Starting new blog - how?

Noise-Barrier · #1 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 03:53 PM

I'm thinking about (finally) setting up a blog. Anybody have any suggestions on the best way to get started?

charlie · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 04:34 PM

Is this to be a blog added to an existing site? or something from the ground up?

Services like Google's Blogger and WordPress.com make it really simple to have something going in no time, yet they don't allow for tight integration with existing sites.

If this is important to you, I'd examine free software options like WordPress (the software, not the service). Having had plenty of experience with this particular option, I can safely recommend it.

rdarling · #3 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:09 PM

I'd suggest WordPress - it is the cream of the crop. You can install a standalone version in a directory on your own server (www.yoursite.com/blog or blog.yoursite.com) or you can use the WP hosted service and be up and running in a few minutes (you.wordpress.com).

Both are free; you will have fewer options to customize on the hosted version than a standalone version.

Download the software at: http://www.wordpress.org
Get your hosted blog at: http://www.wordpress.com

The features and ease of use are far better than Blogger. The ability to customize is incomparable. The support community for WP is terrific too.

bj · #4 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:12 PM

Do not go the WordPress.com or Blogspot.com direction, it's counterproductive.

Either create a directory on your current site, or snag a domain and a hosting account and install wordpress or textpattern, wordpress being the easier of the two, which literally takes 5 minutes. I suggest installing into a subdirectory, since you can still show it toplevel if you wish, it makes it easier at upgrade time.

For wordpress you'll need Linux/Apache/Mysql/Php hosting. They say it'll install on Windoze, which is somewhat true, but many of the best features don't work well.

Go into your host's control panel, create a database, a user with password, and add the user to the database. Rename and edit the config.php file to reflect your database info. Upload all wordpress files into your chosen directory, then simply call that domain/directory in your browser. It'll ask if you wish to install, which you do. A username, email addy and you're done, just make sure to save the password and use it immediately to get into admin to change it to what you wish. Then start blogging.

I've got some free wordpress themes, released under Creative Commons for noncommercial use, on my site if you want to change your look.

**incrediblehelp** · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 10:50 PM

I agree with BJ totally. Make sure you host the blog on your own server. I prefer WordPress highly, because it is a independent software.

bobchrist · #6 (**permalink**) 01-27-2007, 05:41 AM

I too prefer wordpress coz it is very search engine friendly.

Noise-Barrier · #7 (**permalink**) 01-27-2007, 12:23 PM

So, what is the difference with hosting my own blog rather than using the free Blogger or Wordpress services from an SEO/SEM perspective?

bj · #8 (**permalink**) 01-27-2007, 01:40 PM

You're promoting and branding your OWN url rather than someone else's. Your internal link structure is reinforcing your OWN url and branding. Incoming links will benefit your OWN url and branding. Not blogspot. And not wordpress.com.

Your site will also not be on overloaded and slow serving servers, if you choose a good webhost, whereas on blogspot or wordpress.com your dialup visitors may never get to see ANY of your pages. Blogspot in particular is notorious for this.

Blogger doesn't offer much in the way of functionality, and it only allows you to ping ONE update service, which is pathetic. Blogger is for amateurs as anyone who has used both blogger and a real blogging tool can tell you.

Wordpress.com (the hosted solution, not the program!) severely limits what you can add to your blog in the way of skins and functionality. This is especially critical if you have a blog with some traffic since the akismet plugin, last I heard, was the only plugin available to filter out comment spam on wordpress.com, and it does a woefully inadequate job.

SEO Slacker · #9 (**permalink**) 01-29-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj

Wordpress.com (the hosted solution, not the program!) severely limits what you can add to your blog in the way of skins and functionality. This is especially critical if you have a blog with some traffic since the akismet plugin, last I heard, was the only plugin available to filter out comment spam on wordpress.com, and it does a woefully inadequate job.

I definitely agree with this. The coolest thing about Wordpress is all the customization you can do with it. Using a free host will severely limit your options with plugins and themes.

darren13 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 06:40 PM

Hi guys,
Just a quickie - I take it from the above that the advice to someone who doesn't yet have a website, would be to go the blogger.com or wordpress.com route? Then switch to the hosted version of wordpress when their site goes live?

Thanks,Darren.

bj · #11 (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Just a quickie - I take it from the above that the advice to someone who doesn't yet have a website, would be to go the blogger.com or wordpress.com route? Then switch to the hosted version of wordpress when their site goes live?

Um . . . no. One person said that, but others said not. Rather strongly.

The only people who should use wordpress.com or blogspot.com (or blogger in any form, for that matter) are those who are doing it for a lark. If you want to build a blog and are serious about it, and intend to blog regularly and promote regularly, then you should not use blogspot or wordpress.com. You should instead install a real blog platform on your own hosting and your own domain name. One of the better ones is wordpress from wordpress.org.

darren13 · #12 (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj

Quote:

Just a quickie - I take it from the above that the advice to someone who doesn't yet have a website, would be to go the blogger.com or wordpress.com route? Then switch to the hosted version of wordpress when their site goes live?

Um . . . no. One person said that, but others said not. Rather strongly.

The only people who should use wordpress.com or blogspot.com (or blogger in any form, for that matter) are those who are doing it for a lark. If you want to build a blog and are serious about it, and intend to blog regularly and promote regularly, then you should not use blogspot or wordpress.com. You should instead install a real blog platform on your own hosting and your own domain name. One of the better ones is wordpress from wordpress.org.

Hi - thanks, however, as I said - no website to host on yet - so would the best bet be blogger.com or wordpress?
Thanks, Darren.

bj · #13 (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 07:26 PM

As I've already said quite clearly already, I will not recommend either. They're both pretty awful. And I've heard that other hosted blogs are more of the same-- overloaded servers, slow load times, limited functionality, limited templating changes if any, most important SEO functionality stripped out, etc etc etc.

If you're going to make the effort, why screw around with problematic half-arsed solutions? Hosting is cheap these days, and so are domain names.

darren13 · #14 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj

If you're going to make the effort, why screw around with problematic half-arsed solutions? Hosting is cheap these days, and so are domain names.

Thanks BJ, however, prices of domain names and hosting aside, they are not ready or willing to purchase and roll that out, so no amount of expounding the virtues of hosted blogging will change anything at present unfortunately. When they're ready they'll do it and probably install Wordpress. Until then I will endeavour to suggest the best of the rest. It might be the best of the worst, but hey, it's not forever. I think I'll just about get to sleep at night...!

Ta, D.

digital2 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-11-2007, 07:39 PM

re: "If you're going to make the effort, why screw around with problematic half-arsed solutions? ..."

Those so called "problematic, half... solutions" have more general meaning on Net.

Wrong response or lack of response to some "demand" market
leads to failure online anyway. If there is no demand for your blog, what's a
purpose of placing it on the Net?

Jan

theengel · #16 (**permalink**) 12-12-2007, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darren13

Thanks BJ, however, prices of domain names and hosting aside, they are not ready or willing to purchase and roll that out, so no amount of expounding the virtues of hosted blogging will change anything at present unfortunately. When they're ready they'll do it and probably install Wordpress. Until then I will endeavour to suggest the best of the rest. It might be the best of the worst, but hey, it's not forever. I think I'll just about get to sleep at night...!

Ta, D.

Not ready to spend the money???

It's like...nothing almost.

I hate seeing this sort of thing. A company decides they want to 'go online' and then they don't do it right. When nothing comes out of it, they shake their heads and think the internet just isn't worth the effort.

Oh well...it leaves more room for those of us who understand online business and use it to earn a living.

darren13 · #17 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 02:45 PM

Hi Engel,

It's not for a business, it's for my wife.

You try and get her to do it. I've been trying for 2 years......ha!

That aside, you can't just change deep-rooted prejudices or opinions overnight, and the word 'blog' still doesn't mean a lot to many people out there who are inexperienced on the web.

Sometimes the harder you push something, the more it resists. I'm Welsh however, so that could refer to sheep and cliffs too.......

D.