How to Subscribe to a Blog
(Made Simple for Blog Rookies)
by www.SixWise.com

You keep hearing about blogs and perhaps you really enjoy Brian Vaszily's blog here at Sixwise -- but truth is you have NO idea how to "subscribe" to a blog. Does that describe you?

Then you're not alone. "How to subscribe to a blog" is an extremely popular search term at Google and other search engines. Fact is, many of the "techie-minded" people behind the Internet often forget that MOST people still have no idea of a lot of what they, the techies, consider the basics.

So here's the first thing you should know: it's not the same as signing up for a newsletter by inputting your email and getting it emailed to you.

By subscribing to a blog posting you get the latest blog headlines conveniently sent directly to you -- once it's set it up you do virtually nothing to read it -- just click the latest headlines of the blogs your subscribed.

Below are the simple steps to subscribe to what is probably the EASIEST and best-designed "blog reader" of all, Google's personalized homepage.

It should only take about ten minutes or less to follow these instructions (follow them closely so you don't get lost) and - aside from adding other blogs you might enjoy whenever it tickles your fancy down the line -- that's all you'll ever have to do. You'll now be a member of the blog revolution and have some great knowledge at your fingertips!

Please follow these instructions to the end, then you can go back and add things to and play with your Google customized feed page.

1. Go to www.google.com/ig

2. Right under the search bar there you might see "Welcome to your Google homepage. Make it your own." Click on "Make it your own."

3. There will be a box toward the top of the page that comes up called "Choose from a sampling of content to get started."

   IMPORTANT: Don't click or unclick any choices at all for now. Later on you can add/remove selections. Instead click the "Show My Page" button in the lower right corner of this box.

4. Towards the upper right corner of the Google page (which should include a clock, calendar and other items) click on the "Add stuff >>"link.

5. IMPORTANT again: Don't start clicking on their default selections just yet. INSTEAD click on the small "Add by URL" link that is right next to the "Search Homepage Content" button in the middle of the top of the page.

6. Enter this URL to Brian Vaszily's SixWise.com blog in the "Add My URL" space: http://blog.sixwise.com/blogs/vaszily-brian/default.aspx and then click the "Add" button.

   IMPORTANT: Google already includes http:// automatically in the box so make sure you don't include it twice.

7. Once it confirms that has been added, click the "<< Back to Homepage" link in the upper left corner of the page

8. 8) Next -- as you will populate your Google homepage with other favorites including news, to-do lists and more -- make your personal Google webpage your browser's default homepage (meaning whenever you log on to the Internet it is the first page that appears.) You can do this easily by going to the very top of the page, above the Google page, and click "Tools" on your Explorer bar, then click "Internet Options" (the last option.)

   (If you are using Firefox with Windows, click on "Tools," then "Options," then "General." If you are using Firefox with Apple, click on "Firefox" at the top left of page then go to "Preferences" then click on "Use Current Page.")

9. Click the first button, "Use Current," and the URL of the Google webpage should populate the space. (In Firefox click "Use Current Page.") Now click the "Okay" button at the bottom of the "Internet Options" screen.

10. Finally, click the "Sign In" link to the top-right of the Google page. IF you already have a Google account such as Gmail, you can sign in using that username and password. Otherwise, choose "Create an account now" to quickly create your Google account.

11. Once you either login or create your account, your Google page is either ready to use as-is -- click on the links to Brian Vaszily's "Live Deeper" blog to see how convenient this method is to read the postings. You can also add or subtract other content you prefer to your Google homepage/blog page.

    If there is ever another blog you like, copy that blog's homepage URL and add it to your Google homepage starting with Step #4 above.

    Also remember that, by clicking and holding down the bar at the top of each item on your Google homepage, you can drag and drop the boxes on your homepage around to position them to your liking.

Welcome to the blog revolution!