A blog site & hosting etc..

[Macca]

Well, i'm starting to plan everything to go off travelling for a year or so and i thought it would be a great to have a blog going so i can write about my travels and keep in touch with people.

First off, where should i start looking for this? Should i find a pre-made site, or try build something myself (very limited knowledge). Then hosting/domain, what about this, can i find a package for the whole lot ready to go?

Anyway, suggestions please!!

 

[Macca]

Check out wordpress for your blog software .

Sorry, I have no idea who you should host your site with .

Will check it out, just browsing google just now. So best to use something like this and then find a hosting company/domain?

 

[Macca]

That's what I'd do.

Check ochostreview.co.uk to find a good web host.

Cheers, been looking at it.

 

[Macca]

Thanks for all the replies, didn't expect to come home to see this. Well, i don't mind hosting it myself as i can use it for other things if i wanted, plus i don't know anyone who would host for me.

Gonna look into everything you've said and see which would suit me best. I don't have a great amount of knowledge about setting everything up so going the route of my own hosting may not be easy, unless someone would help me out. I'd like to possibly do that way and make the site myself, or try to.

Also whats better wordpress.com/org?

 

[Macca]

.com is purely hosting iirc, .org is forums, downloads of WP, docs etc.

Hosting things yourself isn't that bad once you do it for a few weeks, and I'm sure there is plenty of people here willing to help you out, me included.

Thanks, and if i opened my eyes i would have noticed that . Cheers appreciate the offer. Gonna think it over and see what i'll do but if i do need help i'll be in touch .

 

[Macca]

Big thanks to Platypus for letting me use his space to try out wordpress and doing my blog. I am now at the point where i need to get my blog up and running, my leaving date is 1st of April.

I've had a mess about with things but i'm useless at editing the themes, i'm looking for some good clean looking themes, does anyone have any they can recommend or any sites rather than the wordpress theme viewer?

Here is an idea of what it looks like just now http://www.r-dunn.co.uk/marcsblog but i'm useless and can't really change thing i don't like about it... haha. I may try use this theme although a bit dark, but i'm liking bright ones, more using white and really clean but look good not just a plain page!

Also i'm most likely going to use Vida host. Any help and tips would be greatly welcomed.

 

[Macca]

To be honest, if you're short on time and only want to record a blog of your travels then blogger is easily the best option. Easy to set-up and use, so you can get stuck in with the REALLY important stuff... Writing.

Wordpress is a powerful blog tool. But is way more than the OP needs, at least judging by what he has posted in this thread.

Space will be used for more than the blog, and it's easy to setup, more so the fact that i'm not great at editing the themes, php and css etc. But im learning, and will have a lot of spare time in some parts of my trip to really spend time doing more to it and learning it all, i'll be away for a year. With the blog it will be to write about my travels, post images, and for friends and family to keep in touch. But i'll use my hosting for other things aswell, and will need some space to upload photos too. I also have 6 weeks to get it up and running so time isn't much of an issue.

Wotda ill try that later and let you know!

 

[Macca]

Try using this background instead (Back up the original first [renaming it counts]).





Click for full size.

If it looks crap, say so.

Not so good...



Thanks though. Found some other themes i like but can't decide what to go for. And i feel Wordpress won't be too much for my needs, it's not been too hard apart from my coding in php and css is bad.

 

[Macca]

Another vote for Blogger here. Really easy to maintain. Link in sig to mine if you want a butchers.

I would agree, but i'll have a lot of spare time on my travels so would like to use wordpress as it has been very easy to use, only issue as said was editing the themes in php/css.

 

[Macca]

I'm looking to make a banner for my blog, right now i'm a bit rusty, but if anyone wants to try come up with some stuff that would be great. If it can have the same colours and really anything to do with traveling in it! I'll post what i come up with later .