Chapter 3

Getting Started with WordPress.com

In This Chapter

arrow Signing up for a blog

arrow Familiarizing yourself with the Dashboard

arrow Understanding important options to set before you begin

If you’re just starting out and don’t want to spend money purchasing a domain name and hosting your site with a third-party web host, WordPress.com has a great alternative for you.

This part of the book takes a complete look at the hosted service offered at WordPress.com, and in this chapter you discover how to create a free blog through this service. You also find out how to get your hosted blog up and running.

Don’t confuse WordPress.com with the blogging software available for download at WordPress.org! Both were created and developed by the same folks, and they do have the same name; however, they are different varieties of WordPress. (See Part III for information on installing and using the self-hosted version of WordPress.org.)

Creating a WordPress.com Account

To create your WordPress.com user account, follow these steps:

1. In the address bar of your browser, enter the URL http://wordpress.com.

2. On the page that appears, click the Get Started Here button (shown in Figure 3-1).

You’re taken ...

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