Dave Taylor answers free tech support questions about a wide variety of business and technical topics, including blogging, iphone help, ipod help, AdSense, MySpace, Sony PSP help, Mp3 players, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

How do I create a MySpace Blog?

I'm just plugging in to MySpace and am having fun setting up my profile, but I'm a bit baffled about how to get my blog going. When I click on the "Blog" part of "View My" under my picture (that is, "view my blog") all I get is an error page. Do I have to pay to have a weblog on Myspace??


Dave's Answer:

First off, as of today, you never need to use the words "pay" and "myspace" in the same sentence, which is very cool. At this point in time, Myspace remains completely free.

However, you do have to suffer through its kinda clunky interface, as I've written about before. The reason you are getting an error page on your blog link is because you haven't set up a weblog on the site yet. To do that, you need to go to your home page, then click on Manage Blog:

MySpace: Home Navigation and Photo

(yes, that's me when I'm not being an icon. :-)

On the subsequent page, you need to scroll down a ways and then, on the left side, you'll see:

MySpace: Blog Controls

Here, click on "Post New Blog" (though it really should say "Post New Entry" because a blog is composed of entries, not individual blogs, but that's just a semantic quibble) and you'll be given lots of options to set:

MySpace: Blog Entry Form

You'll note that I'm using the basic editor rather than the advanced editor: your choice may differ, but fortunately it's easy to switch back and forth. The difference is that I need to know HTML to do 'bold', paragraph breaks, and so on (which I do) whereas the advanced editor offers easy one-button shortcuts for basic formatting tasks.

Anyway, fill in the fields as desired, write a paragraph or three for your actual blog entry, and press "Preview and Post" and if everything looks good, you'll have just created your first MySpace Blog entry and you'll now have a blog that you can share with all your current and future friends on the site!

Finally, if you'd like to connect with me via MySpace, that'd be great! My MySpace Page. Also, since you are just learning about MySpace, you might well be interested in my MySpace Help area too.



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Comments

I have had an up and down experience with MySpace and am not sure if it is just problems inherent in MySpace or if the problems have to do with me using a Mac. I switched my browser to Firefox and it didn't help with the Advanced Editor for Blogs. I get an error message saying the advanced editor can't ruon on my current browser/ OS - I can only use the plain text editor.

I am running the most current Operating System - 10.4.7 - it gives me the same message on both of my macs.

Any thoughts - other than "just learn HTML" - I am working on that.

Any time is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Jules

Posted by: Julie Anderson at July 10, 2006 2:47 PM

AFAIK the Advanced Editor only works with Internet Explorer.

Posted by: Hot at August 1, 2006 6:25 PM

I WANT TO GET ON TO MYSPACE AT SCHOOL!!!

AHHHHHHHH

Posted by: hay at February 28, 2007 8:04 PM

it's cool, but is there a way to make a transparent background for every article?

Posted by: Darius at April 11, 2007 3:10 AM

Dave, do you know any way to get around the myspace block (specifically the program AREN filter) that is not a proxy? because the filter that's blocking me blocks all proxies, also. Any help would be appreciated.

Posted by: whaytoyo at May 13, 2007 12:06 AM

I have lots of blogs but i changed my profile around the other day && i now don't know how to get my 'blog' onto my profile anymore. i don't know how people can view it from my page.

Posted by: Ellie S at December 15, 2007 11:43 PM

what good

Posted by: tito at January 31, 2008 11:42 AM

Hello I am really hoping you can help me. I love the MySpace format of blogging. It allows me to be completely creative (by being able to add my own style sheet, and header, etc.), while also giving me a user-friendly interface that doesn't require an extended knowledge of html. I am very disappointed, however, that only members of the MySpace community are able to post comments. I was hoping that you would know of a free blogging alternative with a user-friendly interface, and most importantly
the ability to express myself freely (by creating my own backgrounds and headers and so forth)
while also making customising my blog extremely easy. I would greatly appreciate your help!

Posted by: Chad at April 4, 2008 1:58 PM

what website fo i need to go on to get myspace at school and it has to be easy

Posted by: Heather at May 8, 2008 8:18 AM

i can't find"manage Blog",could u pls tell me much more clearly?
tks in advance!

Posted by: melinda at May 16, 2008 2:43 AM


I have a lot to say, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!









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