Creating a username = how to create a username within Wordpress to become a contributor to another person’s blog, and to create an automatic identity when commenting on other Wordpress blogs. First, a glossary (important = read it to understand this e-course fully): Blog = an online diary that can be adapted for business purposes. Post = an entry, article, piece of writing or message in your blog. Dashboard = main menu or hub of a blog which provides access to the various elements. Wordpress.com = the recommended blog programme software provider I’m using for ‘free’ blogs. Username = your ‘name’ you wish to be known as, and can be the main element of your blog’s URL. Password = specially created by you to gain personal access to a blog. Gravatar = your picture or logo that is used for recognition within Wordpress or throughout the internet.

In order to invite contributors to access your blog to write their own guest posts, they need to be registered with Wordpress. This is because they need to log in to your blog as themselves, so they post in their own identities. If you are the Administrator you can monitor what they say and do, as you can see all the activities, but each contributor who isn’t an Administrator can only see what they do personally. Now go register a username. You can easily do this without having to sign up to a blog! Go to Wordpress.com:

Click the orange ‘sign up now’ button:

 

Fill in the details, select the ‘Just a username, please’ tab and click on the ‘Next’ button:

Wordpress will now send you a confirmation email to make sure you are the right person. If you are doing this for someone else, they will need to click on the following equivalent email to activate their account:

Clicking on the link will result in the page below once you return to the Wordpress website:

Login in using your new username and password to access your account:

Click on ‘Your Dashboard’:

To get your Global Dashboard:

Click on ‘Profile’ in the sidebar to see your public profile:

Then fill in your details, which will become visible in the ‘Authors and Users’ section of your host’s blog. The next thing is to upload your picture to become a Gravatar:

There are a variety of methods to upload your picture, but I’m using an image I already have on my computer:

Now crop your picture accordingly:

And choose your Gravatar’s ratings (generally it’s wise to choose G) by clicking on your choice:

And now select from the drop down menu from ‘My Account’ to complete your Gravatar details:

Fill in the details about you:

And confirm your email address:

And check your email inbox for confirmation. And now if you go back to your Gobal Dashboard:

And refresh the screen for your Gravatar to show. You are now ready to become a contributor to another blog. All the information you need to give the Administrator will be your email address you registered your username under, and the Administrator will do the rest. Visit http://fairyblogmother.co.uk/com/make-a-blog/ to learn more about the other blogging e-courses on offer to help you successfully create your blog. © Alice Elliott 2010