Lots of Links: the GWA Handout
I developed this handout for the panel discussion on Garden Blogs at the Garden Writers Association (GWA) 2007 Symposium in Oklahoma City, OK. I am reproducing it here, and adding to it as I find new resources.
Blogging Basics
- Blogging Basics from Technorati
- Learning About Blogging and How to Blog
- Blogging for Beginners
- Web Browser Guide for Bloggers
- Introduction to Blogging
Hosting
The files for your blog are uploaded to a computer called a server. You rent space on a server, have it included as part of a comprehensive service, or get it for free. If you are going to find your own web hosting, make sure it works with the software you want to use.
Domain Name
You rent the basic name of your website (such as example.com) for a period of time. Most free web hosting doesn’t allow you to have your own domain name.
Software
Your choice of software is limited by whether you are buying web hosting or it is being provided with the software. Most high quality blogging software will enable you to construct a full-featured website, of which the blog is only one component. Comparison:
- Six Apart and Automattic Compared
- Ranting About Blogging Software
- Blogger and WordPress.com compared
- You Host
- They Host
Other Tools
– that aid in the creation and maintenance of your blog
- Image Editing – cropping, resizing, and resampling
- Picnik very easy but will only do one photo at a time
- Corel Paint Shop Pro
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Gimp
- Picasa
- File Transfer – to upload files
- Text Editing – to edit templates or html files
- Site Statistics – who visited your website – listed in order of complexity
- WordPress Site Stats Plugin – only for WordPress
- Sitemeter
- StatCounter
- AWStats – provided by your webhost
- Google Analytics
- Blogging Client – enables you to write without internet and then post when connected
Get Listed
- Search Engines
- Comprehensive List of Articles
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization
- Sitemaps
- Aggregators
- Garden Voices – a must-read as well!
- Moosey’s Gardening Newsdesk
- Veggie Garden Info
- Directories
Get Help
- Help Files – when faced with a problem with your software, the first thing you should do is consult the help files that come with the program.
- Links
- Quill & Trowel articles (GWA newsletter)
- “Writing for the Web” by Veronica Sliva, April 2007, p.14-15
- “Do the Ground Work: Planning Your Website” by Veronica Sliva February 2007, pp.1, 20-21
- Books
- Blogging Tips:What bloggers won’t tell you about blogging by Lorelle VanFossen
- Build Your Own Website The Right Way Using HTML & CSS
by Ian Lloyd
- People
- Friend or Relative – befriend a geek
- Blog Coach – the following were found via search engine just to give you the idea. No recommendation implied:
- Professional Web Designer
Get Paid?
- Read This First: Public Service Announcement
- Tubetorial videos
- Monetization on BlogTutorials
- Introduction to Making Money from Blogs
- Possible Sources of Revenue – read this critique and then carefully check out the following to see if they are a good match for you:
Be Ethical
- Linking and Citing
- Copyright
- The Basics of Fair Use
- How to Detect Plagiarism and Content Theft
- Finding Stolen Content and Copyright Infringements
- How to Stop Plagiarism Cold
- What Do You Do When Someone Steals Your Content
- Protecting Images
- Copyrights, Blogs, News, Content Aggregation and RSS Feeds – old but relevant review of court decisions
Check It Out
- GWA Members’ Blogs
- C.L. Fornari – You Aren’t a Real Gardener Until You’ve Killed Plants
- Lois DeVries – Lois DeVries’ Garden Views
- Marion Owens – Acorns
- Doug Green – Doug Green’s Garden Blog
- Mary Ann Newcomer – Idaho Gardener
- Mo Gilmer – MoZone
- Jane Milliman – Ear to the Ground
- Marie Iannotti – About Gardening
- Amy Stewart – Dirt
- Graham Rice – Transatlantic Plantsman
- Andrea Bellamy – Heavy Petal
- Jeff Ball & Nancy Szerlag – Gardening and Yardening
- Jane Berger – Garden Design Online
- Kathy Jentz – WashingtonGardener
- Martha Stoodley – All the Dirt on Gardening
- Jodi DeLong – bloomingwriter
- Debra Prinzing –Shed Style
- Susan McCoy – Garden Plot
- Carlo A. Balistrieri – Botanical Gardening
- Kelly D. Norris – E-Garden Almanac
- George Africa – The Vermont Gardener
- George Africa – Vermont Gardens
- David Perry – A Photographer’s Garden Blog
- Kathy Purdy – Cold Climate Gardening
- Monica Milla – Garden Faerie’s Musings
- Ellen C. Wills – Flower Ink
- Ellen Zachos – Down & Dirty
- Pat Leuchtman – Common Weeder
- Must See, Must Read for Garden Writers
- Garden Rant – “Firm opinion, with an endearing touch of justified hysteria”(–Graham Rice)
- Mouse and Trowel Awards – maybe you’ll win one next year
- Garden Bloggers’ Book Club
- Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day
- Fourteen Garden Bloggers to Watch
- Blogging Tips Wanted for Garden Writers
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