Guys,

I've recently promoted my fourth moderator and I'm going to leave more stuff in their hands for the forums so that I can start our blogs. I've secured the domain www.waltdisneyblogs.com and am starting to do my research for starting my blogs.

But, I want to make sure that I try and avoid as many mistakes (although I know that they are part of the process) as possible.

Where do I start? Here are some questions that I have.

1. My hosting company states that under my current plan, it hosts up to 3 domains. So, I would contact them first, right? Get everything taken care of and then proceed for the install piece of it?

2. Wordpress seems to be the obvious choice as step 1. Is it? And, is it easy to install?

3. Templates. I've seen a few options throughout the site here for free templates. So, I've gotta settle on one in particular.

4. Once I get settled with the hosting and the install and style selection process.... how do you all use your blogs to bring additional members to your forums. Do you simply take 'news' and 'recent hot topics' in combination with the webmaster's 'daily stuff'?

I have a TON of additional questions. But, I want to make sure that I get pointed in the right direction. Before bouncing ahead with this thing

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Walt Disney Boards
Walt Disney Buddies

You can check out my blog I made a subdomain for it...I just started it, but it seems to be sending a small amount of traffic to the site..In 3 days it has 1000 page views and 41 unique ips...Least that is what statpress is telling me..I cant seem to get analytics to work with it..

Argue Crazy Blog

But I hate blogging LOL I had people who said they were going to but....I guess will pay someone like 5 bux an article or soemthing and see how goes

But so far seems pretty easy..You set it up..Make it look pretty and then submit it to the world.....

Like everything it is all about content

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Blake, that's very cool.

I'd love to use the same skin that I have for my site for my blogs.

The simple design like you have is almost exactly what I'm looking for. I wish I knew how to set that stuff up

Maybe I can blog on your site in exchange for your help in building a similar style!

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Walt Disney Boards
Walt Disney Buddies

yes add the domain to your account

wordpress is usually the best option and easy to install, if you can install vb you can install WP

you want to be able to give users their own blogs right? like wdblogs.com/caddy etc etc

then you want wordpress MU (multi user)

install that on the domain is easy japaneasy

then get a couple style for the peeps to pick from

mod the templates with like a link to the forum or main site in the header maybe

open for business....

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Philly Sports
Delaware Online
PA Forums

wordpress mu is amazing you can test it here http://oh.vc/wp-signup.php

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Post your URL and a link to your vb.com username here to get full access.

Add our Facebook Blog, Group and LinkedIn group.. Thanks

Stay up to date by installing our Tool Bar

Wow, wordpress mu seems like something that could turn into a lot of work though. Or, do you take the approach of 'every blog for themselves' and not moderate them?

Do you think that the wordpress mu would take away from those same people posting on your forums? Or, does it actually enhance it by getting those folks more involved in the day to day interaction of both their blogs and the site?

This could be great for me and I'm already liking the possibility of having several blogs off of our 'main' site. Anyone else using MU?

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Walt Disney Boards
Walt Disney Buddies

Here's our blogs Delaware Blogs

to answer your questions

it may look complex but it's like a set and forget it deal

• get your main/admin blog setup and looking good with easy links for people to make their own
  
• get a few themes setup to choose from
  
• set up and mods you want to use
  
• open for biz

every blog for themseleves unmoderated is fine with me, unless they are like writing the anarchy cookbook and get reported...lol

i dont think it detracts from the forum, blogs are more rants and personal stories, forum post are people wanting to chat on a certain subject

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Philly Sports
Delaware Online
PA Forums

Chase,

That seems simple enough.

Does MU cost anything? Or, is it just another alternative in the WordPress family?

As far as the install...I never originally installed my VB (hosting company said that they would handle it for me) .... so, not sure how well I can/will do with the install of the MU.

So, I can set the themes similar to the skins on vB, right? I can have the 'main' site match the forums style and then have a selection of a few seperate themes (skins) for the bloggers. Is that correct?

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Walt Disney Boards
Walt Disney Buddies

Check with your hosting company, they may use Fantastico which would allow you to automatically install WordPress.

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Science Chats | Disabled NYC | The Chic Petite

yes but they might not have wordpress mu

it is a easy install and if you need help ask Arny

and yes, you can have a skin for the main blog like your site and have a few for the blogger to choose from, theres even a mod that will auto add your adsense to those skins

MU is free

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Philly Sports
Delaware Online
PA Forums