Self Hosted Web Blog

Do you have a minute? If yes, it is good enough to confess that you need at least 5 minutes to know about hosted web blog. When it comes to hosted web blog, anyone might think that I am doing WordPress marketing. Since, it is been top Content Management System (CMS) in internet web blog history, anyone who wish to start a blog will be tempted to own a WordPress hosting! Now, the question is what is hosted web blog? Time to find out.

What is Self Hosted Web Blog?

Self Hosted web blogs are either self-hosted from home or hosted through a service provider. Unlike, Blogger where you depend on Google for the service, hosted web blogs are self-dependent. It means you own your blog completely and have control over all the aspects of your web blog. You are at the liberty to decide your own policy and terms. Especially, plugins! Most blogging platform fall short when it comes to plugins. In a hosted blog, you can control the level of plugins and could install & manage your own hand coded extensions. In simple words, it is like you own your house for good unlike renting it.

Owning a Blog is not having WordPress

So now, owning a self hosted web blog is not all about WordPress. WordPress is one among the CMS in Internet history. You will be provided with lot of other CMS to manage your blog. But WordPress gained popularity as it was open source and let developers to create and install own plugins. The repository of plugins made WordPress popular to stand of the crowd. Yet, if you wish to use some other CMS, then you are good to go. The point is WordPress blogging platform is not a must have if plan for a hosted web blog!

If you are planning to setup own blog, then it is good to check with other CMS such as joomla, Drupal and so on. A simple web search going to bring a lot of information than any book could do. Most of the CMS installations are just a click away. So it worth to give it a shot.

Advantages of Owning a Web Blog:

Well, it most advantageous to own a web blog for yourself rather than using using third party service if wish to exercise full control over your blog. The following are the few advantages of self-hosted web blogs:

• Full control over the blog functions
• Personalized blog experience
• Getting trust from visitors about your seriousness in blogging
• unrestricted plugins. If you could, you can create your own
• No more black outs for policy violations

Though the above list is short, self hosted web blogs are way better than depending on third party services. Some blogging platform provide services as like to make it appear as self-hosted blog, still those services would not let you the above activities.

I am not advocating here to own a self hosted blog. But none can deny reality! Self-hosted blogs are far better than free or hosted blogging services.

Drawback of self hosted web blog:

Everything comes with a price! None could deny the fact that every best thing will have its own pitfalls. Similarly, you might encounter few problems when own a self hosted web blog!

• Hacking attempts! You have to take Guardianship of your blog. You must protect it from attacker trying to gain access to your blog machine. Pulling it down might wipe out entire blog forever.
• You need to be good webmaster. Though, every blogging platform promises one click installation, yet you will need some technical knowledge to understand the working and customization of your blog. 
• Spams! Well internet history wouldn't be complete if we miss out spams from the index. As self hosted blogger you have to take care of spammer who will otherwise push links forever in your comment area. A blog with spam comment links is not good for business.

Though, the list mentioned here is short, most of the pitfalls could be sorted out with less effort but with a premium price. Most hosting service providers offer package for safety and security of your blog. Either you can purchase the package as a whole or take care for yourself. As always, it is a self hosted web blog, you have the control to what to be done.