Blog templates
The installation of the basic blogging software is usually pretty straightforward, so long as you opt for one of the most common blogging tools such as Wordpress or Blogger. I'm going to deal with Wordpress here a) because I'm most familiar with it b) it's free c) it has a browser based version for non-HTML and php experts d) it's the blogging tool I'd recommend. Using WordpressThe basic installation for Wordpress looks horrible - light blue, bland, simple, unadventurous - but that doesn't matter because there's a whole world of great blog themes out there!
There are a couple of blog templates (known as 'themes' on Wordpress) built into the initial installation, but they're a bit simple and I'm sure you'll want better. They're known as 'Kubrik', 'Wordpress Basic' and 'Wordpress Classic' ... the screen grab above is 'Kubrick'. To start exploring the wonderful world of themes, you need to head for the 'Get more themes' link in Wordpress which takes you to the Wordpress Theme Directory. At the time of writing there were 557 themes listed ... ready to be like a child in sweet shop? The 'science'
My advice here is do what you want and what you like ... don't get too obsessed with the 'right' type of theme for your blog. However, you should take note of some basic stylistic points which should apply to all websites:
The key area of dispute is the number of columns that you should have in your blog ... here are some examples so that you can get a feel for what you might prefer, but as a general rule, I'd go for three or four. As you get into blogging, and begin to experiment with the wonderful tools that you can add to blogs, you'll need those extra columns to help you to stay organised.
Downloading and installing themesOnce you've settled on your blog theme of choice - and remember you can change your mind and have a makeover any time you want - you need to get it installed. That's extremely easy via the Wordpress admin control panel:
1) If you're using the browser-based version of Wordpress, navigate to 'Appearance', then 'Themes' as shown in the image on the left. Simply browse the blog templates available online and click the 'Activate' link when you've found a template that you like. Method 2 1) If you're using a self-installed, MySQL version of Wordpress, search the available blog templates available, then download to your desktop when you've settled on a choice. 2) Unzip your theme 3) Upload your unzipped file to the wp-content/themes directory. 4) Navigate to 'Appearance', then 'Themes' as shown in the image above. 5) Your theme will be available, along with a thumbnail image, in the list of options ... simply select you new theme and activate. Blog templates: A word of warningEvery now and then, because they're free and unsupported, you'll run into technical hassles with free blog templates ... and these can be a bit annoying. I have an automated signature plugin on my blog, but I can't install software updates because they don't work with my theme. I like my theme and don't want to change it because I've tweaked the code ... how annoying! Sometimes it's necessary to splash out a little cash so that you can get a bit of customer support. If you do have to buy blog templates for Wordpress, those provided by Revolution Two are excellent and classy. I have a friend who operates multiple blogs, and he's been very happy with the templates he has purchased. Return from Blog templates to How to blog Return
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templates can be a gift if you've decided to set up your own blog
and you're not happy with the look of it.
Like
all things to do with the web, the subject of blog templates, themes
or whatever you decide to call them, can become a bit nerdy.
Method
one 