| The blogging explosion of 2006-2007 saw an | | | | elements you want to include. Blogger's Dashboard |
| estimated 1000+ blogs created every hour, according | | | | allows you to make changes to several aspects of |
| to some statistics, but experts now say the blogging | | | | your blog, and there are thousands of "gadgets" you |
| craze has been replaced by status updates on | | | | can add that do everything from displaying current |
| popular social networks - termed "microblogging" by | | | | headlines to providing games for your readers to |
| some. However, many blogs are not only still | | | | play. If you know HTML or XML, you can do a lot |
| operating, they are thriving, and if you want to start | | | | more, but it is not necessary to start blogging and |
| your own, all it takes is patience, persistence, and the | | | | making money. |
| right tools. | | | | The other popular platform is WordPress. WordPress, |
| There are two, major blogging platforms, and a lot of | | | | or WP, is a robust, full-featured platform which is |
| smaller, lesser known programs, apps, and services. | | | | highly customizable, and generally best left to |
| We are going to focus on the most well-known, as | | | | advanced users. While originally a blogging platform, |
| they are the most used and most trusted - and both | | | | WP has become more of a Content Management |
| are free. Those two are Blogger and WordPress | | | | Service (CMS) over the last few years, which just |
| (WP). Both are easy enough for even a beginner to | | | | means it has more features than the general, and |
| setup, but both provide a wealth of options for the | | | | especially beginning, blogger needs. |
| advanced user. | | | | While explaining how to work WP is outside the |
| Blogger, also known as BlogSpot, has been around | | | | scope of this article, setting it up is easy. Most |
| since the late 1990s and quickly secured its place as | | | | webhosting packages include WordPress support, and |
| one of the best blogging services available. It has | | | | many allow you to install it through the control panel |
| since been purchased by Google, but remains a free | | | | simply by pressing a button. Even if your host does |
| service. Blogger is very easy to setup and start | | | | not include this feature, you simply download the |
| blogging on - literally all you have to do is sign-up for | | | | latest version, then upload it to your website, to |
| an account, choose a template and a title, and start | | | | install. You can start a free WP blog without a |
| writing! You can even start making money from your | | | | webhost, but the free edition does not allow you to |
| blog with one click, if you are already a member of | | | | advertise and limits the functionality of some of the |
| Google's AdWords network. | | | | features. |
| You probably want a little more customization to | | | | While there are many blogging scripts, services, and |
| your blog, and Blogger allows for that, too. You can | | | | apps, Blogger/BlogSpot and WordPress are the |
| find hundreds of templates online that are ready to | | | | dominant platforms because they remain easy to use |
| use the minute you upload them - you can even | | | | while offering a lot of options. |
| design your own, simply by dragging and dropping the | | | | |