How to Choose a Blog Host

Decide which blogging host and/or software you'll choose to host your blog.

Step1

Determine what technical skill level you are. If you aren't very comfortable with system administration or HTML and CSS, you probably won't want to host your own blog, or write custom templates. This will limit your choices to blogs that are already setup or hosted by an online provider, such as WordPress and Blogger. If you are comfortable with system administration, but not HTML or CSS, you can host the site yourself, but use pre-built blogging software

Step2

Review Available options for blogging software. If you want to be 'hardcore', you could write your own software and run it from your own computer. If you're like most people, though, you won't want to do that. Your main choices are:

Step3

A hosted service. The two biggest services are Blogger (run by Google) and Wordpress.com (run by Wordpress.org). Others include Typepad (which is a hosted version of the Moveable Type software) and the various social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Typically, the social networking sites are focused on groups of friends, and the blog sites are not, although most blogs can be set to only be read by "members" or "friends". LiveJournal incorporates both aspects and is often considered a hybrid. If you expect your posts to be very short (under 140 characters) and sent from a mobile phone, you may want to consider Twitter, which fills that exact niche. Generally, Blogger is considered to be easier, but less customizable than other choices in this category, but there are still plenty of options.

Step4

Packaged software that you set up and host on a site you own. Several software packages exist that you can install on a server you own (or rent) and have the same functionality as the hosted services. Options here include Blogger, Wordpress.org, Movable Type, LifeType, and many others. Wordpress is arguably the most popular option for this type of installation, but the others are also extremely common. The biggest hurdle here is that you are responsible for providing the the installation space for the blogging software, as well as the installation and setup. This complicates the setup, but also allows for much more customization. Many web hosting providers also include built-in installers for blogging software, eliminating much of the hassle of setting up a server with the necessary software to run the blog.

Step5

A third option is to use a Content Management System (CMS) to set up an entire website and dedicate part of the site to blogging. If you intend to include a lot of media, document libraries, multiple blogs, forums, shopping carts, or if you want a website but think that a blog would be easier to manage, you may want to consider this option.

Step6

Choose which option best fits you. Choose the level of technical detail that's best for you, choose an solution in that category that fits, and try it out! You can see what several blogs on the different providers look like by going to their main sites (blogspot.com, wordpress.com, etc) or by looking for them by name on search engines.

How to bring traffic to your blog by commenting on other blogs

Have you ever seen a blog post hit the front page of Digg or get featured on Slashdot and wished you could get even a fraction of the traffic that blog is getting? Believe it or not, simply commenting on others' blogs can bring traffic to your own!

Step1

The first step is to find other popular blogs in your niche. You may know that Slashdot and Digg can bring a lot of visitors to pages that make the front page of their respective websites. If your website is slashdotted, it means it was hit by so many visitors in such a small amount of time, that your servers crashed (It sounds like a bad thing, but it means a LOT of traffic went to your website very quickly). You need to target the blogs within your niche that receive lots of traffic.

Step2

If you haven’t started using RSS, now is the time to begin. I won’t go into the details of how to set up your RSS, but you should do it in a reader, and not e-mail, because RSS e-mails usually get delivered slower than they do in readers. A good idea is to subscribe to the RSS of high traffic sites that link to other blogs, such as Digg, Slashdot, or TechCrunch. Once you see a blog post that matches your niche, go to that website as soon as you can to leave a comment. If you’re fast enough, you might be one of the first people to leave a comment, which could increase visitors to your website. Don’t leave a boring, empty comment like “Good information” or “I liked your post.” Its very unlikely someone will click the link on your name and go to your blog with posts like these.

Step3

Instead, leave a comment that proves you read the post, and has something to offer. Readers will be interested in what else you have to say, and be more likely to go to your blog. If the blog article’s comment section doesn’t have a field to put your wesite URL, you may want to leave the comment on a different blog. You can leave a comment if you’d like, but if you want traffic, target blogs which hotlink your name to your blog, or use the “comment love” WordPress plug-in.

How to Add A Cute Background To Your Blogger Blog

This tutorial will teach you how to install backgrounds from thecutestblogontheblock.com. I don't own The Cutest Blog website or have any affiliation with them I just think their backgrounds are absolutely the CUTEST ones on the block.

Step1

Go to thecutestblogontheblock.com

Step2

Click on "Backgrounds" on the left sidebar.

Step3

The right hand sidebar will give you many different options for cute backgrounds. Pick a category and click on it. Then pick a background and click on it.

Step4

screen shot Once you've clicked on the background you'd like to use for your blog scroll down and you'll see some gibberish near the bottom of the page. (Click screen shot for example) This is the HTML code that you'll be adding to your blog. Highlight the entire code and copy it to your clipboard. (If you're a new computer user this is EASY! Once you've highlighted the code right click on your mouse and then click "copy". The code will be copied to your clipboard even though you can't see it.)

Step5

Now, open up your blogger dashboard in a different tab or window. It helps to keep both windows open just in case. Click on "Layout" and on "Pick A New Template". Make sure "Minima" is selected.

Step6

Now click on "Page Elements".

Step7

Click on "Add a Gadget" and a new window will pop up.

Step8

Scroll down until you see "HTML/Java Script"

Step9

Click on the little blue plus (+) sign and a new window will pop up.

Step10

Click your mouse in the large empty box under the word "content". Right click on your mouse and click "paste". All of that HTML gibberish will be pasted into the box. Click "Save".

Step11

You will now see a new yellow bar that says "Page element added. View Blog." Click "View Blog"

Step12

Enjoy your new background!!!

How to Tweak Firefox to be faster

This is quite a lengthy article describing steps necessary to tweak Firefox to load websites faster. But it's well worth it. Included is images to help you understand how it works.

Step1

First and foremost- If you don't have Firefox, download it here: www.firefox.com If you are still using Internet Explorer- STOP USING IT NOW Firefox is safer, lighter, faster and you can customize it to your hearts content!

Step2

After downloading and installing Firefox, open it up. In the browser bar type in, exactly as shown here about:config you can copy and paste it to make it easier if you don't understand

Step3

network.http.pipelining - shown with true In the search bar for about:config type in "network.http.pipelining" double click on it and the value will change from false to true. You can also right click on it and choose "toggle", that will also change it from false to true.

Step4

Go to the search bar for about:config again, clear your section and type in "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests". Double click on it and in the box it currently says 4, clear that and type in 30.

Step5

in the search bar type in "network.http.proxy.pipelining". Double click on it and it will change from true to false.

Step6

type in "network.dns.disableIPv6". double click it and it will change from true to false

Step7

type in "plugin.expose_full_path". Double click on it and change the value from false to true

Step8

Next, type in "network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help" You will now create a new integer. To do this, simply click on the item that shows in the box beneath the filter search bar. Right click and choose "NEW", then choose "INTEGER". In the box that appears, type in "nglayout.initialpaint.delay", click on "OK". Next you will input a value-it currently has 300, you will simply change it to Zero(0) and click "OK".

Step9

Using the steps above for "network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help", we will apply another integer to it. This time, for the integer name you will type "content.notify.backoffcount", for value you will type "5"

Step10

We are going to use the same filter name as used in the 2 above steps. We will apply another integer and value. For the integer type in "ui.submenuDelay", for value type in Zero(0).

Step11

Now this is the easy step! Once you are done you will simply restart the browser. And Voila! your websites will load much quicker.

How to Blog Successfully

Blogging is one of the best networking tools out there. It's casual, easy, free, and it sets up an instant portfolio, and frankly, it's pretty fun!

Step1

SET IT UP. Get an account with Blogger, Wordpress, or Live Journal--if you have your own website Wordpress can pop right into it, and overall I highly recommend wordpress--it consistently gets the best reviews across all levels of use and technological experience. Links below!

Step2

FOCUS IT. The best blogs are about something specific--your experiences as a writer, how to live your passion, the latest technological news. Pick five words/phrases that describe what you are writing about. For me and my blog, they are "writing", "freelancing", "fiction", "money" and "internet media". From this, you can tell that I'm a writer of fiction and internet media trying to turn a profit.

Step3

TAG IT. Those five words I just wrote out? Tags. I use about three of them (in various combinations) in EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE I WRITE. That shows that my blog is focused--tags let other people be aware of that too. It also helps search engines--and random visitors--find you. This naturally drives traffic to your blog, which is the name of the game. Tags are also referred to as categories, keywords, key phrases, etc.

Step4

WRITE OFTEN. Google and search engines like it display the most current links first, so if you constantly update, your blog will be much higher up on the search engine list, because Google knows it's not a dead link.

Step5

LINK IN, LINK OUT. The more outgoing links you have permanently affixed to your site (links to other websites/blogs) the higher in the search rank you will appear. Additionally, most sites can tell who has linked to them, and will then check out your site and even maybe post a link. Blogging--and social networking--is very much a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" business--so get the itch!!

Step6

SHAMELESSLY SELF PROMOTE. My blog? http://blog.finalword.org. It's in every email I send, every profile I have out there, on almost every article I tack my name on. I want my name and my blog to be totally synonymous, because that's how you drive traffic.

How to Add AdSense Ads to Your Google Blog

If you signed up for AdSense, Google has made it easy for you to add the AdSense ads to your blog page. Read on for these quick and simple instructions.

Step1

Log on to your blog and click “Customize”.

Step2

Clicking "Customize" takes you to the "dashboard" section of the blog. Now click on “Add a Gadget” and scroll down until you see AdSense. Click on the plus sign.

Step3

Configure your AdSense Ad to look the way you want it to look. Click on Format's drop-down box and choose the type ad you want (e.g. banner, rectangle, small square, button etc.)

Step4

Go to the “colors” section and give the Ad the color scheme you desire. There are two options: 1) Click on the drop-down box's arrow and choose one of the color designs already prepared or 2) go to “Customize Color” directly under the drop-down box and choose the color scheme you desire. The Ad is visible in the “Preview” section and you will be able to see what it will look like on your blog or webpage.

Step5

After choosing the color scheme you want for your AdSense Ad, click on “Save”. You can "Preview" the Ad in your blog by clicking on "View Blog" on the dashboard page.

Step6

The Ad is a “drag and drop” box in your dashboard section. Drag and drop the Ad to place it in a strategic section of your blog or webpage and bring in the AdSense revenue.

How to e-mail large photos

Tired of sending your enormous 8 megapixel photos in an e-mail and having it bounce back or jam up in your outbox? Well there's a super simple fix for it built right into windows XP!

Step1

First, I have to mention that this doesn't work for webmail like gmail or yahoo. You have to be using Outlook, Eudora, Incredemail, or some other e-mail program that actually resides on your computer. To start, select/highlight all the photos you want to send in whatever folder they're in. You can selectively pick them out by holding the control key and clicking on them. Every one you click on will be added to the selection. You can also hold the shift key to select a bunch of pictures in a row. Either way, try to keep it under about 10 photos so size isn't a problem for you or the person you're sending them to.

Step2

Now that they're all selected, right click on any one of them and click on the "Send to" option. Wait a couple seconds as this menu sometimes takes a while to load in XP.

Step3

When it finally does load, click on "mail recipient" and it will bring up a box asking if you want to make all the pictures smaller or keep the original sizes. This is where you want to choose “make all pictures smaller.”

Step4

When you press okay, it will compress all your photos down instantly, save a temporary copy of them to be e-mailed, and automatically attach them to a brand new e-mail in your default e-mail program. Unfortunately it adds a bunch of text in the e-mail body about what's attached but you can just delete all that.

Step5

The photos are usually compressed down to under 150KB which is great because they can be upwards of 3000KB when they come off your camera and that's too big for some e-mail systems. Now all you need to do is fill in the To: line and add your own message in the body and then hit send. It's also a good idea to replace the subject line with something more meaningful than "Emailing:" followed by a list of the files you're e-mailing.

How to Use More Gmail Features

If you don’t already have a Gmail account, you are missing out on one of the most comprehensive free email services on the net. Google hosts Gmail and you can sign up for a Google Account on their main page. Businesses are rushing to establish Gmail accounts as well as individuals because Gmail offers features not found anywhere else on the web in one smart package.

Step1

Establish a new account or open an existing one. On the main account page, you’ll see the Gmail option and in parenthesis just behind it, you’ll find the link to “Settings.” Open this link and you can configure your account.

Step2

Examine the General tab. Here you can choose a language option and the number of emails per page. You can upload an avatar or photo that will accompany your emails. Type a motto that represents you in the Signature box and all your email recipients will see it.

Step3

Select a special Vacation Responder to send an automatic reply to anyone who emails you when you are away. You can modify this feature so that only people in your Contacts list will get a response.

Step4

Open the Accounts tab at the top of the page and you can add additional Gmail addresses and manage all of them from one handy area. Here you can also link Gmail to an existing domain.

Step5

Choose the Filters tab when you want to screen out certain words or block spam from appearing in your email inbox.

Step6

Set your Gmail account to forward messages to a separate account under the Forwarding tab. This is a super feature for re-routing emails. You can easily enable or disable it.

Step7

Open the Chat tab and choose the settings you want to accompany your chatting habits. If you would like to save all the conversations, this is the spot where you will configure that option. You can also enable sounds and emoticons here.

Step8

Check out the Labs tab to see the experimental features Google is messing around with. Here you can find some nifty add-ons to make your Gmail experience exciting and rewarding.

How to Not Send Drunken Emails That You'll Regret Forever

"I'll tell him, Yesh I will...Jush wait 'til he gets thish email!!!" If that's ever been you -- drunk enough to send off an angry email that you'd never dream of sending sober -- then do we ever have a useful tool for you. No need to desperately apologize to your significant other, your boss, your fantasy lover, or anyone else, if the email never gets sent. Here's how to play it safe with Google's Goggles.

Step1

Too tough? No email! . Yep...good old Google has come up with a new tool for its Gmail email service, called Goggles. With Google Goggles activated, you can't send out an email on a Friday or Saturday night until you answer a few simple math questions. If you're too drunk to answer them, then no email for you.

Step2

Gmail . Open your Gmail account page and click the Settings link (upper right). On the Settings page, click the Labs tab.

Step3

Google Goggles . Scroll down to Mail Goggles and click Enable.

Step4

. Now you're safe. You can adjust the schedule for other than Friday and Saturday nights if you're that kind of drinker. Take a look at Resources, directly below, for more information on Google Goggles for Gmail.

How to Make an Email Signature for Yahoo Mail

An email signature is an efficient way to provide all those details you want to include in every email without having to retype them. You can configure Yahoo! Mail to automatically insert the same signature into every email you send.

Step1

Sign in to your Yahoo! Mail account. From the top navigation bar, click on "Options." You can find this on the far right-side of the screen.

Step2

Find the "Signature" link in the "Management" column on the right side of the screen. If you do not see it, make sure "Mail" is selected in the "Options" menu at the left.

Step3

Decide what information you want to be placed into your Yahoo! Mail signature. You can include your name, employment title, email address, mailing address, phone number, fax number or any other information you want. Some people like to include a brief quote or humorous line at the bottom of their signatures.

Step4

Input the information into the text field. Click on "Color and Graphics" to change the font color, font size and font style of your text and to add emotions to your signature.

Step5

Click the "Add signature to all outgoing messages" checkbox if you always want to use your signature. If you may not always want to use your signature, you can leave this unchecked and add your signature only when you want to.

Step6

Hit the "Save" button at the bottom when you are done creating your signature.

Step7

Add your signature manually by checking the "Use my signature" check box at the bottom of every Yahoo! Mail message. Although you will not see your signature, it will be added to the bottom of your email when it is sent.