How do you get started?

If you want to start a blog, you’ll need blogging software to load on your server, or a blogging hosting service to host your blog for you. The easiest way is to use a host service like Blogger.com or Typepad. Blogger.com is free and ad supported, but you will need to know some HTML to get started and to make your site look good. Typepad is a new service that costs a minimum of $5 per month, but you don’t have to know any HTML and the service is the most feature rich of all of them with gorgeous styles from which to choose the look of your blog. LiveJournal is another host service free to users if they’ve been invited by a friend and a nominal fee if not. Radio Userland is a desktop program that is installed on your computer and the entries are uploaded to a host.

If you want the most flexibility and customizable features, you’ll need to go with blogging software that you load onto a remote server hosting your web site. Movable Type (from the same company that makes TypePad) is the most powerful solution out there, with a free license available for personal, non-commercial use and licenses available for personal and commercial use that includes support. Movable Type requires a good knowledge of HTML and style sheets but the documentation is extensive and MT has an active user base and support forum.