Let's take a look and see why it matters so much.
Blogger Pros:
- Widespread users
- Integration with Google apps
- Easy gadget, posting, template manipulation
- Reader feed into one place
- Email list capabilities
- Custom Domain name routing option
Blogger Cons:
- Amateurish look
- Third party templates not always compatible with Blogger
- Reader feed disappearing in May
- Same look for each page (unlike a website)
There are probably more for each category. Now for the other guy...
WordPress Pros:
- Professional looking templates
- Widgets
- Email list capabilities
- Custom Domain naming abilities
WordPress Cons:
- Template manipulation requires knowledge of coding
- Limited widgets and sometimes difficult to manipulate
- May lock up on you and force you to copy and paste everything into Blogger :)
Yeah...I used to be a WordPress blogger, had it routed to a custom domain and everything. I was sitting pretty...until it locked up on me and I couldn't get it to respond to ANYTHING. I know this is probably rare, but it was frustrating. So I switched back to blogger and I've been much happier since.
A lot of the pros and cons that I weighed for the two main blogging options seem very similar in pros and cons. Even contradicting themselves on occasion. And yet if you talk to individuals who have used both, they will usually favor one over the other for various reasons. "I like the templates better." "I don't like Google. Period." "I want to have it integrated with my website."
The list seems to go on and on. And in cases like this I'm always grateful to other authors and professionals who seem to have a leg up on some of the finer points of why some might be better than others, though ultimately it comes down to user preference (in my opinion). Kristin Lamb wrote a great blog article, just today, on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. It's definitely worth taking a look at if you're looking at a professional website and want to know your options.
But when it all comes down to it, I'm not swayed very much by where the link I follow takes me. I'm looking for content and contests and the fun little nuggets that bring a smile to my face. And with that...
Happy Blogging!!
And in answer to yesterday's question? I dislike the color yellow very much. It's okay for the sun and all, but if you ask me to wear it, decorate my house with it, or any other such absurdity...well, just be prepared for a dirty look. :)
So glad I'm not the only one who dislikes yellow! It's okay for flowers to, but don't ever expect me to wear it. Yech.
ReplyDeleteI've only used one site for blogging and it's worked so far for me. *fingerscrossed* I do wish the blogs were more compatible with cross commenting. I have to log into mine before I comment on yours. :/
Melanie
Thanks for the info! Very cool! Please visit our site and, if you like it, join us! We are a new blog. http://citymusecountrymuse2012.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI use WordPress because it was offered by my web host. So I'm hosting my own WordPress blog, which probably avoids some of the issues other WordPress users experience. Though I must say, I like WordPress, largely because I find it easy to use and it does what I want. Sure, I can't put GFC on it, but I stopped showing a count of followers a while ago--and I could explain my reason but that's a blog article in itself!
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Karen, it's all about the content anyway, and both WordPress and Blogger deliver. :)
The great blogger vs. Wordpress debate! Everything has its pros and cons.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the significance of content over the platform. :)
I use WP because it was the first one I found :) I tend to find blogger blogs too 'busy' but I think yours is very nice. Clean, with good lines. The thing is, which does what you, the user, wants it to do? Good post!
ReplyDeleteHappy AtoZing!
Jemima at Jemima's blog
I tried Wordpress and found it very difficult to use. I like Blogger, although I'm very dissapointed that the feeds are going away. I hope they will re-think that decision. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYellow . . . I knew it!!! ANd thanks for this insightful post. I'm still on wordpress, and outside of not being able to use rafflecopter, I'm happy where I'm at:-)
ReplyDeleteI chose Wordpress since it has such a big panoply of templates. I've used a couple of them, included a Halloween-themed one in October. I feel that their templates are better-suited to my personality as a serious intellectual, in opposed to Blogger, which seems more casual and mainstream. I also like that WP limits how much you can put on the sidebar, and that it doesn't have captchas.
ReplyDeleteand that yellow hurt my eyes lol.
ReplyDelete