Wordpress blog pics

[JD_LincsUK]

Hi

Despite not being one to favour such 'social' networks as Twitter, Facebook etc, etc, I decided on a whim, to start up a blog, as included in my IDNet package, with Wordpress.

It's HERE

It seems a lot to learn, to be able to use all the functions fully and get the best out of the package, and I am a very busy man (despite being a pensioner!).

I have kept it very simple up to now, according to my knowledge of it, but when I tried to go one step further today and add some small jpeg images, I got the message that Wordpress was unable to create an upload directory.

Are the functions available to those using the Blog as a part of their IDNet package limited in some ways? Am I supposed to create an upload directory myself, before trying to add pictures?

Thanks for any help - I will get it sussed at some stage

JD

PS - I also get messages from Wordpress, advising me to upgrade to their latest version - do I need to do this or do IDNet do it?
Thanx

[Rik]

They are limited, JD, like the webspace, it's a basic service.

[Technical Ben]

Are we able to get pictures on our wordpress space? Or does it need to be on a seperate server/service? If we can it would help. If not, I guess I will just use my parents webspace for the JPGS I need.
I have not setup a blog yet, but as I do a little bit of art, it would be nice to be able to upload it to my own webpage/wordpress page to share/advertise my work.

[Rik]

Not afaik, Ben.

[Technical Ben]

Ok. Thanks. Just found it strange how we have a photo blog free, and wordpress free, but no way of linking the two. :/
However I might ask IDNet about their hosting services if I ever decide to do a website.

[Rik]

They're not cheap, Ben.

[JD_LincsUK]

Thanks, Rik.

JD

[Technical Ben]

Ok rik. Thanks for your honesty. Just compared them to an old provider we used a while back (to sell Pedigree kittens on  ). I can get ten times the bandwidth/storage then at DNet for the same price. But I guess it's a "as is" service and not a business support/proffesional hosting. However, they always seemed as nice as here.

[Rik]

IDNet's hosting tends to be 'blue chip', which is fine for companies, but less so for individuals.

[Tacitus]

Clook offer a good professional service with all the usual things - CPanel etc.  Their prices are similar to iDNet, but they offer more space and bandwidth.  

You can check out customer comments before you make a decision.  I've been with them nearly four years and always found them to be reliable and helpful.  

One point, if you are going to run a WordPress blog, make sure you keep WordPres up to date.  A while ago someone on one of the servers failed to apply a security patch to his WP Blog, got hacked and turned into a spambot.  It was sorted out, but it took a while and affected all others on that server.

Pricewise there's nothing in it unless you really need the added bandwidth and diskspace, so you might prefer to keep it all under one roof with iDNet...   

[Terryphi]

I recommend Ariotek Hosting (http://ariotek.co.uk ). I have been with them for several years and have found that they provide superb customer service at a remarkably low price.

[JD_LincsUK]

One point, if you are going to run a WordPress blog, make sure you keep WordPres up to date.  A while ago someone on one of the servers failed to apply a security patch to his WP Blog, got hacked and turned into a spambot.  It was sorted out, but it took a while and affected all others on that server.

The new update is available on Wordpress. You have to download and then install it - which is why I was asking if IDNet do the updating - to start the blog, I didn't have to install anything, it ran straight from the IDNet CP, so it seems strange that I would install an update on my PC, when I don't even have the original program on it.

Seems it's web-based, run off an IDNet server, as far as I can tell.

JD

[Tacitus]

The new update is available on Wordpress. You have to download and then install it - which is why I was asking if IDNet do the updating - to start the blog, I didn't have to install anything, it ran straight from the IDNet CP, so it seems strange that I would install an update on my PC, when I don't even have the original program on it.

You wouldn't install the update on your computer, you would install it on the server using FTP.  However as this is one of the iDNet added services, possibly they do it automatically.  Best check with support. 

[JD_LincsUK]

Hmm, I'll do that.

I'll also ask them exactly what I get with the blog.

I just had another look at the set-up page and this is what it says:

Blog Setup

IDNet 'Blogs' use WordPress, an open-source, state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. In other words, we believe it's the best blogging software out there.

To get started just enter a blog 'address' and 'title' and hit 'Create a blog'. Once you're done, all the information you need to manage and customise your blog can be accessed from your 'Wordpress Control Panel'. Happy blogging!

Why mention the features and great customisation, if it isn't available in the package?

The only customisation I've seen available is the template for the main page - and again, to change it one has to download the appropriate files. Might find that info in the mentioned cpanel - but there's a heck of a lot in there, and I 'll admit to being quite daunted by the prospect of getting it all sussed up. 

So, hopefully, support will clear this up for me on the dog and bone.

JD

[jeffb]

Hi JD,

I figured out how to get a picture into my free IDnet blog. Here's what I did:

1. Set up my free IDnet webspace. I had already done mine, but not found a use for it until now.  The setup is in your Customer Control Panel under "Free Extras", I think. When you have chosen a name for your webspace, you will be given a URL like http://jot.www.idnet.com/ (that's mine). You will also be told the FTP location of your webspace, something like ftp://user@idnet.xyz:password@ftp.idnet.com/ (that's mine again, with my personal details obscured).

2. Use an FTP client like Filezilla to upload your image to your webspace. I just dumped my image in the root of my webspace, but you could put it in a subdirectory if you prefer.

3. Edit your blog, and click the "HTML" tab at the top of the editor.  This allows you to enter HTML code directly into your blog. Place a "hot link" from your blog to the image in your webspace. This link has the form:

Code Select Expand

<img src="http://jot.www.idnet.com/mydog.jpg">

where of course you replace "jot" with the name of your own webspace and "mydog.jpg" with the name of your image file. Note that you can use this method to steal images from other people's webspaces, but if you do this you could get into trouble with your ISP. Or they could change their images to something unpleasant just to spite you.

4. Save your blog post and admire your artwork. Here's an example that I produced: http://fenambulist.blog.idnet.com/. Not that I'm plugging my own blog or anything.

I'll be happy to explain if any of the above is unclear. Otherwise I'm sure that one of the fine fellows from IDnet will help you.

[Rik]

Thanks for the solution, Jeff, and an interesting read. 

[Glenn]

  Jeff

[Rik]

Oops. Got caught up in reading the blog. 

[Ray]

  Jeff.

[jeffb]

I'm glad that my forum post and my blog were of some interest.  It's nice to be with an ISP staffed by human beings, at last!   

[Simon]

  Jeff! 

[Rik]

I'm glad that my forum post and my blog were of some interest.  It's nice to be with an ISP staffed by human beings, at last!   

We feel the same.