If you have tried both blogger and wordpress.com, I'd like to know which one is your favorite and why. A pro/con list would do nicely. I'm trying to decide which I should use.

Note, I'm talking about wordpress.com where you host your blog (yourblog.wordpress.com), not worpress.org where you download the program and then put it on your own host. I've ruled wordpress.org out because I don't want to have to pay for my own domain name.

I have used Blogger much more than Wordpress, but I have used both.

BLOGGER
If you want easy, you want Blogger. Though both are simple to set up, I'd say Blogger wins for ease of use and so on.
Pros:
Template designer (customize your template with no knowledge of HTML)
Easy to post and maintain
Lots of nice templates out there (and it's easier to make your own)

Cons:
Commenting isn't as full-featured as Wordpress blogs
Not-so-great static pages
You don't control the Root folder of your site

WORDPRESS
If you're a tweaker, you want wordpress. Extensions can modify the way your blog (and its control panel) work, and themes are much more robust on this platform. Not that blogger isn't customizable, it's just more basic

Pros:
Customizable with extensions
Better and more themes

Cons:
If you really want to tweak your template, you've got to dive in and do it--there's no easy thing like Blogger's template designer.
Sometimes there's so many options it can be overwhelming to newbies.

Perhaps someone else would like to elaborate on the WP part? I really have used Blogger more. I'd say Blogger is good for a start, but ultimately if you plan on making this long-term you're going to want to go with WP. I know many HWers use Blogger (almost all HW bloggers, in fact), but some use Wordpress (Jay)

eruheran

Thank you for your response, Eru! FTR, I am (hopefully) going to make this long term. But I'm not tech-savvy or a tweaker. . . think think think.

I have used Wordpress as part of a team (I wasn't the blog administrator), and it was fine. However, when I went solo, I tried to use Wordpress and got lost. There are multiple types of Wordpress, and whichever one I was using wouldn't allow me to upload my own template. I could only use ones from the preset gallery. I wanted more options, so I went to Blogger, where I could upload a template that I'd downloaded off the web.

I've never had any issues with Blogger, and it's simple and clean-cut. I am not a techie person, so this works well for me. Plus, it is attached to my gmail, which is nice.

It's .com that won't let you use your own templates. I didn't think it would be a problem since apparently they have a sizable gallery, but. . . who knows?

I haven't used Wordpress, but I must say I would prefer blogger, as I have a google account and it links with that. I have 2 blogs. The good thing with blogger, is if you don't want to tweak HTML's you don't have to, but if you want to, you can. That's what I've done with mine:
http://www.praiseworthybookreviews.blogspot.com

I find a layout I like, add it to blogger, and then I tweak the image links to my own links to make my own background and header. Fiddly, but I like fiddly stuff. Blogger just seems simpler and easier; many of the wordpress ones I've seen look very plain, but there are many snazzy blogs! This one is gorgeous, and one I follow: www.god-sdaughter.blogspot.com/

Anyway, hope that helps some even if I haven't used wordpress!

If you just want a blog, not a fancy template or any coding, and you don't want to tinker with it it that much, you'd probably like Blogger. For the more inventive type, (like me) Wordpress wins hands-down, You can tweak it to do all sorts of things.

I think I'm going with Wordpress. My dad is a computer programmer (actually, that's an understatement ) so I'll get the benefits of Wordpress, and he'd help me with the tech-ness. Tech-ness. That is so not a word.

Anywho, thank you all very much for your advice! When my blog is up there will be a link in my siggy.

I look forward to reading your blog! =) It's cool that you have someone to help you set it up and all, that's always nice.

eruheran

I found this site if it's any help as well It apparently shows you step by step how to use the program

http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/

Squee! See the sig?? See the sig??


Hmm. . . *goes to check out Elanor's site*

It looks really cool Kat! Well done!

Thanks guys. I'm pleased with it myself. Black, lime green, and rust. Who knew? Now let's see if I can post regularly like I'm supposed to.