Ask the DW/LJ Brain Trust

[serene]

Okay, I've asked this in the past, but it's been a while and I'm working on a new (and exciting-to-me) blog project, so here goes:

DW? Wordpress? Typepad? Something else? (LJ is not an option.)

Considerations:

I think I want the thing on my own domain, which I've already secured, but I'm willing to be talked out of that idea.

I want to be able to choose either an ad-free blog or one on which I choose which ads are displayed. No automatic Google adbar, or anything like that.

More customizability is better, but since I'm really not a very good web programmer, it doesn't need to be down to the command line or anything. I'd love to be able to use custom CSS (I am pretty sure both Wordpress and Typepad offer that), and to view stats, but neither of those things is essential.

It doesn't have to be free; affordable is good, though.

Thoughts?

Comments

[wordweaverlynn]

Copied and pasted from my response to someone else asking about such things.

Wordpress. WP started out as just a blogging platform, but it has become a powerhouse due to widgets (little add-on programs that can do almost anything) and the upgrades to WP itself. It's powerful, flexible, and easy to use. Also, there are zillions of free WP themes available, and many of them can be customized.

Check out http://fogcon.org to see a site with one update page, multiple static pages, and some widgets.

[serene]

Thanks. One benefit of WP is that I've installed literally dozens of the things (as part of a job I used to have) so it's familiar territory.

re: Ask the DW/LJ Brain Trust

[betonica]

Noob question (can I get away with calling myself a noob, by any stretch of the imagination? I think my advent to the intertubes is newer than yours, at any rate):

Not that this is what you're asking about, but how does all that work with those of us who are reading you? If you used Wordpress (I don't know anything about it - never been there / used it) would we see it? Is it a separate community, or just the software that would put the text here in DW?

Re: Ask the DW/LJ Brain Trust

[serene]

Wordpress is blogging software. If i used it, you'd see the new (cooking) blog by adding the syndicated feed to your dw reading list, but the blog itself would be someplace like newblog.com.

I do like the idea of making it at DW, but i'm not sure how customizable that is, and i wonder if newblog.dreamwidth.org is an offputting url (a very minor concern, but for the first time ever, i am going to try to write a popular blog, so i want to give it the best chance for success.

[maize]

I use Wordpress. It's free, offers everything you're asking for, and is pretty trivial to set up and work with.

That said, my friend Debbie Ohi recently had her Wordpress-based site hacked repeatedly, to the point where she decided to leave it for another platform. She documented her experiences. Let me find the link.

Okay, she documents the process of switching from Wordpress to Squarespace (which is a hosted service) here. Her post about the first hack attack, talking about what happened and what she was originally doing within the Wordpress envelope to cope is here.

[serene]

Thank you! I'll read those.

I'm leaning toward Wordpress, but I also have kind of an inkling that I may want to do a Dreamwidth thing, seeing as how I like the community here, etc. Still pondering.

[snippy]

I know several WP blogs that have been hacked repeatedly.

[maize]

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that it was unique to her -- just that she wrote about it so I thought I could find links to her posts. When she was talking about it she did say that it seems to be a common problem.

DW

[(Anonymous)]

I work/run with 2 websites and DW is the most wysiswyg/versatile. I can help if you need it. Also think the site where you hang it may be important and that is CrystalTech for me-both of 'em

aloha, Cea

Re: DW

[serene]

Oh, do you run Dreamwidth on another site, by hosting the whole program over there, or...? Please tell me more! :-)

Also, if you don't mind showing me your 2 websites, I'd love to take a look.