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on blogging
First, here's a good, concise overview of the whole phenomenon called Blogging 101. If you're sure you want to go ahead and start a weblog, you need to decide what software you'll use, which means in the first line deciding if you want to have the blog hosted in your own server space, or someplace else. If you don't know what that means, you probably don't have your own server space. Al Macintyre's Radio Weblog is very informative and will clear up some of the basic technical issues.
There are maybe a dozen different kinds of blogging software out there. I tried out three or four of them, and ended up with Movable Type. The thing to remember is, once you get setup and start posting, it's not easy to move across to a different software package; so do some research before you jump in. I did do some research, but I'm still not sure I made the best decision by going with MT, especially given the newly released version 3.0, the change in policy on cost, and the blog-wide outrage following therefrom (see Sillybean's summary of the unhappiness -- to which I subscribe, for the reasons she outlines -- and while you're at it, have a look at her well designed MT blog). Here are the highlights and lowlights of my experience with MT 2.6:
| Good | Bad |
| MT is fully configurable, so that with enough time and energy you can get it to look exactly like you want it to look. There are some beautifully done MT blogs out there (but also a lot of people jumping ship, given the new controversy); there are many people developing additional features for MT, some of which do very interesting and useful things; once MT is installed and configured, it is easy to add daily posts, especially if you use a third party client to do this (I use ecto) challenge is a good thing |
MT is not easy to install unless you are very comfortable with php and mysql. Don't know what those terms mean? You'll learn, if you want to install MT; if you want anything beyond the basic templates (which most people do), you'll find MT is not easy to configure. the support forum at MT, while large and all encompassing, is firmly based in the premise that you will have to learn the guts of the program yourself, and woe to you if you dare to suggest that this approach won't work for everybody; MT people are very, very loyal and just a tad defensive. if you don't have time to learn the fine points of the inner workings, you'll be stuck, because MT's license is pretty restrictive. |
That's about all the wisdom I have to offer as far as setting up a blog is concerned. I started this one primarily as a way to provide information for the people who read my novels, and it's evolved into something more than that. I'll probably keep up with it for as long as there seems to be a real interest, or I run out of things to say.
May 14, 2004 10:04 AM
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Comments
There's also Greymatter which I use and love! http://www.greymatterforums.com/ Totally free, though again to personalize it you have to know how to battle the templates. Otherwise you can use one of the standard issue ones!
Posted by: Alison Kent at May 14, 2004 08:38 PM
I use Blogger (http://blogger.com/) on my blogs:
http://lannaleemaheux.com/musings.html
http://huntersocksthompson.com/
It's free - I would pay for it though. I can change the template any way I want using basic html skills. I can even ftp it to my own website. It has recently been upgraded so one can add comments and stuff, not figured that all out yet, as I have not posted in a couple of weeks. I have found blogger to be very adaptable.
Posted by: Lanna Lee Maheux at May 15, 2004 09:28 AM
Thank you Sara and All who commented about Blogging aka weblogging. I appreciate it. While I'm quite good with codes, templates, etc., this whole "...blogging" thing seems challenging.
No doubt it is Sara's writing and whimsical presence online that has inspired me to further seek out this intriguing online journaling.
I look forward to reading at least one of your books Sara. Have you sold the film rights? If so, any films in development?
Thanks again for creating such an inspiring and engaging website.
Sincerely,
Victoria lynn Weston
Posted by: Victoria lynn Weston at May 15, 2004 09:57 AM
Alison and Lanna Lee: thanks for speaking up. I don't have experience with the software you use, so I didn't want to say much one way or the other. But it's good to know you're happy.
Victoria: glad the information was of some help. Good luck getting started with blogging. Once you jump in, I think you'll like the water just fine.
PS. whimsical? I've been called a lot of things, but I think that has to be a first. Among my students my reputation was always as tough, but fair. My daughter and friends, when asked which of the four women from Sex in the City I am most like, all answered without hesitation: Miranda. With maybe a dash of Carrie thrown in.
Posted by: sara at May 15, 2004 01:00 PM
Illustrated MT templates is a good place to go for figuring out what's going on with the default templates. They're more complex than they need to be because they're catering to Netscape 4.
Posted by: Stephanie at May 17, 2004 07:24 AM
Stephanie -- that is a great tutorial, and thanks for reminding me about it. If only MT would come out with a manual written in the same way. Or do you think I'm being too hard on them?
Posted by: sara at May 17, 2004 09:07 AM
It's worth noting that a couple of weeks ago, Blogger unveiled a substantial redesign, with new features and such. There have been hiccups while they've been "going live", but I'm loving the new version.
BTW: I've been using Blogger for my own blog for over two years now, and aside from my normal ISP costs (part of which goes to web hosting, where I keep my blog graphics), I have not paid one cent for anything related to blogging. Not bad, really.
Posted by: Jaquandor at May 26, 2004 08:16 PM