UK newspaper's blogging advice...

'Top tips for a successful blog' - an article from the Guardian newspaper (UK). 

It gives good general advice for the content of your blog.

It also stresses the importance of a visually pleasing blog:

"When designing your blog — either creating one from scratch or using any of the free blogging platforms online — try and keep the layout clean, fresh and uncluttered. Avoid adding lots of unnecessary features. Keep it easy on the eye and you'll please your blog visitors..."

 - content originally published by Creative Boom

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More from the Guardian newspaper is its art blog: Jonathan Jones on art

Try searching the site's 'blogging' information too (by using the  search box top right).

There's a section specific to blogging students too.

"the core of blogging is...

...about having a safe place to share your voice and finding a community that...connects with your interests."

Extract from the foreword of: Blog INC. - Joy Deangdellert Cho 

safe blogging

Basic recommendations for safe blogging are:

• Don't disclose private information about yourself

• Remember that what you say online stays online

The Get Safe Online website gives good and safe blogging advice. Here are some examples:

• If you are new to blogging, start cautiously. Understand the features of the software you use and how the blogging community (the ‘blogosphere’) works, including how to filter comments.
• If you want your blog to be public, disclose only what you want everyone on the Internet to know. Otherwise, keep your blog private. 
• Keep details that identify you only to yourself and trusted people.

• Remember – what you post online stays online ... anything you post remains in the public domain and accessible indefinitely. Even if you subsequently delete the post, it may have been cached in a search engine or internet archive, or in a company server.
• You may think you have a small audience, but blogs are public and it is very easy for people to find information on them via search engines.

Edited version of Get Safe Online - Blogging

naming your blog

Before you start your blog take some time to think about what to call it.

Your blog doesn't have to have your name.

If you're using it as part of your academic study - whether as a research resource, or as a piece of work in itself, a title about your subject, rather than about you, might be preferable.

Anonymity online is useful when you're first getting used to how everything works, and in the longer term - your privacy.

blogging privacy: iPhone settings

Privacy settings on an iPhone can be set to ensure your blog says only what you want it to say.

Try not to inadvertently give information away about yourself - especially location/GPS information.

You may need to change some of the settings on your iPhone.

The following information assumes use of the Blogger app + iPhone

Go to 'Settings' on your iPhone (on your 'Home' screen)

Scroll down to 'Privacy'

Click on 'Privacy', and then 'Location Services'

If you've successfully uploaded the Blogger app to your iPhone you should see it listed here. Slide 'Location Services' to off 

blogging privacy: tablet / smartphone settings

Your blog should be about your subject....not about you, or where you live, where you attend college, or where you blog from - unless you decide an autobiographical and/or location based approach is your blog's focus.

Consider the privacy settings on your tablet. 

If you're going to use your smartphone for blogging too - the same advice is true. 

The app you choose to blog with will probably be the same for both your tablet and phone. 

The Blogger app used here is just one of several you might choose to make your own blog.

Note: This article is based on Blogger and iPad use

download Blogger app here

Your privacy settings determine how much you share with your readers...and with Google.

If you don't consider your privacy settings, you may share more information than you meant to, or want to.

As a rule of thumb give as little away about yourself as possible. You can always change the settings later if you need to - and when you know more about what you're doing.

Go to 'Settings' on your iPad

Click on 'Privacy', and then 'Location Services'

Any of your apps that use Location Services should be listed here.

In the following example Blogger is switched off (as are most of the other apps too).

As you begin to use the app you may get a prompt screen like this:

 If 'Current Location' is successfully switched off and you accidentally hit 'OK'
your next screen should say:

See privacy settings for iPhone information here

blogging

blog

verb

gerund or present participle: blogging

1. add new material to or regularly update a blog.

   "it's about a week since I last blogged"
   
   

   write about (an event, situation, topic, etc.) in a blog.

   "she blogged about starting a blog"

   • note: A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing."