So far, we don’t have many frequently asked questions, but here is where they will go. If YOU have a question, please leave one in the comments.
How do I sign up? How do I get my free homeschooling journal?
You can sign up over here now.
What’s the catch? Is it really free?
It’s really free! We don’t ask you for anything in return.
Do I have to homeschool a certain way to sign up?
Um, no. This is for all homeschoolers.
Who runs this thing anyway?
Didn’t you see the About page?
A slightly crunchy family of tech-heads that have been homeschooling since 1994. You can read Ron’s regular blog here and Andrea’s main blog is here.
Are you affiliated with any homeschooling businesses? Or any business?
Nope, we’re a homeschooling family just like you. We do this for fun and to help others. Yes, we are weird like that.
So how is this site paid for? Where are the ads?
We pay for this out of pocket, through ad revenue from our other sites, and from donations. Currently, we have no plans to put ads on our site, but users may carry ads in their own sidebar if they wish.
What kind of software runs the journals?
This site is powered by a version of the awesome WordPress called WordPressMU, which allows for multiple blogs on virtual subdomains in one install. It’s an alpha version of bleeding-edge software, and very similar to the backend of WordPress.COM. As such, it is constantly in development and never quite finished.
How many layouts do you have?
User currently have over 25 layouts, or Themes as they are called, to choose from. We’ll be adding new ones all the time.
Can I tweak the Themes?
Sorry, not in this setup. You can’t access the stylesheets. But we have converted all the themes to use Sidebar Widgets which makes adding code to your sidebar very, very easy.
Can I upload pictures to post to my blog?
Sure can! You have up to 10Megs (I think, need to check) to store things.
We also have a Flickr plugin installed to easily add Flickr-hosted photos to your posts.
What if I need some help?
Email me, Andrea, at support@homeschooljournal.net. I am also available on Google Talk as sillyandrea. Our support blog is here if you have specific “how do I… ?” questions.
Hey, you didn’t answer my email yet / fast enough…
Whups, sorry about that. It could be a few things. While I am here throughout most of the day, the late nights and weekends are the times when I will least likely be around. Also we are on Atlantic time, which is one hour ahead of Eastern. So if it is late where you are, and you are West of me, I am most likely sleeping.
If it’s been a couple days, chances are I either forgot because it slipped down in my inbox, or it is a low-priority request and I’m working on other pressing issues first. Feel free to remind me though.
But what if I want a whole bunch of control over my blog, access to everything including the server, and be able to customize everything / run what I want?
Well, if you’re that handy, or willing to learn and you want that much control over everything, it’s our professional and personal suggestion that you get your own domain, buy some webspace and install the regular version of WordPress. Heck, all together it’s under a hundred bucks for a year, and on some server setups you can install the whole thing in a couple of clicks. That’s a pretty cheap hobby and you learn stuff too. Get the kids involved and call it a computer class. It’s how we got to where we are.
