Using Windows Live Writer for Blogging

It was two months prior to the launch of Microsoft’s Vista that Windows Live Writer (WLW) debuted. Many bloggers world over have benefited from this ambitious blog publishing program introduced by corporate giant Microsoft. This program comes with a variety of plug-ins that supports WordPress, TypePad and Blogger among other popular blogging platforms.

Category: Blog Software
Developers: Microsoft
Official Website: www.writer.live.com

How to publish a blog using Windows Live Writer (WLW)
Publishing a blog cannot get any easy with Windows Live Writer platform. This easy to use application is available to users for free. To start using it, you need to download this application from Microsoft’s official website. The installation process is easy and WLW takes only a few minutes to install.

Having installed WLW, you can start using it for blogging. The first step is to add a blog. The Add a Blog Account window opens up. You will be asked to enter the web address of your blog. This is the same address that visitors use to read your blog. You will also have to enter the user name and password of your blog. Having entered the same click on Next. WLW will search for the blog address.

Getting Started with WLW
If you are using WordPress blog, you must ensure that the protocol is built-in.

Using WLW for blogging
You can have content and images on your blog. The next step is uploading content on your blog. The interface of WLW is simple and easy to use. It resembles the Microsoft office products, yet it is different in many ways. The menu and tool bar sit on the top while the writing area is at the bottom. There is a provision to enter a headline and you can copy paste blog content in the body section or type text that you wish to have on your blog. Use the formatting options and styling tools that come to you with Microsoft ribbon. If you are familiar in handling the various Microsoft tools you will have no trouble using this tools interface.

Posting the blog
Having entered the contents of your blog the final step is posting your blog. Only when your blog goes live will readers be able to read it. Before you post your blog make sure that you have a glimpse of what your blog looks like. You can use the Edit, Preview and Source panes. The Source pane lets you edit the original source of your post. You can also add or change the HTML code using the Source pane. Having made the necessary edits and changes, you can take a final look at what your blog will look like when it is posted live.

The Post Properties section lets you choose the category of the blog and you can assign tags as well. You can set the date when you wish the blog to be published in the same dialogue box.

All in all WLW is one of the best platforms that supports multiple blogging activity and offline writing activity.

Randy Collins likes writing articles related to Technology News, Gadget Reviews and How To. He also does guest posting for buycharter.com - a site that offers savings and current information on charter internet, as well as charter.com services