About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

If you're already into blogging, this book provides more of what you love. If you are not into blogging, this book can help you get started.



Pros

• Covers all types of blogging
• Very even-handed coverage

Cons

• Not very in-depth

Description

• Chapter 1 introduces blogging, describes a typical blog, and explains the terminology.
• Chapter 2 covers desktop clients for connecting to a blog.
• Chapter 3 introduces Blogger, one of the most popular online Weblogs available.

• Chapter 4 introduces Radio UserLand, a desktop blogging tool with an online service.
• Chapter 5 introduces Moveable Type, a server-based hosted blogging solution.
• Chapter 6 goes into more detail on Blogger with advanced techniques.
• Chapter 7 explains more advanced tricks with Radio UserLand.
• Chapter 8 shows more advanced uses of Moveable Type.
• Chapter 9 moves back to a minimalist blogging system of Blosxom and Blagg.
• Chapter 10 allows the authors to more directly express their personal views of blogs and blogging.

Guide Review - Essential Blogging: by Cory Doctorow et al

This book covers the topic well, but I couldn't help feeling that it was missing something. Right about the point that I was really hooked on one tool or another, the chapter would end, and we'd be on to a new tool. I probably expected too much out of the book, but I really wanted a lot more advanced tricks and tools for using the various blogging systems, and this book is really just an overview. I probably would have liked it better if it had taken one of the blog tools and gone into more depth.

As it stands, however, this book is an interesting read for designers wanting to get into the blogging world, but if you're already blogging, it won't give you much more than you already can find easily elsewhere.