Blogging 101

To Blogger or not to Blogger, that is the question that new bloggers need to ask. What this means is whether you should use a free blogging host or pay to have your own hosting. For people new to blogging, I would recommend using a free host service like Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. This is a great way to “try before you buy”. No sense investing any money in it if there is a chance you will not like it or continue. But if you have blogged before or know you want to do it, then a free host limits your blogging ability. You are limited not only in how much control you have over your blog (widgets, style, layout) but also in the content you are able to include! The Terms of Service of free blogging host services limits or censors what you can and can’t write about. It also can limit your ability to place advertisements on your blog, if you decide you want to. Bottom line: If you are totally new and are not sure blogging is for you, try a free blog out first. Otherwise, get your own hosting!

Popularity: 33% [?]

I started off like many a blogger, using Google’s Blogger.com service. But after a year or so, I decided I wanted something more and that more was found in the WordPress blogging platform. Why WordPress? Well you can read about the features on the official site, but here are my reasons:

1. Power: Oh more power! The full control you have with WordPress is amazing. You can design your own templates, customize existing ones, add third party plugins, and add  with ease. Nothing beats WordPress in terms of control and power.
2. Templates: The wealth of free templates for the WordPress platform is awesome. You can find new templates for free and upload them with ease. Best yet, you can have multiple themes uploaded at once and switch between them with the click of a button.
3. Open Source: WordPress is open source and is constantly being improved by the community. You never have to pay for the software and the updates can be made with ease. There is nothing to hide and you are always looked after.

Popularity: 33% [?]