# Setting Up A Blog



## GOLLUM (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi all,

I'm looking to set up a blog site in the near future about books incl. reviews and my home city (pics) and would like to know:

a). What is some good reliable and importantly free blogging software folk could recommend to me. I understand Wordpress is quite a good app.

*To clarify* I do not currently have a website or other server site.....so is the blog software just an app and the actual hosting server site not inbuilt? In other words, do I have to join some other crowd first to get free server space to then launch my blog software from there and to use for storage etc. or is there a blog software/app that also has server space setup; an "all in one" package so to speak, that is free and reliable?

b). Are there any pitfalls or things to watch out for when first setting up a blog. What kind of max. size limits apply for freebie blog apps w.r.t pics, vids etc. if such a concept exists with blogs?

c). What practical considerations should one take into accont when setting up a blog? I'm thinking here in terms of organising of the logical structure of the site etc.

d). What's the ruling on using pics of book covers etc. in terms of copyright if any when used only on the blog and not for commercial gain etc. ? I understand that in most couutries, content written by oneself is essentially copyrighted.

e). I use photobucket etc. to display pics but is there inbuilt storage space associated with these blogs that one can use instead and if so once again what size limits are we talking about here?

Thank you.


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## Susan Boulton (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi,

This should answer a few of your questions.

http://wordpress.org/


Also this place for domain names etc. Mine costs about £12 a year.

1&1.co.uk, but there are lots of others.

Not sure on the price of a hosting server as mine is hosted by a friend in the web business.

This is mine by the way set up on wordpress.

Gentle, Parochial Horror | The Everyday World of a Speculative Fiction Writer


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## Snowdog (Oct 30, 2010)

Sorry can't answer any of those questions beyond the fact that everyone I know who has a blog uses blogspot, which is run by Google. You have to sign up as a user and everything is hosted on their servers. They have the usual copyright rules but also millions of blogs. If they get a complaint they may eventually take your blog down, but is that likely for book covers?

This may be out of date, but it might be a place to start if thinking of blogspot:

Tutorial in creating blog in Blogspot | Blog Tutorial


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## Anne Lyle (Oct 31, 2010)

GOLLUM said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm looking to set up a blog site in the near future about books incl. reviews and my home city (pics) and would like to know:
> 
> ...



Yes - most blogging applications are available as free downloads that you can install anywhere you like. Wordpress is pretty good - I'm currently using Movable Type, but I'm looking to move to something more powerful (I'm a web developer, so I have more options!)



GOLLUM said:


> In other words, do I have to join some other crowd first to get free server space to then launch my blog software from there and to use for storage etc. or is there a blog software/app that also has server space setup; an "all in one" package so to speak, that is free and reliable?



You can do it either way, depending on your level of experience. If you're a newbie to blogging, I would recommend the latter route. Lots of people have blogs on Wordpress's own site, as has been recommended here.



GOLLUM said:


> b). Are there any pitfalls or things to watch out for when first setting up a blog. What kind of max. size limits apply for freebie blog apps w.r.t pics, vids etc. if such a concept exists with blogs?



Basically you get what you pay for - if it's free, you'll generally get less space and fewer features. Beyond that, I can't be specific - you'd have to look at each provider's terms and conditions.



GOLLUM said:


> c). What practical considerations should one take into accont when setting up a blog? I'm thinking here in terms of organising of the logical structure of the site etc.



Usually the software will manage the organisation for you. If you are using blogging software to run a website as well (which can be done with Wordpress), then you get into considerations of site structure. Look at some existing sites/blogs to get ideas of structure - mine is at Home Page - Anne Lyle. Usually the template you choose for your site will have some kind of automatic building of navigation links, but again it depends on the features of the software you choose.



GOLLUM said:


> d). What's the ruling on using pics of book covers etc. in terms of copyright if any when used only on the blog and not for commercial gain etc. ? I understand that in most couutries, content written by oneself is essentially copyrighted.



Book covers are copyright, but publishers generally don't object to their use if it is to promote sales of the book. Add a link to Amazon (or your online bookstore of choice) and you should be OK. Any other images, though, should be owned or licensed by you - I have a credits page on my site where I explicitly state where images are from. Any content written or created by you is automatically copyrighted, as you say. With photos, you might want to watermark them so that they can't be reused without credit (lots of image editing programs include a watermarking feature).



GOLLUM said:


> e). I use photobucket etc. to display pics but is there inbuilt storage space associated with these blogs that one can use instead and if so once again what size limits are we talking about here?



Sorry, no idea - you would have to research individual services. If you want to host pictures, I hear Tumblr is good, but I have no idea about limits.

Hope this helps!


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## AE35Unit (Nov 2, 2010)

I use blogger (Google powered) which is totally free, a joy to use and has lots of templates available as well as a template designer. You have the option of using a Captcha interface so follower's need to enter a random word to post a comment ( a good idea on any site!)
I have 6 blogs with them so far, on different subjects, my most relevant being 
SF Addict


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## Cayal (Nov 5, 2010)

I've just set up a blog, not really sure which direction I want to go with it but how do you get it out there for people to notice?


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## highscorewins (Nov 12, 2010)

I have a couple of blog sites and I am using WordPress to all of them.


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## Stephen Palmer (Nov 12, 2010)

I went to blog.co.uk; no problems so far.


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## GOLLUM (Nov 12, 2010)

Thanks for all of the helpful information so far.

I hope to set up my blog before Christmas.


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## Deathpool (Feb 19, 2011)

AE35Unit said:


> I use blogger (Google powered) which is totally free, a joy to use and has lots of templates available as well as a template designer. You have the option of using a Captcha interface so follower's need to enter a random word to post a comment ( a good idea on any site!)
> I have 6 blogs with them so far, on different subjects, my most relevant being
> SF Addict


 

Having to enter a random word is called a security image. The reason why security images are a must on any website is because scripts can fill out and submit forms. It's a security measure that should be implemented in any website. There are at least three security measures I'd implement on the Chrons if i owned it. Those would be publishing it in encrypted chanels, validaton for the password, and the security image. There are specific reasons for this, but I'd have explain a little bit about hacking techniques for you to understand it. I doubt the moderators would approve.


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## J Riff (Feb 26, 2011)

I have one on blogdrive.com, free and seems OK so far.
Hacking techniques DP? Good thing you are on our side! )


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## Deathpool (Feb 27, 2011)

I've not even supposed to be alive right. If I wasn't alive you wouldn't have to worry about it. Anyways my studying is in hacking countemeasures.


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## J Riff (Feb 28, 2011)

Even better. I've picked up somewhat on your situation from reading posts, and can relate, believe it or not. Great to be alive, when one considers the option, s'what my Dad allus told me.


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## Luc Valentine (Mar 17, 2011)

My two favourites are Wordpress and Blogger. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Wordpress is the better software, IF you host your blog on a third party server. You also have to pay extra, albeit not much, to edit the CSS. Blogger allows editing the CSS (and the HTML) free. Blogger also has a much bigger selection of templates, mostly third party (Wordpress calls them 'themes'), to select from than the WP default options, if editing the CSS is not something you plan to do. If you're going to post books, you might consider a gallery template, which is for photo blogs.


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## Deathpool (Apr 12, 2011)

I've done some reading on copywrite and I've read it's okay use copywrited material as long as the source is credited. Also there's something called fair use. fair use isn't difined in copywrite law. For example in a school report. I can use copywrite material as long as I credit the one who actaully wrote the material. Claiming it as mine would be Plagarism. I'm not a lawer. I just read a lot and basically study about just about any subject. This might sound off topic, but there was a post asking about copyrighted material on a blog.

Copyright Law


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## Teresa Edgerton (Apr 12, 2011)

Deathpool said:


> I've done some reading on copywrite and I've read it's okay use copywrited material as long as the source is credited.



Then you read it wrong.  Unless you have the permission of the copyright holder, you can only use small portions of a work, and those only under the conditions of Fair Use:  a review, a book report, literary criticism, etc.  Otherwise, you may get away with it, but you are breaking the law.


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## Deathpool (Apr 12, 2011)

What I meant was a graph, saying, or possibly a photograph. That's what I meant by crediting the source. Anyway I stand corrected.


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## Deathpool (Apr 12, 2011)

I was way off. Just forget I said anything. Anyways that post was off of top of my head and I had read that like last year. Anyways I never can find the sources that I read stuff after I close them. Unless I was imagining my sources. My memories like to play tricks on me like that. I did get a 750 reading on the GED. I mean I do understand what I read. I hope anyway.

U.S. Copyright Office - Can I Use Someone Else's Work? Can Someone Else Use Mine? (FAQ)


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