From Wordpress.org to Blogger

If I were to generate a report showing the number of times that I logged in to my wordpress console, or ssh'd into ericrose.net (which doesn't do much other than host a wordpress instance) it wouldn't quite line up with the number of posts that make their way to the blog. This is primarily because wordpress releases a new version of their software more frequently than I update my site. While wordpress has made the upgrade process much easier than it has been in the past it still involves a few manual steps, and when something goes wrong it is a painful process to troubleshoot. The 99.98% uptime of QuickPacket servers is only a bad thing when one of their customers (me) doesn't install security update in a timely fashion leaving open a well documented security hole.


I originally started a blog because I wanted a place to write about, well pretty much whatever I happen to feel like writing about. I did not start a blog because I enjoyed maintaining blogging software. So, what are my options? I could install an older stable version of wordpress (or some other blogging software) and just not worry about upgrading. This still leaves my site vulnerable if a security vulnerability is ever uncovered, but it also means that I don't have to update my software before posting. My second option would be rolling my own blogging software. While I like re-inventing the wheel as much as the next guy, I also happen to enjoy writing blogging software about as much as I enjoy maintaining it (which I would also have to do once it was written). My third option is to go with a blogging service as provided by Wordpress.com or Blogger.com.


It turns out exporting and importing posts from Wordpress.org into either of these services is quite easy (with an additional step for Blogger to convert the export XML before importing it). I ended up importing importing to both services just to compare their feature sets. While both wanted to sell me upgrades, it turns out that Blogger provides you more flexibility out of the box when it comes to customizing your layout. I was quickly able to enable syntax highlighting, tweak the css, and even add a little jQuery (check out the Archives more-> link at the bottom of the page) to Blogger while Wordpress.com wanted me to pay $15 before I could edit anything substantial about the layout.


We'll see if removing the administrivia of maintaining my own Wordpress installation translates into more posts, but I suspect it will. In the mean time, if you subscribe to ericrose.net (Dad) you should update your feed URL to http://blog.ericrose.net/feeds/posts/default