It is important to know how to choose the right tools when writing your articles. In blogging, using the correct blogging software tools will help you manage the content of your blog. When it comes to publishing your blog content, there are two kinds of blog software tools that you can use, such as: the server-based tools and the client-based tools. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to choose the one that is right for your blog.
The Client-based Tools
One of the two blog software tools that you can choose from is the client-based tools. These tools’ purpose
is to aid you with publishing your blog and they are normally installed on your computer and also run from
there. Additionally, client-based tools are also categorized as small blogs that are able to run from
your hard drive.
Client-based tools also have text editors that allow you to perform word processing applications from your
own computer. Thus, a text blog editor enables you to create and publish your own content at the comfort of
your own desktop.
Obviously, the first advantage of using client-based tools, like the text editor, is convenience. Most
bloggers choose to publish their work with a desktop tool rather than a Web browser, which entails logging
into the blog software’s control panel and accessing the Web-based text editor.
Additionally, client-based tools can be managed either locally or remotely. Such tools can allow you to manage and edit your posts remotely. More so, the content of your blog can also be managed locally by saving drafts to a local computer. These can be very beneficial to those with limited Internet connection since accessing and managing the content of your blog remotely and locally can be done without the need of being connected to the Internet.
Lastly, you can manage multiple blogs through the use of client-based tools. If by any chance you are publishing more than one blog, it might be easier if you consider using a blog editor. The blog editor can be easily configured to manage all your blogs. You only have to enter the same information that you use to log in into your server tool combined with the particular kind of server software you are using and the blog editor can save that information in its configuration.
The Server-based Tools
Another kind of blog software tool that you can choose from is the server-based tools. There are two varieties of such tools: blog hosting service provider tools and server-based publishing tools.
The first variety is automatically provided by your blog hosting service provider. Hosted blog software tools are very easy to use and you do not have to install any software or manage any configuration too difficult to comprehend. These kinds of tools can help you focus on publishing your content.
With the use of hosted software tools, you are also provided with an assortment of design templates. These can help you in choosing the desired layout that suits your blog. More so, the layouts can be easily customized, including the fonts, columns, colors, etc.
On the other hand, publishing tools you install on the server has the advantage of giving you the level of customization and control you need over the configuration settings. Through the use of these kinds of server-based tools, you can decide how much storage space you allocate, extend the features of your blog through plug-ins or add-ins and make custom layouts and pages.
Most blogs allow visitors to the blog to post comments on any of the blog posts. These comments may pertain to the blog posting or may be completely unrelated. The comments may also be positive or negative in nature. Regardless of the type of comment left by a visitor the blogger may choose to deal with these comments in a number of different ways. The blogger may answer these comments, block individual visitors from leaving comments in the future or use administrative features to delete comments or set the blog to require approval of the comments before they are posted on the blog. This article will discuss each of these options for dealing with comments on a blog in greater detail.
Answering Comments on Your Blog
Bloggers who receive comments on their blog may wish to answer these comments. Most blogging programs allow the blogger to post comments on his own blog which enables the blogger to answer comments directly. With this feature a blogger can deal with a number of different situations including negative comments, positive comments and questions. Bloggers who receive negative comments on their blog may opt to answer these comments directly with a rebuttal to the negative comments. This allows the blogger to recognize the criticism and defend his original post. Bloggers who receive positive comments may also wish to answer these comments to thank the visitors for the praise. Still other bloggers may receive comments which ask a question about the blog post or the blogger himself. Bloggers may opt to answer these questions to develop a better relationship with the blog visitors.
Blocking Comments from Individual Visitors
Another option for dealing with blog comments which are negative in nature is to block comments from individual blog visitors. In most cases bloggers will have the ability to blog a particular user from leaving comments on the blog. The blogger may wish to use this option in situations where the comments from the blog visitor are extremely mean spirited. The blogger may also wish to ban individual blog visitors from making comments if he has previously attempted to explain his point to the visitor but the visitor continues to post negative comments. A blogger may also wish to ban an individual blog visitor from making comments if he believes the comments are being left as spam.
Using Administrative Features
Still another option for dealing with comments on a blog includes using administrative features to delete comments or modify the settings to not allow comments to be displayed until the blogger approves them. Blog owners typically have the ability to delete a comment left by a blog visitor. Deleting these comments is usually a quite simple process. However, it is not a completely effective method because other blog visitors may have the opportunity to read these comments before they are deleted. Therefore, deleting the comment may prevent some visitors from reading the comment but will not ensure the comment is not seen by any blog visitors. However, there is a way for bloggers to make sure visitors do not read negative comments. Most types of blogging software have options which require the blogger to approve all comments before they become available to the public. This gives the blogger the ability to delete a comment before it is read by any of the blog visitors. The blogger can simply delete any comments they do not wish others to read before the comments are published.