First Posting

After you selected your template, well, you're ready to make your first posting and a screen will have appeared.  Simply fill in the two or three blanks.

 

1.  What is the title of the posting (thin top box)

2.  Type in the narrative content of the posting (we'll learn to add fancy stull later), but for now, just something in.  You can always change it or delete it entirely later.

3.  If you wish, in the thin bottom box, type in some subject headings for the posting, place a comma after each label.  This label box is optional, depends on your preference.

 

CLICK THE POST BUTTOM, it's about time isn't it.

 

Awhlright, now click VIEW BLOG. Golly, there it is.  You're a published blogger.  Do you see your "Display name" now labelling your About Me box in the side panel?

 

Click sign out and rest a spell.  You've opened a blog account, established a blog, and made your first entry? 

While resting, surf around among ohter blogs.  You're better informed and now you'll see the vegetables, fruits, and fishes differently.  You can hem and haw, make cogent remarks.  And you can now wonder, "Hmmm, how do I get that effect?" "Can I do that?"

More on that stuff later.  But first you should make your second posting.

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General Image or Template Selection

After you've named your blog, there will appear a screen with may a dozen or two different looking blog template.  They have a general design, some of the side panel boxes are different placed or named, but, hey, for the moment, do no quibble, just pick one and move on with your life.  Yes, you can change it later.  Just pick one, please and go on from there. 

 

Before you make your actual selection (which you can change even later), you have the option of pre-viewing what it would look it.  But don't get hooked into endless testing.  Just pick one.

 

I prefer the template that fills the entire screen rather than seeming to fill a page-width.  I wondered if that bothered a printed version.  The wide image conformed (without asking) to the standard page width, with the side panels intact.

 

But just pick one.  You can come back later and test this one and that one and the other one.

 

Even more later on, you'll learn all sorts of options to change the image in ways not even suggested by the templates, so just pick one to get started.

 

Okey dokey, now you're ready to make your first post.

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Naming your blog - twice

The next screen you'll see in creating a Blogger blog asks for two pieces of information for NAMING

 

1.  the title of your blog - Use whatever you like long or short - But remember that later on in the process you'll be able to add a sub-title of more elaboration.  Also remember that should you really want to you can completely change the title, e.g., change "Kitchen Gingham" to "Wild Geese of Greenland," if you like.  So don't sweat blood over the name.

 

2.  the keyword or phrase used in establishing your blog's url address, as in http://kitchengingham.blogspot.com Bear in mind however that you'll be asked to click a buttom to determine if that keyword is already in used by somebody else's url.  If it is, they'll tell you, and you'll be wondering "How can I change mine but still keep it simple and communicating a gist of my topic?"  Again, don't sweat it too hard; later on you can change it (the available selection you eventually made at the moment) if you really want to.  But a little thought beforehand can make your process of establishing your blog way easier and less anxious.  I, in a test, actually changed the Kitchen's url from http://randwcloth to http://kitchengingham

 

It could seem strange to change both the title and the url but your account is based on your sign in email address and password, not the blog title and its url.  My goodness, the wonder of computers.

Eventually, you'll expect that consistency across time may be more useful than exactness of exquisite expression.

I strongly recommend you WRITE DOWN the url because tomorrow you may not remember.  I know you think you will, but one day I didn't.  I got caught up in the euforia of successful mudpie making and forget where the mud was.  Now that was strange.  When finally I did remember it, I immediately made it a "Favorite" selection.  Whewww!

 

After you've named it twice, you get to select what it looks like - the template.

 

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First 3 things

At https://www.blogger.com/start  click the button that is for creating a blog

 

You'll need

1.  an email address

2.  a password

3.  a display name

 

1.  This email address and password will be used each time you sign into your Blogger account in order to post or change something about your blog.  Although the email account needs to be active when you establish your Blogger account, from that time on the necessity of it's active state is almost vestigal.  (If you're wondering if your Comments can be mailed to you, that's yes, but you can separately select any other email address for that purpose.  Your sign in email address isn't that address by de fault.  More later)

2.  The password for your account does not need to be same as the original password for your email address.  At least 8 characters are required, they prefer mixed letters and numbers.  They inform you if it's weak to strong.

3.  Your display name is what will be supplied as a label for your "About Me" box in the side panel.  It can be changed later if you like.

Simplest Instructions

Starting a Blogger Blog as of July 2007

at https://www.blogger.com/start

Separate postings will be made in the Kitchen on details of the various steps, but here's a simple list to get the concept summarized.

 

You'll need

1.  an email address

2.  a password

3.  a display name

Then you'll supply a

1.  a title of your blog

2.  a key word or phrase for your blog's url address for which you'll have to check the availablility

Then you'll choose a template (visual arrangement of your blog)

Upon completion, you're ready to post your first blog, by

1.  supply a title of that posting

2.  supply the content of the posting

3.  add labels if you like, or not

Then post,  Then View the blog

Be pleased with your first mud pie

 

Later, you can learn to

format the content,

add an image,

post by email,

add boxes to the side panels,

play with the visuals, and

tinker with various other matters

 

Hello World & Texas Blogs

I'm over here. Can you see me swinging under the pecan tree? The sycamore's still shading the side yard. The magnolias are gone but the crepe myrtle still blooms - mostly pink in late July.

I'm Joy Lee Hood from Jefferson originally. It's a delightful day although a bit warm. That's why I'm swinging. The picnic is spread on the grass on a gingham table cloth just for you. Will said you might drop by. The kids have run off to the branch with Bo's kids, probably after craydads, so we wont be disturbed. I'm just enjoying the breeze waiting on Johnny to get home.

Apparently, Will, he's my youngest child, Will, has gone and kicked up some dust about Texas blogging. He's compiled a bibliography of "Texas Historical and Literary Blogs," and passed it around by email. (If you want a copy let me know; it's free.) He asked me to answer what questions you may have to get started in blogging. He uses Blogger, so that's what he usually can be trusted to answer about. But don't get the idea he's some kind of expert computer guy as they say.

If you have a question, just COMMENT and I'll be sure he gets the message. Remember reading a blog can be a bit odd, they're usually read upside down, first postings are on the bottom.

If you don't know Will's blogs, the flagship is the Texas Parlor at
http://texasparlor.blogspot.com/
It's, well, a broad ranging, casual bibliograhy of Texas. The Hoods are Irish you know (Johnny folks are mostly English), and we can talk and talk. So Will's found a way to give "good social cover" to his talking, it's called bibliography. He likes it, but it seems just a lot of story-telling to me, and that's fine. I guess that what we get for sending him off to college, all the fancy talk about one story or another.

Anyway, if you've got questions about starting a blog about Texas, tell me and we'll talk.

Joyfully yours.