Using Your Weblog

Using your weblog is very simple, as there are only a few operations that you ever need to perform, including:

• Viewing your weblog
• Add an item to today's weblog
• Edit an item in the weblog
• Delete an item from the weblog
• Change the order that items appear in your weblog.

Viewing Your Weblog

Viewing your weblog is no different than viewing any other page on your site: just add the name of your weblog to the end of your site's URL. For example:

http://www.free-conversant.com/example/myFirstWeblog

If you haven't yet added any items to your weblog, then this page will be mostly blank.

Add an Item to Today's Weblog

There are two ways to add an item to your weblog: add an existing message from your Conversant site, or create a new message specifically for the weblog. Either way, you must be logged in to your site, or you'll be treated as a guest.

If you're not logged in to your site, do so now by visiting your site's logon page. (For example: http://www.free-conversant.com/example/logon)

Add an Existing Message to Your Weblog

1. View the message in the browser.
2. Click on the button with your weblog's name on it, next to the label "Add to Weblog:"

Add a New Message Directly to Your Weblog

1. View your weblog page
2. Use the New Message form at the top of the page to enter the subject and body of a new message

Duncan's Bookmarklet: A Shortcut

Duncan Smeed has provided a useful tool for adding items to your weblog. See http://www.smeed.org/41 for more info.

Edit an Item in the Weblog

You edit items in the weblog by editing the actual messages in your site. Each item in the weblog has a link to the original message, so to edit the message you only need to click on that link, and then click on the "Edit" link.

Delete an Item from Your Weblog

1. Click the edit button, at the top-right of your weblog.
2. On the edit page, find the item you want to delete, and click Remove
3. Return to the weblog page.

Change the Order of Items In Your Weblog

You can shuffle the items in your weblog into any order you want.

1. Click the edit button, at the top-right of your weblog.
2. On the edit page, find the items you want to move.
3. Click one of the following:
   • Top to move the item all the way to the top of the current day
   • Up to move the item up one space
   • Down to move the item down one space
   • Bottm to move the item to the bottom of the current day

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You now have all the knowledge you need to create and run your own weblog. Be opinionated! Be liberal with your links to other sites, and they'll return the favor for you. Make sure you tell people about your weblog, so that they know where to find it. Most of all, though, have fun with it and update your weblog every day, to keep your readers coming back.