Are you new to reading blogs? Then let’s try to explain the lay of the land in brief…

A blog is a net based soapbox. It allows the author to write and publish conveniently on any theme he or she should find of current interest. The content management system software (WordPress in this case) allows the author great facility in organizing the material, presentation, graphics and a host of other options, so the emphasis can remain on writing. Presentation, however, can have an impact. I have written an ongoing thread about blog content vs blog presentation. It starts here.

When you enter the blog site you are normally presented with the front page containing a number of the latest articles or ‘Posts’. Sometimes this front page will be a special page for an event (eg. Christmas) and may or may not have posts on it.Posts are normally displayed in chronological order, with the most recent listed first. Scroll down to see previous posts.

Posts are organized in categories or topics. On the front page the chronological listing shows the topic with each post but mixes the topics. That is, the listing is chonological only.

To read only Posts pertaining to a specific topic, there is a list of Blog Topics on the menu bar (called the sidebar) of every page. Each Topic is listed, along with the number of Posts it contains. Clicking on a Topic will display only the Posts for that Topic, in chonological order, with most recent at the top.

Posts can also be viewed by month of posting. Under the sidebar menu title Blog Archives, each month contains a folder of all Posts (from all Blog Topic areas) for that month. Clicking on that month menu choice will display that month’s postings.

There are also Pages listing on the sidebar menu. These are fixed content pages or series of pages. They are not blog Posts and usually contain more fixed type information (such as this introduction).

Last, but not least, we have Comments. A blog is designed to be an interactive medium, in which the reader can add content pertaining to a Post. This added content is in the form of a Comment. After each Post there is a Comment choice. Readers can enter a comment for that Post or read comments that have been posted by other readers. In our case, to avoid spam and inappropriate material, the reader must register in order to comment. This is easy and free, however, and we encourage readers to participate.

Another big benefit to registration, assuming you like the blog, is notification of new Posts. As a Subscriber, the system will let you know when a new Post is available, saving you the trouble of checking. Why not Register now?

That’s about it for now. More ‘help’ material will be added as the need and inspiration dictate…