Why Blog?

1. It is an easy way to share photos and stories with family far away.
2. To preserve memories
3. Typing is faster than writing.
4. To save photos and memories away from your home, a back up plan.
5. Because it's fun!
6. To check "Do my family history" off your guilt list.

Getting Started

You can begin your blog at any of these free sites. I prefer Blogger because it’s what I know so that is what we are going to use, but what you learn should help you to use either of the other two.

• TypePad.com

• WordPress.com

• Blogger.com

First things First

The first thing you will need is an email address.  Blogger does not spam so you can use your regular email address. 

(If you don't have an email address, you can sign up for a free email account at  http://www.gmail.com/ or http://www.yahoo.com/ or any other site that offers email accounts )

Go to http://www.blogger.com/

If you have a gmail account, use your gmail address and password to log in on the right side of the screen. (after you log in, skip down past the next photo to where it says 'After you have loged in')

If you don't use gmail you will need to create a Google Account by clicking on  the "Get Started" button (orange).

You will be directed to a page titled "Create a Google Account"

Fill in the asked for information and then click "Continue"

Once you are logged in, the next window should look like this:

The blot title and the blog name do not have to be the same thing. 

For Example:  When I first started, my blog was titled ‘And then there were Seven.” But the blog address was 2plustimeis7. To visit my blog you would type in 2plustimeis7.blogspot.com (the address), but when the page opened it said, “And then there were Seven” (the title).

You can title your blog anything you would like to. 

The address is subject to availability. 

For Example:   When I was preparing, I wanted to create a new blog.  I tried the blog address "testing2011.blogspot.com"  but it was already taken.  Blogger suggested that the name mellonee.blogspot.com was still available, so that's what I used.

Type in the address you would like to use and then click underneath where it says "Check Availability".  Blogger will let you know if the address is available and if not will give you several suggestions.  You can use one of these or try another address of your own and click "Check Availability" again. 

Next type in the letters you see (this is the let Blogger know you are a human and not a computer trying to overload their servers)

Now click "Continue"

Your screen will look like this: 

You can change this later, but for now just click on one that looks good to you, then click "Continue".

Your screen will now look like this:

Click "Start Blogging". 

Congratulations, You have a blog!

To find out how to post on your blog, go to Posting on Your Blog