How do you set up a blog on the internet?

[RuthT]

Okay so I am clearly behind the times and not Einstein on IT systems. Everyone seems to say it like it's dead easy but I have no idea how to even start - any step by step process and hints and tips you guys may have will be lapped up

Blogger

I'm not allowed one.

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Why aren't you allowed one?

There was a poll.
Everybody said NO.
I am a democratic cat.

Blogging is easy. Set up an account on blogger or wordpress. You then just type and the site pretty much does the rest for you. Both sites have 'idiots' guides' to help you get started.

Once you've got the posting sorted, you can then do fancy things like insert links or pictures.

If you want to 'promote' your blog, you need to basically notify search engines that it is there and updated, and make sure other people are linking to it.

Mumsnet has the blogging option too but then MN own all your words! It is powered by Wordpress too but think you have to stick to the MN house style and I think it is more difficult to make it visible to the outside world - if that's what you want.

Wilfsell - how on earth did you come up with that name?

Umm thinking of setting up a blog to kick start my research into women on mat leave and what they go through etc. So it would need to go to the outside world

Blogger is slightly more user-friendly IMHO than Wordpress. You need a google account to use it.

Blogs for research are good: you can just update as and when, ask for comments and contacts and use it as a hub for people to find other information about you. Research sounds interesting: what is it for?

The name: um, it was quite easy really!

Well I think we are in an interesting time with (and she speaks of a certain denographic ignoring all others) many professional women in thier mid thirties starting famililes.

Some are the main wage earner or equal.
They start a family as thier parents age and need thier support.
They have been able to be selfish up to that point and a family turns that upside down.
The first child is most important as this is when you are learning and putting down memories which means time appears to go more slowly and you think more about what it means to you in relation to your partner, yourself, friends and family and if you are female it challenges your relationship with your mother most.

Organisations don't recognise this and make the most of it. Nor are they very good at providing support or ensuring that through real conversations women are making informed choices.

I'm not sure what the solution is and I haven't defined the challenge perfectly but I think there is something there so I'd like to understand it better.

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