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It has been claimed in some circles that if the entire non-geek populace of the world were to file up and spend the next century kissing the ring fingers of geeks, it would still not suffice as remittance for all the little joys of life they have brought us. One kid in Harvard coughs and voila, Facebook! Another sneezes at Carnegie Mellon and boom! Instagram!

As with everything else brought by these guys same with blogging culture. It was born of an idle pastime. Fresh from gifting the world the internet and the world wide web, the geek overlords of the nineties decided to kill time by writing daily ‘web-logs’ about their pets. Several years down the way, the technology matured and assumed the currently acceptable common name: blogging. Blogger arose during this time and soon after, WordPress as platforms to support the creation of blogs for the non-programmer resident of the Internet. WordPress now powers a third of the content that is on the entire world wide web with no signs of slowing down!

If your neighbours, or your colleagues have been all up your nose pestering you to get yourself a WordPress blog but you don’t know how, then grab a chair and make yourself comfortable, because this article is for you.

Creating a WordPress Account
To get started with your new super awesome WordPress blog, you’ll first need a WordPress account. For that you’ll need an email, which every man, woman and toddler living in this century is assigned automatically when they are hooked into the Matrix for the first time.
Once you’ve recovered yours, find a browser, type in wordpress.com in the address bar. That should land you here:

The next part is as complex as saying your ABCs out loud. You click on the ‘Get Started’ link at the top right.

You should fill in your email address in this screen as well as your chosen username and password for your new account and click on ‘Create Your Account’.

Creating a WordPress Blog

In this next screen, you get to fill in all the details about your new blog from the name, to other ooey gooey subjects like the topic it will cover and your primary goals and so on. Now, for the last section, please do resist the temptation to impress the Chinese hacker who is snooping on your desktop and answer as honestly as possible, it’s really for your own good.
Once done click on continue..

This next part is crucial, you get to choose your blog’s address, which is just as it sounds an ‘address’ for your site. This is what your friends will type in their browsers’ address bar to visit your blog. Choose wisely. Unique is good, short is better, a mix of the two is perfection.
Because the account we’re creating is a free one, you should proceed to select the free option as offered from those listed. The downside being that it will have ‘’.wordpress.com’’ attached to it.

You know what to do here ?

Customizing your WordPress Blog

Once all of that is done, you should see the screen above, which is what is famously called ‘the WordPress Dashboard.’

Over the next several years of your life, should you choose to be serious about your blog, you will get so intimate with this dashboard that you’ll probably end up giving it a nickname. Don’t ask me what I call mine.
At this point, you can follow the step by step instructions shown on this main screen up until the point it asks you to publish a new post or simply continue with this tutorial.

First, you need to confirm your email address. Log into your email and look for the email sent by wordpress. Click on the link to confirm which should redirect you to the Dashboard.

Now scroll all the way down on the menu to the left until you find the option ‘Customise.’ Next to it should be the option ‘Themes’. Go ahead and click there.

Now, a theme is really crucial for whatever blog you’re planning to create. Next to the name, the theme of your blog has to embody the type of content that will be posted there and plays a big role in preparing your readers for the kind of content you often post there. So choose wisely, but no pressure.
Of course, thankfully, WordPress has an intelligent search engine in which you can specify the kind of content (subject) that will appear there (photography etc) as well as the style of the theme (whimsical, minimal etc) and wordpress will filter the themes for you.

Once you’ve chosen a theme, click on customize.

Once here, feel free to tinker to your tinkering twinkle heart’s content. Play around with the fonts, with the header image until you find a combination that works best for you. Once done, click on the ‘Publish’ button at the top left side of the page.

The widgets tab if you’ve noticed it is a great place to add more functionality and ‘spice’ to your blog. There are several different widgets available for a free WordPress blog, to link to your facebook or Instagram pages, to add links to your most popular posts, most recent comments and so on.

Once you’re pleased with the outlook of your blog, you should be ready to publish your first post. So jump right in and go wild.

Additional Material

Next to the ‘My Site’ tab on the Dashboard, is the ‘Wordpress Reader’ which is one of the best parts of WordPress. In fact, so much so, that if WordPress was Hercules, then this would be his non-human half’s powers manifesting themselves. WordPress is made different from other blogging platform by the community ‘vibe’ in it. The reader is where you get to experience it.

 

Here you can search for and read other WordPress blogs, follow them, comment and ‘like’ posts. Your comments on all blogs are also neatly stacked together in the ‘Conversations’ tab.
The ‘Tag’ tab is the cream of the pie, however. Here you can follow any topic that is tagged when users post in their wordpress blogs. These are usually topics or writing genres such as ‘creative writing’ or ‘science fiction’ or even ‘Michelle Obama’. Neat, huh?

Now that you have the low-down on WordPress mechanics (and politics), you should be ready to set off on your journey to entertain, inspire and rip the cosmos into a billion pieces. So to that I say good luck and Godspeed!

Share this with someone who may need it 🙂

 

I’ve been having the art vibes of late and i’ve been trying to showcase the artistic minds that we have around here. The below profiles are written by the writers themselves. Luring enough? I bet you are about to discover that right now. Simply click on their links or to access their blogs directly!

Let’s appreciate each others work. Let’s appreciate the mightiness of the pen together!

 

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Farhaz Khan:

A Kenyan blogger based in the port city of Mombasa who has just been in the business for a year and shows great potential. Kenya Blog Awards Nominee for the year 2016 under best creative writing category and manages to pull off a runner up positions in a tight contest. Nonetheless, a creative writer whose style and choose of words is just unique and always inspiring. KHANFARHAZ describes blogging and writing in famous words of Anais Nin,“We write to taste life twice.” He is the brains behind this blog and has tried to touch on a variety of aspects affecting the society, contemporary issues and even creative writing. Mostly talking of day to day activities and his writings not only make sense to contemporary issues but also as a reader you live each moment with him as you read through this blog. He is and erudite blogger who is ready to showcase the current and actual situation as it is. A promising blogger indeed. Read his work at: https://khanfarhazart.wordpress.com/

 

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Abdulqadir Mahmoud:

What do you do when your phone is low on battery, or when your laptop is dying off, or when someone wants to pay you double…you Recharge. As superior as we are to all that, we often too ware out to a down low while trying to find our way in this maze called Life. Recharge is the kind of blog where life is mapped down to give direction to anyone who needs it. It is a place of connecting with your lost self and giving you back to you, because the only person who can save you, is you. When you fumble to stay strong and dearie life is showing you some tough love, Recharge is the place to be. In simple terms, you know that feeling when all you want to do is lay in bed and just comprehend the painful pangs pulsing out of your heart, burning, eating you slowly and making sure it lets you feel the agony of every bite before it takes another, and it never lets you do anything so that you suffer its anguish? Yep, you need a Recharge. So plug yourself in at www.selfcharge.blogspot.co.ke and free yourself from this dearie sweet monster, called life.

 

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Salma Abdulatif:

mostly referred to as Salummy or Salmun. She is the lady that will never sit back and wait for wonders to happen.

From the lands of the Seas and Camels, a writer was born. A writer that not only seeks to express, but also to impress. A writer that does not only speak through her pen but one that bleeds with the readers…opens wounds untouched, cries amidst the sunset and the sunrise with her pen because she was told by her very own Bic, that as a community, the Bics and HBs have surrendered their lives to her.

Salummy has in her the magic well-crafted that it has powers to transform dead communities and the living corpses. So on her site are 10 categories; Creative Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, African Contemporary Stories, Poetry, Fashion & Design, Airlines and Marine, Things you need to know, Guest posts, Religion & Interviews and Food& Drinks. Her site is like a small mall, all under one roof.

Do not forget to check www.salummy.co.ke for some of her amazing pieces…

 

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Abdul-Rahman “Abu Amirah” Ndegwa:

Is a creative writer based in Mombasa. His main line of writing is flash fiction and short stories with most of his characters assuming Coastal personas once he gives them permission to have a home in his blog akhymjanja.co.ke where they interact with the readers. His short story “The Swahilification of Mutembei” has been short listed for the Writivism 2016 Anthology to be published later in the year.

Abu Amirah also writes for tendi.org, an ensemble of Coastal writers formed after a Kwani? Creative writing workshop in 2015 and also writes the weekly column “Swahilific: Diary of a campus girl” in lifeinmombasa.com, Coastal Kenya’s premier lifestyle magazine.

He is still a work in progress!

 

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Jamila Hassan:

Is founder of Life in Mombasa, Life in Mombasa is a blog for those exploring Mombasa food, culture and architect. Her blog was awarded the ‘best County blog 2016’ by BAKE ( Bloggers Association of Kenya).

The aim of the blog is to change the face of Mombasa, to show the different types of culture through photography and personal blogs.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Arts emphasis on Interpersonal communication from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota (USA). You can view her blog at www.LifeinMombasa.com

 

 

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Mohammed swabri karama:

Ukumbi huu wa mashairihub.wordpress.co


m ni ukumbi wa mashairi ya kiswahili. Tungo zina daraja. Mtu huanza kuwa mshairi apate cheo awe jimbi apate cheo awe shaha kisha awe shaha wa mashaha. Tungo ndizo zinazompa mswahili wasaa wa kueleza fikra zake na mawazo yake alioyonayo. Ukumbi huu ni katika kumbi chache kabisa ambazo zinajitahidi katika kuiboresha fani hii. Ijapokuwa ni fani nzito ila mwandishi anajitahidi kadri ya uwezo wake kutimiza masharti yote ili aweze kufikisha hidia zake kwa hadhira kwa uwazi kabisa na kugusia maswala ibuka katika jamii.

 

 

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Swaleh Arif:

Still ‘a very new newbie’ in blogging yet a promising blogger.

The third eye isn’t a blog meant for everyone. Only open-minded individuals with a desire to do good and change the world around them will benefit from it. With it’s insightful narratives and eye-opening arguments, the reader should expect to be awakened, but only if they choose to. Emphasis on quality over quantity is observed in this site so as to truly impart tools that will assist the reader in their journey to discover their true selves and open their inner eye.

Issues tackled are mainly racism, government, human rights and topics of similar scope. You can always read his articles at: https://swaleh7arif.wordpress.com/

 

 

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Rashid Shariff:

Could there,ever,be something serious in funny stuff and funny stuff in something serious?

Exploring different fields, ranging from neuroscience,marketing,economics to social psychology.Rashid Shariff(the guy in the pic) demystifies concepts in these fields using pop culture, and how you can apply them in your day to day life.For example,an article to be published on 2nd August 2016 will show the connection between Gangnam Style and Vilfredo Pareto’s 20/80 principle.

 

 

 

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Interested?…find his articles at Shariffspeaks(www.shariffspeaks.wordpress.com) or (shariffspeaks@wordpress.com)

 

 

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Zubeda Mohamed:

Swift Hands is a literal collection of life put in paper, they are not stories to read and just leave reading. Every part, each piece explains life. If the articles were colours, they would’ve been painted on walls to light everyone’s heart. Touches every vein and pierces the heart, positively!

You can read her amazing master pieces at: http://swifthandsswiftness1.blogspot.co.ke

 

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Abdulmutwalib M. Saggaf:

He is a believer of pen is mighter than sword that is why he expresses his thoughts in his blog (saggaf93.wordpress.com).

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Saggaf is known to be a flexible and hardworking gentleman. As in this age where men are thought to hide their emotions and feelings ,instead he expresses it through his writing and fashion style. For example an  article that he wrote on this named as “Dress for Success” and  other articles like ” I should be working” which is one of his own favourite pieces among others. Saggaf is also a social media enthusiast well known as @saggaf93 in his social media platforms ,a vlogger,a keen model, a student, a friend, brother and uncle.

Over all he is just optimistic guy who is working hard through different channels of life to turn his possibilities into realities.

 

 

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Shamsudin:

loves the written word and other than being passionate about branding and graphic design,he has a deep fascination for computer tech.

He jots down his thoughts about life in general, most especially about the society and he has been actively generating posts with the prefix “We live in a society….” Via his   page ‘Shamsudin Writes’.

He believes there is a lot to be done on society as regards social, economic,spiritual and political improvement.

His topics range from leadership,financial freedom, motivational and inspirational articles. He is more polished in public speaking than writing but firmly believes anything can be learned and acquired.

Once asked what he does during his free time,he said he enjoys reading books.

His favourite mantra is “Holding my pen to speak from my mind to yours so we can reason together.” You can read his work at: https://shamsudinwrites.wordpress.com/

 

 

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Leyla:

Is a dedicated mother, wife, and community activist who has lived in three different continents. Born of a Kenyan mother (Mombasa origin) and an American father, she explores life’s many questions through a multi-cultural,Islamic, and feminist lens on her blog at www.mwanawapate.wordpress.com

Besides her 9-5 job, she serves as the secretary to the popular community group based in Mombasa called Donge La Mombasa Welfare Group (www.dongelamombasa). She is also the founder and director of The Fatma and Khadija Memorial Library.

She lives in London with her husband, children, and beloved fish called Joho.

 

OTHER BLOGS TO FOLLOW:

(Beyond Mombasa)

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Vintagediaries:

Is a blog by hibaaq osman

(IG:@_vintagediaries_).

She may still be very new in the field but she has us drawn to her posts.

Some people write in hopes of finding a door out of their pain,and giving hope to the broken.

They just spill their hearts out,express whatever we are unable to say and someone somewhere relates to it.

They motivate and inspire us through their words.

This is what vintagediaries

(vintageediaries.wordpress.com)

is all about.

 

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Ahmed Shayo:

His blog talks about the most intimate things that revolve our lives. He speaks of our darkest fears, shedding light to thoughts that linger in secret corners of our hearts. He talks of love, sadness, death and life in a holistic approach, and he does that with a poetic literature that beats your imagination. Epic poetry! Check out his art at: Ahmedshayo014.wordpress.com

 

These are definitely writers to check out and enjoy what they have to offer. More profiles to come up soon in shaa Allah!