March 29, 2005

• I would recommend Blogger, personally, unless you're needing more flexibility with the site structure. Blogger templates are pretty easy to customize if you know your CSS. Also, since it's owned by Google, your site will be thoroughly and regularly spidered, and you'll get better Google rankings hit for hit than if you strike out on your own. For example, I did a kind of joke post about my favorite bourbon about a month ago. My blog is now the seventeenth site listed on Google if you do a search for that bourbon.
• You can get a rocking Livejournal like skirk. Woot
• Middleclasstool You never know what those spiders will pick up. I'm currently sixth on google for "upskirt photos". Yea baby.
• LOL Argh. My only Livejournal visits are to SexTips, of course. But my music isn't emo, exactly. In fact it's worse! I almost signed up and started with Blogger tonight (spur of the six-pack and all that), mct, but I had to wonder about taking my blog commercial there. And I don't know CSS from the hole in my ASS. But maybe that is how I should start. And did I know Blogger was a Google operation? No. I gotta pay more attention!
• Advice I heard a while ago (and subsequently forgot the source) was to use Blogger or something similar for a year. If you manage to keep up with it for that long, you know you are serious and it may be worth paying for hosting (which is cheap nowadays.)
• Depends what elements you like in other blogs. In terms of features, Blogger's being somewhat left behind (no easy way to have categories, linklog sidebars, and a whole bag of other common features of your modern, dashing blog-about-town). It does have the advantages of real simplicity of use (if not necessarily ease of use or speed of use, which depends on how friendly the site and servers are feeling that day), freeness, and powerful googlejuice. I'd still say try Blogger for a bit, just to see if you'll actually blog regularly enough to make it worthwhile, but plan to move over to something snazzier fairly soon, once you know better what it is you'll need. Of course, you may never want to leave, and some very fine blogs still live on blogspot (e.g...)
• You don't have to know CSS to use Blogger, only if you want to tweak your stylesheet. They've got a couple of dozen templates, and there are other sites where you can download Blogger templates as well. It is unbelievably easy to use, if you're not hep to writing your own markup. loto's got a good point. Do Blogger to see if you've got the work ethic just to keep updating content regularly. If you do and then decide to roll your own, you'll know how much extra work you're getting into.
• Flash makes a good point about categories &c. You're very limited as to overall site structure (pretty much just chronological archives), but it's a good starter kit while you're getting the hang of it.
• If your end goal is to promote your music, why don't you just make a site that does that? There's plenty of cheap hosting around and if you still want a blog it's not hard to add one to a hosted site. The Surly Bikes web site demonstrates the different functions of a commercial web site pushing a product and a web log pretty well.
• Thank you flashboy and mct. And I could, mexican, but I'd rather blog the process.
• I have the same issue, Jerry. I have a link in my profile to my webpage (with mp3 samples), but just how to promote online is always a tough question. The only sure way is to (somehow!) cultivate a fan base, and often it will take on a life of its own. I've been in bands where it's worked, and where it hasn't. Once my album is out, I'll let you know how it goes.
• Or rather I want to blog my musical career and maybe sell a few tickets/cds along the way. Anyway, I have created a Blogger.com blog and I'll see how that goes. Thank you all for your advice. I love this place!
• I just jumped right in a couple years ago and started a website with my own domain name with the intention of promoting my art. My site has grown to document all the odd little aspects of my life as well as my paintings and art, and has been extremely helpful in business. Two years later and I still know barely anything about html or css, but am rather envious of the ease of categories and archiving in blogger. Good luck though!
• Well, I've done that too schlim (see my profile) but this bloggin' looks like ASS so far: http://jerryandbob.blogspot.com/ I knew it wasn't going to be easy but it can't be too hard...
• Nah, that's an orphan now. An experiment, but it won't survive tomorrow.
• It's not as easy as advertised. ;-)
• It isn't? Set it up, not worrying about tweaking anything, then download w.bloggar, and pretend you're saving your writing on your own computer.
• Except that it looks like w.bloggar has been hacked. Oh well.
• Lots of chat here about Blogger; I'd like to suggest an alternative. 1) Create a standard HTML site with static information: your "brochure," etc. 2) Have one of the major links on the site lead to a blog site posted via TypePad.com. TypePad is from the folks who created MovableType, the engine that drives a number of my own sites, both personal and self-promotional. If I weren't so heavily invested in MovableType (one you learn how to do it, you hate to give it up!), I'd jump to TypePad for simplicity's sake. My own Google rankings are quite high ... but that's because I'm committed to relatively frequent updates focused on specific subject matter areas. Real content -- not keyword farms -- gets you good rankings ... and good traffic. I'd recommend you blog specifically and regularly about what you learn as you work, your process of creation, your challenges, and your successes ... and post links to .mp3s of your work as they become available. Just an idea! Good luck.
• Also, if you want to jump right into your own domain, Dreamhost would probably be the cheapest and easiest. They have a one click install of WordPress (excellent blogging software) and offer normal ftp and ssh access to your site. I think I paid 10 dollars a month when I had their service. That way you can have everything you are talking about (mp3's, etc) all on one site.
• GYOB
• My blog is in the top three results for the phrase "gunter glieben glauchen globen," the pseudo-Germanic words intoned at the beginning of the song "Rock of Ages" by UK hitmakers Def Leppard.
• I would suggest getting your own domain, no matter what. Even if all you do is have a blog on the domain, the value of keeping your URL the same is very high for Google purposes. You can FTP a Blogger blog to your own site, or you could the last time I looked. You can also use TypePad on your own site: The 20' x 20' Room, which I belong to, is run via TypePad. While I wouldn't recommend it, you can also embed a paid LiveJournal in your own site. Hope this helps!
• My blog is in the top three results for the phrase "gunter glieben glauchen globen," the pseudo-Germanic words intoned at the beginning of the song "Rock of Ages" by UK hitmakers Def Leppard. You fucked it up by posting it here. And I certainly have.
• Site Meter has revealed some fucked-up google hits for me, too. One guy found me by Googling "slit gash," and another found me by Googling "Jack Lalane pushups."
• I'd second/third/whatever that about snaffling your own domain name, and FTPing your Blogger/TypePad/whatever blog to it. That's what I do on my blog (that reminds me, must update it...). Having a regular domain name is certainly good for Google rankings, as well as optimising your spam intake. And I say that as the number one Google result for the phrase wank a pig on prime-time TV. I'm so proud.
• I'm so proud. Oh, is that your site? I mean...nevermind.
• wank a pig on prime-time TV Nice work!
• Wow, fb, thats impressive. At one point, I think I owned shares in your blog. But it wasn't producing, so I think I sold. Or I got bored. Sorry.
• For just simple stuff, I would highly recommend MySpace as a place to start...I have several friends bands that use it to host their tunes and keep a simple blog. For some money, you could go with one of the many blog CMS systems that are available...you need limited knowledge and web hosting and you're set. Visit OpenSourceCMS to view working previews of the different ones available :) Personally, I use WordPress and quite enjoy it (very simple setup, lots of great options). If you need webhosting give me a shout for help!
• I will second the advice of MadeByMark and loto...getting your own hosting is most important really...this way you are sure to not only have absolute control, but also the knowledge that there will be no random outtages/loss of content, as well as the far greater storage for your music (and being a band in this era, I personally think it is hugely important to offer lots of free music to your fans (eg: live soundboard recordings, tracks from albums, band interviews etc)). Again, I would second the use of DreamHost since they are by far the best price/performance managed hosting out there and a pleasure to deal with. Having recently been fired from my job due to my disability, I would be more than happy to lend a hand in anything you need and if you do go the dreamhost route, would really appreciate getting the referral credit ;)
• You are all intersesting. I am gonna do it. Still not sure how but I am busting at my seams. Well, maybe I am just fat... with tunes. Thanks.