Getting Started With WordPress

1) Create student blogs using WordPress.com

By using blogging software to reflect on your readings and submit assignments, you practice using this new technology. By customizing your blog space, you develop your personal design aesthetic. By categorizing blog posts, you are becoming literate about Web 2.0 technologies and folksonomy.

• Create your blog! Go to Word Press.com ; select the new account button and follow the prompts. Notes:
  • Use your UWNetID as your login/member name. This will make your WordPress URL <uwnetid.wordpress.com> and makes it easy for me and other class members to send you email. [If it’s not available, use something else! I’ll note the email info on the student blogs page.]
  • Use an email account that you can access in the lab, because you will not be able to move to the next steps until you activate the blog by clicking on a link in an email from WordPress.
• Activate your blog
  Log in to your email account and find the WordPress mail that contains instructions. Click the link and your blog will be live! This step “proves” you are a human and not a ‘bot.

2) Customize your blog

Required settings

• options –> general: Make the name (separate from your login) distinctive (not Com300!).
• options –> general: Change the timezone to [-8 / Los Angeles or San Francisco] so that we all have the same timestamp
• posts –> categories: We will be categorizing all of our blog entries. Create the following categories:
  • In-Class Assignment
  • Discussion Leader
• posts –> categories: edit “Uncategorized” and rename it “Reading”

• settings-> privacy: You must make your blog public — whether or not it is included in search engines or public listings is your choice.
• settings –> discussion: To avoid spam, enable Users must be registered and logged in to comment but disable comment moderation.

1- Title and TimeZone

2 - New Categories

3 - Edit "Uncategorized"

4 - Privacy Settings: Must Be Public, May Block Search Engines

5 - Settings For Discussion Management

Change the design (Appearance)

• Experiment! Make sure your site is readable (dark text on light background – not the other way around)
• Be sure your design shows this minimum set of sidebar widgets. You can change the elements in the sidebars by playing around with the widgets.
  • Archives
  • Categories
  • Links (the blogroll)
  • Pages
  • Recent comments

Congratulations! You have now created a website that integrates static pages with blog posts!

3. Create and Edit Content

1. Edit the existing comment (Comments) by unapproving the existing comment. How does this change the appearance of the administration page? How does it change the appearance of the blog post?
2. Edit the existing post. (Posts – edit posts). Paste the answer the above questions in the body of the existing (Hello, World) blog post. Change its title/subject. Change the category from “uncategorized” to “in-class assignment” (click the tick mark – Categories are in the right margin). Click “update”
3. Edit the blogroll(Links)
   • Add links to 2-3 of your favorite websites.
   • Add these the links (copy & paste!) – feel free to add other course links as well
     * COM300 Website – https://com300.wordpress.com/
     * Tips, How-Tos – http://wiredpen.com/category/how-tos-wp/
4. Edit the About page (Pages – edit page). Write something about this blog being a COM300 project; tell us something about yourself (you don’t have to use your last name). Click update.
5. Create a new blog post (Posts – add new), 200-300 words on how you use digital media in your life everyday. (We will talk about this on Monday.) Categorize the blog post assignment and then publish.

For WordPress help, see these tips.