I wrote this in a comment, but figured it was important enough, I'd include it in its own post
With some web host services, you are told to wait until the name "resolves" before "enabling" it ......
Here on Active Rain, my outside blog custom domain name did not "resolve" UNTIL I "enabled" it.
So for anyone who is waiting for your domain name to resolve before checking the "enabled" box,
Go to your Active Rain My Home page, click on Outside Blogs,
Then under "Use an existing domain name (advanced!)" go back and check "enabled" now, even if the name has not yet resolved, and see what happens. (There's nothing to lose!)
Important note: Don't type in http:// or www.
http://www.cjheretoday.com is finally a live site. :-)
P.S. This post presumes you have, in fact, already registered the name for your outside blog, and you have set up the name servers at the registrar to point at the Active Rain nameservers: ns1.agentspaces.com and ns2.agentspaces.com ....
Excellent, complete step-by-step here: June 30, 2008 http://activerain.com/blogsview/572809/How-to-Set-Up
Cheryl, Your screen shot is what saved me. I bought mine on Thursday and had it enabled but with all the glitches - changed it from no www - to www. Once I read Jason's comment and saw your screen shot I went and updated and I AM LIVE!! I put a link on Brad's post that if he does a tutorial to come and read yours. I think I was just "over-thinking" and trying too hard and that messed me up.! Thanks for the SS.
Good Morning CJ, that is very useful advise and thank you for reminding me. I hadn't checked the box and need to go there and do so. I also had difficulty in getting my header and photo to upload, while there I will se if is working any better. Thanks again for the reminder.
Good job in sharing this information. It will probably save someone hours of heartache.
Cheryl, can you type slowly and do some explaining for me? I got signed up and have an existing website, how do I embed or add this outside blog to my website? I am thinking I am missing a step somewhere. thanks cw
Cheryl, Thank you for the information I have not set up an outside blog yet but I wbookmarked this post in case I have that problem.
Cheryl W, The Active Rain Outside Blog stands alone, not part of, but in addition to your web site. Although there's no reason not to make a link to it, or even make a frame page for it to run it. http://activerain.com/blogsview/551806/Opps-I-forgot-how
What all the excitement was about was registering a separate, unique domain name for the outside blog. And getting the domain "mapping" to work right. It's taken some doing by the Active Rain guys to get the bugs out .... and it looks take they are making some headway!
think that is the idea I was missing, I need to frame it. thanks. I am pretty low tech still, but you are dragging me uphill a bit each day. Can't wait to get at the top and enjoy the view. many thanks cw
Cheryl, If the Cheryl above is low tech, I'm no tech :( I honestly haven't even gotten to it yet and may be calling you for some HELP. I have so many domain names and don't really know if I should use any of them....
Thanks for the help we are in the process and every little bit of info helps.
Great Stuff Cheryl! I featured this in the Outside Blogs Group!
@Jeremy - Thanks! Now, if Brad Carroll will just come along and create a new customization tool that will work with the outside blogs ..... :-)
There is something I am curious about ... it is nothing of great importance ...
I have never worked on the server administration end -- the stuff Jon and Matt and the rest of the AR crew are working on right now.
When you set up nameservers --- like AR has now done with ns1.agentspaces.com and ns2.agentspaces.com -- do you have a "control panel" that you can check to see how many domain names are successfully mapped to your nameserver?
Does Matt have a screen he can point at and say "Look another 400 this evening!" or something like that?
Does that control panel list all the individual domain names?
Like I said, not important, just wondering???? Thanks to any network geeks who know the answer!!
thanks Cheryl J.......i wasnt getting it and wasnt even going to do it until i read your post....now I think i have created my outside blog successfully......mahalo nui loa
Oh those pesky nameservers.... the final step. Thanks again.
I just did one for my alter ego, http://www.rillatbott.com and it resolved in less than 10 minutes. So it looks the the bug is squashed. I did need to set the "enable" function first, which is not usually the case, but that's OK.
Yeah, I found the same thing. I got a domain thru godaddy, after about 1/2 an hour it was no longer going to godaddy but wasn't going to the blog either. After an hour I went back to the blog settings and activated the setting and then it went right to it.
Cheryl, thanks, I haven't gotten around to doing it yet, but this will serve as another reminder.
Cheryl - Thanks to you I was able to get my outside blog resolved in a couple of hours. It would not resolve until I checked enable and then it resolved right away.
Thanks Cheryl - Just set up server and hopefully did it right. I'll be back scouting around if things don't work out.
Thank you, Cher! Excellent post, as always. Send my regards to Rilla! Love, C. ;-D
Thanks Cheryl I will work on this today along with my new website. Add it to the list. BTW, when will we get to see the real you??? The South Park doo is out of style doncha know, LOL
Paddy, just click on my profile page ("more about me") ... :-)