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“Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn.”
Scott Adams
Starting to Blog?
So … you are here because, like quite a lot of other potential bloggers, you asked your friend, Google, how to go about starting a Blog, and this was one of the places that bounced into your line of sight. Not that long ago, I did the same, but obviously wasn’t directed here. This page is not about what drove you here, it’s about what we can do now that you are here.
Wow! Six hundred million! You can view “600 million” with your galss half empty or your glass half full, and without any doubt, 600 million is quite a big number. You could take that number and conclude that the market is saturated and perhaps your day job is your best option, or you could take that number and conclude that the market is open and popular, and that maybe there is an opportunity.
Blogging On
If there are 600 million active blogs across the internet,
I thought it might be a nice idea to start a blog. I have amassed, over the years, a lot of experience and associated knowledge, and I thought it would be socially responsible to share. After all, we live in a global village and everything and everyone is connected.
So …
I want to do blogging. I want to blog. I want to write a blog. I am writing a blog. I want to know how to write a blog. I want to know where to start writing a blog.
I also want to learn about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), which seems to be a big thing.
And …
I need to understand the platforms, and the hosting services and the domain name thing.
And … a cart load of other stuff.
I have let Google be my friend and I have read a load of stuff. I have also spent a long time seeking out and watching YouTube videos made by 12-year olds, and they ALL tell me That I can build this stuff in minutes. The problem would appear to be that I am not 12 years old and whilst I can generally put together the more simple Ikea flat packs, and use all the parts and all the screws, I am not of the opinion that this skill is going to stand me in good stead for publishing my first blog post.
I may be no fool, according to my grandma, but I don’t think that even she would imagine that I can emulate a 12-year old, so I am not going to try.
The other thing I have noticed during my search for inspiration is that almost without exception, the authors of the blogging instruction sites and the stars of the YouTube “I am an expert” sites almost universally approach their subject matter from the perspective of someone who knows what they are doing. I find myself asking questions that are not answered in the instructions or the video, and I get the impression that a level of knowledge is assumed, or maybe the answers to the questions would mean extending the instructions or the video to beyond the optimum length.
I was initially going to write about something else; installing some sort of blogging application was a means to an end. I have now been chasing my tail for several days, trying to find answers to questions that have otherwise been assumed.
Picture of dog chasing tail and caption to go with it
I saw one YouTube video, presenting enthusiastic and authoritative advice to – well to me – about how to go about beginning blogging, and how it was imperative to choose the right platform. The message in this case was for the novice blogger, setting up a blog for the first time, to choose WordPress.org over Wordpress.com – no justification for WordPress over any of the other possible blogging options and no real explanation of the choice of org over com.
At this point, I thought …
I have been building IT systems for quite a long time, almost since I was 12, and have always endeavoured to understand the rationale behind choices.
People start blogs for one of many reasons, from personal to commercial. Personal blogs are used to
Falling into the Pit
Right now, I am setting up a blog, and I must have got something right because you’re looking at it. I watched the YouTube videos and I’ve got it. Easy? No, it’s not, and don’t let anyone tell you that it is. If you listen to the 12-year olds on YouTube – and once I have got this thing going, I will share a few links – you are likely to be excited at the prospect of putting together a $100,000 per month internet business during your lunch break. You’ll think to yourself, “I’ll have some of that, how hard can it be?” You will have some ideas in mind, and you will set about it one day after finishing your sandwich. As lunchtime draws to an end, you have drawn the conclusion that maybe it’s not for you. You’ve tried your best to copy what the 12-year old on YouTube has showed you but in half an hour, you have made very little progress. If this is the case, you should always remember: It’s not you! They can make it look easy because they have done it many times before, and because you only see the clips that work.
Why am I here?
Not some sort of existential discourse about the futility of human existance. If that’s what you are looking for, I think that you may be in the wrong place. You may need to try again, remeber, Google is your friend. Alternatively, you could hang around, engage with us and maybe learn how Blog.
Can I Help You?
A bit about me (more later): I have spent the last 20-30 years designing and implementing large scale computer systems, from helping to define problems to delivering solutions. I have faced barriers and I have stumbled over blocks, but I have never given in – I may have had to make detours, but I always made it to the finishing line. I tell you this now so that when I fail, and I will fail, I will let you know that I have failed, and we can then look at the reasons why. If I am struggling, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one – I am sharing my experiences here, feel free to share yours, and how you have resolved them.
I am setting all of this up from scratch, so I am going to able to show you how it really works, from the beginning. So much so that I am writing this post on my mac, in Word, as I don’t have anything set up. I want to describe how I approach the initial setup, but I can’t do it in real-time. I am recording what happens and will relay it retrospectively. I may not be successful, but if you learn something from my research and my experience, it might help you to be.
So … this is the Plan!
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