I'm thinking of starting a blog...any recommendations on which blog service is the best to use?

I have recently started a new blog and I had the same question. In the end I chose Wordpress(.org), hosted on my site. Why: - I have used a smaller/more obscure blog software for another blog and regretted it.

Updates were a pain, there was no support and extra plugins to speak of. Moving the blog to another platform was difficult. Lesson learned: go with one of the popular platforms.

- If Wordpress, why host it on your own domain (rather than on wordpress. Com)? It depends what you intent to do with it... you can perhaps start that way, but if it's more serious, host it yourself.So you get all the benefits from links to your site and more overall control (Wordpress could always decide to put ads on free blogs!

) - Wordpress installation on my site was easy, in fact most webhosts offer an automated installation option, which is handy, and another reason to go for Wordpress. - Customization of Wordpress was also easy and there are thousands of themes out there you can choose from and modify easily to create a personal style. - The Admin interface is good, since version 2.7 (before, it kind of sucked).

I have read that people have ditched blogger & other platforms since version 2.7 came along, as it the best around. You spend a lot of time with the admin interface, it's important to have a good one! - Wordpress is highly popular which brings these benefits: lots of community support, large knowledge base, bugs tend to get fixed, lots of themes available.

- The plugins: One of the best features, there are so many that make your life & blogging much easier. I use for example HeadSpace for meta-tags, Nextgen for photo galleries, WP Cache to speed things up, Flexible Upload for uploading images, Post Template for post templates, Wordpess Mobile ...adding them & updating them is a snap. And because Wordpress is so pupular, people keep writing more useful plugins.

- Because a lot of other bloggers use Wordpress, trackbacks are virtually "automatic". - Wordpress is "standard" - if you ever decide to use another platform, you bet they will have an "import from Wordpress" option! - I briefly tried Blogger.

Com, I don't like the interface so much and find the top navigation bar annoying. Useful resources, comparing blogging platforms: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/images/blog_software_comparison.cfm http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/15/choosing-a-blog-platform.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.