WordPress / Blogging sites?

This is the place where you can conflab about all the other stuff besides videogames
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Alex79
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WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by Alex79 »

I'm coming towards completion of a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies. It's a degree I started about 18 years ago, but dropped out during the last year. After much searching for a uni that would let me finish my final year after all this time (and a bit of a nudge from my girlfriend) I've actually found I've almost enjoyed getting back in to writing essays and my dissertation.

Anyway - the point is, I think I'm going to miss having a writing focus, and I've been wondering what to do with myself. I thought I might enjoy setting up a video games blog just literally writing about games I've played. It'll be public obviously but I'm not under any illusion people will read it, it just something that I'll enjoy doing for myself.

So, in a roundabout way I'm asking if anyone has any experience setting up a blogging site, and can give me any pointers or advice on where to look, whether to use pre-existing templates or set up something from scratch.

Any tips whatsoever are much appreciated! Thanks :)
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JaySevenZero
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by JaySevenZero »

Probably be worth looking into www.blogger.com, simple and free to set up.
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Suits
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by Suits »

Cool man, this sounds like fun and something you have the skills and passion to do.

I'd love to have a blog about games I've played, like you say not to feel good about it when people read it but just because it's fun to get your thoughts and experiences down onto something you can look back at.

I personally lack the ability to get what I actually feel down onto things, which is a shame but really makes me appreciate things that other people have written. So in a round about way it's all good.

Good luck man, hope you find something fulfilling.
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Alex79
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by Alex79 »

JaySevenZero wrote: April 11th, 2017, 6:17 pm Probably be worth looking into www.blogger.com, simple and free to set up.
Cheers :)

Suits if you want to do it just do it! I certainly don't have any experience or skills with writing about games (just read my podcast games posts!!) but it's something I like doing and you can only get better, right!?
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countstex
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by countstex »

As Jay says Blogger is a great way to get started. Later if you like doing it you can always look into setting up your own website and installing Wordpress. It's pretty simple and the cost for registering a URL really isn't high.
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macstat
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by macstat »

Wordpress by itself should be more powerful when it comes to themes, plugins etc. It also has pretty detailed, yet easy to use dashboard. Wordpress exists in two versions. Wrodpress.com and Wordpress.org. First one is similar to blogger, so you create account on their server and get basic wordpress with some amount of customization. Second one, you download whole wordpress framework, install it on your own serwer, setup database etc. That option is obviously more powerful but requires a bit more time, work, knowhow + your own serwer.

Unfortunately i know more about second option since i dabble in webdesign from time to time, but quick look ad wordpress.com and you can see that they offer a free account so it shouldnt be an issue.

There's ofc nothing wrong with Blogger, it should be more simplistic which may be a good deal for a beginner. But on the other hand if you want more out of your blog, and more templates to choose from wordpress is probably better choice.
nickturner13

Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by nickturner13 »

Wordpress is definitely a good place to start - I also particularly like the analysis on the backend that can show you number of hits on the site and what country of the world they came from.... it draws graphs and all kinds of geeky things that are pretty cool if you're into that kind of thing!

I tried starting my own gaming blog a few years back, didn't get much further than a review of The Witcher 2 and a couple of other random updates though before I got bored of it... turns out it takes a fair amount of dedication, and I'm more interested in playing than writing about playing!

https://nocturnalgames.wordpress.com/
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countstex
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by countstex »

nickturner13 wrote: April 19th, 2017, 1:29 pm I tried starting my own gaming blog a few years back, didn't get much further than a review of The Witcher 2 and a couple of other random updates though before I got bored of it... turns out it takes a fair amount of dedication, and I'm more interested in playing than writing about playing!

https://nocturnalgames.wordpress.com/
Agreed. I've tried several times over the years, both just me and sometimes with my wife also but you really need a lot of drive to stick at churning out content whilst waiting for an audience to fine you. I found in the end I prefer just reading other people thoughts on games and commenting and leave my creative side to write stories over on Wattpad ;)
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Alex79
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by Alex79 »

Thanks all, some good advice there. Fortunately the blog won't be driven by a sense of urgency or a desire to gain audience, just a place really for my own satisfaction and to stop my brain from rotting! I'll probably end up writing about more old games than new, too!
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Alex79uk wrote: April 19th, 2017, 2:55 pm I'll probably end up writing about more old games than new, too!
Well, the gaming community could always use more of that, anyway. Good luck, and do keep us updated on the results!
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by JaySevenZero »

I know you mentioned there wasn't any sense of urgency but did you ever get anywhere with you own blog?
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Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by Alex79 »

I did, thanks! I actually made it shortly after posting this thread, then didn't update it for about a year, but picked it up recently and have posted a few things now.

It's here: https://gamesihaveplayed.wordpress.com

I know my writing isn't the best, try as I might, I'm not a good reviewer! But I think the more that goes up, the better it'll get - hopefully!!

EDIT: It also ended up not being just for games, I realised I read far more comics than play games, so a lot of it is (or at least will be) based on that, too.
kintaris

Re: WordPress / Blogging sites?

Post by kintaris »

Alex79uk wrote: May 28th, 2018, 1:39 pm I did, thanks! I actually made it shortly after posting this thread, then didn't update it for about a year, but picked it up recently and have posted a few things now.

It's here: https://gamesihaveplayed.wordpress.com

I know my writing isn't the best, try as I might, I'm not a good reviewer! But I think the more that goes up, the better it'll get - hopefully!!

EDIT: It also ended up not being just for games, I realised I read far more comics than play games, so a lot of it is (or at least will be) based on that, too.
Nice, I'll keep an eye on it!

I really need to start my own as well. I need to flex my own writing voice outside of just writing news copy.
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