Using WordPress

There are three ways you can use WordPress to build and maintain a blog:

• Create a blog on the WordPress.com server. This is the easiest way to get your blog up and running quickly, and it's absolutely free. Although your blog will have full functionality, you won't be able to take advantage of many customization features or install WordPress plugins.

• Install WordPress on your ISP's server. This is an excellent way to have your own blog with its own unique domain name. Many ISPs offer Web hosting with the features you need to install WordPress.

• Install WordPress on your own server. This gives you complete control over the blog and the software it runs on. It does require, however, that you have a computer with a dedicated connection to the Internet and a fixed IP address. For best results, you should also have access to a DNS server that points a domain name to your IP address.

We explain how to complete each type of installation in Chapter 1.

Tips

• We discuss customizing WordPress and installing plugins in Chapters 6 and 7.

• You can get a partial list of WordPress compatible Web hosts at wordpress.org/hosting/.

• If you want to run WordPress on your own server but you don't know anything about IP addresses, DNS, or configuring Web server software, you're probably not ready to set up your own server. Get started with one of the other two methods of using WordPress. You can always move your WordPress blog to your own server one day in the future.