About Blog.SMU
SMU uses WordPress for its blogging platform and is available at blog.smu.edu. Traditionally, blogs display content in reverse chronological order and remains fixed after publishing. This content can include traditional blogs, news sites, notification systems, etc. Blogs can also display static pages and be used as a replacement for static HTML pages.
Appropriate Use
The blog server may be used to host blogs at blog.smu.edu/*blogName* for the following purposes:
| Faculty Academic Needs. |
These blogs will have URLs based on the faculty member's SMU email address. For example, a faculty member with email johndoe@smu.edu may have a blog at blog.smu.edu/johndoe. |
| Courses |
The blog's URL will contain a clear reference to the class. |
| Official/Department use |
Must be requested, owned, and managed by an SMU department for official university business purposes. URL naming must be based on the department name or the blog's intended use. If the URL does not contain the department name, the association with the department must be clearly stated on the blog. |
All existing acceptable use policies also apply to the blog server where they don't conflict with the above. Reference Computing and Communications Acceptable Use Policy and web appropriate use policies.
These are probably not appropriate uses for the blog system:
| Discussion Forum |
While visitors can post comments on a blog entry, if allowed, the discussion may be lost under the original post. The blog system is not a threaded forum system, and its comment system was not designed to facilitate detailed discussions. The discussion feature in Canvas may be a more suitable solution.
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| Documentation |
Documentation needs regular updating. Wiki.SMU would be a better solution. |
| General Websites |
General websites belong on www.smu.edu. |
| Dynamic Content |
Blogs normally display relatively fixed content. Once a blog post is created, it generally is not updated. |
Documentation and Training
For Admins
For Editors
Training
About Wordpress
WordPress started in 2003 with a single bit of code to enhance the typography of everyday writing and with fewer users than you can count on your fingers and toes. Since then it has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on millions of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day.