I've been asked by a few people of late about blogging platforms - this ones on Posterous obviously - although we use Wordpress for our clients stuff - mostly because it's a lot more flexible in terms of design and expanding it. However for a non teccie it's a fiddle to set up unless you go for wordpress hosted ones - and stick to the basics - but if you install on your own server you do have the option to add all sorts of clever plugins to add Twitter feeds, RSS feeds, all sorts of clever things, even ecommerce. I've used Blogger too a fair bit for clients - so I thought I'd grab a list of the top popular platforms to point people to.

I've seen people use Facebook as a  blog by  I must admit setting up a Photo gallery and adding a picture each day and writing about it - which works as well. I tend to use Facebook the most because I "blog" in very short bursts and don't really have the time mostly to write more than a couple of sentences and I do like the way Facebook works. Twitter is a little too random for me - and the short length of posts is good, but can get in the way I find. Put one long web address in without shortening it and you're done! Posterous is nice and simple to set up - hosted on their server but it's easy enough to attach a proper URL to. Also it can post straight to your Twitter and Facebook accounts which is nice. I find it useful when I have something proper to say as opposed to the guff I spout most of the time! Nice posterous blogs are http://jasebell.posterous.com/

I tried Tumblr today - seems easy enough - but not quite as simple as Posterous - and not as flexible as Wordpress. Heres a Tumblr one http://brettkelly.org/ - it seems more about sharing things - especially pictures

Has anyone else played with other stuff?

Below is a piece form Lifehacker on the 5 best blogging platforms

 

Five Best Blogging Platforms

It's not difficult to argue that blogging has done more to spread knowledge and ideas than any other publishing innovation since the printing press. Here's a look at the most popular blogging platforms to help you get your ideas out there.

Photo by Kevin Purdy.

Printer and photocopier salesmen of the late 20th century frequently peddled their wares with the pitch that a personal printing device could turn anyone—schools, neighborhood associations, churches, individuals with a message to get out—into small time publishers. The revolution they hinted at didn't come about on their watch, however. The personal printer simply didn't have the volume and the reach that a later innovation, the internet—and more specifically, blogging—would have. Blogs give anyone an inexpensive platform to promote their ideas to a potential audience of the entire world, not just a county in Idaho or a street corner in Manhattan.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite blogging platform. We tallied the votes, and now we're back to highlight the five most popular blogging platforms for your perusal.

Blogger (Web-Based, Free)

Blogger is a popular and free blogging service owned by Google. Blogger's big draw is ease of use and nearly instant setup. You can go from blog-less to publishing your first post in under 15 minutes thanks to its extremely easy setup process. Blogger supports drag-and-drop template editing, dynamic updating, geo-tagging for location-based blogging, and easy publication from editing tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Windows Live Writer. Blogger supports up to 100 users, so if you grow your blog beyond single editorship you can expand without any hassle.

Tumblr (Web-Based, Free)

While Blogger is an easy way to set up a full-fledged blog, Tumblr is an interesting fusion between a full-fledged blog and a Twitter feed. Known as short-form or micro blogging, the style of blogging on a Tumblr blog is focused on short and frequent posts that are normally longer (or more focused on media like images or video) than Twitter updates but not as involved and formal as a regular blog post. It's a style that appeals to a lot of people and the ease of setup coupled with the informality of Tumblr is a winning combination for people who aren't looking to commit to a blog as an involved and time-consuming project. If this is the first time you've come across the concept of micro blogging, make sure to check out Tumblr's About Us which provides an interesting picture of micro blogging.

WordPress (Web-Based, Free)

WordPress is a popular open source blogging platform along the lines of the venerable Swiss Army knife. As a WordPress user, you have the option of setting up a WordPress blog on your own server (for free) or creating a WordPress-hosted blog at WordPress.com. Thanks to an absolutely enormous community of followers and developers, WordPress has themes, plug-ins, and gadgets of all stripes. It isn't as simple to set up and configure as some of the other entries in this week's Hive, but once you get it up and running you're rewarded with a nearly limitless array of options, configurations, and plug-ins. Finding a customization tool or trick for WordPress is almost never more effort than a cursory Google search. WordPress is a scalable solution that allows you to do everything from maintain a single blog with a single user to an entire stable of blogs with multiple users all overseen by a primary administrator.

SquareSpace (Web-Based, From $8 per month)

SquareSpace is a commercial blogging platform with packages ranging from $8-50 per month. One of the nice things about their pricing schedule is that it's based almost entirely on volume and not on the idea that the lower tier members don't deserve all the cool toys the premium members get. Aside from a few features, mostly focused on volume and big site management, the user experience from the smallest users to the biggest power users is consistent. SquareSpace's strongest focus is on making good blog design easy for design/coding newbies. They've built their system around a modular design so building a brand new blog is as easy as snapping the pieces you want together.

Posterous (Web-Based, Free)

Posterous aims to be an absolutely no-fuss and zero-stress way to blog. You don't need to sign up, you don't need to know any code, you don't need to know how to do anything but send an email to set up your own Posterous blog and start sharing your ideas and media. Simply email post@posterous.com from any email account and Posterous will create a YourName.Posterous.com blog for you. They're quick to point out that they aren't a short-form or micro blogging service because there isn't anything short or micro about your Posterous blog. You can write posts and long as you want, attaching photos and media files. (You can use the site's rich text editor to create or edit posts, but its by-email updating is what its best known for.) The only micro part about Posterous is the amount of time you'll spend setting it up. While email-based blogging might not be for everyone, it's impressive how much you can do through the Posterous system with a single email. Check out their FAQ file to see how you can do everything from multimedia posts to tagging your entries right from your email subject line.

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Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular blogging platforms as voted on by Lifehacker readers, it's time to cast a vote for your favorite:

 

 

Have a favorite blogging platform that wasn't highlighted here? A tip or trick for setting up a blogging platform that was? Let's hear all about it in the comments. If you have a great idea for the next Hive Five shoot as an email at tips@lifehacker.com and we'll do our best to give you idea the limelight it deserves.

 

Wow, all I can say - really really great - email now easier to use as we have 8 accounts on there between us all - so one inbox to see them easily (most are my accounts but...!)

The folders are as useful on here as on the iPhone - brilliant to group things - before I had them on separate screens but this is far quicker to use - only 2 screens of icons, a folder for News, Social Networks stuff, Business, Games, Shopping and the iWork apps - all tidy together.

It seems faster, and although I've not tried the multitasking that should be dandy. Being able to print over wifi is great as Carleen uses it to shop online so she can print off invoices etc and we're using an inline accounting system as of next week, so perfect to use in the iPad at meetings!

Not sure I'll use the Airplay stuff as we have the Apple TV and everything streamed from the Mac but you never know.

Every house really should have one, we might not have jetpacks but we can have iPads! ;-)

 

Ah - amazing - as mad as it sounds - we have heat, after 7 days of heat - no heat - heat - heat but no hot water - hot water but no heat, we are able to say we can have both at the same time, which is something I thought I'd never be pleased to say unless it was about a night out with the Minogue sisters. ;-)

Marvellous! Wonderful! 

The dogs in her basket, sleeping peacefully - we're planning not to have to go to bed fully clothed and get up in the middle of the night to turn the boiler back on.

I'm so ridiculously pleased I'd have made a rubbish caveman, or indeed anyone pre mid 20th century!

Huzzah!

Well, getting to the end of 2011, goodness knows where it's gone - seems to be one of the maddest years so far for us, a lot achieved, and a lot yet to come to fruition! Theres a new Feel Design site, up and live, new stationery to print off, a new accounting system to bring into action, ditching Sage, we're stopping taking cheques - far too many bounced ones this year which is a pain, it'll be card payments over the phone or BACs and Standing Orders only from next year.
Starting to plan for Christmas - getting shopping lists together, Carleens buying fruit to soak for the cakes, a little later this year but it'll be fine. Just looking forward to a rest after the next month which looks like being a mad dash of websites, ecoms, logo design, trips to London, stuff at the school like Carol services and nativities, all leading to us shutting down on Christmas Eve and keeping our heads below the parapets until after new year!

Off to London tomorrow, can't wait! 2 days with Carleen - wandering about - seeing a couple of friends and off to see Stephen Fry at the Royal Albert Hall!
It's been a mad few weeks - so much work - but I have built 4 sites in 2 days - working round the clock - about to enjoy a lovely lunch and a glass or 2 of something, then chill out!

Aaaagh - up again at 4.30 this morning with the dog whining- did some work - took the kids to Saturday school, came back, some more work, into town to bank a cheque, back to pick them up, walk the dog, some more work, now can barely keep my eyes open - but they won't let me sleep!!! Hoping the iPhone /iPod game they wanted Whizzball, will keep them occupied and be a well spent £1.19!!

Roll on their bedtime - in the meantime  - best walk the dog again!!! If I'm lucky I'll manage to stay awake long enough for Merlin!!

Up at 2.30 this morning after 2 hours sleep  - so much on - no idea how to manage it all! Back to running 20 plus projects - clearing the decks in order to take on the next lot! Just sorted two holiday cottage sites, working on a new ticket site for SEO and now taken on an SEO package for a roof cleaning company  -all needs sorting this week!