload and download files to and from • Don’t be too casual: Write in a friendly, engaging brief but egregious error, cross out text visibly by
your server. Several FTP programs, such as Smart FTP ® voice, but be authoritative and professional. Blogs surrounding it with the strikethrough HTML tag
(www.smartftp.com), are available for free. with an overly casual voice may read like transcribed ( <strike>Text you’d like to change</strike> ).
versions of the blogger’s rambling inner thoughts. Then type the correct text after the text you just
crossed out.
 www.quamut.com Blogging

• Update: For longer, more complicated corrections, • Image editing software: Software applications, such • If you’re using a blog you created: Software
add an update to the top of your post with the correct as Photoshop ®, Paint Shop Pro ®, and GIMP ®, are packages such as WordPress and Movable Type offer
information in italics (use the HTML tag for italics to essential for resizing and editing your photos. quick photo posting using a photo button. The photo
italicize your text: <em>Corrected text</em>). • Web storage space: Establish a place to upload and button is located on the screen from which you create
• Cross-reference: If the error occurred in an old post, store photos, such as your own website or a photo and manage your posts. To post a photo directly into
link to the error from a new post in which you explain sharing service, such as Flickr ® (www.flickr.com). your blog, create a new entry and click the photo
and correct the mistake. Be sure to include a link to • Blogging software: Many photobloggers prefer button. A small window will appear that allows you to
the correction from the old post as well, just in case Movable Type or TypePad software because of their select photos from wherever they’re stored on your
someone reads your old post in the archives. extensive support of photo-based blog entries. hard drive. Once you’ve selected a photo, the software
• FTP software: Depending on where you store your will upload it and embed it in the body of your post.
Attributing References with Links photos online, you may need basic FTP (file transfer
Your blog will inevitably contain links to news stories or protocol) software to upload photos. Using FTP and HTML to Post Photos
other blog posts. Blogging about content someone else has You can also upload photos to a separate photo directory
produced is fine, as long as you attribute your sources. An Creating Your Photoblog on your website using an FTP program. You’ll then include
attribution should: Maintaining a photoblog is a rewarding way to learn about within the text of your blog entries an HTML link to your
digital photography while being a part of a worldwide com- photos that specifies which photo to display. The HTML
• Include the name of the source with a link to the munity of photographers. Creating a photoblog entails link looks like this: <img src="/locationofimage/
original content taking photographs, editing your photographs, and posting nameofimage.jpg"/>. The advantage of using this method
• Appear within the text of a post, or as a postscript at your photographs online. is that you can specify precisely where to place your images
the end of a post within your posts. To take full advantage of this approach, it
Taking Photographs helps to know basic HTML.
Comments Some photoblogs have a unifying theme, such as fashion,
Comments make a blog a two-way, interactive conversa- portraiture, or the landscape of a blogger’s city. Others are Photo Sharing Sites
tion. Opening up your blog to strangers’ feedback can simply a daily visual record of a person’s experiences, with As the popularity of photoblogging grows, several free or
sometimes produce unwanted side effects, though, such no central theme. Whether you choose to create a themed low-cost sites that enable you to publish your photos online
as belligerence and comment spam. To to avoid these prob- photoblog or not, start bringing your camera everywhere have arisen. You can use these sites as a stand-alone av-
lems, you can turn off comments entirely (every blogging you go and be prepared to use it at any moment. One major enue for sharing photos, or as a means of storing photos to
service and software package allows this). If you do want to advantage of photoblogging with a digital camera is that you which you then link from your own blog or photoblog.
allow comments, follow these tips: can take dozens of photos of the same scene or subject,
then select and edit only your favorite shots later. • Flickr: www.flickr.com. This fun, easy-to-use online
• Positive comments: Acknowledge comments from photo-sharing and storage website offers free accounts
readers offering tips, advice, links, and thoughtful Editing Photographs and inexpensive paid accounts with unlimited storage
responses. You don’t have to reply to every single Editing your photos is the process of selecting the photo- space and generous transfer (bandwidth) limits. Flickr
comment, but an occasional grateful response will graphs you deem worthy of publication on your blog. As a also offers bloggers an option to add a permanent
encourage more positive comments. photoblogger, you must choose selectively which photo- link to their Flickr photo collections in the right or left
• Belligerent comments: Acknowledge only those graphs to post. Some photobloggers choose to post one columns of their blogs.
comments that contribute constructively to the photo per day, while others post a series every week or so. • Fotolog: www.fotolog.com. This free photoblogging
discussion. Ignore or delete belligerent and needlessly Whichever method you prefer, follow these steps to edit and community allows users to post photos and comments
argumentative comments. If your blogging software or prepare photos for your photoblog: and meet others with similar interests.
service offers IP banning, you can use this option to
prevent belligerent readers from commenting. 1. Download photos: Connect your camera (or your
• Comment spam: Comment spam is unsolicited camera’s memory card) to your computer and transfer How to Create a Videoblog
advertising posted by software called spambots. Most the photos to your computer. Videoblogs, or vlogs, consist of either video-based posts
blogging software and services offer a comment- 2. View your photos: Use a photo-editing program, such or a mix of video- and text-based posts. Since vlogging
moderation system that allows you to mark comments as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, to choose and edit the typically requires more production skills than other types of
as spam before they’re posted live to your blog. photos you’d like to include in your photoblog. blogs, many videoblogs are produced collaboratively by a
You can also use this feature to delete belligerent 3. Resize your photos: Resizing your photos means group of bloggers. Now that affordable digital cameras and
comments before they appear. changing their height and width (measured in pixels), webcams include video capabilities, though, anyone can
as well as their resolution (known as dpi). To resize, produce and publish a vlog independently.
Blogging at (or About) Work select “Edit,” then “Image Size” or “Resize Image” from
Never blog at or about work. Though some bloggers have the top menu bar of your photo editing program. Use Getting Started Videoblogging
gained notoriety after getting fired for blogging on the job, these settings to resize a standard horizontal photo: Some vlogs consist entirely of links to videos that other
it’s never a good idea to blog about work or on company A. Width: 800 pixels people have created. To create a vlog with your own original
time. It’s not a good idea to blog about work on your own B. Height: 600 pixels content, which most vloggers prefer to do, you’ll need some
time either. Unless your blog is private (password protect- C. Resolution: 100 dpi basic video recording and editing equipment:
ed), consider it a public forum in which bashing your boss or 4. Save your edited photos: Don’t save over your
your employer could come back to haunt you. original photo. Instead, save the resized photo under a • Webcam, digital camera, or digital video recorder:
new name. This way, you can still edit the original. A digital video recorder is the most flexible, but also the
most expensive, device with which to capture video.
How to Create a Photoblog Most photoblogs contain 800×600 images. If this size is too If you’re just starting out, a digital camera or webcam
Photoblogging, or creating a blog that consists mainly of large for your photoblog, switch to 640×480 or to any pair with video recording capability should suffice.
photos, is a great way to: of numbers in that aspect ratio—the ratio of image width • Video editing software: Once you‘ve recorded your
to height—such as 320×240. Always keep the resolution of content, you’ll need to edit it to cut out mistakes, add
• Share and solicit feedback on your photography photos you post online at 100 dpi. supplementary footage, and sequence your scenes.
• Show off family photos or vacation pictures • Web storage space: You need a place to upload your
• Document your daily life visually Posting Photographs Online video files, be it your own website or a third-party
You can add photos to your blog whether you’re using a service that allows video uploads, such as YouTube or
Getting Started Photoblogging blogging service or a blog you created from scratch. the Internet Archive.
To start a photoblog, you need some standard equipment. • Blogging software: Most blogging services and
• If you’re using a blogging service: Services such as software packages allow you to embed video files in
• Digital camera: A digital camera lets you post your Blogger and TypePad offer a limited amount of space blog posts. Users then see a still image from the video
photos on the web quickly, though you can also use for storing photos and other images. You can post when they read your blog and can view the video in its
a film camera and a scanner to scan prints from film photos to your blog from the new entry composition entirety after clicking on the still photo.
or negatives (for more information, see the Quamut interface by using the photo button above the window • FTP: Depending on how you store your videos, you
guide to Buying a Digital Camera in Barnes & Noble where you would type an entry. may need an FTP program to upload them to your web
bookstores and online at www.quamut.com). storage space.
 www.quamut.com Blogging

How to Create a Videoblog To get started using CcPublisher: Using a Third-Party Video Hosting Service
Creating your own vlog entails: What Flickr and Fotolog are to the photoblogging commu-
1. Download and install CcPublisher at http://wiki. nity, YouTube (www.youtube.com) is to the vlogging com-
• Recording a video creativecommons.org/CcPublisher. munity. YouTube allows anyone to store and share videos
• Editing and compressing the video 2. Start up CcPublisher. You should see a graphical up to 10 minutes in length for free.
• Uploading the video window with a white text box and a few buttons. Once you upload a video, YouTube provides you with a
• Posting the video on your blog 3. Drag and drop the video file you want to publish online link to the video, which you can email to friends or include in
into the white text box, or click the Browse button to blog posts. It also gives you a link that allows you to embed
How to Record Videos select the file manually. Then click Next. the video within your blog posts. Embedding video allows
Use your webcam, digital camera, or digital video camera to 4. Choose a file format. You can upload images or videos. the video to play within the context of the rest of your blog
record the raw material for the video you’d like to publish. 5. Enter your login information. If you don’t have a free without opening a new browser window.
Keep these tips in mind as you record video: account at archive.org, create one during this step. Unlike CcPublisher, YouTube won’t allow you to specify a
6. Choose a Creative Commons license type. Creative Creative Commons license, but most casual vloggers prob-
• Any order is fine: With video-editing software, you Commons allows you to keep your copyright while ably won’t need to specify a license. All you need to get
can rearrange scenes in whatever order you choose, letting others copy and distribute your work. Specify started is a YouTube account, which you can create quickly
so you don’t have to record scenes in sequence. the license type you prefer in the Choose Your License and for free at www.youtube.com/signup.
• Be brief: Aim to create a short, 1- to 5-minute final dialog box, then click Next.
video. Anything longer will probably take up too much 7. CcPublisher will upload your file and display the file’s
disk space and could become tedious for viewers. unique URL, or link. It may take up to 24 hours for How to Add Podcasts to Your Blog
• Record something visually interesting: Record the link to become active, because it must first be Podcasting is a way of distributing audio files over the
scenes that benefit from the video medium, such as the approved by an Internet Archive curator. For now, save internet using RSS. Bloggers generally offer podcasts as
scene of an event you mention in your blog or a visual the link so you can use it once it activates. mp3 audio files and distribute them in “episodes” on a
step-by-step guide on how to do something. If your 8. Once the link is active, you can post it into your blog weekly basis. Episodes can last anywhere from a few min-
content won’t benefit from being video-based, stick to entry. When your readers click on the link, a new utes to an hour or more.
text and photos. browser window will open to play the video (see Link to
the Video from Your Blog below). Getting Started Podcasting
How to Edit and Compress Videos To begin podcasting, you need some audio-recording soft-
• Editing video: This is the process of selecting and How to Post Videos on Your Blog ware and equipment.
ordering scenes to create a streamlined finished Once your video is accessible online, you can link to it from
product. In its most basic form, editing video works your blog posts. • Audio recording software: Record your podcast using
much like editing text—you can trim, cut, and paste software, such as Audacity ® (audacity.sourceforge.
scenes until you’ve whittled down your material to the Create a Screenshot of Your Video net) if you have a PC or GarageBand ® (www.apple.
content you like and arranged it in the order you prefer. Unless you’re using a third-party service, such as YouTube, com/ilife/garageband) if you have a Mac. Audacity is
• Compressing video: This is the process of reducing that generates screenshots for you, you want to create a free standalone program, and GarageBand comes
your video files to sizes manageable for publishing a screenshot that links to your video from your blog. To with Apple’s iLife suite ($79). Both of these software
and viewing online. Video compression is a standard create a screenshot of your video, open it in Windows Movie packages allow you to record and edit audio files.
feature of video editing software. Maker (for PCs) or QuickTime (for Macs) and pause the video • Microphone: Though some computers have built-in
on a frame you’d like to use as your screenshot. Then: microphones, you’ll probably want to buy a higher-
There are dozens of software programs that facilitate the quality external microphone to record your podcasts
video editing and compressing process. Apple’s iMovie ® • On a PC: Go to the Tools menu and select Options. (built-in microphones often sound tinny and distort
and Microsoft’s Movie Maker ® are both simple programs Click on the Performance tab. Drag the Video sound easily). You can buy these microphones at
that are perfectly suited to beginners. You can find and Acceleration slider from “Full” to “None” and click the electronic stores or online by searching for “podcast
download them at www.apple.com and www.windows. OK button. (Remember to change this back later.) Click mics.” They range from about $10 to $100 and up.
com, respectively. iMovie costs $79, and Movie Maker is Alt+Print Screen. The PC will record an image of your • Headphones: Buy a basic pair of headphones for
free. entire screen, including the still shot from your video. listening back to your recordings. Although you can
Since the specific guidelines for editing and compressing Open your photo editing software, create a blank file, listen through your computer speakers, headphones
video differ greatly among software programs, it’s best to and press Ctrl+V to paste the screenshot, then edit and allow you to hear nuances you likely won’t hear
refer to your software’s documentation and Help files for save it. through speakers.
specific instructions. • On a Mac: Press Apple+Shift+4. The arrow on the • Audio conversion software: Since you’ll want
screen turns into a crosshairs. Holding the same three to distribute your podcasts as mp3 files, you need
How to Upload Videos keys down, use the crosshairs to select the entire software that can either record directly to mp3 (such
You can upload videos to your own website with FTP, a QuickTime window, then let go of the keys. A file called as Audacity) or convert other audio file types to mp3
third-party video storage and sharing service, or the Inter- Picture 1.png will appear on your desktop. This is the format. If you’re using GarageBand, you need to use
net Archive using its Publisher feature. screenshot you took. Open this file in your photo- software such as Apple’s free iTunes program (www.
editing software to edit and save it. itunes.com) to convert from AIFF files (GarageBand’s
How to Upload to Your Own Website standard output file type) to mp3.
If you have a web-hosting plan with free storage space, you Once you’ve edited the shot to your liking, save it as a .jpeg, • Web storage space: Typically you’ll need to host, or
can use FTP to transfer video files directly from your com- .gif, or .png file. Once it’s saved, upload the file and link to it store, your files yourself (see How to Create Your Own
puter to a directory on your web site. You can then include from, or embed it within, your blog. Blog). Be sure your hosting plan provides you with
a link to the video file in your blog. The video will play when enough storage (at least 3 GB), as long audio files take
a reader clicks on the link. Link to the Video from Your Blog up a considerable amount of space.
Follow the steps below to link to a video from your blog • FTP software: You need FTP software to upload your
How to Use the Internet Archive’s Publisher Feature using the screenshot you’ve created. mp3 files to your website. Use a free FTP program such
The Internet Archive (www.archive.org) maintains a vast as Smart FTP (www.smartftp.com).
database of web pages, including the audio and video files 1. Sign in to your blog and create a new post. • Blogging software: Blogger, Movable Type, and
they contain. The Archive offers a feature called CcPub- 2. Use your blog’s photo features to upload your WordPress all offer excellent support for podcasting.
lisher, an FTP-like software application that allows you to screenshot and insert it into the new post. These three platforms let you drop a podcast into your
upload your videos for free to the Internet Archive. You can 3. Type the text of your entry, including some text that blog simply by adding a link (usually by clicking on a
then include links in your blog to the videos you have stored introduces your new video posting, such as “View my Link button) to the location of your podcast file on
on the Internet Archive. CcPublisher will also allow you to newest vlog entry.” your website.
specify how you want to permit your video to be licensed, 4. Select your introductory text and click the Link button.
or used, by others—a crucial feature for vloggers publish- Paste the link to your video into the box that pops up.
ing valuable proprietary content, such as instructional 5. Repeat step 4, but select the screenshot image this
material. time in order to make the screenshot link to your video.
6. Publish your post.
 www.quamut.com Blogging

Creating Podcasts In addition to posting a link on your blog, you may also want The Pros and Cons of Blog Advertising
Once you’ve got all the required software and equipment to distribute your podcast through a podcast aggregator or Before you decide to place ads on your blog, consider the
assembled, you’re ready to create your first podcast. RSS feed reader, explained below. following pros and cons.
This involves:
Distributing Podcasts Pros Cons
• Recording your podcast Posting links to podcasts on your blog is the most direct way
Ads generate rev- Ads take up space you could
• Editing your podcast to distribute your audio content, but you can also expand
enue you can use use for substantive text or un-
• Uploading your podcast your audience by using two other distribution methods:
to pay for additional paid links to other sites. Since
bandwidth, storage you can’t control ad content,
Recording Your Podcast • Podcast aggregators: Podcast aggregators are space, and so on, you might get ads with text or
Record your podcast with Audacity, GarageBand, or any websites that collect links to podcasts, then let users as your blog grows. graphics that clash with yours.
other audio recording software. Usually, recording is as search by keyword for podcasts that might interest
simple as plugging your microphone into your computer them. To add your podcast to an aggregator, submit to Ads lend credibility. Ads can be seen as selling out.
and pressing the software’s record button. Keep these tips the aggregator a link that points to the location of your Contextually rel- Some blogging purists think ads
in mind as you record: file on your website. Some of the more popular podcast evant advertising don’t belong on blogs, because
aggregators are Odeo ® (www.odeo.com) and iPodder ® can help your blog a financial motive will inevitably
• Speak slowly but naturally, and don’t worry if you make (www.ipodder.org). look authoritative corrupt the integrity of the
and professional. blog’s content.
a mistake. You can re-record several takes of the same • RSS feed readers: RSS feed readers allow users to
material and edit the podcast later. subscribe to your podcast. Any time you upload a new Ads offer relevant Ads influence content choices.
• When you’re finished speaking, press Stop and save podcast, the user will receive that new content through products and ser- Some bloggers alter their con-
the podcast as an mp3 file (if using Audacity or another the RSS feed reader. For your podcasts to work with vices that readers tent or tailor the focus of their
program) or an AIFF file (if using GarageBand). RSS and to allow your readers to subscribe to your might actually like blogs to attract new readers to
podcasts, be sure to enable your blogging software’s to know about. click on ads.
Editing Your Podcast RSS features.
Use your recording software to stitch together the best
parts of your recording and delete awkward pauses or mis- How to Use a Blog to Promote
takes. You can also use the software to add sound effects How to Add Advertising to Your Blog Your Business
or a professional-sounding musical introduction to your Advertising is the simplest way to make money with your
podcast (see the software documentation or “help” files for blog. If you have a highly trafficked blog on a specific topic, A blog is the perfect venue for promoting your business,
specific guidance on how to edit and add sound effects or chances are you’ll find success by placing advertisements no matter what its size. The key to creating a successful
music to your podcasts). on your blog pages. The main types of advertising you can business blog is to offer content that’s useful to readers
consider adding to your blog are: and not available anywhere else, rather than just providing
Converting Your Podcast to mp3 sell copy to get people to buy your products or services. If
If you’ve saved your podcast file in a format other than mp3, • Contextual text-based advertising you impress and ingratiate readers with excellent content,
you’ll need to first convert the file to mp3 format before you • Traditional graphical advertising they’ll be more likely to purchase from you.
can upload it. To convert an audio file:
Adding Contextual Advertising to Your Blog Blogging as a Marketing Tool
1. Open your podcast file in a software program that Contextual text-based advertising is a form of text-based Even if a blog doesn’t result in actual sales for your busi-
converts audio file formats. For a free, easy-to-use online advertising that uses the content of a web page to ness, it may help bolster your brand and build customer
solution, try Apple’s iTunes® (www.itunes.com). determine which ads to display. By giving priority to ads relationships that could convert into sales.
2. Once you’ve opened your file in iTunes, click on it most relevant to the page’s actual content, contextual
and choose “Convert Selection to MP3” under the advertising increases the likelihood that readers will click on • Communicate with your customer: The informal
Advanced tab in the top menu bar. the ad and buy the advertised product or service. Contex- tone that readers have come to expect from
tual ads tend to work best for bloggers because they require blogs helps to break down the wall between the
Storing Your Podcast Files Online very little maintenance and almost always offer products or customer and the corporation. You can use a blog
Though a few websites offer free podcast hosting, the stor- services tied closely to the main topic of the blog. The two to communicate your company’s stance on issues
age space they offer will usually hold just a few hours’ worth most popular contextual ad services are: that matter to your customers. If you run an organic
of podcast content. In addition, these sites typically embed grocery, for example, your readers might respond well
advertising messages within your podcast audio file. • Google AdSense®: http://adsense.google.com to a blog entry that details your views on Wal-Mart’s
The best way to host, or store, podcasts is to buy your • Yahoo! Publisher Network®: http://publisher. decision to sell organic produce.
own domain name and web-hosting plan with a company yahoo.com • Build customer relationships: If the goal of your blog
such as GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com) and then store your is to build your customer base, start by establishing
podcast files on your website’s server. Most web-hosting Adding Traditional Advertising to Your Blog a relationship with your actual customers. Do this by
packages offer plenty of storage space for many hours’ Traditional blog advertising, such as banners, buttons, and using your blog to explain your background and your
worth of podcasting content. other graphical elements, is typically managed by blog ad- passion for the business you’ve chosen. Customers
vertising services. These companies act as middlemen be- who have a sense of who you are personally and why
Uploading Your Podcast File tween bloggers (often called “publishers”) and advertisers. you’re in the business you’ve chosen may feel better
Once you have a finished mp3 file to work with, follow these about buying from you than from a company they know
steps to upload it to your website’s server: 1. Advertisers pay blog advertising services to place their by name only.
image- or text-based ads on blogs.
1. Use FTP to upload the file to a directory on your 2. The advertising services place the ads with willing Blogging as a Customer Service Tool
website. It’s best to keep your podcasts organized bloggers, track the performance of the ads, pay The interactive comments section of your blog can be a
in an appropriately named directory, such as www. the bloggers for including the ads, and collect a great place for you to exchange information about your
yoursitename.com/podcasts, with “yoursitename” commission from the bloggers and the advertisers. business with your customers:
being the name of your website.
2. In your blog, add a link to your podcast by using your Two of the most popular blog advertising services are Blog • Get feedback on your products: Comments let your
blogging software’s Link command or placing an HTML Ads® and Crisp Ads ®. customers offer feedback about how they use your
link directly into the text of your post where you’d like product or service. This valuable customer feedback is
the podcast link to appear. Your HTML link will look • Blog Ads: www.blogads.com. This is a network of like free, instant market research.
like this: <a href=”http://www.yoursite.com/ bloggers who promote advertising on their sites. • Share tips and tools with your customers: Use
podcasts/yourpodcastfile.mp3”>Download Bloggers retain creative control by approving ads your blog to offer suggestions, tips, and tools about
my latest podcast!</a>. In this example, before they go live. your product or service. For instance, if you sell
“yourpodcastfile” is the name you gave to your podcast • CrispAds: www.crispads.com. This is a service that houseplants, offer specific tips about caring for
audio file when you created it. uses keyword-based ads to place contextually relevant houseplants—perhaps even tips that are not available
ads on blogs. Bloggers get paid on a per-click basis. elsewhere online.