Category: MetaBlogging

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MetaBlogging

Why I miss Blogger

After a week here in WordPress and my own domain, I have to admit that there are some things I miss about Blogger. I don’t regret switching to WordPress, but there were a couple things that I liked or even preferred about Blogger.

  1. And a big #1: Label posts without opening them. Labeling posts is roughly equivalent to putting them in categories or tagging them. In Blogger, you just check a box next to the post title on your post editing page and label them (like you might in GMail). Yeah.
  2. I felt cool using Greasemonkey to ‘pimp’ my Blogger. It was actually the initial reason I downloaded Greasemonkey for Firefox. Sure, WordPress has ‘plugins,’ but I feel like so much less of a haX0r.
  3. Set up another blog in like no minutes. Yeah, this is probably why there are so many splogs on blogspot, but it’s fun. I set up five different blogs, with different topics, on one account.
  4. It’s easier to tweak your template. I’m really scared of ruining my perfect php files on WordPress. With Blogger, I was relatively confident in tweaking the CSS and HTML. Sometimes I ruined things; then I hit ‘clear changes.’
  5. It’s easy in general. Everything is simpler in Blogger. It’s a simpler platform. WordPress is a ‘professional’ platform.
  6. It’s totally free. Okay, so WordPress itself is free, and if I were hosted on WordPress.com, that would be just as free. But hosting my own site is not free. I’m okay with that, though, since I have a job now.

So, after seven days, there are a few things I miss about Blogger, but I’m definitely not done customizing my WordPress yet with some more cool plugins.

Remember, you can stay with Blogger if you want, but here’s how to switch to WordPress if you’d prefer.

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MetaBlogging

The Ultimate Guide to Migrating from Blogger to WordPress

Table of contents for Migrating your blog

Check out the most recent guide to migrating from Blogger to WordPress, from November 2008 August 2009 February 2012.

UPDATED 13 July 07 (step 6)

I assume that you want to move from yourblog.blogspot.com to www.yourblog.com. Otherwise, I say, don’t bother. There’s no benefit to moving from yourblog.blogspot.com to yourblog.wordpress.com unless you really want to use WordPress. I recommend, if you like your Blogger template (especially if you’ve heavily customized it), using Blogger’s capability to publish to your own custom domain (WordPress’s similar feature is a paid add-on). If you want to, you can stay with Blogger. The blogging police won’t come and get you.

But if you’re sure you want to switch, then here’s what you do.

1. Get a domain. Don’t own a domain? I recommend www.GoDaddy.com for domain registration; I use them mostly because I’d heard of them before. Their prices are okay. I recommend three things here:

  • Get private domain registration. No junk mail, no strangers getting your address from your whois info.
  • If available, get yourblog.com , yourblog.net and yourblog.org. Sometimes GoDaddy offers a deal where you can get free private registration when you register 3 domains. (Then redirect .org and .net to the .com using account management. Select 301 redirects.)
  • Search for “GoDaddy coupon.” Click on the first result and use whichever coupon will save you the most money (calculate out the % to see which one that is if you have to).

2. Get hosting. I recommend Bluehost.com; they came highly recommended and are a pretty good deal. Also, they’re one of WordPress’s recommended hosts and feature a very simple install for WordPress.

3. Install WordPress. With Bluehost, just login to your control panel, click on Fantastico under Addons/Plugins, select WordPress on the left, click New Installation on the right. Fill in the forms and you’re done. If your host doesn’t have a similar install, you’ll have to install manually. It shouldn’t be too hard;

4. Login to your WordPress (might take a little time for the installation to “take”). Select “Options” then “Permalinks.” Select “Custom” and type this line in the box:

/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%.html

5. Import your blog from Blogger. You absolutely MUST use the Blogger RSS Import plugin. If this link doesn’t work, try again later. Follow its directions. It loves you. One day it will be included in WordPress. This brings all your posts and comments over.

UPDATE, 16 May 07: That day is today. This import function is included in WordPress 2.2. The other steps here are still important, though, to maintain your permalinks.

6. Delete the Blogger RSS Import plugin from your website. COMPLETELY.

UPDATE, 13 July 07: Now, Blogger enables you to transfer your subscribers seamlessly as well. If you haven’t already, sign up for a FeedBurner account. Then, login to Blogger and go to Settings > Site Feed. In the Post Feed Redirect URL box, enter your new FeedBurner address. This will redirect your subscribers, but you’ll want to be sure to integrate your FeedBurner feed with your new WordPress blog. (FeedSmith, owned by FeedBurner, is a plugin that does just that!)

7. Still in Blogger, select Settings for the blog you want to transfer. Select Publishing. Click the top link, “Custom domain.” Type in your new domain, www.yourblog.com. Save. Now all your links will transfer automatically to your own domain, all your posts are on WordPress and you’re ready to blog on wit’ yo’ bad self.

Afternote. Clean up: You might have to import your images to WordPress as well. If they suddenly stop showing up on WordPress, then you need to import them. If you don’t have very many (I think I have 80-90 and I’ll end up doing this by hand because I’m afraid of the warnings on established plugins), you can easily “recode” your pictures. Login to your WordPress in one tab/window and login at http://picasaweb.google.com/ in another. In Picasa, click on the album for your blog. Select the photo you’re replacing in WordPress. On the right side, click on “Link to this Post” and copy the first link they give you. In WordPress, edit the appropriate post, looking at the code tab, and replace the link that follows the code <img src= with the link you just copied from Picasa. I think that will continue to work.

Also, unfortunately, your Technorati links will not move with your blog. HOWEVER, links themselves are redirected.

Disclosure: the GoDaddy and Bluehost links are affiliate links.

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MetaBlogging

You Can Stay with Blogger

Yes, I made the switch to WordPress from Blogger, but it’s really not for everyone—and I don’t just mean Moveable Type lovers, either. Really, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That said, here are some of the reasons I can think of why you might want to stay with Blogger.

However, if possible, I recommend switching to a custom domain on Blogger (and so do the folks at Pronet Advertising).

  • It’s easy. It’s really easy not to change. I know, I know, it’s not a great reason, path of least resistance, blah blah blah.
  • You have a heavily customized (or completely custom built) template. Changing will be REALLY complicated. Like you might have to hire someone to build a new template compatible with your new blogging platform.
  • Blogger is working for you. People are commenting, you love your look, you have plenty of traffic, and it’s clear you’re not a splog (some research indicates 75% of .blogspot.com blogs are spam)
  • The best domain(s) for you is/are unavailable, you might have to stick with a blogspot-hosted blog. For example, you’re an established blogger, but yourblog.com and yourblog.net are taken. Should you go with yourblog.org? Try to buy the domains from the registrars? Or continue blogging on blogspot and wait? It’s up to you.

There are plenty more reasons, I’m sure. I’ve heard some people complain about Blogger’s capabilities, but just because other people don’t like it doesn’t mean you need to switch. Do what works for you.

Are you sure you want to switch? Then check out my Ultimate Guide to Migrating from Blogger to WordPress!

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MetaBlogging

Welcome to the brand new MamaBlogga!

I was going to wait until my birthday (April 2) to unveil the new site, but . . . I didn’t!

I’ll post more tomorrow, but the biggest and best new features:

  • All new layout. (Let me know if the color melts your brain.)
  • New blogging platform. I switched from Blogger to WordPress.
  • Most importantly, new URL: http://www.MamaBlogga.com . We’re cooking with gas now!

I’ll explain the new tagline, “Mom’s search for meaning,” more soon. Maybe tomorrow. Right now I’m reading an article that my dad sent me that speaks right to the heart of the matter.

Enjoy!