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  • Contributing Editor Scott Spanbauer offers incisive tips, tricks, and commentary on a broad range of online issues.
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Internet Tips: New Tools Help Take Your Blog to the Next Level

Scott Spanbauer

Try the Hosts With the Most

To use WordPress to publish a blog or site on your current Web host, your hosting service must support PHP and MySQL. Independent services such as Blue Host and Laughing Squid offer WordPress support and charge as little as $7 a month; go to wordpress.org/hosting to see a list of such services. A personal note: I adore my local mom-and-pop ISP for its high levels of customer service, technical savvy, and stability, but when I broached the subject of supporting WordPress blogging, the company wasn't prepared. If I were to create a WordPress blog using my own domain name, I would probably select one of WordPress's recommended host services.

Blogging for Dollars: Cash In With Google's Adsense

If your blogging consists of posting pictures of the kids for Great-Aunt Millie to see, or detailed accounts of your bunion surgery, don't expect to strike it rich as a pro blogger. But if what you say is interesting to even a modest audience, you could receive a check each month by placing ads on your blog. One of the easiest ways to test the Web-ad waters is with Google's AdSense service, which context-matches Google text ads to your blog's content and optionally places a Google search box on your site.

Send your questions and tips to nettips@spanbauer.com. We pay $50 for published items. Scott Spanbauer is a contributing editor for PC World.

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