In the last couple of years, blogging has become extremely widespread on the internet. It is a simple way for those with basic internet knowledge to be able to create their own page and update it constantly with new content. These blogs can range anywhere from high-end company information and corporate blogs, to an individual person blogging about their day or a topic of interest.

The word Blog is short for weblog; "a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption". It is a very simple way to rapidly create your own web space and presence and potentially create your very own readership, especially if the running theme of your blog is something of strong common interest (such as a celebrity blog).

I've recently had a lot of questions regarding blogging, ranging from what it is, to how people can setup and create their own. With this in mind I've created this simple tutorial on setting up a blog, picking your template, and finally getting started on publishing your own material. The example I am demonstrating here is from the Google owned Blogger. This is one of the more common Blog hosting programs, though the process of creating and setting up a blog is quite generic and can be applied to other blog software such as Wordpress, TypePad, LiveJournal and Xanga.

As is the case in most of these blog programs, the initial interface is quite simple to setup. Usually a sign up now or create a blog button is clearly visible on the primary page, and this is usually the first step. Upon clicking this image you will usually be asked to use an email account of some kind, and be required to create a username and password, plus a word verification to ensure that you are indeed a real person and not an automated program.

The next step is to create a name for your blog. You will also be required to create a URL address as well (typically http://yourblogtitle.blogspot.com). Underneath this option you can check if the address is taken, and if so, change to an address that is available.

The next screen allows you to select a template design to work with on your blog. By default, there are several to choose from, incorporating a variety of different colours and styles.

Once you have selected your template, you will be directed to the create post screen. This screen is similar to a word processor such as Microsoft Word. The same basic formatting tools are available. From left to right the buttons include:
font, font size, bold, italics, font colour, insert hyperlink, left center and right justification, bullet and numbered points, quotes, and insert image. The image below demonstrates the title field (the title for your post, the text area to type in your content, and your label (usually to organise your posts within your blog).

Once you have entered your textual content, its time to add an image. To do this, click on the add image button and you will be presented with the following screen:

From this screen we are able to edit out image properties. Firstly we find the image we wish to use. If the image is on your computer, you will click the browse button to find the image on your computer. If you are sourcing the image from the internet, you will enter the URL address of that image into the URL field on the right. Once you have selected either option, select your layout. This will set the justification of the image, either left, center or right side. Image size will obviously determine its size, and when you are ready, click the upload image button.

Once you have uploaded your image, and are happy with the content click on publish to publish your blog and will be given a publishing screen.

From here you are able to view your blog by clicking on the view blog link. Or alternatively you can open a new window or type and type in the address of your blog (in this example the address would be http://yourblogtitle.blogspot.com). If you have done this all correctly you should have a screen that looks something like this:

What we've covered here is the basics to get you started on your blog. Part Two of this article will discuss more advanced aspects of blog publishing, such as edit previous posts, using custom templates, and exploring the settings and permission tabs to access even more features for blogging.