Tuesday
Apr102007
WP Affair: Today's Non-Techie Adventure
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 11:41AM
From my time away at WordPress.com:
It's after 11am already, but I've moved through most of my To Do List (The Five Things), cruising along on a Tuesday, another Good Day.
I published this week's Rebel Review on www.RebelHousewife.com:
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
"Thoroughly readable and engaging..."
Now, I'm fixin' to jump into something kinda scary, but exciting, too: I'm moving! Domain hosts and Blog Platforms, that is. I've had RebelHousewife.com on p4host, using Squarespace.com as the blog platform, for almost three years. And it's been great: I was able, as a non-techie, to build and maintain my own website with Squarespace.com, which is truly remarkable. I even learned a little html! (I've also relied heavily on my html Bible: Hip Pocket Guide to HTML 4 from IDG Books (1998 - an oldie, but a goodie)).
With the new blogging platform, WordPress, I don't have to do the html. There are little buttons for everything, but I still have a lot to learn, like how to change the colors, how to manage my sidebars over there, widgets and plug-ins, how to get Feedburner up and running. One step at a time, and it all starts with a call to BlueHost.com, to move the domain hosting, hopefully without completely screwing everything up or losing anything.
Top 5 Reasons for Change:
It's after 11am already, but I've moved through most of my To Do List (The Five Things), cruising along on a Tuesday, another Good Day.
I published this week's Rebel Review on www.RebelHousewife.com:
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
"Thoroughly readable and engaging..."
Now, I'm fixin' to jump into something kinda scary, but exciting, too: I'm moving! Domain hosts and Blog Platforms, that is. I've had RebelHousewife.com on p4host, using Squarespace.com as the blog platform, for almost three years. And it's been great: I was able, as a non-techie, to build and maintain my own website with Squarespace.com, which is truly remarkable. I even learned a little html! (I've also relied heavily on my html Bible: Hip Pocket Guide to HTML 4 from IDG Books (1998 - an oldie, but a goodie)).
With the new blogging platform, WordPress, I don't have to do the html. There are little buttons for everything, but I still have a lot to learn, like how to change the colors, how to manage my sidebars over there, widgets and plug-ins, how to get Feedburner up and running. One step at a time, and it all starts with a call to BlueHost.com, to move the domain hosting, hopefully without completely screwing everything up or losing anything.
Top 5 Reasons for Change:
- Stay as current as I can for an "old lady" who's been online since 1995.
- Changing blog platforms for Commenting ability to make it easier for my readers to interact with me and other readers.
- WordPress offers a larger blogger community, very dynamic and supportive.
- Monetization, Baby--
- SEO, which means great exposure and opportunities for The Rebel Housewife/Rebel Reviews.
Reader Comments (2)
A. Casalena | acasalena@squarespace.com |
Hey there,
Thanks for your three years with Squarespace — we’re sorry to see you go. You were actually one of the first Squarespace blogs I saw in the wild (it was on your book in Barnes & Noble!). I’d like to address a few points in your post, just in case you haven’t made a final decision:
1) We release updates every month — so I believe we’re completely current with (and exceeding) the features of any hosted blog platform.
2) What issues did you have with commenting? We use a standardized comment form as all platforms do — and we have a networked anti-spam engine in the background stopping spam from reaching your site.
4) You may actually wish to read over the TOS for the platform you’re hosting with — as free services have the right to offer ads on your blog, and usually you aren’t allowed to monetize via this method. This is the reverse of the situation you were in.
5) There is no SEO mechanism that any blog platform employs that exceeds the visibility you gain with a Squarespace blog. Feel free to point out any area that might be improved, and we’ll be happy to comment. Actually, since your Squarespace site supports many pages within a single site — you’ve got a better chance at having your content indexed.
Thanks — and good luck with the new venture!
rebelhousewife | sherri@rebelhousewife.com |
Anthony,
Thanks for your comment. You have been very supportive, responsive and helpful to me through the years, and I truly could not have built and maintained www.RebelHousewife.com without Squarespace.com and your guidance.
You know, sometimes we go along in cyberspace, and we don’t realize the small communities, the warm, cozy pockets here and there, in this big, overwhelming Internet universe. I had no idea that I would ever hear from Anthony, the head guy at Squarespace.com, when I was considering leaving to make this transition; No concept whatsoever that they would care if RebelHousewife.com folded up tent and moved to another camp.
I was wrong. (That’s really not so hard to say, people!)
Anthony, I will contact you privately, and we’ll see what we can do. This whole transition thing is making me crazy, and I do love my Squarespace.com blogs.