Getting Started:"Blogging For Dummies"-Chapter 10

by Brad Hill (Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing. Inc., 2006, 368 pgs.)

Read my review of the whole book on my main site

Chapter 10: Blogging with WordPress

This chapter is exceedingly helpful for those starting out with setting up a WordPress blog. It is far easier to use than the WordPress directory. It goes through all the procedures and choices that have to be made in setting up your WordPress blog.

Particularly helpful to me in the beginning was the explanation of the posting editor. It identifies the 14 ‘Quicktags’ on the bar above the posting box and how to use these formatting buttons. It also tells you how to increase the size of your posting box.

Another important section deals with how to upload photos and post them on your blog. Very important information to have since WordPress is one of the more difficult blog programs to post a photo in. The book is an essential tool for starting out in blogging and chapter 10 is worth the price of the book if you are blogging with WordPress. *Top **Back to the main The Blogging Ministry site

Getting Started: With WordPress.com -An Evaluation

There are a number of very good reasons to use WordPress.com:

1. The Cost: 0, zip, nada.

2. It is fast and easy. Using the basic default settings you can get started in 30-40 minutes. If you are particular like me and you want to view a bunch of theme possibilities, it could take an hour or so. It took me 1hr 20 minutes to set up this site the way that it is.

I tried to simulate what it would be like if I knew nothing at all and kept referring to the Word Press Help site. Last year when I got started it did take me nearly 2 hrs. to set up my first WordPress site.

3. It has most of the important features that the pay sites have. WordPress has way more tools and settings than Blogger. There 58 themes available, nearly all look far more professional than the basic Blogger sites.

4. Public or Private blog? You can choose to publish a public site which can and will be viewed internationally. Or you can produce a site that is Private -accessible only by those you choose–or maybe a small group ( like: Church staff, Bible Study, Youth Group, Missionary Org. & etc.). Better Yet, you can choose to publish a public site with some pages or articles designated for the private use by your org. or group.

5. WordPress is a major blog host so there is virtually no possibility that this host will quit or go out of business. Also the tech. support is built in.

6. The WordPress program has the possibility of publishing permanent ‘static’ pages. Blogger and other free sites don’t offer this possibility.

Here are a couple of not so good points:

1. WordPress owns the domain you are publishing on so you are always somewhat limited in what you can do with the site. You can however get your own domain address and point it at your WordPress address to give yourself and your users an easier to remember URL (domain address).

2. WordPress does own the domain so if you decide to move your blog to another host, you will lose your blog address, links, and much of your traffic. You can move your files to another address and republish, but you will need to maintain your old WordPress site in order to direct visitors to your new location and maintain the links to all your old posts.

3. WordPress is one of the more difficult programs to post pictures on. It does have an option for Flickr which is supposed to make it easier.

Nevertheless, WordPress is an advanced blogging program that is easy to use and far superior than other ‘free’ blogging platforms. It could be utilized by a large variety of different groups, ministries, and churches or even host a stand alone internet blogging ministry. Plus you can’t beat the price.

*Back to the main The Blogging Ministry site.

The Blogging Ministry: The Vision and Goal

This was the first post on my main site (March 8, 2007) explaining the original vision and goal for The Blogging Ministry:

This week saw the first anniversary of my experience with Blogging. I posted about the initial vision for a blogging ministry and about some of my experiences on my home Blog: ANSWERS For The Faith.

In the process of looking at how far I have really come in a year, what I have learned, and what I wish I didn’t do; I came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe some of my experiences might be helpful to others who are just starting out, and maybe also for some who have been around awhile. Believe me when I say that I have done just about everything wrong and yet have survived.

I am more excited today about the possibilities of Blogging as a form of ministry than when I started. I now see an unlimited potential for Blogging as a form and a tool of Ministry. I would like to make it easier for those starting out like I did with little or no knowledge about the internet or blogging.

The plan: We’re going to look at different kinds of blogging as a potential tool of ministry. We’re going to explore some of the easier blogging tools that are out there. All of this from the perspective of a beginning luddite technophobe such as myself, who didn’t know how to right click 12 months ago.

The Goal: To help those who know little or nothing about Blogging get started in a blogging ministry; and provide some basic information and basic tools to make it a whole lot easier. *Top **Back to the Main The Blogging Ministry site