Now to the part everyone loves: creating a blog on MySpace.  For those of you unfamiliar with the meaning of the word, but familiar with the term “blog”, it is short for Weblog, with the “we” cut out.  Basically this is a technical term for “chit chat” except this chit chat talks to a specific audience and can actually be useful.  For example, in the blog we set up we want to speak to people, (students, 30-somethings, moms and dads, and retirees) who like to garden either personally, professionally, or on a volunteer basis.  The blogger plans on discussing everything from her fear of bugs to tips and tricks she recently learned about gardening techniques.

Step One:  Click <Home> on the top tool bar to access the main menu.  Click <Manage Blog> which is the second to last link.  This will take you to your Blog Control Center.  (Woo hoo! As you can see from the menu options, you’re almost done building your basic site!)

Step Two:  The Blog Control Center (shown below) is the brains behind the blog.  The thin menu bar shown below may look skinny, but there is a lot going on here. 

Step Three:  Let’s get started by clicking the <Post New Blog> link under “My Controls.”  Once you do this, an entry form will appear next to your blog menu bar. The first line asks for the day you would like to post your entry.  By default this is set as the current date.  This feature is offered with many blog posting software, so that you can add many entries at once, and assign each one a future date.  This keeps readers interested, as you always have new information no matter what your offline schedule is like.  Plus, once you write on short blog, you’ll notice you get into a groove and can usually create a handful at once.  On the next line enter your title, and then choose a category from the drop-down menu.  In the large box, or body, enter your blog post. 

Step Four:  As you would with a Word document or email, you can format the text by changing the font style, size, or color; aligning the text, and add images, background colors, or symbols.  The following is a close-up of the blog entry format toolbar.  Run your mouse over each icon to see what each feature is. 

Step Five: If you decide to add a photo, you need to enter the URL for the image, or you can simply copy it from one of your existing websites and paste it into your post.   

Step Six: When you are done entering the information, and answering any of the fun questions at the bottom of the page, hit the <Preview & Post> button.  The next page will show you a preview of your blog.  If you love it click <Post> if you hate it, click <Edit> or <Cancel.>

Once you add a blog post, you’ll notice that at the bottom of each post are links for readers to leave comments or kudos, and for you to edit or remove the post.