21. Getting Started

If this presentation has convinced you that blogging is worth pursuing, here are some tips for getting started:

Read, read, read

Take some time reading the blogs that are already out there to get a sense of common characteristics as well as features you like and don't like. For example, by reading blogs, you'd learn that they link to the direct source of information wherever possible. And you'll also get a sense of whether you want your blog to simply refer to news articles with little commentary or offer large doses of analysis and opinion - or perhaps fall somewhere in between. Some bloggers offer a good deal of information about their jobs and personal lives while others do not even reveal their identity. By reading lots of blogs, you can acquire a good sense of the variety that's already out there and decide what's most pleasing - and feasible - for your own blog.

Blog Services and Costs
Jerry Lawson offers this information in his handout:

Basic blogs at Blogger.com are free. This includes server space and use of the software installed on the Blogger web site. Radio's locally-installed software and web server space cost $40 a year. Sophisticated users of both Blogger and Radio may prefer the flexibility provided by renting their own web server space, available through discounters like InternetPlanners.com or WebHost4Life.com for $6 a month or less. Moveable Type software is free for personal use and $150 for commercial use. Either way, for $40 they will install it on a server of your choice. (Just in case you are wondering: the installation option is a good deal). Typepad is a new service that offers the power of Movable Type in a hosted service at prices ranging from $5 to $15 per month. No matter what software you use, you will probably want to get a custom domain name. These cost $9 a year through discounters like GoDaddy.com.

Slashcode (which supports myshingle.com) and Post Nuke (which supports www.blawg.org and www.sohoattorney.com, another site for solos) are also options for web logs but they require a higher degree of technical expertise for installation and alterations.