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Can a simple blog be inserted into an existing static HTML page

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BillB:
Hi folks

I have an established (static html) website on which I tried to create some blogs using an inserted CMS system called Snippetmaster.  Although this is fine as an editable snippet system, it isn't really suited for blogging. 

It would be great to be able to insert a blog into my existing web pages, have a little log-in and just be able to write some notes, add pictures.  It should ideally have a "read more..." capability, auto-setting of date, hyperlinks.  I would like to maintain the style of my existing site, so the blog simply replaces an area of body text...  It should also be visible to search bots, which (if I understand correctly) rules out the use of <inline> tags.

I would also like very simple installation - no databases, Wordpress etc.  A flat file system would be ideal.

Can anyone make any recommendations - has this been covered before?  I tried a search here for 'blog' and found Flatpress https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=24115.0
but I am not at all sure whether it can be inserted into an existing website.

Your suggestions would be very welcome.

Bill

Carol Haynes:
Just create a Wordpress or Blogger blog and insert into the HTML page by using the iframe tag would probably be the easiest.

Blogger is very easy to set up and free (on google). No work for you to do other than start tying your articles. Because it is a Google product it is automatically indexed for searching.

Wordpress provide a hosted service and loads of free templates and plugins.

For both you can add articles using Windows Live Writer.

If you want a flat file blog system to do yourself you could try FlatPress (see http://flatpress.org/home/)

Not tried it but it looks the sort of thing you are after.

BillB:
Carol

Thanks for the fastest reply ever!  When I said "It should also be visible to search bots, which (if I understand correctly) rules out the use of <inline> tags." I think I should have said "rules out the use of <iframe> tags"...  Isn't that the case, that iframe links will not be followed by searchbots? 

Also, would it be possible to embed only essential part of another blog into a static page (so that no extraneous themes, titles, footers etc show up)?

Carol Haynes:
I would have thought FlatPress is customisable so that you can make it look like the rest of your site. Since it only uses text files to store content it should be easy to host and should index from your own website.

The other alternative with WordPress or Blogger is to create a template top match your website (or reasonably closely) and then just add it as a menu link on your website. It will be indexed on the host website but so long as you have back links anyone following the link will be sent back to your website.

Is it vital that the index reflects your domain name? If so it looks like something like FlatPress is what you want.

I have never used it but other people on DC have recommended text only CMS systems. Here are a few I found on a quick search:

http://pivotx.net
http://www.skybluecanvas.com
http://www.pluck-cms.org
http://www.razorcms.co.uk

Pivotx seems to be specifically designed with blogging in mind.

Renegade:
You could always make a link to the "blog" page, then use regular frames in it, or an iframe as Carol said above. They're different, so you'd need to know what you want to decide. You'd then have absolute freedom to use whatever you want for the blog.

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