Should I Host My Own Blog?
This has always been a tricky question.
Think this through before you do this.
As you know services like WordPress.
com and Blogspot host your blog for you.
However, they do this often under a sub-domain like xyz.
blogspot.
com or xyz.
wordpress.
com, which honestly, nobody likes.
Hosting your blog gives you a snazzy domain and your blog gets a higher "status" as you finally get an Alexa ranking, you have a slightly higher chance to get into 9rules, you are more likely to win competitions, and it just looks plain cool.
Hosting also makes this blogging a bit trickier.
If you choose many blogging systems like WordPress or MovableType, some knowledge of MySQL, PHP (if WordPress, especially - Perl for MT), FTP, and such can prove useful.
If you are using Blogger with an external host, you need no knowledge except the information given to you by your hosting service.
However Blogger down time will still affect your blog, and you may get a few FTP errors now and again.
So externally using Blogger may be simpler, but WordPress, and similar systems, gives you a ton of advantages, if you can, try as many out before starting your blog.
(As later you will find it hard to switch) There are alternatives.
You could buy a domain and have it redirect to your sub-domain.
It's an easy to remember address you can list in directories and tell your friends, it also is much more memorable.
Again, disadvantages: as people will link to your redirecting .
com address, you lose out any search engine ranking you could have gained by them linking to your actual address (the sub-domain).
So, should I host externally? The choice is ultimately yours, try it and see what happens.
Hosting prices vary; with GoDaddy hosting starts at $3 a month - and $9 a year for a domain - though services like DreamHost (if you choose them use the promotion code WEBBYSWORLD) and Bluehost may be better, but at a higher price.
MediaTemple are also a good host.
Think this through before you do this.
As you know services like WordPress.
com and Blogspot host your blog for you.
However, they do this often under a sub-domain like xyz.
blogspot.
com or xyz.
wordpress.
com, which honestly, nobody likes.
Hosting your blog gives you a snazzy domain and your blog gets a higher "status" as you finally get an Alexa ranking, you have a slightly higher chance to get into 9rules, you are more likely to win competitions, and it just looks plain cool.
Hosting also makes this blogging a bit trickier.
If you choose many blogging systems like WordPress or MovableType, some knowledge of MySQL, PHP (if WordPress, especially - Perl for MT), FTP, and such can prove useful.
If you are using Blogger with an external host, you need no knowledge except the information given to you by your hosting service.
However Blogger down time will still affect your blog, and you may get a few FTP errors now and again.
So externally using Blogger may be simpler, but WordPress, and similar systems, gives you a ton of advantages, if you can, try as many out before starting your blog.
(As later you will find it hard to switch) There are alternatives.
You could buy a domain and have it redirect to your sub-domain.
It's an easy to remember address you can list in directories and tell your friends, it also is much more memorable.
Again, disadvantages: as people will link to your redirecting .
com address, you lose out any search engine ranking you could have gained by them linking to your actual address (the sub-domain).
So, should I host externally? The choice is ultimately yours, try it and see what happens.
Hosting prices vary; with GoDaddy hosting starts at $3 a month - and $9 a year for a domain - though services like DreamHost (if you choose them use the promotion code WEBBYSWORLD) and Bluehost may be better, but at a higher price.
MediaTemple are also a good host.