LiveJournal rocks!

[flexibeast]

In recent times, i've really started to appreciate how LiveJournal works in comparison to other blogging systems. i have found Blogspot/blogger.com, in particular, to be difficult to use. i created a Blogspot account to allow me to comment on the people who maintain Blogspot blogs; but trying to actually comment has made me tear my hair out in frustration:

• Unlike LiveJournal, you can't log in to your account via the comment form; you have to log in elsewhere first.


• Oddly, it seems that once you're logged in, you're only logged in on the tab you logged in on. That is, if i log in on tab A in the browser, then open up a new tab, tab B, in order to comment on someone's blogs, the comment form will claim i'm not logged in. Argh! LJ doesn't have this problem.


• Unlike LiveJournal, comments aren't threaded; nor does one get any notification via email when someone has responded to one's comments.


• The navigation system is clumsy: if you're viewing someone else's blog, there don't seem to be any navigation aids to help you get back to either your own blog, or to the blogger.com homepage, which is where you seem to need to be if you want to log out. Again, LJ doesn't have this problem.

All of this has made me wonder if the reason for oft-heard criticism that blogging is merely a self-involved monologue isn't based on experiences of blogging systems such as Blogspot. In my experience, Blogspot makes interaction with other bloggers difficult; and does Blogspot have a 'community' system, like that of LJ? Unlike Blogspot, LiveJournal actually facilitates interaction between bloggers.

Clearly, i need to upgrade my LJ account to a paid account, as a put-my-money-where-my-mouth-is gesture of support :-). And next pay, i plan on doing so. :-)

Update, ~7pm: i've actually just upgraded to a paid account. :-)
 

Comments

[xxasimont.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about LJ being the best! I used to be involved with quite a few online mailing lists, but tended to 'tail off' those when I found LJ, because everything is here (I"m still on some but not as many). Pity LJ doesn't have an easy way for Aussies' without credit cards to pay for accounts. Oh well, I'll get it worked out sooner or later how to do it. Wonder what the geographical distribution of LJ'ers is?
Simon

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

i actually don't have a credit card myself; but my housemate does, and she's happy for me to use it and then pay her back in cash. :-)

An overview of the geographical distribution of LJers, grouped by country, is available here (http://www.livejournal.com/directory.bml).

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

Only paided users can see that.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Er, no . . . . i was just talking about the number of LJers in each country, which is listed when you scroll down the page. It's the information about the geographical distribution within each country that's only available to paid members.

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sorry about that.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

No problem. :-)

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

Yes, I really should support Lj but I think I will still wait for a while, because or cedit cards rather than actual money

[ms-le-fey.livejournal.com]

I love LJ. When I have money, one of my first plans is to get a paid account. I would like to have my LJ all 'tricked-out' but some of that fanciness I want requires a paid account. I totally agree about Blogspot. I had an account there for a very short time and I hated it.