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How to Start a Blog

Whether you’re a regular code monkey or someone with no experience in running a website, there’s a blogging option that’s right for you.

Free Blog Services

The easiest way to start a blog is to sign up with one of the free blog providers like WordPress, Blogger, or TypePad.

Once you set up an account with a blog provider, you typically receive access to an online control panel, where you can manage your blog entries and comments. Usually, adding a new blog entry is as easy as filling out a form. Your blog pages will automatically update to reflect your new content; you don’t have to know anything about HTML or programming. You don’t even have to know about site design—blog providers offer different template designs for you to choose from. Select the design you like, and the software automatically applies it to your blog!

These free blogs are ideal for people new to blogging, since you can get your feet wet without losing any money. Many experienced bloggers also like the free blogs because they are easy to use and all the technical details are handled by the company.

Subscription Blog Services

Once you’ve been blogging for a while, you may find you want additional features, such as your own domain name or more control over the blog’s design. Most of the free blog providers offer paid versions. The features available in the paid versions vary from provider to provider, and depend in part on what features they offer in their free versions, but you should be able to find a provider that offers you the features you need.

The paid services offer the advantage of greater control over your site, while retaining the support and technical assistance offered by the blog providers. They’re a great solution for someone who wants more features but does not want to worry about software upgrades or hosting issues.

Host Your Own Blog

To get the most control over your blog and its content, you may want to host your own blog. You can install a blog program such as WordPress or MoveableType on your own web server. You’ll have complete control over the setup, design, and maintenance of the blog.

The downside is that you will have to pay for hosting and the blog software is not always free. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining your own database, since you can’t assume your web host will back up your data or restore it in the event of a server crash.

Hosting your own blog is ideal if you want the ultimate control over your website, since you won’t be bound by a blogging provider’s terms of use. If you are not comfortable setting up your own website, you’ll need to hire someone to set up the software and install any updates. Once the blog software is installed, though, managing your blog on a daily basis is as easy as managing a blog on a hosted provider.

Where do I start?

If you’re new to blogging, we recommend you start with WordPress, Blogger, or TypePad. Take a look at all three sites, see what features they offer, and maybe try them all out to see which control panel you like best. You can have a blog up and running in minutes through these providers, so what are you waiting for? Start blogging!

June 01, 2008 Blogging Basics

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