Creating a Blog with Creating a Blog with WordPress: The How-To’sWordPress: The How-To’s

December 17, 2008December 17, 2008

Presented by Judy Kammerer, MA, MLIS, Presented by Judy Kammerer, MA, MLIS, AHIPAHIP

Medical Librarian, UCSF Fresno & CRMCMedical Librarian, UCSF Fresno & CRMC

* Email: * Email: jkammerer@fresno.ucsf.edu * *

Create a new blog for free Create a new blog for free • Open Explorer browser and go to Open Explorer browser and go to

www.wordpress.com• Click “Sign Up Now”Click “Sign Up Now”• Create a username (this will be part of your new Create a username (this will be part of your new

blog’s URL) & password (write these down), type blog’s URL) & password (write these down), type email address, check agree, nextemail address, check agree, next

• Write down your blog domainWrite down your blog domain• Change blog title if you want (or you can change Change blog title if you want (or you can change

this later), privacy box(?), sign upthis later), privacy box(?), sign up• Check email to activate new accountCheck email to activate new account• Go back into www.wordpress.com and enter Go back into www.wordpress.com and enter

username & passwordusername & password• You will see a new header that has 3 sections: My You will see a new header that has 3 sections: My

Account, My Dashboard, & New PostAccount, My Dashboard, & New Post

Name your blog, set the time Name your blog, set the time stamp, allow/disallow stamp, allow/disallow commentscomments

• Click on My Dashboard Click on My Dashboard • Click Settings/General (on left) to create Click Settings/General (on left) to create

tagline & set time (PT is -8 hours), click tagline & set time (PT is -8 hours), click Save ChangesSave Changes

• Under Settings/Discussion, uncheck “Allow Under Settings/Discussion, uncheck “Allow people to post comments” if you do not people to post comments” if you do not want any dialog (keep it checked if you want any dialog (keep it checked if you want to be part of Web 2.0’s social want to be part of Web 2.0’s social interactivity ~ WordPress has a very good interactivity ~ WordPress has a very good spam blocker called Akismet)spam blocker called Akismet)

Pick a template Pick a template • Click Appearance/Themes and scroll down to view Click Appearance/Themes and scroll down to view

templates templates • Pick one (some offer “custom headers” like Pick one (some offer “custom headers” like

Contempt, Freshy, etc.; if you’ll be using multiple Contempt, Freshy, etc.; if you’ll be using multiple pages, it’s nice to have one that lists “Home” in a pages, it’s nice to have one that lists “Home” in a page bar along the top) and click on the name to page bar along the top) and click on the name to view, then Activate (top right), and View Site (next view, then Activate (top right), and View Site (next to title)to title)

• If you have a picture stored on your computer and If you have a picture stored on your computer and you chose a template offering a custom image you chose a template offering a custom image header, you can go to My Dashboard, Appearance, header, you can go to My Dashboard, Appearance, Custom Image Header, under Upload New Header Custom Image Header, under Upload New Header Image, browse, choose your picture, upload, move Image, browse, choose your picture, upload, move cropped area box, click crop. cropped area box, click crop.

Write a post Write a post

• Click on New PostClick on New Post– Each post needs a title Each post needs a title – Write text (under Post)Write text (under Post)– Include a tag – draws attention to Include a tag – draws attention to

subject in Wordpresssubject in Wordpress– Create a category (name folder) – Create a category (name folder) –

organizes similar posts (like a file organizes similar posts (like a file cabinet)cabinet)• Click “add” and make sure correct category Click “add” and make sure correct category

is checked for this postis checked for this post

– Click Publish and then View SiteClick Publish and then View Site

Edit a post and import a Edit a post and import a video video • Click on Edit by the post you just created. Click on Edit by the post you just created.

(You can also get there via My Dashboard, (You can also get there via My Dashboard, Posts/Edit, click on the post title)Posts/Edit, click on the post title)

• Change title. Open another browser & go Change title. Open another browser & go to www.youtube.com and find something to www.youtube.com and find something interesting, copy the URL. Go back to interesting, copy the URL. Go back to your post and click 2nd icon by your post and click 2nd icon by “Upload/Insert.” Click “From URL” & “Upload/Insert.” Click “From URL” & paste in URL. Click “insert into post” then paste in URL. Click “insert into post” then “Update Post.” (If this was a new post “Update Post.” (If this was a new post you would click “Publish.”) View Site. you would click “Publish.”) View Site.

Create a post with a picture Create a post with a picture

• Click “new post” then open another Click “new post” then open another browser & go to Google Images at browser & go to Google Images at http://images.google.com to find a http://images.google.com to find a picture (make sure it doesn’t say it’s picture (make sure it doesn’t say it’s under copyright protection) under copyright protection)

• Copy the picture to the desktop.Copy the picture to the desktop.• Go back into the new post screen, click Go back into the new post screen, click

on 1st icon by “Upload/Insert.” Next to on 1st icon by “Upload/Insert.” Next to “choose files to upload,” click Select Files “choose files to upload,” click Select Files to find the link from your desktop. Give to find the link from your desktop. Give it a title, Upload, make selections (try it a title, Upload, make selections (try thumbnail), then “insert into post,” then thumbnail), then “insert into post,” then “publish.” View Site. “publish.” View Site.

Create a post with a link Create a post with a link

• Click “new post” then open another browser, go Click “new post” then open another browser, go find a website and copy its URLfind a website and copy its URL

• Go back to your post, write a title and in the Go back to your post, write a title and in the text field write a short annotation to comment text field write a short annotation to comment on the website, paste the URL in the same field, on the website, paste the URL in the same field, add a tag and category, publish. View Site. add a tag and category, publish. View Site.

• Move the mouse over the link to see a small Move the mouse over the link to see a small popup of that webpage (“Snap Shots” feature)popup of that webpage (“Snap Shots” feature)

Create a Blogroll Create a Blogroll (list of favorite links) (list of favorite links)

• Under My Dashboard, click Links. Under My Dashboard, click Links. “Add new” to add your favorite “Add new” to add your favorite websites & blogs. websites & blogs.

• Examples of popular physician blogs: Examples of popular physician blogs: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/ & & http://doctorrw.blogspot.com/http://doctorrw.blogspot.com/

• Medical blog search: Medical blog search: http://medlogs.com http://medlogs.com

Create a Web PageCreate a Web Page

• Under My Dashboard, click Pages/Add NewUnder My Dashboard, click Pages/Add New– In addition to blog entries in reverse In addition to blog entries in reverse

chronological order, you can create static web chronological order, you can create static web pages that link to your front page. pages that link to your front page.

– The About page has already been set up; you The About page has already been set up; you just need to edit it. just need to edit it.

– Create a 2nd page for a topic you’d like to Create a 2nd page for a topic you’d like to develop. Give it a title and write the text, then develop. Give it a title and write the text, then “publish.” “publish.”

– Then each time you want to add content, go to Then each time you want to add content, go to Pages/Edit, click Edit under page title, make Pages/Edit, click Edit under page title, make changes, click “Update Page.” changes, click “Update Page.”

Change your Template & Change your Template & Customize your WidgetsCustomize your Widgets

• Go to My Dashboard, Appearance/ Go to My Dashboard, Appearance/ Themes, click on the name of a Themes, click on the name of a different template, Activate. View Site.different template, Activate. View Site.

• Check out Widgets (tools that appear Check out Widgets (tools that appear in columns next to your postings) in columns next to your postings) under Appearance for further under Appearance for further customization. (Good ones to start customization. (Good ones to start with include: Archives, Categories, with include: Archives, Categories, Pages, Links/blogroll, & Meta.) Meta Pages, Links/blogroll, & Meta.) Meta includes “log in/out” which is includes “log in/out” which is convenient. convenient.

More things to include in your More things to include in your blogblog• Create audio podcasts for free and post to your Create audio podcasts for free and post to your

blog ~ http://www.podcast411.com/free blog ~ http://www.podcast411.com/free • Create a slide show for free and post to your Create a slide show for free and post to your

blog from http://www.slide.com/ (you need to blog from http://www.slide.com/ (you need to sign up and then Make A Slide Show) sign up and then Make A Slide Show)

• Post Power Points by saving on Post Power Points by saving on http://www.slideshare.net, copy the new URL to http://www.slideshare.net, copy the new URL to your Power Point, then paste into a new post your Power Point, then paste into a new post