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If you already have a personal/ professional website, I ask that you create a "dmcult" blog space for the semester. You are welcome to edit it after the course end date. 

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This course is not part of the Emory Domain of One's Own program. However, if you have created or are already creating a website with a Domain affiliated course, you may use the subdomain options below (numbers 2 and 7). 

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For everyone else, you may go through the process below using Word Press OR you may create a site using any of the helpful site creators discussed in class, including your own Word Press, WIX, Square Space, among others. Be advised, you will be responsible for any fees associated with creating your site, including domain names and premium features. In the "ludic' spirit, I will not walk you through the creation of your sites. I ask you to play. The "WPS" goal is for each of you to establish a digital presence for yourselves outside of social media sites. However, I will be available for one-on-one workshop sessions. 

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*If you would like to go through the Emory Domain of One's Own steps, see below. You are not required to do so.*

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For this assignment, you need to sign up for your domain, install WordPress, and begin the initial design and set-up for your website.

1. Think about what you want your domain name to be (example: www.joesmith.com or www.dmcultisawesome.net). Have a few ideas in case your first ones are taken. Be careful of accidental phonetics and possible misinterpretations. (Check out these horrible domain name fails). If you need clarification, see this explanation of what a domain name is. And here is some advice about selecting a domain name.

2. Think about how you want to structure your website. (Look at this link about how to design your website infrastructure.) Do you want the main website to be a personal page or professional portfolio instead of just your classwork? Do you want to have various linked websites that do different things (such as photography gallery, personal blog, work for other courses, resume/professional site)? If so, you might consider creating a subdomain for this class (example: coursework.mypersonalwebsite.com or dmcult.joesmith.com). Learn more about what subdomains are and how to set one up. You also can learn more about OTHER things to do with your website.

3. You’re ready to get started! I recommend reading the instructions first. First are the instructions for how to sign up for your domain and pay your $12. Secondly, look at the instructions for installing WordPress. These are really great step-by-step instructions for how to do this with screenshots and Emory-specific tips. I recommend keeping these tabs open as you go through the sign-up/installation process and/or printing out/converting the instructions to PDFs.

4. Sign up for your domain at https://emorydomains.org/. For this, you’ll need to log in with your Emory username and password. Make sure you have a credit card for the $12 fee. If you do not have a credit card or would like to apply for financial hardship, please see your instructor. Detailed instructions and screenshots of what to do are available on the Signing Up on Domain of One’s Own site.

5. Check your Emory email and make sure you got three important emails. Warning: These often end up in your Junk folders. These emails verify that you correctly signed up for your domain. You also need click on a link in one of the emails (labeled IMPORTANT!) to verify your sign-up. If you don’t do this, your website will automatically shut down after 15 days. Again, this is all explained with helpful links and screenshots on the Signing Up page.

6. Install WordPress. Follow the detailed instructions found on the Install WordPress page. Again, there are really helpful links and screenshots detailing everything.

7. Create a subdomain for this class (optional). You probably want to if you’ve used Domain for another course. To learn about subdomains and find out how to make one, see the Creating a Subdomain for a Class page. Creating a subdomain can seem like a lot of extra effort, since you have to install WordPress and go through everything again. But it can save time later if you decide to add on to your website.

8. Begin playing around with and designing your WordPress site. The Configure WordPress on Your Domain page explains what your WordPress dashboard will look like, how to adjust things, and how to get started.

9. Consider installing some WordPress plug-ins (these give your site extra functionality). I highly recommend Akismet to cut down on spam! Here’s instructions about installing plug-ins and Akismet specifically.