Luddite wants to start a blog. Advice please!

[MrsFrumble]

That's it really. We've recently moved to the US, and I want to keep family and friends updated. I'm just putting stuff on facebook at the moment but I'm self-concious about clogging up everyone's newsfeed with endless photos of my (admittedly stunning) children so I've decided I need a blog. I'm not interested in gathering a wide readership - I have bugger-all profound to say. Just a cameraphone and cute kids.

Problem is I'm a technical idiot. Techgeek Mr Frumble would probably be able to help me to set it up but I want to be able to update myself. I'd also like it to look pretty.

Any advice? Is there a particular site I should look at? Do I need any particular software on my phone or laptop?

I use wordpress.

It guides you step by step, you can make it as jazzed up and professional, or as just-for-family, as you want, no software needed!

Have fun!

It's not difficult when you get through 1st steps. But think again, do you really want you children's photo's on the web? Everybody could look... At least think do not put anything which could give a clue where you live and who you are.

I don't know how but in selfhosted wordpress there is a way when registered users could access extra information.

As for FB you could create closed group where membership will be approved by you, and put all your stuff over there. That way only those who want to see you kids' photos and all the other stuff (-> they will willingly join the group) will see it in the feed.

Thanks Birdsfell and Zanuda. Some friends have blogs on wordpress and I really like the aesthetic. If I wanted to post from my phone (android), would I need a wordpress app?

I think I maybe a little naive about the security issue. I do put a lot of photos of my children on facebook, but my privacy settings mean only my friends can see them. The reason I wanted to do something away from facebook is that I have some fb friends (former work colleagues and the like) who I know are not particularly interested in my children, certainly not to the extent that I've been posting since I left the UK! I just assumed that no one other than family would see a blog because no one else would be bothered looking for it. I don't know how 'professional' bloggers gather regular readers; I assumed by actively promoting their blogs which I don't intend to do. As I say, I'm a luddite so this view may be daft.

I think I will look into options for limiting access though. Our old childminder used to have a blog just for parents of her mindees which was protected by passwords. It was on google blogs I think.

Your best solution: Tumblr

Wordpress, blogger et al are far too complicated for what you need, and actually won't do as good a job.

Tumbly is designed for photo blogs, its easy to use and upload photos. Can still add text posts if you need to and off course can add text to you photo posts.

• Free
• Can have a password so only people you want have access and your kids pics are safe
• Lots of beautiful free 'templates' to make it look great
• Makes for a brilliant archive that will forever be easily sortable by date/tag
• Can add videos too
• If your house burns down or your computer or phone is stolen your pics will be safe forever
• Very user friendly but like anything will take you a morning with google at your fingertips to set up

It's simply the best solution for freely organising, hosting, keeping safe your pics!

...I just assumed that no one other than family would see a blog because no one else would be bothered looking for it...

You never know. Even if you put it such a way that search engines will not index it, it still will be available to the public. So if somebody put the link to it on the page which is indexed then it will be a way for strangers to find it.

The point is it might be only 0.01%possibility that you might get into unpleasant situation, but this possibility still exist. Remember somebody wrote recently that the teacher found the blog and left there strange comment.?