Why Is This so Hard?
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
United States
August 25, 2016 8:21am CST
My book is finished. The title is More Free Cash for College. It isn’t published yet, because instead of using CreateSpace, I have been told by people I respect that it should be published the traditional way. But in order for a publisher and agent to take me seriously, I must create a large group of people that know who I am.
To that end, I started a website/blog called Road to Free College using Blogger. I bought my own domain name and thought I could easily use it for this purpose. No such luck. I went to the help section on Blogger and found a two page, single spaced set of directions. I got lost about 1/3 into the first page. Why does this have to be so hard? Why is it ambiguous?
“Go to your domain registrar’s website and locate the DNS (Domain Name System) settings in the control panel.” What? How can I locate something I do not understand? How can I find the control panel for my domain registrar’s website when I do not own the darned thing? I can find the control panel on my own computer, but in the website that does not belong to me? How do I do that?
Then there is an entire “optional” section that if skipped, gives people an error message if someone types my website address. I must create A-records. The instructions give me the addresses to use, but does not explain how to “create A-records”. I need a drink.
I won’t even go into the confusion on the second page, because with these instructions, I won’t even get there. Where can I find help with this?
Update: My tech savvy friend suggested calling Godaddy from whom I bought the domain. She was right. They pretty much did it for me from their end. I won't know if it took for several hours, or days, but if it did, it's done. Whew (fingers crossed).
40 hours later: Still no change. Sigh
13 people like this
15 responses
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
25 Aug 16
What they mean is that you have to log into your account with the website you registered your domain through.
In your account settings is a control panel where you can manage your domain name settings, including setting up the DNS settings.
Honestly, I'd look into what options the site you registered your domain name offers for a hosting package. It's a lot easier to set up a website that way than it is to try to deal with linking a Blogger blog to a domain name you've purchased. It's been a couple months and I still can't get the darn thing to work properly without the www in front of it, despite following all the tutorials on Blogger and other sites. 
4 people like this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace Makes sense. I feel the same way in many cases, but every once in a while it makes sense to make the investment. Linking my newest blog to my domain name was such a hassle that I'm going to be transferring it to another company as soon as I've owned it for a long enough time. I'm with 1&1 now but GoDaddy had a much better user interface so I'm moving this domain over with the rest of them. 1&1 had a great promotion at the time but it's been nothing but a pain in the neck.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
@yukimori I used to use 1 & 1, but I've used Godaddy for a couple of years. The tech who helped me said I don't call them hardly at all. He's right. But when I needed then today, they seem to have come through. Besides, he was nice.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Thanks for the help. The company would love to host my domain, but want to charge a fee each month. One of my goals is to reduce monthly spending, not increase it. Otherwise, great advice.
3 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
25 Aug 16
I think you can find a lot of experts in warrior forum.
You can sign up at the forum, and after you have read through some forum threads, and sort out the issues, you can use the blog in your signature.
That means whenever you respond to a thread or start a thread, your comment will be followed by your link to your blog.
These experts can give you some suggestions on improving the blog and teach you to get more traffic from search engines to your website.
4 people like this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace The good news is, you have a lot of built-in friends here. Let me know by message when your website is up and running and I will do my best to promote it to my over 5,000 Twitter followers.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Thanks, but this sounds like something else to have to figure out. I am pretty busy figuring out all sorts of other things and don't want to add to the list of new stuff to learn.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
26 Aug 16
@BelleStarr Wow. I'll take you up on that offer. Send me a message with your twitter handle. I'ld love to follow you.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
25 Aug 16
When you register a Domain name you hold the name itself, but in order for it to be used it needs to be hosted. Once you host the domain on a web host they would usually sort out the registering with the DNS.
I have never used Blogger, but I understand that it is a site where you can create pages, which are then viewable by others. I suspect that you are trying to associate the Blogger account with the domain name, which is why they are requesting DNS data.
Using Blogger is not a viable proposition in this case and you really need to host the domain with a hosting company.
Domain hosting does cost a regular fee, which varies according to the service that you request. You are usually allowed a certain amount of data transfer per month, with larger amounts obviously being at a higher monthly rate. You would also be given email facilities under the name of your website so that people can email to the site.
It would have better to look at this option first because many web hosts include a free domain name.
I suggest that you look at some of the web hosting sites because the overall cost would not be very high for a small site.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace If you wish to associate the domain name with Blogger then you will need DNS settings. These will not exist until the domain is submitted to the Domain Name Servers for registration.
Of course you can always register the domain with the DNS yourself.
The reason for DNS is that all websites have IP addresses, which would be difficult to remember. The DNS associates the name with the IP address, so when you type a website name the DNS converts it to an IP address and the site can be reached.
2 people like this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
25 Aug 16
It's definitely possible to direct a domain name to a blog on Blogger... Just a total pain in the neck.
@ElizabethWallace What company did you register your domain name through? It might be easier to find a tutorial from someone who's familiar with that company and their user interface. Otherwise, you might be able to call the company and have them walk you through the process.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Okay. You obviously know more than I do about this, but a friend uses Blogger and her own domain name, so I'll ask her about this. I know she doesn't pay anyone to use this site. Thanks. As always, you are a wealth of computer knowledge.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
25 Aug 16
I do use blogger for my blogs but I didn't do the whole domain name thing since I didn't have a clue how or why to do it. Good luck I am sure DD knows how to do this.
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace I'm confident they will get it all good for you, your book is bound to be very popular with parents of college age children. GoDaddy is one of the good sites.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
26 Aug 16
@BelleStarr Thanks for the estimation of my book. I wrote it because I was appalled that people still have college loans to repay when they are seniors, awful.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Godaddy where I bought the domain helped me a great deal (fingers crossed since it takes awhile for it to take effect).
3 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7086)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
25 Aug 16
Pffff. .I'd need a drink too! I just wish I could help you somehow. I don't do anything online that doesn't come easy anymore. I don't suppose you have any friends who work in this field?
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
I have one friend who knows far more than I do, but I'm not sure if she would know how to do this, since she is an expert in that other way to create websites (the name has slipped my mind, darn).
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Most people who write any instructions for tech assume that the rest of us are computer engineers, but if we were, we wouldn't need the instructions. Sheesh.
2 people like this
@akalinus (44366)
• United States
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace I know the feeling and can empathize.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
15 Apr 17
Congratulations for finishing the book. I know how hard it is to get yourself 'out there' and jump through hoops to make those who can help you believe you're worth helping. I wish you luck and hope that you succeed in gaining enough followers.
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Thanks, but double-dutch is easier.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Sep 16
I would like to buy your book as soon as it gets published. My daughter is a high school junior this year. I need to figure out a way to pay for her college!!!
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
Sorta. I have a friend who knows far more than I do about all things tech. She told me to do what I knew I should do, call Godaddy. They were a delight.
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Aug 16
I'm so glad that you called Godaddy directly and got their help. My daughter did it for me, so I didn't know how to do it by myself. I hope it works out.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
27 Aug 16
Me too. Time will tell. I may end up hiring your daughter. 
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
25 Aug 16
I am set up site stupid.... can`t help here BUT I am glad to hear you finished the book!
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
25 Aug 16
The frustrating part of finishing the book, is that I need to build a huge following for a publisher to take it. Sigh.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
27 Aug 16
I have a friend who would agree with you. She loves Wordpress. But when I looked it up, it seemed very complicated compared to Blogger. More powerful, of course, but far beyond my pea brain.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
27 Aug 16
@AkoPinay Look at that screen, with all the symbols. I don't know most of them, and have no interest in learning.
1 person likes this
@AkoPinay (11496)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace there is a VISUAL and TEXT mode, you can opt to VISUAL 
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
31 Aug 16
bless yer heart 'n big hugs! i don't comprehend most 'f that schtuff neither. the gals who created my blog (then told me 'bout such...'fter the fact, sigh) e'en do me video tutorials claimin' they're 'blonde-proof'. which perhaps 'tis the troubles??? i'm a redhead :)
i hope that the changes'll be made 'n show'p 'n yer site soon, hon. 'ntil then, 've a drink fer me, k?
