Blog Tools

Q. Do you have to have your own Web site to start a blog?

A. With free or inexpensive sites around the Web, you can start your own Web log, or blog, without having to set up your own Web site or learning how to write Web-page code. Sites like Blogger (www.blogger.com), Xanga (www.xanga.com) and LiveJournal (www.livejournal.com) offer free basic accounts, and once you set one up and log in, you can blog away on their servers.

These types of sites offer preformatted templates and simple software for writing your blog's text and adding pictures. You may not have full control over the look of your blog, and some sites stick banner advertisements on the pages of free account holders, but you do get a free forum to express your views.

Setting up a free blog account is not unlike signing up for a free Web-based e-mail account. You supply a user name and password — and then use those later to log into the main site when you want to update your blog. If you decide you want a more personal look or do not want somebody else's advertisements on your blog page, check to see if your service offers upgraded paid accounts that eliminate the ads in exchange for a monthly or annual fee.

If you do have your own Web site or a certain amount of server space from your Internet provider to use for a Web site, you can put your blog there instead. You can use programs like Movable Type (www.sixapart.com/movabletype) and WordPress (www.wordpress.org) to compose and post updates to your Web log.

Source:  The New York Times, April 20, 2006