Online Journalism

Setting up and maintaining a personal Web site and blog is a requirement for my Jour352 class. You will use this site for almost all classwork this semester. This illustrated guide will walk you through purchasing a domain name, setting up a hosting server, and installing a user-friendly content management system.

This will cost you approximately $20. Sure, $20 isn’t nothing, but it is cheaper than a textbook! And it’s a worthy investment for the future. Every journalist should have a personal resume site.

Let’s get started. Open up a separate browser window now and go to godaddy.com.

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STEP 1: Choose a Domain Name

Your domain name is the address where the world will find your site, so choose carefully. Keep it simple, and don’t get cute. I suggest using your full name. Enter it in the search box and click the GO button.

I entered my full name, seanmussenden, and it returned a list of suggested sites. Notice that seanmussenden.com is already taken.  That’s because I own it.  If you have a common name, there’s a good chance someone already reserved yourname.com, yourname.org, and yourname.net.

In that case, select a different domain, or one of the many twists on your name suggested at right.  The .com ($10/year) and .org ($15/year) domains cost the most, but they’re worth it.  If you’d rather spend your cash at Cornerstone, .info domain names are 89 cents/year.

Check the box of the name you want and click “Add and Proceed to Checkout.” The next screen will suggest you by more domain names.  Click “No Thanks.”

STEP 2: Register Your Domain Name

On the next screen, check “Create a New GoDaddy.com Account.”  Fill in the required fields.

Click “Continue.”

STEP 3: Registration Options

A one year registration is the minimum requirement for this class.  There is no four month option.  You can also register for up to five years.  You’ll get a longevity discount, but it costs more up front.

If you plan to keep this site for a long time — and my guess is you will — I suggest registering for longer. By default, Godaddy sets your domain registration to automatically renew every year.  If you change that, though, and forget to re-register, you run the risk of your mortal enemy stealing your domain name and posting Photoshopped pictures of you wearing a Duke shirt (horrors!).

Do not check any of the hosting boxes.  Leave the “uncertified registration” box checked – it’s not worth it for a personal site.  Ignore the “deluxe” and “protected” registration table. Those make it harder for people to find your contact information.  It’s silly to pay extra for that for a resume site, which is designed to allow potential employers to contact you.

Scroll all the way down, ignore the “Smart Space” sales pitch, check the “No thanks, take me to checkout” box and click “Continue.”

STEP 4: Hosting Your Web Site

Welcome to the Shopping Cart.  At the moment, your domain is full price, but that will change.  Scroll all the way down and click the gray “Keep Shopping” button.

This takes you back to the GoDaddy home page.  Select the drop down menu under “Hosting” on the menu bar. Click on “Wordpress Hosting.”

Check the “3 mos” box under Economy Plan and click “Add to Cart.”

On the next page, scroll all the way down to the end without checking any boxes.  Click the gray “No Thanks” button.

Welcome back to the shopping cart.  Note the significant discount on your domain name.

In the hosting line item, change the months from three to four.  Four months is the minimum required length for this class.  I would suggest doing it for at least a year, but it’s your choice.  Select a number and click the “update” link to the right.

Step 5: Pay the Bill

Time to save some cash. In the “Promo Code” box enter “cjcfat20h” and click the “Apply Code” button for a 20 percent hosting discount.  If this code doesn’t work — the codes expire — search Google for Godaddy Promo Code and find one that does.

Select a payment method – credit card, check or PayPal.  Check the universal terms boxes and click the “Continue with Checkout Boxes.”

Check the “create new account” box and fill out the required fields. When choosing a login ID, start it with a letter, keep it between 5 and 14 characters, with no uppercase letters, no special characters (. or , or * or $ or the like).  Choose a password of between 7 and 14 characters with at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter and at least one number.

These restrictions are not requirements.  But you will later set up a separate login and password to access the hosting server that must meet these restrictions. So, if you want them to match, follow these rules here.

WRITE DOWN YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD IN A SAFE PLACE!

In the “Stay Informed” (3) section, set the first two questions to “Yes” and the rest to “No” unless you want Godaddy to fill your inbox with junk.

Click “Continue With Checkout.” On the next screen, fill out your billing address and credit card info.  Hit “Place Your Order.”

Step 6: Hosting Account Setup

Click the “Login to Begin Using Your Hosting Account” Link

On the next page, click “Login to See Your Domains”

Click on your domain name to launch the Dashboard

A video tour will pop up.  Take a minute to watch it.  Click on the “Hosting” link under “Related Products.”

Under “Add to My Dashboard” click to “OK” button.

Agree to the license and click “Next.” Set up your login and password for your hosting account.  Use the same password and username you set up for your Godaddy account.  Under “Account Details” click “Next” without changing anything.  Under Wordpress Details, enter your email address and blog title (you can change this later) and click “Next”. Under “Options” click “Next” without changing anything.  Under “confirmation” hit finish.

Step 7: Relax

You did it!  Not that hard, right?  Your hosting account will take up to 24 hours to set up, but it’s usually closer to an hour.  It’s finished when your site looks like this, which is to say exactly like 94.6 percent of all blogs.

While you’re waiting, review this series of short video tutorials I put together on Wordpress. It will teach you to create and edit content and customize your site.