Frequently Asked Questions

What is my username and password?
Usernames for students, faculty, and staff should be the first part of your UCSD email account (i.e. for chat.ucsd.edu, you would use the username portion of username@ucsd.edu). Students can look up their usernames with the ACS Account Lookup Tool. You can reset your password if you do not remember it.

Faculty and staff can reset their passwords with the AD Password Change Tool. If you do not know your UCSD email address, talk to your department network administrator or change your password in person at the the ACS HelpDesk (photo ID required). The HelpDesk can be found at AP&M Room 1313 and is open M-F, 8am-4:30pm.

What does blog.ucsd.edu offer versus commercial blogging services?
When compared to commercial blogging services like Blogger, LiveJoural, and Xanga, blog.ucsd.edu is not much different. All have a simple and easy to use interface for updating weblogs. There are a few distinctions that set blog.ucsd.edu apart from commercial offerings. For one, it is ad-free and the entries can easily be exported and backed up in an open format. There’s also the added benefit of having the UCSD branding for your blog address. Lastly, it is convenient - if a certain course required you to start a blog, you could simply start one by going to blog.ucsd.edu.

What level of anonymity and privacy can I expect?
In short, don’t expect any anonymity and privacy. The very nature of blogging is sharing information with the world. When you publish an entry on your blog.ucsd.edu weblog, you are essentially posting on a public website. Anyone who knows the address of your website can see it and share the link with others. Also, since your blog at UCSD is tied to your username, don’t expect to be anonymous. If you would like to blog with a higher level of anonymity, use commercial services such as Blogger, LiveJournal, and Xanga. Some are ad-supported while others are completely ad-free, but all allow users to sign-up without providing too much personal information.

How do I choose a new theme?
You can change the visual style of you blog by selecting a new theme. To change your theme, login to your blog and select Presentation from the main menu. Here you’ll be able to see your current theme and other themes that are available. Simply click on the theme you would like to change to and it will become the current theme.

blog.ucsd.edu is based on Wordpress, an open-source blogging platform. If you find a Wordpress compatible theme that you would like to add to blog.ucsd.edu, please send a link to iwdc@ucsd.edu.

How do I stave off Blog Spam?
Spam affects millions of email users daily - the same applies to blogs. Spammers often use the comments functionality of blogs to advertise their products and services. This can be very annoying to the owner of the blog. By default, blog.ucsd.edu has comment moderation turned on, but if you would like to lower or raise the amount of security on your blog comments, click on Options, then Discussion while you’re logged into your blog.
More information on blog spam

How do I establish a group or shared blog?
If you would like to establish a group, or shared blog, wherein multiple users can contribute to a single blog, please email iwdc@ucsd.edu.

What happens to my account when I graduate?
Your blog will remain for 90 days after you’ve graduated. During this time, it is suggested that you export your blog and save it to your computer so that it can be imported into a Wordpress compatible blogging system in the future. After the 90 day grace period has ended, your blog will be deleted.

What happens to a group blog when a member leaves?
If a member of a group blog leaves UCSD due to graduation, for example, then all of the posts authored by that member will be deleted. The rest of the group blog’s entries will remain intact.

How do I backup/export my blog?
If you want to backup your blog, login to your blog and click Manage, followed by Export and Download Export File. This will allow you to save an XML copy of your blog to your computer which can later be imported into any other Wordpress compatible blog.

Can I make my blog private?
You can make your blog private or public. To change settings, login to your blog and click Options, followed by Privacy.