Friday, December 15, 2006

Thing 3: Grab yourself a blog in 3 steps

Podcast #3

Now that you’ve done some exploring around this website and understand how this program will work, it’s time to setup your very own personal blog to begin recording your thoughts, discoveries and exercises in.

For this program, I am recommending that you use Blogger*, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use.

Creating a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:
1. Create an account (view screenshot)
2. Name your blog (view screenshot)
3. Select your template. (view screenshot)

Once you’ve created your blog here are two important things to know:

· To add posts: The maintenance interface that you will use to add posts, edit or change the step-up your blog is accessed online at http://www.blogger.com/ Be sure to write down your login and password.

· To view your blog: Your blog address is http://(xxxx).blogspot.com, (xxxx)=the unique identifier you entered in Step 2. Be sure to also write down your blog address.

If you run into problems or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger here are some discovery resources you can use:

· Freevlog’s Quicktime Tutorial: Setup a Free Blogger Blog Note: Ignore the opening comments about downloading Firefox if your PC doesn’t have it. This will work in Explorer just fine.

· Blogger’s Quick Tutorial
OK -- Now, it’s your turn... Discovery Exercise:
1. Setup a blog for yourself through Blogger.
2. Add a test post or two. Note: Use one of your test posts to create an entry about which habit among the 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits that is easiest and hardest for you & why.
3. Have fun!!!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: How you choose to identity yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or as yourself. However in order to qualify for the RCA Flash Memory MP3 Player, you will need to email your blog link to Stephanie.hinkleylopez@loudoun.gov.

* Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site that you are more comfortable with, please feel free to use it.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blogger works much better with Firefox than with MS Explorer. In fact, the Quick Edits do not appear on my blog page with Explorer and there are additional options that you need Quick Edits to access.

In short, can we get permission to load Firefox on our computers?

Cindy said...

I will explore that option with DIT. Currently IE is the county standard but I will explain the situation to staff there and see if I can get permission. I'll put the answer here and will send it out to staff. Thanks for your question!

Phoebe said...

I am using Firefox at home now and I love it! I don't know why I didn't switch before!

Wennie Fleming said...

I'll take Firefox over IE anyday

Cindy said...

To answer the Firefox question: DIT still supports only one browser: Internet Explorer. I know that we all have our personal preferences with this kind of thing, and what you use at home is your choice, of course, but County owned and maintained PC's must use IE.

Anonymous said...

DIT: Bah Humbug!

Marcie said...

The quick edits show up on my blog when I'm logged in... But I do understand the urge to use something - anything - besides IE.

Anonymous said...

The Quick Edits did not always appear for me (while using IE) and I made sure I was logged in.

Try Firefox and you will see why just about everyone prefers it. IE 7 copied a lot from them, but it is still inferior to Firefox.