Blogging For Dummies
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The technical requirements for blogging software are much more specific than what you'd need for a typical Web site. Most blog software use a mix of several kinds of Web server technology that are ideal for running dynamic Web sites like blogs. The following technologies are considered the bare minimum that most blogging packages need to function:

  • Linux: Linux is a common Web server operating system. This stable operating system is considered a standard for Web servers. As a blogger, you won’t be doing too much to the operating system, as long as it’s in place for you.

  • Apache: Apache is Web-page-serving software, which means it looks at what Web page is requested and then feeds the browser the appropriate file. It does most of the hard work of serving Web pages to visitors coming to your Web site.

  • MySQL: MySQL is the most popular database software for blogs. For any blogging package, you need some kind of database system to store all your blog posts and run the other functionality of the blog software.

  • PHP: PHP is the programming language that a lot of blogging and content management systems use. It sits between the blogging software and the database, making sure all the parts work together.

Consider these requirements as well:

  • Disk space: For blogging, disk space is important if you decide to store a lot of images on your blog or to upload audio and video files. Uploading images is relatively easy to do, but you need the space to store those images. For the average blog with a few photos, you most likely want about 500MB. Blogs that have a lot of photos require several gigabytes (GB) of disk space. Video blogs need a whole lot more disk space (unless you’re using an online video-sharing service) and you want more than 10GB.

  • E-mail management: You’ll want an e-mail address with your new domain. If you want to use your blog for business purposes, having an e-mail address that matches your domain is highly recommended. Strong e-mail offerings and management tools are signs of a good Web host.

  • Backups: Consider how you’ll be backing up your data (including your database content) and how the files on your Web-hosting account will be backed up. Knowing this information can save you from disaster and data loss in the future.

  • Bandwidth and CPU Resources: Computers and networks can take only so much load, and hosts usually set a quota on how much bandwidth you can use for the size Web-hosting package you buy. Ask about what happens if you exceed your monthly allowance of bandwidth.

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