Technologies: create a group blog

Blogging

As part of your group web site you will need to have a group blog. You could create one from scratch using Ruby on Rails, but why not use resources that are already out there on the web?

NOTE: The Discussion leader this week could invite those who are interested in this task to complete the work for the group. There are two parts – the technical: creating the blog; the information: first blog post.

Step 1: Overview of how to create a blog from web resources

To create a blog for your website, you will need to:
- register your group blog with one of the many blog providers, and then
- link to your blog from your web site, and your web site to your blog.
- Alternatively host the blog on your server (i.e. nutmeg).
Once you have your blog you should modify it to have a similar look and feel as your web site. In fact the blog could just as easily be your home page.
A good example of this process is found at Darwin Netball Association.
NOTE how the ‘home’ page (which is the actual blog) is on a different domain compared to the other pages on the site.

Step 2: Create your website blog

Use one of the many blog providers to register your group blog.
The blog should be embellished with the same look and feel as your website.
The blog may be linked to from your web site or you may want to host the blog on your server (i.e. nutmeg.cdu.edu.au) from a provider like blogger.com.

Step 3: Hosting your blog on 'nutmeg' (optional)

If you decide to host the blog on ‘nutmeg’ then you’ll need the following details:
- Choose Secure FTP (SFTP) over ordinary FTP where required.
- FTP server: nutmeg.cdu.edu.au
- Blog URL: http://nutmeg.cdu.edu.au/sXXXXXX/ (substitute your student number for sXXXXXX
- FTP path: /home/student/sXXXXXX/public_html/
- FTP Username: sXXXXXX
- FTP Password: **********

Step 4: First blog posting

For your first entry for your blog, address the following questions:
- What advantages do blogs have over static web pages?
- What advantages and disadvantages does the method of linking to blogs from your site’s domain present?
- What advantages and disadvantages does hosting your blog on your server present?
- Visit www.technorati.com. What does Technorati do? What does Technorati mean by ‘claiming your blog’?