Sophisticated Blogging Made Simple

In July of 2008 a web 2.0 blogging platform was launched.  As of March 12, 2012 this application was acquired by Twitter.  Posterous Spaces highlights three features:  share more, work less, control who sees what and post anything anywhere.

Stating the easiest way to share safely online at the sign up page, users are invited to enter in their email address, a password and username.  (A confirmation email will be sent.) Then click the green Start Posting button.   At this page users have a variety of options.

Across the top of the page you can click Readers to view Spaces (blogs, posts) of those you follow, or Popular to read those Spaces getting the most hits.  The Activity button reveals those who have commented, liked or followed your Spaces.  Spaces you follow, have created or wish to design are listed under the Spaces tab.

As you toggle through those top options, on the left the selections remain stable:  Edit Profile, Manage Spaces, Find Friends and Log Out.  Entire management of your Spaces is under the Edit Profile tab; choosing to list your first and last name rather than a username, any text to be added to your profile, a profile photograph, alterations to your email or password, account deletion, or notifications frequency.  Even without creating any Spaces when you sign up a unique Space is generated using your username; a URL is given, username dot posterous dot com.

When going into that first Space on the right are a list of management tools for Spaces.  Posting can be done online or via email. Posts, drafts of posts and new posts can be generated from the Posts tab.

Space Settings is where the title, look and layout of a space is designated.  Manage Members is a list of those who can use the Space.  Pages & Links are extra posts and links to items you most like. 

Privacy Control covers who can view, everyone, by invitation only, or password protected, who can post, members only or a guest, who can comment, everyone, logged-in users only, nobody or those given approval, and Content Protection, show downloaded links for media and show location of geotagged photos.  Twenty-four themes are available under the Customize.  Within those themes changes can be made to make the Space your own.

When you select Create Another Space a window pops up asking you to choose one of four options:  blog, photo or video, group or business.  At the next window privacy settings are chosen:  public, anyone can view but only you and members can post or private, only you and members can view and post.  The third window asks you to choose a name and URL address, each of which can be changed later.  As you type in the title the URL is generated.  Finally select a thematic layout for your Space.

When posting to a Space a work window provides room for naming the post, text, and uploading images, audio, video, and documents.  Text can be bold, in italics, underlined, struck through, sized and colored.  Two types of bulletts are available.  Indenting, block quotes, and page breaks are several of the formatting options.  Tags can be added to a post as well as when the post will appear on the Space.

I created a post first, then went through the numerous styles to select a theme.  Some designs can be changed more than others; it appears that most allow for Space name adjustments, sizing, and the uploading of a header image.  When a theme is adjusted and saved you are taken into your blog.

To get back to main work area click on Manage in the upper right hand corner.  By clicking on Post a new one can be added right from that point.  A post can always be edited, deleted or viewed on the website from the management area.

Ease of use with pleasing results makes this application a welcome alternative to other blogging platforms. Instead of spending days to learn, a blog can be up and running in under an hour.  I, of course, took longer testing out all the templates and possible alterations within each.  

Here is the link to my newly created blog sharing my TBR piles using Posterous Spaces.