Comments on: RPG Blogging Tools I: Intro, Hosting, & Platform

By: RPG Blogging Tools II: Promotion & Measurement | Mad Brew Labs

RPG Blogging Tools II: Promotion & Measurement | Mad Brew Labs — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:21:48 +0000

[...] Comments MadBrew on RPG Blogging Tools I: Intro, Hosting, & PlatformScott on RPG Blogging Tools I: Intro, Hosting, & Platformjonathan on RPG Blogging Tools I: [...]

By: MadBrew

MadBrew — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:16:50 +0000

@Jonathan: Yeah, I have the “if I knew then what I know now” syndrome myself, if it helps just one person, my job is done. Oh, and there are two more articles in the pipeline, tomorrow “Promotion & Measurement” will go live and then “Writing Tips & Sample Set-up” should go on Monday.

@Scott: Thanks for linking to your web hosting article, stuff like that is more than welcome here. I know of GoDaddy’s history, but I have used them for five different projects over the last three years and never had a problem. I wouldn’t host with them, but they have damn cheap domain names. But yeah, if anyone wants further piece of mind, I’d go with your registrar recommendations.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:54:23 +0000

That’s a pretty good intro. I’d recommend taking the plunge and going for paid hosting, if you’re serious about it; you can just do so much more with your own site than with the free ones, and the expense is pretty minimal. I wrote an article a while back about looking for web hosting which more or less sums up my other advice, so I won’t repeat it all here.

I ultimately decided to go with one of the hosts you mention, InMotion. I’ve had no problems with them and their support is incredible. I second the recommendation.

One place where I do disagree, though: under no circumstances would I ever recommend using GoDaddy. Their customer support is lousy, and some of their policies are nothing short of appalling. I’d go with Key Systems or Moniker instead. It’s a little more expensive, but at least they won’t yank your domain name and sell it to someone else, as GoDaddy has done on several occasions.

By: jonathan

jonathan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:51:03 +0000

Wow! Nice article Michael. I wish I had read something like this before I had started. I suppose the problem might be that most novice bloggers fire first, then think later... but hopefully this article will get picked up by the RPGBN or other blogs (/wink). If a novice blogger could google "how to start an RPG blog" and land here - that would be ideal. Bravo! jonathan’s last blog post..[4E] Ereshkigal's Hatchet - Statblock

By: bonemaster

bonemaster — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:10:16 +0000

@Alex - I agree with MadBrew and your assessment. If your a beginner, it helps to use what your friends use. Which, I suppose is why so many blogs in RPG Bloggers use Wordpress. bonemaster’s last blog post..Computers and Gaming: Part 2

By: MadBrew

MadBrew — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:43:03 +0000

@Bonemaster: I definitely agree with the statement that blogging should be fun. The moment it becomes work, I’ll quit (unless it makes me hundreds of thousands…). CMSs are definitely nifty programs, and I left out the ever popular Drupal from my list.

@Zachary: Blogger is definitely a contender, thanks for the info about registering a domain name with it.

@Alex: No kidding, it is always nice to have friends who have been there.

By: Alex Schröder

Alex Schröder — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:00:53 +0000

I think one important aspect when choosing a platform, a software, etc. is this: "What are your friends using?" Friends are the best place to get help & inspiration from. They make up for whatever perceived drawbacks your platform of choice would have. ;) Alex Schröder’s last blog post..Comments on Rise of the Runelords

By: Zachary

Zachary — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:23:27 +0000

A very nice overview. I toyed around with Wordpress and consider it more powerful than Blogger, but I settled on Blogger because it was the easiest for me to interact with. Back when I ran RPGBlog.org, I used Typepad, which was easy to use and was slightly more powerful than Blogger, but wasn't free. Another nice thing with Blogger is you can now order a domain name through Blogger/Google, and they'll do the setup for you. If folks do use blogger, they should definitely look at the wide variety of templates available--its possible to have a very customizable, slick-looking site in Blogger. Zachary’s last blog post..Moving Past Gamer ADD

By: Bonemaster

Bonemaster — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:26:16 +0000

I have to say this is a good overview for beginners. I have to agree, paid hosting is the way to go if you plan to do lots of blogging or if you just want to do things your way. I'd also say, don't be afraid of the technical. If one can, learn a bit about the the technical aspects, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and whatever scripting language your Blog uses will be your friend. If you can't or don't want to get technical, find a friend who is and get their help early. Also, many of the CMS systems can be used for Blogging as well, my personal favorite at this time is Drupal. Which for Bluehost is a one button install. Although as a tech head, I did it myself. Lastly, people should remember Blog Rule #1, if you are not having fun, don't do it. Bonemaster’s last blog post..Computers and Gaming: Part 2