Ideas for Extending your Blog

As you work with blogs, most likely you'll get to know quite a bit more about HTML.

1. Play with the design
you don't need to use

heading 2

elements for each entry's data,for instance. Instead you could use the

heading 2

elements to give each entry a title and then you could put the data in bold right before the text.
2. Use thumbnails to link to bigger images.
3. Learn to use HTML tables
The HTML table elements can be used to create more structure on your page, both within individual entries and for overall layout on your blog page.
4. Learn CSS
Cascading Style Sheets(CSS) make it easier to change the overall look and feel of your blog - and, in fact, all the pages on your website. See CSS for Primer
5. Add static pages
6. Integrate your Blog into another site.
7. Consider using other Scripting tools.

What is a Weblog?

If you were to leave the definition completely to me, I would define weblog something like this : A weblog or blog is a website that's defined to be updated with items in a linear,time-based fashion, similar to a personal journal or diary, except that the contents are meant specifically for public consumption.

Probably the best indication of a weblog is its format. Common blogging software includes Blogger, Manila, Greymatter, Movable Typr, and pMachine.


How do Blogs build community?
Two elements work togethrt to make a successful website - updated content and tools for community. You may be able to create a community of readers - or atleast a following - simply by having something intersting to say or by appealing to a certain niche of users.

How to Create a Blog?

Google's AdSense sounds interesting to you. You like the idea of legitimately making money online with advertisements. You even went so far as to read my last post: Getting Started with Blogging! But you have no idea how to get setup - until now.

I do Web Consulting for a living (no, I'm not a full-time blogger… yet). I'd say on a scale of 1-10 of web knowledge I'm probably near a 9, maybe a 9.1. But guess what? You don't have to know squat about web design or web programming. Of course you'll have to learn some web terminology along the way but you can start at ground zero today. The great thing about blogging and potentially earning money with AdSense is that you don't have to be a web guru.

I repeat: you do not have to be a web guru to start a blog and use AdSense.

There is a wide range of blogging tools out there. Some free, some not. If you haven't noticed, I'm using a tool called: Blogger. Before this I had experimented with Typepad and even created my own (this was a few years ago when the term “Blog” wasn't exactly a household name).

Why Blogger? Well for a few reasons: 1.) It's Free! 2.) It's a breeze to setup and 3.) Google owns it. Yeah, the same Google that's helping us earn money through their AdSense program - A perfect marriage indeed.

Ok, so you have your blog topic (or maybe not but you will soon…right?) I'm going to get you hooked up to the service in no more than 10 minutes (times will vary for animals and small children). At the end of this you'll be ready to start writing up some content, free of charge.

1.) Go to Blogger and sign in with your Google account. If you don't use any Google services like Gmail you can create a new account.

2.) Click on the “Create Your Blog Now” button arrow on the bottom right and fill in the information.

3.) Name your blog and give it an address. Make sure the name is meaningful and not too long.

4.) Choose from one of the many templates available.

5.) Your blog has been created!


Now wasn't that painless? In a matter of minutes you have reserved some real estate on the Internet.

I would suggest doing some exploring on your own at this point. Get a sense of the tools available to you and I'll go into further detail in the near future. Have fun!

What is a Blog?

So you’re interested in making money with AdSense? Well join the club. But before we get to the good stuff, we have to build the foundation. Chances are good that if you’re reading this you know what blogs are and how to create them. Good for you! You’re on the fast track to getting started with AdSense. But patience grasshoppa, we must help those who don’t even know what blogging is.

Here’s the definition of a blog from Wikipedia:

“A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.”


A blog is basically an online diary - A journal written by an author, about the author and/or the author’s interests. The great thing about a blog is there are no boundaries whatsoever. You can blog about your dog, cat, career, relationships, car, favorite ice cream, etc, etc. You have total control to be as creative as your heart desires!

The important thing about this journey is that you blog about something that matters to you. Different people have different interests and you’re no exception. Chances are good that others just like you are ready to delve into your material because they have similar tastes. Don’t hesitate to write about something you’re passionate about - just do it! (like Nike)

If you interested in learning more about blogs and blogging, check out the wikipedia page.