How do I configure front page?
Build Your Own Content Type

Create a Blog Content Type:


Admin > Structure > Content Types > Add Content Type (yoursite.ca/admin/structure/types/add)
Put "Blog" as the name of the content type
Adjust the opitions, (Submission form settings, Publishing options, Display settings, Menu settings), accordingly
Add the fields you want. If you want Tags, you could add a Taxonomy reference field


To allow users to make blogs, but not anything else:


go to Admin &gt; People &gt; Permissions (yoursite.ca/admin/people/permissions)
scroll down to the Node Section
select permissions, normally Blog: Create new content and Blog: Edit own content at least, for the role you want, (or AUTHENTICATED USER, which is every logged in user)


Use Core Content Type

There is already a core content type called article that has the following fields:


Title
Body
Image
Tags


Instead of making your own content type, you could just use this one.

To allow them to make blogs, but not anything else:


go to Admin &gt; People &gt; Permissions (yoursite.ca/admin/people/permissions)
scroll down to the Node Section
select permissions, normally Article: Create new content* and Article: Edit own content at least, for the role you want, (or AUTHENTICATED USER, which is every logged in user)


Remove front page message

A couple of options. The most elegant is to make a landing page and set that page as the "welcome" page at Admin > Configuration > System > Site information (yoursite.ca/admin/config/system/site-information)

Other options:


a module
CSS (Set display: none on the element)
A view. Follow these instructions.
Or scroll to the top of the mentioned link and read the forum. There are a ton of alternatives.