I’m thinking of starting a blog now that I’ve stepped down my involvement in HtN (see about 300 of the threads on the bike forum for extensive details).
How easy is it?
How much does it cost?
Anything else that I should know?
Easy.
Free.
Be intreresting.
PS Thanks for the HTN's. Great work.
Good.
Care to elaborate on the free bit?
I will be.
Ta. I was only part of it. The other part is carrying on so there will be no let up in the awesomness of it all.
Free as in it costs you nothing.
[url= http://beamans3.blogspot.com/ ]Here[/url] is ours.
Not sure how interesting it is but my folks enjoy it.
wordpress.com. You can have your first post online in about 10 minutes
Write original, interesting content that people want to read. Anything full of "there's a good article on this link" posts gets ignored very quickly.
There's a million people out there writing blogs. I rarely find anyone I like reading, and generally their style changes from one post to the next and I get bored. I just use my site to post random bits of news, useful hacks I've done or technical how-to's I've written. I can't ever see anyone wanting to listen to me ramble about my day/ride apart frmo my family, and we use a phone for that.
Good blog that I read every now and then... well written about an interesting subject:
[url= http://flightlevel390.blogspot.com/ ]Flight Level 390[/url]
Does get a bit too american at times though.
So, I guess my top tips are:
1. Write about something interesting
2. Write well
3. Don't be american
HTH,
Dave
Rather alarmingly my personal and work e-mail address are already registered with Wordpress!
Is that why I keep getting messages about Viagra and fake degree certificates?
I use blogspot. Its free and easy to use. I only post about rides we do, bit of a ride report if you like. The only reason I started was to have some memories of our adventures for when we are old and infirm and we can read them back and relive the good times.
Does that make any sense ? no, though not. Bit like my blog really, no sense at all.
Samuri's makes good reading though. He always makes me laff anyway.
i use blogspot too, easy links to flickr and google etc, all free
Rather alarmingly my personal and work e-mail address are already registered with Wordpress!Is that why I keep getting messages about Viagra and fake degree certificates?
Wordpress accounts cover a vast number of sites, sites like hackaday.com (based on wordpress) automatically log you in with your wordpress account, I wonder if you've signed up to make comments on something.
I used Blogspot for mine, almost given up after 4 years. It's run by Google, you can start in 5 minutes, dead easy.
Lovely and easy to set one up: try [url= http://wordpress.org/ ]wordpress[/url], [url= https://www.blogger.com/start ]blogger[/url] (other blogging software is available...) for 5 minute start ups.
Can be free if you're happy with your blog being WHATVER-YOU-WANT.wordpress.com or WHATEVER-YOU-WANT.blogspot.com. It'll cost you to buy and host your own domain name, not a lot usually, but a bit, should you want something without advertising who it is that makes the software for your blog (like my site, for example)
Anything else? Erm...like everyone above has said, it'll flop on it's arse if you're dull. I don't mean 'dull' as in 'you're not a multi-millionaire spending all his dosh on hookers and holidays and blogging about it', everyday stuff can be interesting if you've a good way of describing it.
[url= http://www.samuri.co.uk/ ]Samuri's[/url] blog is ace, even when he's just talking about a short road ride where some fool dared to get in his way, for example.
Apart from that, do what you like, some people'll probably like it, some will hate it and some won't give a toss either way, it's all good 🙂
Got one with Wordpress and a new MSN e-mail. Let the drivel begin!
I'm starting off with a history of HtN telling the World that "Why not do it yourself?" is a dangerous question to answer and what happens when somebody drives a portable shower block into a tree.
There will be mud, tears and a few pictures of my kids.
+1 Wordpress. Works fine out the box, but becomes seriously customisable when you get it hosted properly.
We (well Dan) have done quite a lot with blogger
www.innerleithenmtbracing.com
I use a personal one to let my relatives overseas know I am still alive. Who cares if nobody reads a blog ? You could apply that to 99.9% of the drivel on the internet. Write away. Have fun. Say what you want. talk rubbish.... its cathartic.
I would also recommend Wordpress. Hundreds of different templates and can be written what-you-see-is-what-you-get or in HTML (or both!). Much more versatile and easier to manipulate than any other free blog sites, it really is a very simple and clean interface.
Some inspiration for you.
http://whileoutriding.wordpress.com/
The best blog I have ever read. Lots of others I've flicked through and found very boring tbh. Good blogging is definitely an artform these days. My 2p.
Careful what you say in it,dont want special branch bookmarking you 😉 😆
Blimey. That was easy!
http://harrythespiderblog.wordpress.com/
Just need to bugger about with the layout and link ot to twitter.