Gizmo

Blogger and Movable Type

A recent study said that readers of blogs, those Web journals on current events and everyday lives, outnumber blog creators by a 7 to 2 ratio. If you have a yen to become a blogger, two popular blogging products, Blogger and Movable Type, can get you started.

Both have hosted offerings, which is good for beginners. You can always move your blog to your own Web site later if you have one.

Both packages run off Web browsers, making blogs easy to update from cybercafes and Macintosh computers as well.

Blogger’s BlogSpot service is simpler to use and free — your blog carries an ad on top — but Movable Type’s TypePad is much more flexible and well worth the cost, which begins at $4.95 a month.

Setting up a Blogger account is straightforward. An automated wizard walks you through naming your blog and choosing a template. Posting is just as easy. With the hosted service, you can’t upload images or create passwords to keep strangers out, though Blogger developers say those features are coming soon.

Sadly, Blogger often exposes you to too much HTML, the programming language for Web sites.

Nonetheless, Blogger gives you a nice, free introduction to blogging.

Soon enough, you’ll be left wanting more, and that’s where Movable Type and its TypePad service come in.

A basic account costs $4.95 a month. For $8.95, you get an online photo album and advanced blogging features, and for $14.95, friends and family can post.

Setup is simple, as is posting and editing. Movable Type lets you underline text, add clickable e-mail addresses and upload images, documents and music files.

Like Blogger, Movable Type also displays HTML when formatting posts. But through TypePad, you can create lists of favorite sites, music and books without messing with the coding.

Because Movable Type can do so much, it’s not always easy to use.

That’s why Blogger is recommended for starters, but soon enough, once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to spring for Movable Type.

By The Associated Press