I know you’ve got a lot on your mind when you decide to start a blog. I don’t blame you one bit. You’re going to have to come up with topics to write about, a theme and layout, even what to name it.
Before you can get to any of that, though, you’re going to have to decide what platform you want to use. What do I mean by blogging platform? Basically, the service you use, whether it be Wordpress, Blogspot, Livejournal, etc. It can be overwhelming, so let’s take a look at some of the more popular ones.
Wordpress.org
Wordpress is the downloadable blogging software that you install and run on your own hosting space. It’s robust, powerful, extensible, and very customizable. Wordpress is the de-facto standard for anyone serious about blogging. It’s what I use here and for Astro-Geek:3000, and what I will be talking about the most on this blog.
Wordpress.com
Wordpress.com is a flavor of Wordpress that doesn’t require you to install it on your own web space. It’s free to use, but some options (like CSS editing, mapping the blog to your own domain, and extra storage space) are available as paid services. This is a great way to get familiar with the Wordpress platform if you’re not sure if you want to buy a domain and web space yet.
Blogger
Blogger, now owned by Google, is a fairly simple, straight-forward platform. Strangely, blogs published using Blogger are hosted as a subdomain of blogspot.com – e.g. username.blogspot.com. While not quite as robust as Wordpress.com, Blogger does allow users to modify CSS and HTML, and allows customized domains at no extra charge.
LiveJournal
LiveJournal (LJ) is a blog publishing site similar to Blogger in terms of functionality and customizability. Where LJ differs, however, is that it provides a much more social environment for users. Users are able to create a profile page listing biographical information about themselves, as well as interests, favorite movies, music, etc. Another feature of LJ is the ability to “friend” other users, who will then show up on their “Friends List” – a chronological stream of the latest posts by those in the user’s Friends List. LJ also allows the creation of communities, where users can post articles or entries about specific shared interests – e.g. Astronomy, American Idol, Cupcakes, etc. Because of these social aspects, LiveJournals tend to be of a more personal nature.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a fairly new blogging platform that emphasizes ease of use and customizability. Tumblelogs, as they’re called, allow users to make posts that are specifically designed for images, video, audio, text, links, quotes, or chat. The format of the post will vary depending on this medium. Users can follow others; doing so will show their posts on your dashboard. Tumblelogs tend to be simple, favoring short, quick posts – micro-blogging as it’s sometimes called. If you don’t want to have to worry about administration and just want a simple interface to share your thoughts, Tumblr is worth a look.
So there’s a very brief overview of the five major blogging platforms that are available. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages, so you’ll have to decide which one is best for you depending on your needs and preferences.
