Frequently-Asked Questions

What is a weblog?

A weblog is a chronological representation of ideas, works, or events. The chronology may be more or less rigid, the works more or less related to the moment of the post. Identifying each post in time gives the reader a sense of freshness and pace.

The structure provided by the weblog model frees the publisher from inventing a structure from scratch—making personal web publishing easy for non-technical people and fast for techies.

Apparently it is a powerful model, as millions of people have adopted the weblog for personal publishing in just a few years.

Why shouldn't I just build my website from scratch?

Even if you're an expert in web design and programming it would take you considerable time to create a website with the capabilities provided by InkNoise. Better to use your time to actually create whatever it is you love to create: images, ideas, objects, sounds, movies.

Why should I get into weblogging?

Weblogging with InkNoise is an ideal medium to express your ideas and opinions, to share your experiences, and to expose your work to a larger audience. Whether you are sharing photos with a few members of a group or family, or publishing a column read by millions, weblogging with InkNoise is a simple, inexpensive way to do it.

How technical do I need to be to use InkNoise?

If you can surf the web, place an online order, and type reasonably well you can use InkNoise. There is no software to install, nothing arcane to learn, and no thick manual to read. You can be publishing online in minutes with just a few dozen mouse clicks.

Is my content safe on InkNoise?

Yes. InkNoise has a secure (SSL) password login to your publisher account; the same kind used by banks online. As long as no one knows your password your content is safe from unauthorized modification. Our servers are configured for as much security as can reasonably be provided, and are housed in a secure facility with power and internet backup. Publisher content is further backed up to a remote location in the very unlikely event the main facility is plundered or physically destroyed.

I have my own domain. Can I point it at my site on InkNoise?

Yes. You'll have to handle pointing your domain to our server's IP address, but once you do that and enter your domain name into your publisher control panel, your InkNoise site will be available via your domain name.

In the future InkNoise will provide built-in domain registration that will simplify the process of obtaining and configuring a domain to point at an InkNoise website.

Does my InkNoise site have its own URL?

Yes. There are two URL forms that you can use. Assume your publisher name is "publisher" and your weblog name is "weblog" your can use either of these URLs to reach the weblog page:

http://publisher.inknoise.com/weblog
or
http://www.inknoise.com/publisher/weblog

What if I overuse a measured resource, like disk space?

Depending on the type of resource, a limit can be exceeded by an action you take as publisher or by the behavior of your audience or co-authors. If you add a weblog, gallery, or page that exceeds your current account limits, you are asked right then if you would like to acquire additional resources. If disk space or data transfer limits are exceeded by your audience or other publishers contributing to your content, your credit card on file is charged for the amount of the overage at the rate determined by your account type and you are notified of the situation.

How does my audience know when I've posted something new?

You can set up your weblog to automatically notify your subscriber list by email when you've made a new post.

Can I change my InkNoise publisher name after I've signed up?

Not at this time.

Can I change my publisher plan after I've signed up?

Yes. If you change your chosen plan between renewal dates your credit card on file will be charged or credited with the pro-rated difference between plan amounts remaining until your next renewal date.

How do I cancel my account?

On the Account tab of the publisher control panel there is a button to close your account. If you do this anytime in the first 30 days of service you will receive a full refund. After 30 days there are no refunds.

I'm hardcore. How does InkNoise compare to the "serious" weblogging tools I can get?

Although InkNoise has features that make it appealing to the novice or casual user, it is also a fully capable "hardcore" blogging tool. InkNoise has TrackBack, multi-author support, commenting, syndication, blogrolls, full page customization, and other features found on the "serious" blogging services and software packages.

A lot of weblogs I've seen look the same. Do InkNoise weblogs look like all the rest?

Some do, some don't. One of our goals in creating InkNoise is to break the boundaries of current weblog designs and provide more personalization and more style choices without publishers having to resort to creating their own designs from scratch. As time goes on we will be greatly increasing the available range of templates and styles available to InkNoise publishers.

Can I display advertisements on my InkNoise website?

Yes, you can use small snippets of HTML to display ads in your website.

How do I give InkNoise feedback or suggestions?

Please use the feedback and bug reporting form provided at the bottom of every page. We are very interested in hearing from you about our how our current features are working for you and what features you'd like to see us add to the service.

* Have a question that's not answered here? Ask it here.