Pros and Cons of the Best Blogging Software

After developing my own web page, I quickly learned that blogs offer much of the functionality and flexibility that a do it yourself web page offers, with the exception of multiply linked pages. Both end up being a time consuming chore to maintain. Blogs, as opposed to web pages, though, have their own built in user base of people writing and sharing. Some blogs like web pages can be promoted using ads and by registering them in directories and setting up a domain name. So, if you're new to blogging, how do you start and which is the best blogging software to use?

So what is a blog?

It's a place where you can enter notes, articles, poems, stories or thoughts and store them online forever. The basic software of a blog has a word processing window in which you type, format, add links, and save and edit. They are often stored in a historical format, with the latest entry the most visible.

The best blogging software to use may depend on whether you are writing for social purposes or as a business. Blog functionality usually allows word processing, spotlights, friends, groups, graphics, comment graphics, keywords, and may involve blog costs.

Social and Dating Blogs are the Best Blogging Software if Ease of Use and Friends are Important

Netlog

Netlog offers unlimited blogging with the ability to put your blog in the spotlight, i.e. the main gathering spot where people find each other. Spotlight credits are earned by logging in daily and can also be bought. Friends are easy to find and other bloggers are easy to locate using spotlit entries.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: Yes
Comment Graphics : No
Blog Templates: Standard
Keywords: No
Blog Cost: Free or Payment
Embedded Photographs : No, Photo Albums Yes
Moderate Comments: ? -- they've made recent changes.

Zorpia

Zorpia offers unlimited blogging. Friends are easy to find if you buy a membership and by seeing who visited your page. Blog entries are called journals and they offer unlimited free journals. Comment graphics are widely used. Some of the user defined templates are available for a price, which allows graphics designers to make a little side cash.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: Yes by rating system
Comment Graphics : Yes
Blog Templates: Standard, Custom Designed
Keywords: Yes
Blog Cost: Free or $20.00 per month
Embedded Photographs : Yes, Albums too.
Approve Comments: By Deletion if unhappy

Multiply

Multiply has a good user community that is dedicated to blogging. I found the site slow to use, which was my only complaint. Blogs entries are unlimited. The layout is defined via predefined templates. Some of the messaging about comments and updates that come through email can be intrusive and you have to dig through the menus to set them to your desired level.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: No
Comment Graphics : Yes
Blog Templates: Standard
Keywords: Yes
Embedded Photographs: Yes, Albums, too
Blog Cost: Free or Payment

Myspace

Myspace was one of the first and most popular blogs and has some of the best functionality. I found it difficult to meet people on it because many of the groups were subject to spam, others that started with it much earlier had less problems.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: No
Comment Graphics : Yes
Blog Templates: Standard and User Defined
Keywords: Yes
Blog Cost : Free
Embedded Photographs: Yes, Albums, too

The Most Professional Blog Software Have More Functionality and are Stand Alone

Blogger

Blogger has a number of user definable formats that you can set to alter how your blog looks. It has two fields that are neat to have, follow me, and add as a friend.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: No
Blog Templates: Standard and User Defined
Keywords: No
Catalog, Date Log, Cloud : Yes, Yes, Yes
Blog Cost: Free
Embedded Photographs, Yes, Albums, no
Link Lists: Yes
Moderate Comments: Yes

Typepad

Typepad has professional level blogging which allows more than one blogger on the account, multiple blogs per account preloading blog entries and setting the time for publication, and many levels of customization. I tried their multiple blogs but the ability to set a domain didn't function well because several of the features were dependent on a root address; I think this may have been fixed.

Groups: Yes
Spotlight: Yes
Blog Templates: Standard or Custom
Keywords: Yes
Catalog, Date Log, Cloud : Yes, Yes, Yes, and more
Cost: Free to $160 per year for professional
Embedded Photographs: Yes, Albums Yes
Link Lists: Yes
Moderate Comments: Yes