What is a blog?

The Wikipedia definition is "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog".

It seems to fit what we find browsing the web. It's really just a collection of dated entries like a diary. The content of different blogs varies as much as different people do. In a sinlge person's blog their entries are likely to change over time, just as the persons focus does.

Why would anyone care?

I remember when I first discovered somebodies blog. I was googling for a solution to a problem when I found somebody working through the same thing over a couple of day period in their blog. I don't believe I actually got a solution from that blgo, but it was nice to know that somebody else shared my misery in trying to solve my current dilemma. Later I'm sure that I did find solutions in peoples blogs, that is where I think the real benefit of a blog lies.

As any note taker can tell you, you forget things without making notes. The problem with notes is that they are really hard to find unless there is some structure to them, or they are all searchable in one place. Even comments in source code can be difficult to find, especially when you know that you've done something like this in the past but just can't remember what the project was where you commented all the relavent information. Sound familiar? We've all done it.

It does seem odd to me that anybody would want to read the dumping of information that I might pour into a blog entry. But what it might do is help somebody find some alternate language to hone a solution search a little clearer. More importantly to me, I might be able to find the information again when I need it!

How do you start a blog on the SLUG site?

It's easy as one, two, three.

1. Click on the "my folder" (just below the search box)
2. Use the "add item" pulldown menu and choose "weblog".
3. Give it a title and Description and click the "save" button.

Congratulation you now have a blog. It is empty, but you have to start somewhere.

After a good long rest from the first three steps you might even want to add some content.

Adding content is just as simple.

1. Click on your blog from "my folder".
2. Use the "add item" pulldown menu to select "weblog entry"
3. Fill out the form presented with your blog content and click the "save" button.

You're feeling pretty good about yourself now. This stuff is easy. Lets look at that witty blog. Where is it? I entered it, and find it in the "recent" section, and it searches but it doesn't show up in my "Blog"? Well it's in the "draft" area because it hasn't been "published" yet.

Your blog entry is in a "draft" state. Only you and the site admins can see it at this time. In order to make it public you have to "publish" it. Do this by navigating the "state: public draft" menu and choosing "publish".

In the "draft" state it's really only usable to you. You can search it using the site search box, but guest and member user will not see your entry. If it's something that others might find usefull, even remotely, then go ahead and publish it.

When you added your "weblog entry" there was another choice in the "add item" menu. That choice allows you to generate new "topic" area for you to catagorize your blog entries. Use it or not it's your Blog.

You may also want to "publish" the entire blog area so that it shows up in the list of "Published SLUG Blogs". If you don't have any public content, then it doesn't really matter if you publish the Blog. If you don't mind somebody reading over all your published blog entries (when they're really bored), then go ahead and publish the Blog directory too. If you click on the "blogs" tab on the SLUG website you see a list of published blogs and the last five blog entries. Here's the link "http://slug.gnhlug.org/slug/blogs"