Visit the forums and you will find that the debate rages on. Is it better to use a free blog service, or pay for your own domain and hosting? In my opinion the answer is both!

The biggest advantage to having a self hosted blog is that you have the most control over your blog. You can post the ads you want and the content you want.And when you you use a provider such as Hostgator or GoDaddy you can rest assured you will have reliable hosting without too much downtime.

But there are advantages to using a free host. The number one advantage is that it is free! Free blogs are a great way to test the water of blogging. Try it out and get some experience before you actually pay money to blog. Free hosts are also a useful source of backlinks to your regular blogs.

There are some downsides to free hosts. Some will place ads on your sites. Some will not allow you to place your own ads on your site. Read the terms of service carefully and make sure that the host you choose will meet your needs.

Following is a list of free host sites. My favorite, just because it is small and I know the owner is Blogging4Life. My blog there is Katalina Online. Have fun creating your free blogs!

Blogging4life.com
Freeblogs.org
FreeBlogIt.com
Blog.com
MyBlogSite.com
informationjunkie.net
blogsome.com
weebly.com
wordpress.com
blogger.com
livejournal.com
theblogs.net
thoughts.com
webnode.com
blog.co.uk
freeblog.org.uk
bravenet.com
yola.com
webs.com
bloguni.com
sosblog.com
wix.com
doodlekit.com
vox.com
tumblr.com
blogskinny.com
blogeasy.com
blogr.com

 

Well, it is over. My best performing domain has been taken from me due to trademark issues.
Just a recap if you don’t feel like reading my first post on receiving a cease and desist letter.

Last summer, my finance website started to take off. I was showing up on the first 3 pages of Google search, and the income was going up along with the page views.

Then the letter came. Apparently, two of the words in my domain were trademarked, and the attorney wanted me to hand over the domain.

I argued, I fought, I asked for concessions, but in the end I handed the domain over. In return, I got nothing.

I might have been able to fight it, but I felt my chances for success were low, and I didn’t want to spend the time or the money. In the end, I moved my blog to a better domain, Money, Debt and Taxes, and now I will just do what I did before to bring it up in the search rankings and build the traffic.

As a result of this I am now much more careful in choosing my domains. I am looking to see if there is any chance that they might be trademarked. I don’t want to lose that much hard work ever again!

I spend many hours every day on the computer. Offline I am a tax adviser so during the months of January to April I might spend 12 or more hours every day on the computer. And without fail by mid February I would have some form of RSI, Repetitive Strain Injury.

Repetitive Strain Injury

RSI refers to arm and hand pain that can occur when you perform the same motion over and over again. It is common in the computer world. For me, I would often get pain and weakness in my right forearm. I have been diagnosed with Tendinitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I was prescribed wrist braces and pain relievers. But nothing seemed to really work. Surgery could not promise a cure, because the real problem was the amount of time I spent on the computer. It seemed like my only options were to live with the pain, or go on disability. I didn’t like either of those options.

Before I go on, I want to stress that I am not expert in Repetitive Strain Injury. I am just sharing with you what worked for me. Everyone’s situation is different and you should consult with your own professional advisers regarding your particular situation.

Avoid Using Braces or Splints

Short term these are OK, but if you use braces or wrist splints for an extended period of time the muscles in your wrist will weaken. With weak muscles you will not be able to support your wrists properly without the splints, and you run the chance of re-injuring yourself. Limit splint use to one or two weeks at most, and when you are not on the computer, do strength exercises that target the hands, wrist and arms.

Always use proper wrist position

The funny thing here is that many devices that are designed to help prevent repetitive strain injury can actually make it worse. It is very important that you keep your wrists straight and in a neutral position. Using a wrist rest can put the wrists in a bent up position that can make repetitive strain injuries worse.

Put Your Hands in Your Lap!

This is actually the technique that made the most difference for me. When we spend long hours on the computer there are many times when our hands are not being used. It might be for less than a minute, but you may have your hand on your mouse waiting for a page to load, you may be thinking about what you are going to write next, or you may be watching a video. No matter how short a time, take your hands away from the keyboard, away from the mouse, and put them in your lap. By doing so you give your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands several “mini breaks” during the day. All those little mini breaks add up and I found that even after a long 12 hour day I was still pain free.

As bloggers and webmasters we can spend many hours per day in front of the computer. By following these few simple techniques, you can drastically minimize your chances of getting a repetitive strain injury. So now tell me, while you have been reading this post, where have your hands been?