Website Creation

I had the bright idea this morning to have a website to document my "Tomato Experiment" this year. I have no idea how to go about doing it but I can't imagine that it's that difficult to do. Does anybody here have any recommendations as to where I should get started? Not that I'm a cheapskate but I would like this to be free.

The easiest thing would probably be to start a blog at a place like blogspot at blogger.com. If you want to try making a regular website, sites.google.com will let you make a free website that doesn't really require much if any knowledge of HTML.

Look at the bottom of the page

nKedrOoStEr wrote:Look at the bottom of the page

The "Free Forum" link?

Definitely a free blog hosted online. Something like blogger or wordpress. Its incredibly easy to get started and if you desire you can make it more elaborate with widgets and plugins but you don't have to to have something very nice.

I personally like wordpress. There are two wordpress sites, wordpress.com and wordpress.org. You will want to use wordpress.com unless you have your own domain name and web hosting setup.

Just go to wordpress.com create an account and its super easy.

Too Tall Tomatoes wrote:I had the bright idea this morning to have a website to document my "Tomato Experiment" this year. I have no idea how to go about doing it but I can't imagine that it's that difficult to do. Does anybody here have any recommendations as to where I should get started? Not that I'm a cheapskate but I would like this to be free.

There are many different ways to set up a website. Unless you know (or want to learn) HTML you will be better served with a blog.

Wordpress and Blogger are the most popular. Each has their own levels of learning curve to them. The first thing you need to determine is; will this blog be for a short term thing or will you continue to build and grow it.

If it is a one time thing you should consider Blogger. It is easier to use but it also has less features to it.

If you are wanting to grow the blog you should really consider wordpress. Therre are two options you can work with.

The first costs you nothing. You can have wordpress host your blog. The disadvantage is as it grows and you want to move it to your own hosting you will lose all of your rankings you have built up in Google.

The second is the one I use and that is to go with your own hosting. You can get plenty of monthly, inexpensive hosting accounts out there. Try godaddy and blue host (there are plenty of others)

Good Luck

Rob

I warn you, creating a website (or blog) can turn into another time-consuming hobby! I now know HTML, CSS, PHP, some javascript, and who knows what else!

Too Tall Tomatoes wrote:

nKedrOoStEr wrote:Look at the bottom of the page

The "Free Forum" link?

I personally think you would be better off and happier going the free blog route.

Thanks for the ideas. I do think maybe a blog might be better for me because I really don't want to learn HTML or anything like that.

With a blog from wordpress.com could I post pictures, videos, etc? That's what I would really like to do.

Too Tall Tomatoes wrote:With a blog from wordpress.com could I post pictures, videos, etc? That's what I would really like to do.

Yep. Really, it should be pretty much like adding an image to a post here.

Speaking as someone with experience in html/css etc and free blogs I say go with a free blog... Blogspot or wordpress are both easy to do and the templates are easy to customize... You'll be able to add images and embed videos with no problem it is easy to do....

Aran

You can also use this forums software to create a blog. You have the ability to change views from website to blog and vice versa. How well it works? Don't know, never tried. You can use the forumotion software to create a website in minutes...jfyi...

Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to have time to play with something this weekend.

You guys are ok in my book

Too Tall,

I've been blogging for years. I have a few websites...I would recommend blogger to begin with.

Wordpress is nicer, but much more complicated to use. Blogger is user friendly and easy to manipulate.

Wordpress takes a little more knowledge.

If you want help, give me a holler!

I actually have 3 bogs on blogspot and found it easy to use pretty quickly.

If I can do it, anyone can. I'm sooooo techy stupid you wouldn't believe it. I stumble thru anything on the puter. Just ask Boffer. He had to help me figure out something simple about the seed exchange. So go for it Too Tall!

Next I'm trying to figure out how to make videos with my digital camera. I need to learn so I can make videos and post them on my blog. I'm told its easy, but for me, its been a trial. It took me all day yesterday to make a sample test video and then upload it on my computer. I still can't figure out how to post it to save it to RealPlayer, but darling (and she really is) dau-in-law will help me this weekend. I think its the next thing I must learn to improve my blogs.

Just take your time and you'll be amazed at what you can learn. Don't rush it.

I have just started with blogspot and so far like it. It seems pretty simple. give it a try

I figure that I love taking notes, documenting things, etc so why not take that and turn it into a blog. What better thing to blog about than my tomato "obsession".

Hey.....it'll be a perfect reason to start using my digital camera again.

Hi there
I have had a blog with blogspot for a few years and have posted many pictures and videos very easily.
I have never quite figured out how to get the picture EXACTLY where I want it with regards to the text, but the rest is very easy to use.
I am not very computer savvy either.

Best luck
janet