project number 19

HOW TO CREATE A BLOG SITE

Introduction

This document explains different expects blogging starting from very basic introduction of terminologies of blogging to detailed features that free blog hosting services provide. It also shows a comparison of using hosted and stand alone blogs along with different type of blogs that can be started and one can choose according to his interest. It is also explained how blogging can be helpful in educational sector specifically for students and teachers. Finally it presents a comparison of blog and wiki.

What is a Blog?

“A Blog is a frequently updated, personal website featuring dairy-type and link to articles on other website.”

Blog use conversational style of documentation in which regularly added contents are displayed in most recent first i.e., reverse chronological order. The word blog is combination of two words “web” (world wide web) and “log” (keep record of) which makes it a place to keep record of stuff on world wide web. The stuff can be text, images, audios & videos, excerpts and links to other sites and other data.

How to create a blog?

Blog can be created by two methods:

a) Hosted blog
b) Stand alone blog

Hosted Platform

The best way to make a blog is to create a hosted blog. Many platforms are available to create blog.

a) WordPress
b) BlogSpot or Blogger
c) Typepad
d) Weblog
e) Live journal

We have to only register or create an account on any one of the platform. Three main steps to create hosted blog are:

a) Give your email address (especially gmail) and your password.
b) Give title topic of your blog.
c) Give your nickname

After this process the hosted platform gives us web address (URL). Web address is usually combination of their URL and the name of our blog.
For hosted blogs we don’t need to know any thing about web designing and web development.

Stand alone Platform

The other type of blog platform is that which is hosted under our own domain/URL. This type of a blog is created by adding software on our own website.

Comparison between Hosted platform and Stand alone platform

Pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) of Hosted platform

Pros

a) cheap or free to run
b) relatively easy to setup
c) simple to run
d) updated automatically

Cons

a) less configurable
b) default design limitations
c) generic URL
d) upgrading to standby can be tricky

Pros and Cons of Standalone platform

Pros

a) full control on design
b) free platforms
c) having your own URL

Cons

a) complicated to set up
b) manually updating
c) charges of your domain name

Some terms a Blogger should know

These are some terms and concepts which a blogger should know while blogging.

Archives

Is a collection of blog contents organized using one or more criteria(s). organization criteria can be monthly, yearly, daily basis. Along with that they can also be sorted by categories or tags/keywords.

Blogrolls

A blogroll is a list of links of other blogs or webpages that blog owner likes and or of his/her interest.

Commenting

One of the most exciting features of blogging tools are the comments. This highly interactive feature allows users to comment upon article posts and link to your posts and comment on and recommend them. These are known as trackbacks and pingbacks.

Post Excerpts

Post Excerpts are the selected or extracted part of the whole information used to gain multiple advantages in terms of page loading, page space optimization, providing visitors a choice etc.

Tags/keyword

Tags and keywords are the terms that basically signify the contents a post contains. Usually used by search engines to match the query.

Tag Cloud

Tag Cloud is an unbalanced representation of tags in terms of font size. Higher the font size of keyword is, more often that tag is used in posts. It gives a quick look of what type of contents a blog have.

RSS Feeds

It is basically a standardized format to publish your contents of blog. People can get updates from your blog reading your feed using some feed reader e.g., feed reader.

Types of blogs

[http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/blog#type]

  • Personal blogs
  • Corporate blogs
  • Question Blogging
  • By Media type
  • By Device

Features that make blog site different from other websites

These are some features that makes blog site different from other websites.

  • Blog site is very is to create and very easy to use. We don’t need to know anything about web designing and web development.
  • The content in the website is published in chronological order.
  • Posts are updated regularly.
  • The readers have possibility to leave their comments.
  • Posts are syndicated via RSS feed.
  • Other blog authors can interact via internet and pingbacks.

Services provided by different blog platform

These are some top and best blog service providers.

a) Blogger [http://www.blogger.com/features]
b) Typepad ([http://www.typepad.com/features])
c) WordPress ([http://www.wordpress.com/features])

Features of Blogger

  • Creating blog is easy and free
  • Web address
  • Templates
  • Add photos and videos
  • Feedback from the readers
  • Language of the world
  • New posts notification
  • Group blogging
  • Additional ways for posting

Features of WordPress

  • Basic features
  • Themes
  • Integrated stat system
  • Tool of writing
  • Tag system
  • Spam dead
  • Languages
  • Blogging community
  • Multiple blogs and multiple authors

Features of typepad

*** Point. Click. Publish

  • Customize Blog Design
  • GOMobile
  • Measure Your Blog Traffic
  • Add Widgets
  • Be Discovered with SEO
  • Block Spam
  • Make Money
  • Create a Podcast
  • Build an Online Community**

How blog can help in Educational Field

uses blog in educational activities have many advantages.

Typical educational uses

a) As a note taking tool in class
b) To collect resources and ideas (with some comments and reflection)
c) As a class or project management tool
d) As a news tool for a class or school
e) As a website instead of html pages
f) As a reflection tool
g) As a discussion tool

From student point of view

a) Student can link themselves and what they are studying to the real world
b) Blogs can favor social interactions
c) Blog makes students more responsible
d) Blog improve student writing skills
e) Blog increases students participation
f) Students can share there work ideas and experiences

From Teachers point of view

a) Teachers can use blog to replace the standard web page
b) Teacher can use blog to organize seminars
c) Teacher can use blog to provide summaries of lectures
d) Write about something that you have learnt from your teachers

BLOGGING VS WIKI

Comparison between blog and wiki is listed below.

BLOG

Definitions

A personal or corporate website in the form of online general, with new entries appearing in sequence

Writers

Typically one author, one personality, one opinion
Knowledge comes from a single person

Content

Grow slowly, one posts at a time
Each post becomes stales over time
Discussion take place in comments of a posts

Setup

Ranges from easier to difficult .
Most solutions require constant security.
Spam is policed by the blogger.
Publishing very easy, html is useful platforms.

WIKI

Definition

A collaborative website which can be directly edited by anyone with access to it.

Writers

Many authors, various personalities & experiences.
Knowledge comes from community of dozens or even thousands of topic experts

Content

Grows rapidly at all hours of the day
Articles constantly changes and continuously updated
Discussions takes places on pages or in the discussion forum

Setup

Ranges from easier to difficult. But not as easier as for blog.
Most solution take care of them selves
Spam policed by the community
Publishing very easy, no html needed for many platforms

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