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Go
to the website
http://www.blogger.com
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Scroll down the column on the right hand
side of the page until you see the “SIGN UP” box (not to be confused with the
“SIGN IN” box). Enter a username and password that you will remember.
(Write them down in a safe place!)
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Clicking the “sign up” button will take you
to a screen where you will be asked to enter your first name, last name, and
e-mail address. (You can leave the “Organization” field blank if you wish.)
Make sure the box is checked, indicating that you agree to the terms of
service (assuming, of course, that you do), and then click the “enter” button.
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The Blogger home page will come up on your
screen. In the column on the right, you’ll see a box called “YOUR BLOGS.”
Click the “Create a new blog” button.
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Enter
a title and a description for your blog. (The title and description apply to
your blog as a whole rather than to an individual blog entry.) Make sure that
the box by “Public Blog” says “Yes,” and then click the “next” button. (For
this assignment, you will need to make your blog public so your classmates can
access it. You will still have the option, however, of keeping individual
posts private.)
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On the next screen, make sure the button
beside “Host it at BlogSpot” is clicked (unless you have your own site that
you’d like to use instead) and click the “next” button.
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Follow the onscreen instructions to enter a
label for the URL of your site. (Lots of folks use a keyword from their blog
title or their username.) Write down and remember this URL.
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Check the box to agree to the BlogSpot terms
of service (assuming, of course, that you do), and then click the “next”
button.
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Choose a template for your blog. (If you’d
like to see a larger picture of what the screen will look like, click on the
thumbnail image. The larger picture will show up in a new window.) Once you’ve
chosen a template, click the “finish” button.
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WAIT while the blogger site sets up your
blog and takes you to the blog editing screen.
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Now—finally—you’re ready to write. Click in
the large white box near the top of the screen and type your journal entry.
When you’re finished, click the button on the right to “post and publish” your
blog entry. (Make sure you select the “post and publish” link rather
than just the “post” link. “Posting” a blog saves the entry but does not
publish it on the Web.)
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Once you’ve posted and published your blog
entry, be sure to sign out using the link near the top on the right side of
the screen. This step is especially important if you are using a public
computer.
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To view your blog, type in the URL you chose
in #7 above:
http://-----.blogspot.com (replacing the dashes with the label you chose).
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To edit your blog or add entries, return to
http://www.blogger.com and enter your username and password in the box on
the right side of the screen. Once you log in, you will see a link to your
blog. Clicking this link will return you to your blog writing page where you
can edit previous entries and create new ones.
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Have
fun blogging. Remember to advertise your blog site to anyone you would like to
have as a reader. In fact, if you add the URL of your blog to the signature
file of your e-mail program, every e-mail you send will advertise your blog.
