A Conclusion, Of Sorts….

Well.

It was an effort some might consider Herculean, or at least monotonous – but I’ve finally finished backed up all of my 470+ blog-entries which I considered worth saving and reposting Of Another Time.

My apologies for leaving my blog devoid of new posts for so long. I know that most of you are coming here from time to time to read (at least, I’m still getting the same number of hits that I once was, more or less).

Some observations:

— Get this done now. I keep saying that we run no risk by staying –but we have no guarantees of what the new system will look like, either. By backing up your blogs (you should really consider using the steps in my prior blogs, to conserve your HTML code, embedded photos and video), you’ll guarantee that you (and not someone else) can decide where everything goes.

No, it’s not perfect – but it’s miles-ahead of the alternative.

(If you don’t want to save your blog – Yahoo has pledged to do it for you, comments and all, upon release of the new Universal Profile System).

— The database-pointers are starting to show serious signs of needing maintenance (you’ve all seen this; you can click on a blog and wind up someplace else entirely; this makes self-backup of blogs pure frustration at times – and if they’re not going to maintain the system, it will only get worse – so get to this as soon as you can, folks!

More tomorrow. Right now, I’m going to finish getting some real work done.

We Interrupt This Program….

Please be Patient….

Yahoo’s been having issues of late (not finding the right blogs when I go look for them; other bugs; etc.) — and being as it’s month-end, I’ve got my own set of business-issues to deal with, also.

Then, there’s the ‘drama’ of late — ‘nough said there; I s’pose.

Back with some tales of youth in a bit — in the meantime, enjoy the test-pattern:

A Mission Statement, of a Sort…

Several of you have written comments to me, both on the “360 Rumor Control” page and on my own blog, telling me “What? Don’t you believe Yahoo/360 has PROBLEMS? Those aren’t rumors – they’re real!”

I know this. I get it. I suffer from ’em, just like you do.

The thing is, there’s a huge difference between rumors and bugs.

There’s also a huge difference between reporting a bug-fix and starting a rumor (believe it or not, the other day someone wrote me saying that ‘Yahoo is deliberately causing these bugs so we’ll all leave and they can start fresh.” This is patently untrue.)

I’d like to mention here what we’ll address on the Rumor-Control page, and what we won’t:

We will:

— Post accurate information – so those of you who want to know the truth of the matter as it sits right then can read it, and act – responsibly.

— Answer each of your questions, or act as a conduit to Yahoo for them, as accurately and responsibly as we can.

— Assist you – objectively – with ‘how to’ information should you decide to migrate to any other platform.

We won’t:

— Engage in argument about Yahoo, or take a stance for-or-against any platform.

— Pick a fight, or engage in snide or snarky interchange with various ‘360 refugee groups’.

— Discuss the relative merits and demerits of particular rumors.

In sum -we are going to act as a repository for information — in one place — which will help you make responsible decisions. Period.

If this is what you want, please frequent the site early and often, because we’ll have some very useful information there (I plan to repost my last series on migration there, and delete it from here, for example; Mark will probably do the same, and Carl has a take on this process due to his communication with Yahoo).

(After today, I won’t be writing about the topic here. I feel a good, ripping story coming on – no pun intended – about blowing up an outhouse – and I think we ALL need a little levity. Look for that this weekend).

Friday Wrapup….

It’s been well over a year since I did one of these.

Well, like it or not, 360 is going through some transition. Our friendsCarl and SDAstroguy have posted some pretty good information on the topic, as have I.

Matt Warburton, one of Yahoo’s directors, has weighed-in on the problems. Several of us who have supported this platform are continuing our efforts in the form of a 360 rumor-control page.

I’d like to share some stats with you:

— I’m still getting around 50 requests to ‘add’ me as a friend, each week.

— My hit-rate hasn’t decreased.

— While I received a sideways-‘dig’ the other day about the lack of comments on my last series about blog migration and tools, the comment-level was no more or less than for any of my other series.

In sum – by all appearances, it’s business-as-usual around my own page. Please don’t make rash decisions — there’s plenty of life around here.

A word of note: None of us involved with the 360 Rumor-Control page are compensated by Yahoo. In fact, we’re volunteers of a sort — but instead of fanning the flames of revolution, we’re acting as voices of calm.

Does 360 have some issues right now? Yes — and no one will candy-coat it.

Did Yahoo screw this whole process up? Yes, they did – and those of us with the ‘ear’ of Yahoo freely admit this.

Do we still have a voice, and will it be heard? I believe it will.

Until the time comes when it’s evident to us that it’s not, those of us involved in Rumor Control will continue to bring you the news — all of it; good and bad.

To that end, this evening I wrote Matt Warburton about the problems we’re all experiencing with 360 – and, at the risk of sounding like a fool, I’m asking that even if you’re going someplace else to blog right now, please don’t delete your page or your Yahoo ID – because they are listening to us.

We have a chance – a very real one – to influence the way the new product looks, feels, and acts.

Let’s make sure our voice is heard.

Taking Off The Training Wheels (The Tools)….

Before we go discussing tools, let’s discuss this concept of Web 2.0.

In a nutshell, the concept of “Web 2.0” is the means of using the web not to find indivduals on individual sites, but to ‘brand’ oneself and publish oneself on multiple sites at once.

This is made possible by the advent of tags, tag-clouds, and sites like Technorati and Google Reader, which enable a person to link themselves, their blogs and other self-created media to a common site which will ‘feed’ that information to anyone who wants it.

The only requirement is that the sites on which you post have to be ‘open’ to embedding the code necessary to do the link.

If you go to my Multiply.Com site here, you’ll see a link – “Add Me To your Technorati Favorites”. If you click on that link, you can add me to your Favorite sites on Technorati – assuming you have a free account there.

Folks, it really is THAT simple. Rather than the closed-system (which is what we have with 360), we can be busy linking ourselves to the World As A Whole — which is a far better way of meeting even more people than we ever did on 360.

It’s how writers collaborate; professors share papers; physicians share information – all that’s necessary are the links and the filters.

(Remember; links are in yellow).

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Now, to the tools:

So, you’re thinking “With 360 going through a sea-change, why don’t I consider taking my writing to the next level – ‘taking off the training wheels’, so to speak – and look at some serious blogging software?”

Here you are. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth it if your content is, also.

Non-Hosted/Self-Hosted Blog Software — This was referenced earlier, and is actually the first software which was available to bloggers – back almost ten years ago, blogging was very much a do-it-yourself affair; you secured the software; found a server; uploaded everything, and began blogging.

The Grand Old Man of non-hosted software is by MoveableType . This is a VERY robust set of blogging and self-publishing tools, which are available for free. Several old-time bloggers use this software, and it’s probably the best of the 40-odd self-publishing software platforms available.

Pros: Non-hosted software means you can make a site look exactly the way you want, and never have to worry about content being censored by a host (you do, however, run the risk of libel, slander, and other legal-issues knocking on your door — when a company like Yahoo deletes your content, remember that they’re actually ‘fronting’ the legal issue by that act — likely at the behest of their attorneys. Don’t like being censored? Great! Just remember — with non-nosted/self-hosted software, YOU are responsible for your content — ALL of it!

Cons: You’re on your own. Literally. You have to find a host server (likely, you’ll have to pay for the site); develop your own site using the tools you’ve downloaded; create and post your own content, and do your own site-maintenance. If you’re lucky, someone other than your mom or your significant-other will actually READ your site, because you won’t be attracting people who’ve come to read something else, and find your page.

Hosted Software: Not into all that work? You can find several hosted sites on the ‘net. These are sites which host blogs, and have tools to develop them. Blogger, TypePad and WordPress are the three most-popular of these serious/’classic’ blogging sites (just as soon as I post this, several of you will suggest another that’s good – please feel free to talk it up in the ‘comments’ section.

Pros: All the hosting and preliminary site-development are done for you. All you have to do is pick a template or ‘theme’; optimize it with add-ins, and start writing.

Cons: The host controls the content, just like on Yahoo. You’re subject to their TOS (terms of service); read each carefully before committing. (Some, like Microsoft, actually take ownership of your content in exchange for offering their service for ‘free’). The host can delete content or delete your account, based on their own interpretation of TOS violations. (The best way to avoid these, curiously enough, is to abide by the rules).

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Reviews:

TypePad: If you’re a serious blogger and are writing either professionally or setting up a business website, TypePad could well be for you. They have a robust set of tools, again – aimed squarely at the pro-grade or business blogger. (If this isn’t you — you might want to pass on TypePad).

Pros: Best tools available for blogging; period. Pro-grade blogging; others really shouldn’t come here.

Cons: Aimed at professionals. (If you’re not; you’ll consider this a ‘negative’. Don’t count on your social-friends coming here. Best for business or professional/serious blogging – a lot of professional writers use TypePad for collaboration, for example). Customer service is good for what they provide.

Blogger: This is the old “Blogspot” of years ago; recently purchased by Google and renamed – it’s the Grand Old Man of ‘serious’ blog-sites; it’s evolved quite a bit from its “find your own theme because we’ve only got four of them” days. Setup and site-development are easy, courtesy of some excellent tools. Customer service really is first-rate

Pros: Easiest setup of the three; you can have a fully-featured blog up and running in around an hour. Excellent customer service.

Cons: If you’re looking for social-networking, you won’t find it here. With over 100,000,000 registered users, you’ll have to have some CONTENT before you’ll be recognized.

WordPress: This is the most feature-rich of the ‘serious’ blogging sites; you have access to site-stats/hit-counters; the broadest range of import tools from other sites; the best and most ‘featured’ of the blog-entry screens – and a lot, lot more. First-rate customer service.

Pros: Most feature-rich of the serious blog-sites, bar none.

Cons: While setting up a blog is easy, getting to the point where you can use all of their features takes time — in this case, the features actually create work for a blogger.

Recommendations:

The answer is “yes”.

Are you a serious blogger, but don’t need all the features? Google’s “Blogger” is probably for you.

Are you a professional, and are looking for a pro-grade blog site? TypePad is your likely choice.

Looking for the most feature-rich site in the blogosphere? WordPress is for you!

All three would make great choices. Just remember – you heard it here first; taking off those training wheels is a good thing!

Please remember — we run no risk by staying with Yahoo — as long as we back up our blogs and are ready for whatever future Yahoo brings. Don’t ‘boil the ocean’ with rumors, or look for trouble by killing your Yahoo account until you see what they have to offer.

(Tomorrow — The New ‘360 Rumor Control’ site will be up and running, with contributions from SDAstroguy, Carl, myself, and others!)….

A Pause for Summary….

Before I move on with the last of my series on ‘serious’ blogging, I think it’s time we discussed a few things by way of summary (links to other pages are in yellow).

Yahoo, in its 360 team blog, yesterday said that they were no longer going to repair bugs on 360. All future efforts were going into its replacement.

We’ve noticed that the database-pointers suddenly turned ‘iffy’ the other day, sending us to blogs written several months or a year ago when we’d try to select either a friend’s blog, or one of our own. To that end, back up your blogs. Do it now. We have no guarantee that we can access them, if Yahoo will not repair the bugs in 360 – and, as we’ve seen, things can go from bad to worse around here.

I’m not blaming Yahoo for this. They have resources, just as any company does, and they have to place them where they’ll do the most good.

In the end, we have to look out for ourselves. Forewarned is forearmed. Get your content on your own machine, and do it soon.

I’ve reviewed several of the existing social-network/blogging sites out there – and as I mentioned, none of them are perfect. One, Multiply.Com, seems to be the most ‘360-like’, but it, too has quite a few bugs (if you want a detailed list, go see SDAstroguy’s blog today).

I’ve had my own trouble there, too. Having set up a Writers Group, I’ve found that even if you set up a group with ‘open access’, you’re not likely to get much traction – because no one can access your group; member or not! (Note: In defense of Multiply; I’ve asked their tech-team to get back to me on this – but as of today – 48 hours later – I’ve heard nothing).

Multiply’s blog-migration tool leaves a lot to be desired (again, see SDAstroguy‘s blog on this for other info – and don’t trust Multiply to back up your blog, no matter how ‘easy’ it may seem).

So, what’s my strategy?

I’ve said this before – I’ll say it again – you run no risk by staying (another on my friends’-list, Carl, has some valid points about this today, as well).

As the Yahoo team has pointed out, they’ll be moving your blog over, as the ‘new’ service will have a blogging tool.

(I won’t reiterate what the Yahoo team has said in their latest blog – but Matt Warburton has made some statements which should make all of us feel quite a bit better about staying Right Where We Are for the time being: Yahoo 360 Team Blog.

It’s also important to remember this: Every service has bugs. 360 has a lot of them — but then again, so does Multiply. Personally, I’m not interested in trading one set of bugs for another — especially when that set of bugs is hosted by a company which has no track record, and is funded by venture capital (Multiply).

As SDastroguy points out in his latest blog, we have to remember that if our click-through rate to their advertisers doesn’t prove out to be any better than it is right here, they’ll make changes, and for CERTAIN.

In the meantime, we have friends here – and while this might not be the Sunset Grille of “Eagles'” fame, it’s good enough for me.

Has been, for nearly two years. Yahoo’s taken reasonable care of us for some time — it won’t hurt to leave things as they are for a while longer.

(Next — “Serious Blogging – Comparative Reviews of Sites)….

Taking Off the Training Wheels — (Serious Blogging)….

In the last set of series, I covered social-network blogging – which is very different from serious blogging, or ‘classic’ blogging, if you will.

Serious bloggers have been around since the late ’90’s – in fact, the first blogging software was developed for collaborative writers in academia.

Since then, blogging went mainstream, and probably saw its halcyon-days shortly before Yahoo introduced 360 in 2005.

Today, the average blog has a readership of zero (source: CNN). This means that your mother is likely not even reading your blog, and unless you develop a bit of a following, the chances are that no one will, either.

However, there’s always a demand for the written word – if the ‘product’ is quality. To that end, let’s differentiate between the two for a moment – then I’ll suggest some avenues if you want to take off those training-wheels and do something a little more serious.

Social-Networking: This is a type of communication characterized by the ability to link with ease to multiple people and follow their pages – comments, blogs, and other material are literally ‘fed’ to your page; you can read what you want; link to new people; write something in return – the actual ‘blogging’ is only one component of the page and the experience.

Social-network bloggers tend to be more about the interpersonal aspect of blogging — putting together blogs which are insular by nature (addressing family members, for example), or relatively small groups of friends.

Serious bloggers are about the written word.

“Classic” Blogs: These are weblogs which focus on the written word exclusively, with video and images used only as a means of fleshing-out the story. Software to support these blogs comes in two varieties, which I’ll discuss later. These blogs have no social-networking aspect, save for the links which a person develops themselves. In the end, they’re for writers.

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Blogging Software for the Serious – Some Alternatives:

There are two types of blogging software — hosted, and non-hosted. Hosted software is ‘captive’ to its host (this is the software which 360 uses, for example, to provide the 360 ‘look and feel’ to its site – you can’t transfer the 360 page to, say, your own server).

Several large blogging sites use this as well — Blogger (formerly Blogspot); WordPress; TypePad, and a couple of others.

Non-hosted software is not ‘captive’ to a host. You can download the software (either for a license-fee or free, depending), and then find a host server (or use your own, if you’ve gone that far). You’ll pay for a domain name which will give you your very own address on the web – and you’ll be paying a monthly fee to host your blog.

It’s easy to see that this is not something the casual blogger will want to do.

Each of these has its own merit – with non-hosted software, you can post anything and everything you want – no worries about a TOS committee deleting your blog – but you do have to worry about things like defamation, slander, I.D. theft, and other issues if you’re going to get really controversial!

With hosted software, you still have to concern yourself with such things — but you might have a limitation placed on your expression. You won’t, however, have to worry about monthly fees and site-maintenance.

There’s a price to be paid for unlimited freedom.

Some of you might choose to use ‘serious’ blogging tools for your next venture, leaving the social-network behind. Others of you might choose to replicate the 360 experience – or stay here, depending upon what Yahoo rolls out as a ‘final’ product.

Yet others might choose a balance between the two — a ‘serious’ blogging site for your heavier work, and a social-networking site for your ‘lighter’ fare. (This, by the way, is what I’m doing.)

(Next, I’ll be exploring the ins and outs of the most-popular hosted software, and a bit on the non-hosted. Stay tuned.)

What is now called “Web 2.0” — the next-generation of web tools including folksonomies (tag clouds and the like), user-owned data, the ability to link disparate pages, social networking, and the development of more robust communication tools — has given rise in turn to a new generation of bloggers just within the past couple of years.

These bloggers use video to tell their story. They’re social-networkers more than they are bloggers. Many of you fit this category.

You’re the ones who’ll drive the ‘net to the next level – the ‘serious’ or ‘classic’ bloggers will always have a niche, however – because they’re about the written word.

While such blogging may not be for everyone — if you’ve ever considered the option of ‘spreading your wings’ — the option is there, waiting for you!

(Next – The Software and Site Reviews)….

A Final Word On Migration and Transition….

I’m staying with Yahoo until the end.

That said, I’m also sticking with my statements on my four-part series on blog-archiving. Here’s why: In case you’ve forgotten, Yahoo is (1) a free service, which (2) decided to abruptly kill its blogging-product. This should be lesson-enough for most of you; the best way to guarantee you keep your blogs is to archive them on your own machine.

This afternoon, Multiply.Com issued the following press-release:

David Hersh is the Vice President of Business Development here at Multiply.com.

He’s in charge of project and product management, as well as business development.

Just moments ago, Dave announced on the Multiply Users and Developers Group that “[a]n import from 360 will be ready in the next couple of days. Stay tuned for an announcement on the staff blog.” He also said that the original post date would “absolutely be retained.”

Well and good.

I’m happy. However, please don’t be seduced by ‘easy fixes’ — Multiply is a relatively new company; still funded by venture-capital. As I mentioned earlier, venture-cap firms look for companies which can be (1) grown, and (2) sold; preferably within a year to 18 months.

The twists and turns here abound. I trust I’ve made my point — no matter how seductive the idea of letting Multiply move your blog — archive it yourself, also.

Me? I’ll be doing both.

You should, too.

Quo Vadis, 360? (A Comparative of Other Services – III)….

I remember thinking when I signed up for 360 – “this is probably Yahoo’s best-kept secret.”

I suppose I was right, in retrospect – I, like many others, came here as a result of my use of Messenger and Chat. I was introduced to 360 by the ‘gleam’ which appeared to the left of a name in my Messenger friends’-list (you might remember; that little gold asterisk which indicated an update to a user’s 360-page?)

I never saw an advertisement or any other promotion for 360. I, as with so many others, found it by accident – that over three million of us found this site useful — and found it virally, without promotion — says something; unfortunately, it’s been said too late.

We’re left with finding another site in the absence of a clear plan stated by Yahoo for our transition – but please remember; we run no risk by staying put (as long as we back up our content).

What we know is this:

1. Yahoo will be providing tools to ‘transition’ our blogs and comments. What these tools are, and to which sort of service (something outside of Yahoo, or internally) has not been stated.

2. Given this lack of clarity, the only thing we can all do is to transition our own blogs proactively (I’ve posted plenty of information in recent prior blogs on how to do this).

3. Now, we’re left with finding another blog service and getting ourselves situated before Yahoo discontinues the 360 servers sometime before the first of the year.

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I’m going to review the most-common services which have come to my attention. In the comments section, please note if there are others which we should consider.

(Note: I’d considered using screen-captures to illustrate my point – -but a better thing is to go visit the site yourself if you’re interested. I think you’ll see my point here, as things really do seem to be headed one way, regardless.)

The sites:

1. Xanga — The people who founded Xanga.Com did so with teenagers in mind; in fact, the material provided to Mashable.Com (the premier review-site for social-networking software), and Wikipedia.Org (the ‘world’s online encyclopedia’) states that the site is primarily used by teenagers.

Pro: Site has a very robust blog-entry screen, with far more tools, supported-fonts, and options than any other site.

Cons: Site is almost exclusively used by teenagers; not adults. Poor support for groups and collaborative writing; excellent support for graphics, video, vlogging, and other graphic-intensive activities – again; evocative of its support for a young audience. Xanga is also a ‘closed system’, much like 360 – which precludes listing it on promotion sites like Technorati, and obtaining cross-links from other blogging sites. Customer support is almost nonexistent; repeated attempts to contact were not returned.

2. LiveSpaces — Microsoft’s social-networking offering, Windows Live Spaces (also called MSN Live Spaces), is a social-networking and blogging site. It has an elementary front-page; nothing like what we are used to with 360 – but what killed this one for me, immediately, were the Terms of Service.

In Live Spaces’ TOS statement, you find verbiage which gives Microsoft the right to “…use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission, each in connection with the MSN Web Sites, and (2) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.” They note finally that “Microsoft will not pay you for your Submission.”

So there. In the end, you can put all the little copyright-symbols and verbiage you want in your page — but Microsoft owns your material once you post it.

You are working for Bill.

I’ll pass.

3. Multiply — Multiply.Com is a newcomer to the field, having been ‘launched’ in late 2006. The founders recently obtained a $16M round of venture-funding; this is a very positive sign for the company, as venture funds usually won’t invest in a software company unless they believe the company will either be purchased soon by another, larger company, or will make it on their own. (Note: Venture funding is usually done to bridge the gap between startup and purchase. We should remember this when making our decisions to place our blogs.)

Pro: Multiply has a very robust set of features, although the blog-entry screen is, at best, on par with 360. Still, it’s the most ‘360-like’ of the current online offerings, and is easy to modify and set-up. Customer service is excellent.

Cons: Rudimentary blog-entry screen; unknown future. Blocked as a ‘dating site’ by many corporate firewalls, making blogging-at-the-office an impossibility.

4. Orkut – Orkut is Google’s social-network offering, launched in 2004. They self-state a membership of 67M as of this date, which is considered by some to be spurious, as they stated a membership of 2M only a year before. I could find no information as to whether Orkut is a ‘closed system’ or not.

Pro: Ownership by Google; commitment to pursue this is stated in Google’s annual report. Solid software and interface.

Cons: Google has been litigated over the ‘look and feel’ of Orkut; this issue has yet to be resolved. Features (“Scrapbook”, instead of guestbook; friend categories of ‘hot’; ‘sexy’; ‘cool’) are aimed squarely at teenagers, which currently make up most of Orkut’s membership; lack of customer support, specifically regarding online harassment. Blocked by many corporate firewalls.

(I have specifically eliminated MySpace, Mash, Facebook, LiveJournal, and InCircle from the review-list, as they are all either by corporate direction aimed at a 15-24 demographic, or are too new for review.)

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There you have it.

Of the list, Multiply.Com is the best of the lot – further, it appears that Multiply has the majority of the ‘expatriate 360 commu
nity’.

While Orkut, Live Spaces, and Xanga do not specifically state that they are a ‘teens only’ site, they have evolved into such by default and by the demographic which is addressed by their features. Further, the restrictive nature of Live Spaces makes its use as a blogging site for people who create valuable intellectual property in their writing a moot-point, as it’s terms-of-use grant Microsoft ownership over any material created on their servers.

All of these services are free; most offer a ‘premium’ service for a small monthly fee.

I have not reviewed ‘serious’ blogging sites (Blogger; WordPress; others) as they do not offer a friends-list or other social-networking component.

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Conclusions:

Personally, if it comes to that, I’m going to move to Multiply after careful consideration. While some of the other services provide elements I’d like to see (specifically, I’d love to see Xanga’s blog-edit screen or something like it on Multiply; I’d also like to see Multiply classed as something other than a ‘dating site’, so my friends could blog at the office) — it’s apparent we’re not going to get a full ‘360 experience’ with any of these sites.

Remember — we run no risk by staying wtih Yahoo until the end – as long as we back up our blogs and control our content.

My own criteria are (1) a stable platform for my blogging; (2) the ability to collaborate with a large group of people, (3) robust tools to do so;(4) a committed company with good customer service, and (5) an open-architecture which will allow links to other sites.

Multiply provides these — besides, as Don Henley said so eloquently in “Hotel California”: All my friends are there….

Quo Vadis, 360? (A Comparative of Services – II)….

Like it or not, 360 as we know it is ending.

Yahoo has announced that it will be shutting down its servers ‘sometime after the first of 2008’. In financial parlance, as I related yesterday, this likely translates to ‘sometime in first-quarter’ – in other words, sometime before the end of next March.

I’ve a suspicion it’ll happen well before that, but that’s only my guess — and I’m one guy on a hilltop in Portland, Oregon. However, when a company has stockholders who are expecting change, change happens — and it happens sooner than later.

I’m going to reiterate something I’ve said for days — Yahoo has promised a ‘transition’ for us, and that ‘transition’ is likely to be to a product very different than the one we’re using now, as it won’t exist at all in 2008.

I’m going to review my own strategy for moving forward here:

1. Back up any blogs not already saved to my own machine.

2. Review and research alternative blogging sites.

3. Sign up for those services which appear most likely to provide a ‘360-like’ experience.

4. Select one for use, and begin blog-transfers.

5. Sit back, and wait for Yahoo’s changes, operating my 360 blog with a ‘business-as-usual’ approach.

I’ll say it again – We run no risk by staying – as long as we’re in control of our content.

By doing the above, you’re in control of your content – -and you’ll never have to worry about the relative reliability of one platform or another.

Change and consolidation in the software and internet industries is a constant. To that end, we should always be ready for something like this — so, in the end, regardless of whether or not we stay with Yahoo or migrate to another platform — this is a good exercise, even though it is a pain.

(Next — Comparative Services….)