I've been hearing about Blogger and Blogspot. Are these the same? How does WordPress differ from these other blog sites?
Is there a significant difference between Blogger, Blogspot, and WordPress.com?
(8 posts) (5 voices)
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Here's what I found out...
BLOGGER/BLOGSPOT
1. Blogger (www.blogger.com) is a free publishing platform owned by Google. This means that you can publish articles and web-pages in a domain website. You don't have to use a FTP (file transfer protocol) to run your website, the platform does the work.
2. You can use this platform with any custom domain (www.yourwebsite.com), you don't have to use Blogspot. The system is similar to WordPress.
3. Blogspot (www.blogspot.com) is a free domain service provider owned by Google. This means you'll have a subdomain like (example.blogspot.com). Blogspot supports Blogger in delivering free blogging service.
4. Blogger DOES NOT have to be used with Blogspot, but Blogspot must be used with Blogger. Make sense?
WORDPRESS
1. WordPress.com and WordPress.org are blogging systems like Blogger and Blogspot. However, they have more features such static pages such as About or Contact. WordPress allows for more categories. Blogger is a Google product, WordPress is an open source software.
2. WordPress has an import option and you can import older posts and comments -- you cannot do this with Blogger.
3. You can create your own WordPress template or use a pre-designed template. Blogger has more control over templates.
4. WordPress allows linkbacks to your posts (a comment notification that someone blogged about you) -- Blogger (built-in) does not have this feature.
5. WordPress provides you with statistics for your blog -- Blogger does not.
As you can see, WordPress offers more features than Blogger/Blogspot. When I did some research, I found that many people prefer WordPress over Blogger. WordPress is an open source platform which many people like -- this is why they use WordPress.
Whew! I hope this helps...
Posted 2 years ago # -
In 2006 Google bought Blogger.com and changed Blogspot to Blogger - if you try to go to Blogspot you get redirected to Blogger, so they are now one and the same. However, there are a number of VERY important distinctions to understand:
1. Blogger is the "admin interface" - the web screens you see when writing/managing posts, etc (the software used by Blogspot);
2. Blogspot is simply the domain hosting provided by Google - you sign up for it through Blogger.com
3. Blogger ONLY works on Google's hosting - you cannot 'download' it and install it elsewhere
4. When Google says you can use it on "your own custom domain", it's slightly misleading - what they mean is that you can point your domain to their hosting server, not that you can take Blogger and host it elsewhere. If you decide later that you don't like Google's hosting and want to move your domain elsewhere, you have to give up using Blogger, or if you decide that you don't like Blogger, you have to move your site to a different host;
5. WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG are NOT the same - WordPress.COM is a hosted free blog that uses the WordPress software. WordPress.ORG is simply the website where you can download the same software and install it on whichever domain host you want to use.
6. Both Blogger.com and WordPress.com offer FREE blog hosting BUT with "Free" comes limitations - you can't put ads on your site (not the ones that earn YOU revenue anyway) and you're limited in what you can do theme-wise (design) and plugin-wise (features).
7. With both Blogger.com and WordPress.com you can "POINT" a custom domain name to them, so your site name would be "www.yoursite.com" instead of "www.yourname.blogspot.com" or "www.yourname.wordpress.com" - Blogger.com allows you to register a custom domain through them (at a cost), Wordpress.com does not - you need to register your domain through someone else;Free blog hosting services like Blogger.com and WordPress.com are FINE for personal websites (keeping up with friends and family types of things) but I would NOT recommend either of them for a website/blog which you intend to use to promote yourself as a writer, or for any type of business site or blog.
The investment in yourself for a professional looking site and domain name is minimal - you can register a domain for less than $10 per year -- and often for free with paid site hosting -- and good site hosting can be had for as little as $5 per month. If you're serious about being self employed as a writer, you should be willing to put a little bit of money into building your 'brand', your reputation, and your credibility, and in presenting a professional image to potential employers, Editors, and Publishers.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi Brian - good question! I should have put that information in my last post so everyone would know....
I use the WordPress software that can be downloaded at Wordpress.org, and have been using it for many years. Currently TWE is on WP version 2.7.1. I'm presently in the process of converting a website belonging to a non-profit environmental group (to which I volunteer technical help) to WordPress, and for that site I'm using 2.8 - so far I haven't had any trouble with it and it does have a few nice feature additions, so fairly soon I will be upgrading TWE.
I've tried several other blogging applications such as Joomla and Drupal, but I have found that WordPress is easier to use and offers many (if not all) of the same features offered by the others, which is why I recommend it - it's not only easier to use, it's also easier to install, to customize, and to learn. We use 1&1 for our site hosting. I know that some people don't like 1&1, but once again I've tried many other site hosting companies since 2001, and have been happiest with 1&1, which offers a great value (many features for a small price). And lastly I use Moniker.com for domain registration, but only because I've been through the process of changing site hosts a few times, and that is much easier to do if your registrar is separate from your site hosting. That being said, I do feel comfortable enough now with 1&1 that I think it's perfectly fine for anyone to register their domain through them at the time that they set up hosting, and take advantage of the free domain name registration that comes with their hosting packages.
Feel free to ask any other questions - I love "talking tech"!
Posted 2 years ago # -
merinda
MemberHi Trisha,
I wanted to know if you think it's worth setting up my own website even though I'm just starting out? I've had one article published in an Australian magazine and have published half a dozen articles on the website Suite 101. I don't know whether it's worth doing it now since I don't have many bylines to brag about or whether I should wait until I've been published in a few more publications. What do you think?
Thanks very much.
Merinda
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hello Merinda - thanks for dropping by our Forum!
To answer your question, I definitely think every writer needs to have his or her own website, if for no other reason than to serve as an online portfolio to point potential publishers to who want to see examples of your work......often what writers do is have two sites, one that is strictly about them and their freelance writing service, links to clips, etc, and another that is very 'niche' oriented on a topic upon which they love to write. I do think that this can be combined into one site successfully, but it's always an option.
That said, a site can do so much more for you, and before you begin you will definitely want to put some thought into a number of important considerations, such as:
1. Focus/Direction - what do you want your site to do for you - think both short term and long term;
2. Do you want to brand yourself, or go with a very clearly defined niche brand....for example, "merindawilson.com" or "travelingwithpets.com".....the first may build your brand, but the second will be more likely to draw site visitors....if the answer is both, go with the two-site mentality already mentioned;
3. Do you have more stories in your head or filed away? Many writers keep a list of ideas or just have them floating around in their head - if so you may be able to flesh out a site faster than you think.
Spend a little time researching other travel blogs (there are thousands of them out there) to get a feel for what you think you'd like to do - you'll know what feels right when you find it.
Lastly, don't worry about starting too soon - you should begin building, then when you feel it's ready for "prime time" then that's the time to start promoting it, and asking people you know to spread the word. Sure you may have a few folks stumble across it before you're ready, but don't worry about that.......when the time is right the visitors will come by.....
Please post back again if you have more questions or when you've decided what to do - we're happy to help and our advice is always free!
Posted 2 years ago #
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