All about Blogs @ Rebreather World

schford

Well we have had a few questions and I have had a bunch of PMs so thought would do a quick post about Blogs / Community Web Space.

Well Whats a Blog?

It really is as simple as your own web space - a place for you to publish onto the web, be it as an online diary, an article repository or an online photo album for you!

You dont need to know how to program or to code in HTML, it is a nice friendly publishing interface - if you can write a post on Rebreather World you can have your own Internet Site / Blog!

You will get a great address in cyber space too - http://yourname.rebreatherworld.com

But what about making it pretty?

Well I have installed about 50 default templates for you to choose from and these can all be customised. I really like the template Louby Lou has - http://loubylou.rebreatherworld.com

The system is configured so you can install your own template, so if you see one you like and want to cusomise it and re upload it you can!

I would suggest heading over to the template forum here - http://forums.lifetype.net/viewforum.php?f=2 here you can read up on what others are doing and download templates too!

Some limitations to know about.

Ok the software we run is called Life Type - it is a really cool multi user blogging application, that is really flexible in how it uses the name space - with this software I can still have http://www.rebreatherworld.com the blog summary and sign up page at http://blogs.rebreatherworld.com and your individual blog @ http://yourname.rebreatherworld.com

Thats the plus side - the downside are:

1. You absolutely can not have any characters in your username other than letters - no spaces no _ no - etc - I will probably roll this out to Rebreather World too to make it easier.
2. If you mis spell a blog name it always takes you to mine as mine was the first one - I guess this means I should make an effort to make it look pretty!
3. Some email addresses can not sign up at the moment - this looks like only AOL ones, I am not sure why and am working on it...

So talk me through setting up my first blog please!

OK - great :-) first of all you need to head on over to http://blogs.rebreatherworld.com and sign up for your own blog. We insist that you use the same username that you have on Rebreather World - minus the spaces or _ or any other funny characters. As an example Louby Lou becomes http://loubylou.rebreatherworld.com

OK - now you want to pick a nice template to start with have a gander to find one you fancy and pick it - dont worry you can change your mind at any time via your Admin --> Blog Name -->Control Centre --> Blog settings screen.

You can even do your own template as mentioned above.

Still with me?

Great! Right next is to step up a framework for your Blog - you do this from your admin screen - most blogs have a link to this but if not you can log in at http://blogs.rebreatherworld.com or http://username.rebreatherworld.com/admin.php so you go admin --> blogname -->catagories (I figure you got the hang of this admin now - so in future will just say in admin)

Here you want some Catagories - good ones to start are

• About Me - You want to do a few Posts about who you are etc
• Diving - So you can tell people abotu your diving
• Family - well if you want!
• Work - if you want
• The Web - If you want to talk about anything on the web
• Hobbies - Any other hobbies etc

Well thats just to give you some ideas, when your in the admin screen - I would also set up some albums - you do this from the Resource Centre seciton of the admin screen, I would set up a few to start with maybe

• diving
• family
• holidays

or what ever you want! Now you have those albums why not upload some pictures into them again this is from the resource area of the admin section!

Now it is time to put some content into your blog! So in your admin screen in the manage section go do your self some writing / web publishing! You can include pictures - either from else where on the web or from your album, *note* not straight from yoru PC though!

Promoting your blog

Tell your friends and family about it in an email, and get it indexed via the search engines - the easiest way to do this it to put you blog name in your signature on this and other forums you frequent.

Happly blogging all.

Stuart

__________________
Bailout and Kit Management account for Murphy's Law

The only bad question is one you did not ask and later wish you had.

Use of Rebreather World is subject to the Rebreather World Terms & Conditions of Use

Beanie

So how do I change my Template then?

Me thinks I need a unique one
I think Miss Lou needs hers pinked up to

I do like Lou's layout can I use that as a start and respray it?

__________________
Beanie
Gallery Admin & Library Assistant.
www.outlawdivers.org.uk
www.beandiving.co.uk
www.beanengineering.co.uk