Blogs as a Learning Experience

I have never had any experience with Blogs or blogging before I created this page.  I have read a few blogs but only a few, so I have very little understanding of how they are structured or set up.  But I am fairly good at learning new computer programs, so I figured - "How hard can it be?"  Yeah, right! 

This has certainly been a learning experience!  Fortunately, I am also involved in a blog project for my Kingdom in the SCA.  (A Kingdom is similar to a regional branch of a organization; we just use medieval sounding names for things.)  This project is an attempt to spread information about our organization, its activities and news.  Its also a way to advertise the organization and recruit members.  Its called the Æthelmearc Gazette and can be found here.   So as a contributing and daily editor, I have gotten a crash course in blog creation and I am hoping it helps me with my own blog (which I started working on before being invited to help with the project...... good timing there!)

I started by going to the Internet and searching for things such as "best blogs" and "how to start a blog" as well as various other topics.  I try to use the wealth of information available on the Web to my advantage.  There is an incredible amount of information out there.  It is amazing, really, when you think about how quickly the information age has come upon us and how quickly the Internet has grown.  Its equally amazing how we used to be limited to finding all this great information by going to the library.  (I also appreciate how the Internet has aided my research into my family roots.)

After searching the Web and reading several sites' advice, I decided on Blogger because I came to understand it was fairly easy and commonly used by first-time bloggers.  Additionally, I discovered that, as I gain experience with blogs, I can "upgrade" and convert my blog to a WordPress blog at a later time.

So as I am trying to learn how to format the pages, set up the blog's appearance and post.....it has been a trial and error sort of thing.  I guess the best advice I can give to others....Don't be afraid to try it.  If you don't like what you post, you can delete it.  And you just have to try different things and look at other examples from the Web. 

Welcome to you reader!  If you have found my blog you either 1) know me and are curious what I am up to, or 2) found my blog through a random search, 3) came to this page because I invited you, or 4)..??? who knows. My friends know me by two names----the one I was born with--Lynda Weiner, and the name I use in the SCA--Shishido Tora, or Gozen for short.  Hence my profile and the name of this blog, which combines both names, so that those who know me by either name can find this Blog.   I am new to the whole Blog thing but I am hoping to use this forum as a way to share information and some of my research.   If you read the About Me page, you will gain some idea of what topics I intend to blog about.  These include Genealogy and Family History, Horsemanship and Medieval Studies--arts and sciences and martial skills.  I don't intend for this Blog to be all stuffy and stiff....and while I am hardy a comedian type, I hope to occasionally introduce some humor to some of my blogs because I believe life is too short to take yourself too seriously.  Because this is a place to learn and celebrate the joys of pursuing my passions, I would ask that comments are posted with that concept in mind.  This blog is not meant as a venue to discuss politics or current affairs...there are plenty of places to do that on the internet.  I would rather avoid the controversy such topics generate.  If you have come to learn, I welcome you and through our interaction, I hope to learn something from you too!