Blogdrive

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Blogdrive is a blogging service, which provides free and subscription (paid) blogs under the Blogdrive domain.

History

Blogdrive was founded by Michael, also known as Helpee, and Tim, also known as CBG or Cool Blogdrive Guy. Both appear on the main tagboard when their common sense is overcome by spontaneous emotion.

Features

Free and subscription blog service. Customize with templates. GUI and HTML interface. Blogdrive works well for the technically experienced and the non-technical person who wishes to create a simple personal journal. Publish to the world and belong to a supportive community.

Tagboards

One of the unique features of Blogdrive is the user interaction sanctioned by the site. Unlike other blog sites, which may rely on decentralized social networks, Blogdrive provides a common space -- the main tagboard -- where users can chat with one another in real-time and share links, usually to their blogs.

It was once possible for anyone, even passing visitors, to post on the tagboard. But presumably after abuse and spamming, it is now mandatory for a user to register as well as have a nickname approved by a Blogdrive moderator before being able to post on the tagboard.

The main tagboard also possesses a filter, a precaution taken presumably because the tagboard may be viewed by anyone, including minors and those offended by crude language. Instead of merely deleting words or replacing letters with meaningless symbols, however, the tagboard will insert entirely different words, which are chosen by Blogdrive staff members. The substitutions have been perceived as humourous or annoying.

Below is a yet-incomplete list of words that are censored on the tagboard.

There are ways around a number of the filters, but it's left up to the ingenuity of the user to find them.

Favourites

The "favourites" column is a list that highlights blogs drawn from around the Blogdrive site. The precise number of blogs compiled is unknown, since only the ten most recently updated are displayed on the main page. There is a link that leads to a longer list, but none of these appear on the main page when updated, and for that reason, some consider it them slightly "secondary" favourites. There appears to be no theme to the list, and additions are randomly spaced over time.

One frequent question of newer users concerns the how and when of securing a spot in the favourites. It is uncertain exactly what criteria is demanded for inclusion, but it is thought that social interaction is helpful, since that at least guarantees your blog is seen and placed in relative prominence.

There is doubt over whether inclusion on the list is actually as coveted or, more accurately, as beneficial as perceived. Some believe the audience pool is unparallelled, while others feel that pressure to validate one's presence on the list is created every time an entry is posted, and often erodes one's energy and joy for publishing.