Getting Started with a WordPress (WP) blog site via Domain of One’s Own (DoOO).

This course includes opportunities to think about and practice writing and research in digital spaces. As such, much of our work for the rest of this semester can happen in a digital space, a WordPress blog site you create and manage over the course of the semester. (After setting up a website, you may choose to continue using it or to use physitech instead.)

Note: DoOO is different from sites.gsu.edu. A “sites” blog site gives you access to a WP blog site and make it your own for the duration of your career at GSU. A DoOO gives you access to WP and other applications via territory on a server that gsu rents for you while you are in school here. When you leave gsu, you will get the option to take over payments and keep your work. The payments are usually around $25-$50 a year or more, depending on the amount of server space and support you need. Reclaimhosting.com is the host of DoOO.

Go ahead and set up your space!

A Domain of One’s Own

  1. Go to create.gsu.edu
  2. Click “Get Started”
  3. Input your gsu id/password
  4. Choose a domain name: WARNING: YOU CANNOT CHANGE THIS NAME!!! https://XXXX.gsucreate.org

(You don’t have to use your legal name. Why would you? Wouldn’t you?) Make a “chaos” of possible URL names… Which ones are best? why?

Think Rhetorically: who are you creating this site for? for what purpose?

  1. ***Cruise around and find out about this interface
  2. Click on “WordPress” icon
  3. Click: “Install this Application” (Right corner)
  4. Read carefully your options (I don’t recommend changing them)
  5. Fill out/change “settings” info        *You can always change this info later
  1. Administrator name
  2. Administrator password
  3. Website Title
  4. Website Tagline
  1. You’re now looking at your WordPress application as it is installed on your domain. Notice the link to the “back end” of your blog site: (it reads http://…../wp-admin)

Setting up your WordPress Blog

You’ll notice up here you can open the “front end” of your website and the “back end” (the URL ending in “wp-admin”). I like to have two tabs open: one showing the front end, one showing the back end. The “front end” is what your audience sees when they go to your URL. The “back end” is where you do the work that shows up on the front end.

  1. Go to the back end of your site (URL ending in /wp-admin).
  2. Notice the “dashboard” in the sidebar to the left:

  1. Click on the category “Appearance”
  2. Click on “Themes” and “Add New” …. Explore
  1. Notice that different themes allow you to do different things. Some feature images, some feature linguistic text… What do you want your website to look like? Why? Consider the theme of the final project: The NAMES project. Your audience will be an educated one, professional. Your purpose is to present your research and offer evidence-based analysis of the quilt and the issue of HIV/AIDS
  2. You can change your theme at any time
  3. You can “preview” themes or try them out. Even when you create Content for your site, you can change themes; the content will populate your new theme.
  4. “Activate” your new theme
  1. Return to “Appearance” and click “Customize.” Here you’ll see options for changing your website. Use your imagination. Consider our course theme and our rhetorical situation.
  2. Finally, return to your Dashboard. Click “Pages.” Likely you will see one page already established for you. This is the “About” page. Click it and “edit” it to reflect what you want people to know about you or about your website. You will likely revise this throughout the semester.
  3. Consider your audience and compose an “About Me” page.

When you’ve completed this work and set up your Blog, email Mrs. A the URL.