Blogs are easy to set up on Drupal.  And you don't need to complete full Drupal training to do it. Also, you can update your blog from anywhere you have full internet access. 

You'll need a Drupal ID to blog on the site. If you haven't completed Drupal training, request a blogger ID.  You'll have limited access to the site, so you don't need full Drupal training. 

Note, all bloggers need to follow the Grinnell College policies and standards.

Setting Up a Blog

If you want a blog, it's a three step process:

  1. Contact WebGuys to create a blog tag and, if you haven't used Drupal before, a Drupal blogger id.
    Please provide the following:      
    • The name of your blog
    • Your network user id
    • The names and network user ids of anyone else who might be updating the blog (optional)
    • The parent page for the blog (where on the site you want the blog to appear)
    • A feature image (optional)
  2. Review web standards (required) and help sections for the items you'll be adding:
  3. Log in and start updating your blog.

Adding a Blog Entry

  1. Log in to Drupal.
  2. Click the "My Sections" tab.
  3. In the right sidebar, click "Create New Blog."
  4. Enter a title (this appears as the headline for your entry on the main blog page).
  5. Enter a short title.
  6. Under Vocabularies, select the name of your blog from the Blog list.  (This step lets your main blog page see your blog entry and display it with the rest.)
  7. (optional) Enter your name in the Author field. The author field will link to your person record on Drupal, providing more information and context. (Note: you don't need to do this if you're the only author, though it's recommended for blogs with multiple authors)
  8. Enter your text in the body field.  If you composed your text in Word or another word processing program, you must use Paste as Plain Text.
  9. If you want to add an image, do so using the image fields under the Images tab at the bottom of the page. (You'll need to add your image to an image node first.)
  10. Under Sections:
  11. You will probably already see your blog listed in the Section Assignments field. If not, start typing the title of your blog.  Drupal will show options. Select your blog.
  12. In the menu link title field, give your blog entry a short menu title.  Tip: If you create one blog entry a day or less, you can use the date.
  13. Check the "Hidden" box.
  14. Save the blog entry.

Drupal displays the entry in the main listing.