If you regularly read blogs you can skip this page…

Although most people have heard of blogs and blogging only about 1 in 5 online web users actually visit use blogs.

This page is aimed at enabling you to enjoy using this blog – and perhaps explore some of the 10′s of thousands of other blogs out there in the ‘blogosphere’.

How is a Blog different from a website?

It is a website – just a very simple form of website – and one that can be quickly and simply updated. Importantly, it is a website that is interactive!  So you can add your thoughts, views, opinions, or questions.

Another difference from traditional websites is that on the main page you only see the first few paragraphs of the article. You have to click the ‘more’ button to open the full article. This system enables us to display lots of articles on the main page.

How do I get notified of new articles

Two ways.

(1) Subscribe and get email alerts whenever a new article is posted. Put your email address in the second white box over there on the right-hand margin and click the ‘sign up, button. That’s it. No need for any further information – and your email address is used only for this blog – you will not be bothered with lots of ‘buy now’ special offere. That’s a promise.

(2) If you have an RSS reader use the orange RSS button.

Incidentally, although there is a ‘Register’ button you do not need to register for the Blog. ( I haven’t figured out how to get rid of the register button!)

Blogging ‘language’

Blog: a weblog – an ongoing series of articles

Posts: blog articles are called ‘posts’ for some reason or other! And the newest one is always at the top of the page

Comments: Anything you want to say regarding an article (questions, views, arguments, etc.) is called a ‘comment’

Registering for a blog: some blogs require you to ‘register’ before you can make a comment – as mentioned above you do not need to register for this blog.

How do I add a ‘comment’

At the end of the article there is a white box entitled ‘Leave a reply’.  Simply type your comments or questions in this box.

Before you can click the ‘submit’ button you will need to read and type in the strange words and characters just below this button. (Sometimes the characters are so illegible that you’ll need to ask for a different choice to be able to read it.  This is another way of stopping computer generated spam advertising all sorts of exotic products.

When commenting you will be asked to fill in your name and email address. The name you enter will be displayed on the blog along with your comment. But your email address is kept private and is not published on the blog nor is it used for any unsolicited mailing – and I do not use it unless I need to get back to you to check something about the comment.

Please keep your comments to around 200 words – comments are intended to stimulate discussion or obtain information or clarification, rather than become articles in themselves.