A hosted blog is a site that has premade
templates and you just sign up for their service
much like you would if you were signing up for an
email account.
If you plan to go this route here is a list
of sites that you can set a journal up on.
- LiveJournal
- Bravenet
- My Space
- Xanga
- GreatestJournal
After you complete their sign up procedure you
can then link the outside journal link to your
free ware site.
These journal sites are very easy to use and
customize, however they are limited. If you
plan on keeping it simple and not looking to
do much outside of casual journaling then
one of these is a great way to go, especially
if you're new to the world of blogging.
I started out this way and it was a great help.
If however you want something more challenging
or you are a customizing guru that likes endless
boundaries (like me) read on...
Open Source Blogging Software
Open source blogging software is either a program you
can buy or download for free. Often times a company will
have an option for either a free one, a trial offer for
a paid journal or both options.
The great thing about open source blogging is it's
yours. You don't have to abide by a company's
rules, or deal with pop-up and sidebar banner ads.
You have more privacy and complete control over
every aspect of the journal.
Here is a list of some blogging software sites
where you can download their product. I have
marked the free ones with asterisks (**).
- Wordpress**
- Greymatter**
- Moveable Type
- Community Server
- LifeType**
I personally like Wordpress and have been using it
for a few months now. This software is entirely free
and very easy to use and understand. There are lots
of downloadable theme templates out there as well
for easy customization or to base your own
theme on if you feel up to playing with the CSS
(cascading Style Sheets). We'll get into that later.
To read more continue on or return to the intro
page and check out message boards...