M and L Adventures

One CMS to rule them all?

New to the series? Then checkout parts 1 and 2.

When I was deciding what topics to cover in my Starting a Blog series, Artjomp suggested I cover different CMSs. It sounded like a good idea, but my knowledge of the broad range of CMS choices is limited. Therefore, this post will serve as a synopsis of the different options available. I will conclude this post by providing links to where you can get additional information.

To begin with I need to define what a Content Management Systems (CMS) is. A CMS is a nifty piece of web based software the makes managing a web site easy. It provides an interface to write post, manage links, presentation, plugins, categories, etc. A CMS is much easier to use than hand coding all your pages. Once the software is setup up, maintaining your site/blog is a piece of cake. Most CMSs don’t require you to write any code…but to harness the complete power of a CMS you will need to do a little bit of coding (at least during the initial setup). Continue reading

Find Hosting and Getting a Domain Name

So you want to start your own blog, but you’re lost in a sea of web hosting choices. Luckily for you, I’ve already spent a lot of time researching and have decided to share my knowledge and experience to save you some time and trouble.

Picking a web host is one of the first decisions (and most expensive) you will have to make when starting your own site. Since hosting isn’t easy to change once it is setup and it is typically the most expensive aspect of starting a blog, it is scary choice to make–one that requires knowledge and deliberation.

Hosting essentially has two aspects. One, of course, is what company to go with. The second is technical specifications. In reality, the technical side is just as important as the cost side of the equation. Without the correct technology your site will be setup for failure before you even begin building it. Continue reading