Why did I switch to WordPress.com for hosting?
Why in the world did I choose WordPress.com for my personal blog? I’ve been using the open source version of WordPress for several years, as noted in this post in 2008.
So why give up the control I had with the WordPress.org version for the tightly controlled WordPress.com service? Three reasons: security, convenience, and cost. Read More…
Why do I blog?
A blog post by one of my favorite bloggers – Chris Brogan – has me revisiting why I bother blogging. Is it to make money? No. Is it persuade others to adopt my beliefs? No. Is it to promote my personal brand? No. Is it to teach? No. I blog simply to share some of me with you. And sometimes you give me an incredible gift: you share some of your life with me. There is magic in that exchange. Read More…
Throw away your opening paragraphs
At the end of a writing session, throw away your opening paragraphs. The real content in your writing, and your more natural writing voice, is not in the opening paragraphs: it lives deeper in your story.
Several times recently, upon re-reading what I had written, I found the first handful of paragraphs on a blog post so awful I chose to delete them instead of trying to fix them.
My foray into WordPress for personal blogging
I’ve installed WordPress for others. It’s an easy-to-use content management system with functionality that can be extended by a wide range of pre-made plugins. You can use the free, basic version at WordPress.com to make a personal blog, or pay a bit for premium services, or install the open-source version available from WordPress.org. Now I’ve installed WordPress for me, because the best way to learn a system is to use it.
