Web Design for Writers

Blogs - HTML and Web Site Creation - Writing for the Web - Copyright Issues

Blogs: A Website Alternative

Blogs can provide writers with an alternative to building a traditional Website but are more suited to continually-changing content than static content.

No HTML Needed

You don't need to learn HTML—you can enter information in a similar manner to a word processor.

Blogs use templates to make setting up or changing the look of your blog much easier, but come at the cost of less control of the layout.

Blog Hosting Sites

The blogs listed here are free and have numerous templates to choose from.

Because the site is managed, you don't need to worry about the technical details of hosting and security risks associated with Content Management Systems.

Be sure to read the conditions of use for the site before signing up. You'll want to ensure that you retain control of the contents on your blog.

Blogger.
https://www.blogger.com

WordPress.com.
http://wordpress.com

BlogSavy is a beta (work-in-progress) site.
http://blogsavy.com

You can significantly alter layouts on your own if you know HTML and are willing to spend some time learning how to define the template tags, but this seems to defeat the purpose of a ready-to-use service.

Blog Hosting Software

Hosted on Your Site

This software is intended to be hosted on your own site. Because of this, it gives you greater control of the layout and content, but also requires more technical knowledge to run.

It also means that you're going to have to front the costs of a domain and hosting your blog in the same manner as any traditional Website.

Security & Hosting Issues

Unlike fully-hosted blog sites, you'll need to monitor the security risks discovered for all the software required to host your blog on your site. Be sure that your ISP meets all the necessary requirements.

WordPress.org. Requirements
http://wordpress.org

Other Blogging Resources

This software is intended to be hosted on your own site. Because of this, it gives you greater control of the layout and content, but also requires more technical knowledge to run.

Beginner Blogging for Writers: Part 1) looks at the reasons a writer may wish to start a blog.
http://www.thecraftywriter.com/2007/12/02/beginner-blogging-for-writers-part1

Beginner Blogging for Writers: Part 2 looks at free vs self-hosted and getting started with a WordPress.org blog.
http://www.thecraftywriter.com/2007/12/08/beginner-blogging-for-writers-part2/

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HTML and Web Site Creation

If you want to have more control over your site or to manage an existing site, you'll need to either learn HTML or have a program (or Web designer) that will do the job for you. Not all HTML programs are equal—many have severe failings, particularly older programs.

Russ Harvey's Web Design Tools includes links to HTML instruction pages, dealing with spam, Web creation tools, design tips and links to sites where you can download buttons and other graphics.
http://www.russharvey.bc.ca/resources/web.html

Web Enthusiasts Association of Victoria (WEAV) includes a newsletter on Web creation.
http://weav.bc.ca

W3C is the body that establishes the standards for HTML and other Web technologies.
http://www.w3.org

W3C Markup Validation Service allows you to check your HTML for accuracy and compliance with the standards. I strongly recommend this free service.
http://validator.w3.org

Where Our Standards Went Wrong is an interesting discussion about the value of standards in terms of economics and other issues.
http://alistapart.com/articles/whereourstandardswentwrong

Web Style Sheets are a powerful way to enhance the look of your site.
http://www.w3.org/Style

An HTML primer to help you create your own home page.
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html

The HTML Writers Guild offers current information and courses on Web design.
http://www.hwg.org

The Web Developer Extension for Mozilla Firefox is an excellent tool for those doing Web design.
http://chrispederick.com/work/firefox/webdeveloper

You should also take into consideration the issues on the Internet Security Issues page because they affect Website design.

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Writing for the Web

Writing for Websites: Fourteen tips for great Website writing.
http://www.website-writing.com/writing.html

Writing for the Web Research on how users read on the Web and how authors should write their Web pages.
http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting

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Copyright Issues

Copyright Law, Agencies and Electronic Rights includes copyright law and the agencies that administer it.
http://www.CanAuthors.org/links/copyrite.html

The Copyright Website deals with copyright issues on the Web.
http://www.benedict.com

Fair Use of Copyrighted Works.
http://www.cetus.org/fairindex.html

What Do You Do When Someone Steals Your Content educates about the realities of copyright and theft of content and provides solutions.
http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content

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Submitting Link Suggestions

We only link to sites relevant to our site content. We do not do link exchanges for SEO, but to enhance the content on this site. See our guidelines, particularly regarding the relevance of your link.

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