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I'm starting my first camino in about 5 weeks, and I'd like to keep a daily journal, possibly in the form of a blog. I'm looking for recommendations on suitable platforms, so here's a bit of background and my wish list:
I haven't used it in years but at the time I used the free option at wordpress.com for daily updates and the occasional photos.I'm starting my first camino in about 5 weeks, and I'd like to keep a daily journal, possibly in the form of a blog. I'm looking for recommendations on suitable platforms, so here's a bit of background and my wish list:
- I have a facebook account, but some of my friends are not on facebook. I'm thinking I might post a daily highlight on facebook with a link to a page with more detail.
- My non-facebook friends would have a link to go directly to my 'blog' page, if/when they want to.
- Apart from the fact that not everyone uses facebook, I didn't want to use that as the main platform for my stories, because it won't be easy for me, later on, to save them all together.
- I'm not a fan of Instagram (not any better than facebook for my purposes).
- I'd like something free and simple, where I can add photos and text, and get comments from readers.
- It would be great if readers didn't have to register or create an account in order to comment.
- I would like to be able to add photos without worrying that I will run out of space, so it would need to be something unlimited or very generous...
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
Or as many footprints as you want each day.and if you need/want to post more on a particular day, you could easily post 2 footprints for that day.
Many, many years ago, BC (before children) my wife and I travelled extensively over a continuous three year period. We took thousands of photos that were processed as slides. On our return home we organised dinner parties and after dinner we showed our friends and family some of our slides. After a while our friends and family stopped accepting our dinner invitations. Then one day my brother in law invited us to a slide evening. We went and I found the night to be the most boring night that I had had for many years. Then the penny dropped for me and the next time we were organising a dinner I made a point of telling our guests that there would not be any slides and interestingly our dinner invitations were accepted.I'm starting my first camino in about 5 weeks, and I'd like to keep a daily journal, possibly in the form of a blog. I'm looking for recommendations on suitable platforms, so here's a bit of background and my wish list:
- I have a facebook account, but some of my friends are not on facebook. I'm thinking I might post a daily highlight on facebook with a link to a page with more detail.
- My non-facebook friends would have a link to go directly to my 'blog' page, if/when they want to.
- Apart from the fact that not everyone uses facebook, I didn't want to use that as the main platform for my stories, because it won't be easy for me, later on, to save them all together.
- I'm not a fan of Instagram (not any better than facebook for my purposes).
- I'd like something free and simple, where I can add photos and text, and get comments from readers.
- It would be great if readers didn't have to register or create an account in order to comment.
- I would like to be able to add photos without worrying that I will run out of space, so it would need to be something unlimited or very generous...
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
I used TrackMyTour (https://trackmytour.com/photo-books) and found it to be very functional and easy to use. Buen camino.I'm starting my first camino in about 5 weeks, and I'd like to keep a daily journal, possibly in the form of a blog. I'm looking for recommendations on suitable platforms, so here's a bit of background and my wish list:
- I have a facebook account, but some of my friends are not on facebook. I'm thinking I might post a daily highlight on facebook with a link to a page with more detail.
- My non-facebook friends would have a link to go directly to my 'blog' page, if/when they want to.
- Apart from the fact that not everyone uses facebook, I didn't want to use that as the main platform for my stories, because it won't be easy for me, later on, to save them all together.
- I'm not a fan of Instagram (not any better than facebook for my purposes).
- I'd like something free and simple, where I can add photos and text, and get comments from readers.
- It would be great if readers didn't have to register or create an account in order to comment.
- I would like to be able to add photos without worrying that I will run out of space, so it would need to be something unlimited or very generous...
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
I'd like something free and simple, where I can add photos and text, and get comments from readers.
Then the penny dropped for me and the next time we were organising a dinner I made a point of telling our guests that there would not be any slides and interestingly our dinner invitations were accepted.
Do any blog apps or photobook companies allow downloading of a full pdf file? I would be interested in that feature.I found it disappointing that both FindPenguins and PolarSteps offer the option to print a book (not cheap, and not something I want), but not to download a full pdf file (which I would really like, and should be free, but I can only get if I buy a book!).
I have used WordPress for years. I'm not saying it is without challenges, but I have never had to learn code and deal with plug-ins, for a simple blog. However, the scope for more sophistication is almost overwhelming, and that can be intimidating.I used WordPress many years ago but found it too confusing/complex to set up and maintain. Is it more user-friendly now? I'm not keen to start learning code or having to decide among a million plug-ins at this stage...
I still think there is value in documenting a journey - if YOU enjoy the process and the product, and if there are even a few people who are interested. I enjoy reading some (but not all) of the blogs written by people I have never met. And I certainly DO enjoy re-reading my own accounts!Mostly I was too busy doing my Camino to make it interesting for others to follow along.
I have thought about doing that, too. But I'm afraid that my commentary would be so boring and disjointed that I wouldn't be able to tolerate the editing process!On my next Camino I plan to use a speech-to-text app so I can do running commentary as I walk or at the end of the day.
I’m using it for my first Camino and find it easy to use.I've used Findpenguins for all of my Caminos. As Laurie said, it's easy to use. I like that it automatically creates a map of my trip. Another bonus is that you can create a physical book of your Camino when you are fine.
Thank you LauraL for this excellent question which I have also pondered, and thanks to all with the great cmments, information and advice. On all my Caminos and European trips during last 10 years I send a daily email (sometimes up to 4 emails) with photos and commentary to about 99 friends and family who have expressed interest in following my adventures, and who give positive feedback. So far, I have not figured out how to send one email, via my old Iphone 6, to any more than 100 people, nor how to include more than about 25 photos cut to medium size. Other cons are the complicated process of transferring photos to email and then typing a running dialog and captions on the small phone. Compiling these hundreds of mails into a book, which I might want to do someday, and which several people keep pushing me to do, would be cumbersome indeed. Pros include a targeted address list that changes as I realize some of the people don't really care, so I drop them, while others who hear about these journeys are so interested they'll get others to forward them mails until they can get onto my address list. I do try remain cognizant of each individual addressee (benefit of having small list) so as not to offend, ie, keep down the sailor talk and political jokes. Like Ivar's blog, the mails provide very interesting stories about people and experiences, technical information and advice, and serve as a record to myself and others years later.I'm starting my first camino in about 5 weeks, and I'd like to keep a daily journal, possibly in the form of a blog. I'm looking for recommendations on suitable platforms, so here's a bit of background and my wish list:
- I have a facebook account, but some of my friends are not on facebook. I'm thinking I might post a daily highlight on facebook with a link to a page with more detail.
- My non-facebook friends would have a link to go directly to my 'blog' page, if/when they want to.
- Apart from the fact that not everyone uses facebook, I didn't want to use that as the main platform for my stories, because it won't be easy for me, later on, to save them all together.
- I'm not a fan of Instagram (not any better than facebook for my purposes).
- I'd like something free and simple, where I can add photos and text, and get comments from readers.
- It would be great if readers didn't have to register or create an account in order to comment.
- I would like to be able to add photos without worrying that I will run out of space, so it would need to be something unlimited or very generous...
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
Loved all the truth in your post. The fabulous camino adventure is best experienced personally. Others can only take our travel blogs in small doses.Many, many years ago, BC (before children) my wife and I travelled extensively over a continuous three year period. We took thousands of photos that were processed as slides. On our return home we organised dinner parties and after dinner we showed our friends and family some of our slides. After a while our friends and family stopped accepting our dinner invitations. Then one day my brother in law invited us to a slide evening. We went and I found the night to be the most boring night that I had had for many years. Then the penny dropped for me and the next time we were organising a dinner I made a point of telling our guests that there would not be any slides and interestingly our dinner invitations were accepted.
I guess that I forgot this before my Camino Frances in 2019 and I set up a shared folder in Google Photos so that I could put selected photos from my Camino there and share them with my family and friends.
Of the twelve family and close friends that I shared the folder with two never followed the link to access the shared folder. Of the other ten only two ever commented. One was my brother who was recovering from a medical event at the time and was confined to bed and I suspect had nothing better to do with his time. The other was a friend who was thinking of also doing a Camino.
After the Camino when I had time to analyse the access to the folder I found that my family and friends looked at the photos for about a week and then they quickly stopped.
I was away for ten weeks in total and I guess that people were busy with their own life and didn't have time to spend following my life.
Also, while I took quite a few photos I found that spending time each day editing the folder and adding comments to the photos to give them context and there by adding interest was the lowest priority for me and so mostly what I produced at the time was a stream of photos with little context and therefore little interest for my audience.
Mostly I was too busy doing my Camino to make it interesting for others to follow along.
Now you and your friends and family are probably quite different to me and my family and friends. In addition, you might be quite happy to take precious time out of your Camino to comment on and provide context for your photos so that they have meaning and interest for people who are not there with you on Camino.
This is not meant to be judgemental about you or anyone else keeping a photo blog of your Camino, that is something that many people start off being interested in doing and many keep up that interest. With this is mind, this is what I did.
I set up a shared folder on Google Photos and invited people to view, like and comment on the photos in the folder. The people invited do not need to use Google Photos themselves although it is a little easier if they do. Anyone with a link to my shared folder can look, like and comment.
These days Google Photos is linked to Google Maps and so it is possible to see the photos overlaid on a map.
This is a very simple method of doing what you are asking for.
All the best and I hope that you have a great Camino, meet lots of nice, interesting people, take lots of photos and that you get to share your Camino experience with the people that you care about back home.
Hi Mattythedog, thank you for sharing how you do it. One of the suggestions I got outside of this forum was to set up a MailChimp 'newsletter'. It could make management of the mailing list easier, as people can subscribe/unsubscribe as they wish (you would just need to offer a single web address, and leave it with them - or add a few manually if you know they want your emails but are technically challenged).Thank you LauraL for this excellent question which I have also pondered, and thanks to all with the great cmments, information and advice. On all my Caminos and European trips during last 10 years I send a daily email (sometimes up to 4 emails) with photos and commentary to about 99 friends and family who have expressed interest in following my adventures, and who give positive feedback. So far, I have not figured out how to send one email, via my old Iphone 6, to any more than 100 people, nor how to include more than about 25 photos cut to medium size. Other cons are the complicated process of transferring photos to email and then typing a running dialog and captions on the small phone. Compiling these hundreds of mails into a book, which I might want to do someday, and which several people keep pushing me to do, would be cumbersome indeed. Pros include a targeted address list that changes as I realize some of the people don't really care, so I drop them, while others who hear about these journeys are so interested they'll get others to forward them mails until they can get onto my address list. I do try remain cognizant of each individual addressee (benefit of having small list) so as not to offend, ie, keep down the sailor talk and political jokes. Like Ivar's blog, the mails provide very interesting stories about people and experiences, technical information and advice, and serve as a record to myself and others years later.
Good info, Laura. I have heard of Mailchimp, but didn't know what it was about. I will check into it.Hi Mattythedog, thank you for sharing how you do it. One of the suggestions I got outside of this forum was to set up a MailChimp 'newsletter'. It could make management of the mailing list easier, as people can subscribe/unsubscribe as they wish (you would just need to offer a single web address, and leave it with them - or add a few manually if you know they want your emails but are technically challenged).
Cheers
I used Polar steps in 2018. You can post daily with photos and edit at any time. My friend used Polar steps as well, updated her text later and then ordered a really lovely coffee table book. I saw it the other day and was really impressed.There are two apps that come to mind, FindPenguins and PolarSteps. I use FindPenguins, and Ivar has just entered a collaborative effort with them.
I have been very happy with FindPenguins. People do not have to join to comment. You can post up to 6 photos with each footprint you post, no limit on numbers of footprints.
The one issue that has come up for some of my friends is that they do not want their postings to be public. That’s not a problem, you can put on a private setting, but then your friends will have to join and sign up in order to see it. It makes sense — there is no way for anyone to see a private account without being identified as someone the author wants to accept. With a private setting, the author has control over which users can see the footprints. So that is one choice you would have to make if you go with FindPenguins.
Some other useful threads on this topic.
Here. And here.
Good luck!
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