Setting up a Blog? Part 2: WordPress Blogs
In part one of this series I focused on setting up a blog using the free Blogger system from Google.
This article is all about WordPress, the Pros and Cons and explanations. I think you need to know what each has to offer so you can make your choice that way instead of every friend you know telling you that you HAVE to use Blogger or you HAVE to use WordPress. You decide what you want and need in a blogging platform by making an educated choice based on the facts.
Before I get into the Pros and Cons list of WordPress I have to explain how WordPress operates because it is slightly different than Blogger.
A blog on Blogger.com is completely free. A blog on Wordpress.com is completely free but they also have a free download to install WordPress on your own hosting account. Blogger does not have the alternative download and installation available. Because of the differences I am going to have multiple WordPress Pros and Cons lists.
WordPress.com Pros:
- Free hosting
- Free Professional templates available
- Can drag widgets up or down the Widgets list to rearrange them
- Can upload photos, videos, polls easily and WordPress.com will host them (limited space available)
- Keeps a backup of your blog for you
- Can upload a custom header image
- Can create static pages like on a website
- Limited ability to modify the CSS styles
- Free statistical data through your Dashboard
- Can use a custom domain if you pay $10 for the upgrade (custom domain requires tweaking of the DNS at your domain registrar)
- Upgrade of the system are done automatically
WordPress.com Cons:
- Cannot install WordPress plug-ins
- Cannot upload templates
- Cannot tweak the HTML
- Cannot monetize your blog in anyway (including adding Google ads)
- Learning curve for someone switch from Blogger
- Cannot drag widgets from one sidebar to another or under or above the post widget, only up and down
- Can use a custom domain if you pay $10 for the upgrade (custom domain requires tweaking of the DNS at your domain registrar)
- Cannot add Javascript
- Ads on WordPress.com are sometimes shown to help them "pay their bills" (costs $30 to remove this)
WordPress.org Pros:
- Allows you to host WordPress on your own domain
- Free WordPress platform software
- Can create static pages like on a website
- Free Professional templates available all over the Internet to download and upload through your Dashboard
- Thousands of free plug-ins available
- Can tweak HTML and CSS
WordPress.org Cons:
- You must pay for hosting
- You must find a plug-in to install for statistical data
- You must keep your own backup (a plug-in is available)
- You must figure out how to install the software on your host (there is help available but not suggested for a newbie)
- You must manually download and install all upgrades
Now that I gave you this list let me explain a bit more.
Pros:
WordPress.com gives you a free blog and a wordpress.com domain address and also hosts your blog for free. It does provide some good quality templates and the ability to add widgets like link lists, HTML code, etc. There is a lot of help available on their website and WordPress has more of a professional templates than Blogger. The new version is much easier to use that just several months ago. Upgrades are automatically installed for you and they backup your site and give you statistics for free. You get a certain amount of storage so you can upload pictures and videos for free until you reach that limit.
Cons:
You are limited to the templates available in the gallery if you are using the free WordPress.com blog. Although there are many professional WordPress templates available on the web you cannot use them unless you use the WordPress.org site and download the software on your own hosting account (that you pay for) and install it. Unless your host provides help this can be extremely difficult. You also have to manually install all of the upgrades that WordPress comes out with. You cannot use the free plug-ins on the free WordPress.com site and you cannot add javascript or monetize your free blog. If you cannot add javascript then some things like adding a Twitter widget or photo gallery will also not work. You cannot tweak the HTML code on the free site but you can if you pay for hosting and download the software.
Setting up a custom domain on the free Wordpress.com site can be seen as a Pro or a Con depending on how comfortable you are with changing the DNS settings and if you don't mind paying $10 for the upgrade.
You can also purchase other upgrades like more storage space and the ability to tweak all of the CSS. Again, could be a pro or con depending on how you look at it.
Wendy is an all around geek who lives in New England, is married, has 3 grown boys, is a grandma, and has 5 cats. You will usually find her tweaking something in HTML, entering and winning online sweepstakes, or working on one of her other blogs (Business Blogging Guide, Shopping Gems, Twitter Tweet Win). Wendy invites you to follow her on Twitter!
Loading ...
I blog at http://www.thetowells.com, and I use wordpress. I love it! It helps that I have an IT husband, but I have learned a lot and can code a little myself. I love that I can customize my blog however I want. My favorite thing is that I previously had uploaded hundreds of pictures of my DD, and I didn't want to reload them into my blog, so I found a wordpress plug-in, and the pictures are magically there. Yea!
Lori, I would love to know what the WordPress plug-in is that you used. Wendy
Wendy, it's called fotobook (http://www.aaronharp.com/dev/wp-fotobook/). You can check my photo page to see how it works: http://www.thetowells.com/photos/
Lori,
So it makes a gallery of pictures? Where were you pictures to begin with? You mentioned that you didn't want to reupload them into your blog but they must have been online somewhere for the plug-in to grab them.
Wendy
Wendy, yes, it makes a gallery of your other photo albums; my pictures were originally on facebook. Do you use that? The plugin link that I sent you only grabs pics from facebook. But there are many other plugins that grab pictures from flikr and other places.
Lori,
Yes, I am on Facebook. My ID is 1110394171 if you want to "be my friend"
I have most of my family pics on My Space though and am now just setting up a personal blog for that.
Unfortunately, I use Blogger. I used to use WP but since I am trying to maintain 5 blogs I can't afford all of the hosting fees so Blogger was the free alternative for me and I like to tweak HTML
I will probably start adding photos to Flickr because they offer a gadget I am use on my Blogger blogs.
Wendy
[...] from:Setting up a Blog? Part 2: WordPress Blogs | Blissfully Domestic This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can [...]
thanks for information.
Ваш пост навел меня на думки *ушел много думать* …
А Вы не задумывались о том, чтобы параллельно завести еще один блог, на смежную тему? У Вас неплохо получается
Спасибо. Просто спасибо, за красивые мысли вслух. В цитатник.
Очень интересно. Но чего-то не хватает. Может быть, стоит добавить каких-нибудь картинок или фото?
Скажите, а у вас есть RSS поток в этом блоге?
Интересно и позновательно, а будет еще что-то по этой теме?
Благодарю!!!У Вас часто появляются очень интересные посты! Очень поднимаете мое настроение.
Спасибо за статью. Восхищена как всегда
Хотел бы узнать по поводу вашего домена Продаестя ли домен, и если да, то прошу отвветить мне на почту, а также отписаться в комментарияфх – вдругн спам фильтр не пропустит.
Да уж. В этом блоге хоть комментаторы нормальные.. А то пишут обычно в комментарии ерунду всякую.
Спасибо. Просто спасибо, за красивые мысли вслух. В цитатник.
Пропущено несколько запятых, но на интересность сообщения это никак не повлияло
Слабо похоже на правду…
Слабо похоже на правду…
Скромность укрощает человека.
Бошка разболелась. Надо что-либо предпринимать в своем безуспешном бизнесе. Кстати – перерегистрация ООО – очень актуальная тема на сегодняшний момент. Не профукать бы. Вопрос необходимо решить до конца 2008 года. Кранты.
Неприличное – это очень личное.
Ваш блог больше похож на форум знаменитостей, чем на персональный сайт
Как много пустоты: не протолкнуться! хочу купить диплом
Давольно познавательно. Хочу тоже поделиться полезной ссылкой – смотреть фильмы онлайн бесплатно
До сих пор ищите где можно купить? Тогда специально для вас наше предложение – интернет аукцион мобильных телефонов
А не думали сделать блог про интерьер? Мне кажется у вас отлично получится
Только не нужно говорить что во всех бедах виновата медецина
Помните что качественно сделаное дело – это исскуство
Отличный пост, но помните что здоровье важнее всего
Чем мельче интересы мужчины, тем крупнее кажется ему каждая мелочь.
oriclub
Do you want know your whats is my ip – for free?
Cool servise – Trace domain tools