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UPDATE: How to Blog has MOVED! Please update your bookmarks and feeds! The new address is :
http://www.emilyrobbins.com/how-to-blog/
and all new posts and post updates will be made there! Comments and trackbacks at this location are now closed -- please visit the new How to Blog site in order to add a comment or a trackback and see updates to existing posts as well as all new posts from this point forward!

December 11, 2005

WordPress.com free hosted blogs now available to the general public

THIS POST HAS BEEN MOVED TO:

http://www.emilyrobbins.com/how-to-blog/wordpresscom-free-hosted-blogs-now-available-to-the-general-public-305.htm

What was previously ‘invite only’ is now available for everyone to blog on.  That’s right, anyone who wants to can now get a free blog hosted at WordPress.com.

WordPress.com deserves it’s own review, although it’s currently still in beta form — albeit a very usable beta.  When I’ve time do a detailed write-up of my WordPress.com experiences.

The bare bones explanation is that WordPress.com offers the a newer, beta version of WordPress that you don’t need to install on your own server.  Instead, you just sign up and immediately get a subdomain on WordPress.com (like http://freeshipping.wordpress.com).  You can login and start blogging right away — it’s ease of use is beautiful for the novice blogger.  It supports categories (and subcategories), trackbacks, and all the other trappings that I view as being necessary for any blogging tool.  It has a WYSIWYG interface with a rich text editor, as well as the ability to edit the HTML directly.  It also allows you to upload pictures and then drag and drop them into your posts.  In short, it’s super easy to use, and changing the presentation of your blog takes about two clicks (click on Presentation, and then choose the theme you want).

The shortcomings are that there are very few themes offered for use, and you cannot customize the themes yet (you can’t even specify the font color – supposedly changes to this are in the works, as mentioned above it is still in beta).  You also cannot add additional themes or plugins as you can with the full version of WordPress (which requires installation on your on webhost w/a mysql database).

So what you get is a blogging platform that is VERY easy to use, and very slick, but rather limiting for expert bloggers. 

Also of note for the many bloggers who hope to earn some money through their blogs, is that WordPress.com currently does not support adding Adsense code to your blog entries, so those looking to monitize their blogs should look elsewhere (at least as of this writing).

For newbie bloggers, WordPress.com could be the blogging tool you’ve been waiting for.  And it’s FREE!  If you don’t care about customizing your templates, it sure beats the pants off of Blogger, even in it’s beta form.  More experienced bloggers should check it out, if only to be able to be part of the creation of the next version of WordPress — there is a Feedback button where you can submit ‘bugs and hugs’ as well as any suggestions of what you think WordPress.com needs to be a more fully functional and customizable blogging tool, and suggestions are often implemented at a rapid rate.

 

December 11, 2005 in Weblogs, WordPress | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (3)

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WARNING: Reports of legitimate Blogger/Blogspot accounts being deleted without cause

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As is often the case whenever there is a free tool available, it gets abused by spammers.  Such has been the case with Google’s free Blogger service, and lately they’ve been very active in trying to delete blogs that they view as spam (aka splogs). 

Normally I’d say that’s a good thing, but apparently they’ve been a little overzealous in their cleansing of the system and many individuals are reporting that their legitimate, hand crafted Blogger blogs that they spent much time on have been deleted without warning or explanation.

The English Guy has a post entitled Google/Blogger Deleting Real Blogs that I’d highly recommend reading if you’re a current Blogger user or considering using their free service.

A thread at the Blog Party forum suggests that Google is targeting bloggers that have multiple blogs which link to each other.  This is a tactic which many legit bloggers do and is a major part of how the whole blogosphere works.  It is also a tactic that is used by sploggers.  But that in and of itself should not be a reason to go on a search and destroy mission for all bloggers who interlink their sites.  The logic in that is faulty – just because a tactic is used by sploggers doesn’t mean that everyone who uses that tactic IS a splogger.

So if you’re using Blogger and you have multiple blogs which you like to link to each other, you might consider porting your posts over to another system, such as TypePad or WordPress.com, before you wake up one day to find your blogs gone and have to go through the nightmare of trying to reach support personel (which has been reported to be very difficult) and proving that your blogs are legitimate.

Consider yourselves warned..

UPDATE 1/30/06: as you can see from some of the comments on this post, blogger.com is currently on a big blog-deleting spree.  Again, consider yourselves warned!  And btw, I know I originally recommended wordpress.com as an alternative, but if you're looking to incorporate Google Adsense into your blog, you'll need to use TypePad b/c wordpress.com doesn't support 'em.  Or else switch to a solution where your blog is hosted on your own server, and then you've many more options to choose from

December 11, 2005 in Blogger, Reviews, TypePad, Weblogs, WordPress | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (5)

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December 08, 2005

OFF-TOPIC: Exclusive coupons and discount codes for online holiday savings

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As an affiliate, I get some private coupons and discounts that aren't made available to the general public (these are deals that you can't get just by going to the companies' websites), so I thought I'd share them with my blog readers as it's that holiday time and it's always good to get some extra savings (most of these coupons are only good through the end of December)! 
have fun!- emily
(Updated 12/10 to add more coupons)

Click here for your favorite eBay items
Ebay coupon codes (only valid if you pay with Paypal)

  • C23-GiftGuide $15 off $100+
  • C22-GiftGuide $5 off $50+
  • C11-GIFTGUIDE 10% off ($25 max discount)
 

$10 INSTANT REBATE with purchase of $50 or more at Lamps Plus
Save $30 off Purchase of $300 or more at Lamps Plus
Save $50 on orders of $500 or more at Lamps Plus

Shop at Magazines.com and take $5 Off use coupon code holidaymags

 
 
 
 
 
Take $10 off orders of $110 or more! Coupon: CJDOT
And get $10 off $110+ orders w/code CJDOT
OR get $5 off a $60 purchase w/code CJDOFV
 

get 10% off your entire order at overstock.com

$10 off $75 order at cooking.com with coupon C98835
 
$5 off any order at Gadget Universe
 
Holiday Gifts - Robes, Boxers, Bras, Chemises
10% off lingerie and sleepwear at Bare Necessities (discount reflected when you add items to your cart)
free shipping on orders over $50 at the Apple Store

$25 off $150 + free shipping at beauty.com

10% off $200+ purchases at Cambridge Soundworks
10% off jewelry at BlueNile.com
$10 Off $175 Coupon! Click Here!
$10 off $175 at Buy.com
get 15% off tennis bracelets at ice.com
15% off orders of $25 or more at Gardener's Supply Company
10% off orders of $45 or more at petco, promo code affreg

save $15 on a $75 purchase at the sharper image
$50 off ionic breeze air purifiers (they're pretty cool and really are silent - we've owned two and only returned them b/c we got a whole house air purifier w/our new furnace thanks to home depot's 0% interest financing :)
free shipping on purchases over $50 (the $15 off deal is better if you're spending more than $75, otherwise this one's okay)

15% off your entire order for all new customers at SmartBargains
 Brand Name Apparel at up to 90% off Retail
$10 off at ClassicCloseouts.com with code CLASF
10% off your first order a Brushstrokes Fine Art
Save 10% on your first purchase at Brushstrokes Fine Art Code BFA1010

  • Save $5 off orders over $50. Coupon code: GIFT5
  • Save $10 off orders over $75. Coupon code: GIFT10
  • Save $20 off orders over $100. Coupon code: GIFT20
  • $25 off $50
    $25 of $50 worth of bulbs from Breck’s
     
    $20 off $40
    $20 free on $40 order at gardens alive
     
    $20 off $40
    $20 off $40 order at Gurney’s Seed & Nursery

    -Free shipping on orders of $150 or more with coupon code 704307
    -Get $5 off a $50 order with coupon code 704306
    $20 off orders of $199+ with coupon code: AFFDEC at lighting showplace
    Save $150 on AREA RUG orders $700+! Code VR1121.
    $150 off orders of $700+ w/code VR1121 at rugman.com
    Current Promotion on GoCollect.com
    $10 off $100 purchase and free shipping at GoCollect.com
     
     

    December 8, 2005 in Ramblings | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (1)

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    UPDATE: How to Blog has MOVED! Please update your bookmarks and feeds! The new address is :
    http://www.emilyrobbins.com/how-to-blog/
    and all new posts and post updates will be made there! Comments and trackbacks at this location are now closed -- please visit the new How to Blog site in order to add a comment or a trackback and see updates to existing posts as well as all new posts from this point forward!