starting a blog?

[GinAndSonic]

I want to blog, but i dont know what to call my blog. Im considering just using "ginandsonic".
Should i buy a domain name? Im going to use wordpress.
I want to blog sort of anon, so not completely shutting down details or pics, but not using my name. This is ok right?

Sorry if its.garbled, im fighting off a.toddler.

[TheDADventurer]

Starting a blog is a great idea. Thinking of names can be pretty difficult. Get a piece of paper and write down the words that come to your head when you think about what you want to write about, e.g. parents, babies etc. Then see if it sparks any ideas. Also using a thesaurus to find alternatives of those names is quite useful. Remember you are stuck with the name when you decide it, so don't rush into naming it.

You can get free domains through the likes of Wordpress, so it would be called //www.ginandsonic.wordpress.com. Personally, I think it looks a bit more professional if you buy a domain name from the likes of GoDaddy which gets rid of the .wordpress bit. Try to get a .com or .co.uk if possible. The domain only costs a few quid for the year and it's a pretty simple process.

In terms of the anon thing, I do the same. On my blog www.thedadventurer.com I use my first name and the alias The DADventurer. You can still make it personal without revealing every bit of information about you, e.g. last name, where you live etc. Remember, the blog will be available for anyone to read on the internet so privacy and security is still important as to what you reveal!

Hope that helps,
Dave

[TheTwistedYarn]

I agree with the PP about paying a small fee to ditch the ".wordpress" bit of your address. It's easy: I'm technologically incompetent and I managed it.

Take your time thinking of the name, because it's so important. I threw a few ideas out there on Facebook, and people made suggestions, including the name I ended up using. The advantage of this was that these people know me, so could suggest something apt.

GinAndSonic might be great, but I don't know because I don't know you. Does the 'sonic' bit have particular meaning?

Good luck, have fun, and be prepared for blogging to eat up all your spare time. :-) Oh, and come to Mumsnet Blogfest in November.

Best wishes, [[www.thetwistedyarn.com]]