From celebrities and top level execs, to aspiring writers and highschoolers venting their teen angst, blogs are popping up everywhere. Of course, as the demand for blog services has increased, so has the number of providers. Hence, the reason Star Reviews wanted to check out Blogster to see what it had when comparing it to its competition. Right off the bat, we didn’t see stars upon entry to the Blogster webpage, but keep reading for our total experience.
What's New with Blogster?
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New user search-search for other Blogster users by user name or by blog title.
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Blogster now offers free image hosting.
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Syndication subscriptions now available.
Star Reviews' Favorite Feature:
Free image hosting-Many of the top blog services require paid subscriptions to host images while some blog services don't offer image hosting at all.
About Blogster:
According to Blogster, their mission is to create a world of better bloggers. However, getting any in-depth info about the company proved to be a bit of a fruitless venture. If we didn't know better, we'd say they were undercover agents. No history or founding story to be had at this website! After doing a little digging, we discovered that Blogster was originally created by two people named Tony and Eddie and was then sold to a company called 260.com, Inc. The company seems to have a loyal following of Blogster fans in their communities.
Blogster's Pricing:
One of the best things about Blogster (and what makes it popular with teens) is that there is no cost to use the service. Blogster accounts are absolutely free of charge.
The Blogster Experience:
Signing up for Blogster was very easy. We just had to choose a user name, password, blog title and provide them with our birth date and we were good to go. Now, it's important to note that you need to upload a photo to your blog or choose a stock photo if you want your blog to appear throughout the Blogster community pages. If you choose not to include a photo, your blog won't be rotated.
When you finish setting up your Blogster account, you'll be taken to the user center (control panel) for your blog. From here, you can write and publish posts, see how many people have visited your blog, manage your buddy and secret admirer lists and manage favorite links and subscriptions. All in all, the Blogster service was very easy to use, even if the customization options and features were a bit lacking compared to some of the other top blog services available.
At Star Reviews, we think all websites should be family-friendly, which is why we have to mention that, in our opinion, it seems a lot of teens and young adults populate the Blogster community and we came across some photos that may not be appropriate for younger children. Because of this, if you are setting up a blog for someone who is younger than high school age or you are setting up a blog and want a professional community, Blogster might not be the best choice.
Blogster Features:
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Buddies lists
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Favorites and subscriptions management
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New user search
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Free image hosting
Blogster's Customer Support:
Like most of the top blog services, Blogster does not offer phone support. However, we have to admit that it is very unusual to find phone support for any free service on the Web. Blogster does, however, provide the next best thing. Email support is available, even if it does take a day or two for them to get back to you. Blogster users can also always turn to the comprehensive FAQ section or the Blogster community for any questions they need immediate answers to.
Upside:
No costs, easy to use, free image hosting.
Downside:
Some content may be inappropriate for certain age groups. Basic features.
Summary:
We thought the Blogster blog service is a good start for a novice blogger or simply someone who wishes to connect with others. We liked some of their features, such as free image hosting, buddies lists and the easy signup process. You'll be on your way to meeting new friends and posting blog entries in no time! They even have secret admirer lists for those of you looking for love. In all seriousness, we noticed how this blog service seemed to cater to a younger crowd, and did see many photos in profiles that some parents might deem objectionable.
So, if you have little ones or you're a business owner wishing to network, Blogster may not be your first pick. But, it is free of charge and email support will respond to you within a few days. You can always use the FAQs section if you need an immediate answer. Or, why not ask someone on your buddy list? We think this blog service has a good amount to offer a budding blogger.