I hope you all are not too far beyond this, but I am trying to make my
own sourdough starter from water and whole wheat flour only. I used
half water and and flour and because I read that I should keep it
between 70 and 80 degrees, I put it in the oven where the starter
light gives off some heat and I usually have good results with simple
yeast doughs in there.

The first day my mixture really bubbled up, well actually it bubbled
over and threw the lid off the glass, but it was somewhat promising.
Since then, though, it seems somewhat stagnant, not bubbly at all and
does not look like what I recall my mother's starter to look like at
all. It is quite watery and has a rather puky smell. Does anyone
here know if this starter is still alive or whether it should be
tossed and I should start over?
On a related note, does anyone recommend starting a starter with
commercial yeast? And what are the pros and cons when making a
starter of making it with water or some milk products, such as simply
milk and/or yoghurt?

There is an overwhelming amount of information out there, but somehow
I can't really make rhyme or reason of any of it. Thanks for any
advice anyone may have.

Miriam