Okay now that you have the spam being dealt with, what comes next?
Frankly before you start considering themes, and additional plug ins, you should worry a bit more about how your blog is going to be organized. That includes choosing a user name, as well as helping secure your administration of the blog.
Step one, is to go to the Users drop down, and set up a New User.
Why you ask? Well, to avoid using ‘admin’ as your well, admin. A blog is supposed to be ‘personal’ and using ‘admin’ just isn’t, well friendly. It implies ‘authority’ as in say Boss, or Superior, so we need to change that. After all, impressions count.
Then too, there is the security issues. Hackers will try to find the easiest route into controlling your blog, or stealing it. Having a user name as ‘admin‘ is kind of like, well taking out a full page ad at Hacker Dot Com. So to avoid that headache, setting up a NEW USER with full administration permissions is a good idea.
Now, some in the blogging world suggest you also DELETE the old admin user. I dunno, I am a bit scared of that, but hey, I am Blond. Perhaps the solution is, that if you do delete it, you also have a ‘back up’ user that is also fully permitted to act as administrator.
This isn’t about getting friends or associates to do it either, but in you creating a couple of new identities for yourself, in the blog.
I think too, that we tend to over complicate things, but picking out a good screen name, or posting name, can benefit a closer inter action between your posts, and your customers. Naturally it should be reflective of the blog theme (as in content theme, not display theme). So for example, if your blog is about big boobed women, choosing a name like tiny tits isn’t going to be very helpful, or make your customer trust you, now is it?
First up, is simply take a look around at the admin section. Notice the sidebar to the left? Each one of those topics, has a drop down display, for more options.
It is a big improvement, over the old style admin navigation bar, that was on the top.
This makes it a lot easier to find what you need, when you need it.
Each subject, has a drop down display, for showing further options.
Right now, we want to adjust the blog settings, which you will find at the bottom of this sidebar.
Mouse over the top right of the box, where ’settings’ is shown, click it and see all of the options that are now available.
Clicking any of them, will bring up the appropriate page, to the right, where you can make any changes, or to see what is already been set, by default.
Your first option, is GENERAL, and that is where you can set the time your blog displays, to your own local time.
For myself, on the westcoast of Canada, I have mine set to -7 now that it is daylight savings time.
Keep note of that, because right now, blogs don’t have anyway to adjust for daylight savings time.
You can also ‘hide’ this sidebar, or at least make it smaller, by again simply mousing over the line just under ‘Dashboard’. This will change the display to just icons, rather than icons & words.
Note that “settings” bar, because most of the plugins you activate, will have any user options listed under that heading. That is where you will be able to tweak the Platinum SEO plugin for example, or add your keywords to the Blog Mechanics plugin, or set up the Ping Optimizer one, or… well you get the idea.
Okay, coffee & potty break, as it is midnight here, and I need a break.
And you thought the five minute install, meant everything done in five minutes… HA!
Mar 13th by Malcontent