Xanga exploding at UCLA

Blogger used to be the most popular program for the masses to write about their daily lives. Here at UCLA there is a new contender and it isn’t TypePad. Xanga is a free blogging service that runs on a centralized server and offers image uploading, comments, and a new feature called “e-props.” You can give an e-prop just like a karma vote on Graymatter blogs.

Xanga has a free and premium service much like Blogger and the service is great for blog newbies. However, it can’t compare to Movable Type‘s wealth of features. There are also a couple of things that annoy me. First, Xanga lets you create your own webrings but only other Xanga members can join them. Let’s not forget that most of the web doesn’t use Xanga. Those webrings will never be very good.

Second, you can’t really customize the layout at all. The basic service lets you type in your name, interests and a list of friends, but you can’t make your site a three-column layout. You’re stuck with a left-hand navigation with the title of your Xanga at the top and your interests on the left. Your weblog is pretty much a large block of text with some date headers.

Blogger at least lets you set up your own templates. However, I suppose that if you want to set up a blog as fast as possible to impress your friends, Xanga is the way to go. If you want flexibility in layout and features, choose Blogger or Movable Type. Then again, you can wait for TypePad to be released too.

Actually, you can do quite a bit with the basic Xanga service if you’re not afraid of learning a bit of Javascript and CSS. And if you bite the bullet and go with a premium Xanga account, you can have some decent templating capabilities as well with “Xanga Skins“.

Yes that is a great idea. Is there a way to export posts in Xanga? I don’t think there is currently.

yeah, i agree with your points — however, it would be cool if you could synchronize xanga and moveable type through a plugin or something — if you know anything about this, leme know … david@davidslife.com

XANGA IS COOL!

Well, I’m a confirmed member of this newfound Xanga cult. Sean F. is correct: if you go with Premium, Xanga can be awesome.

Actually, you can do a lot with xanga using html for the HEADER. You don’t even need to be a premium to get the “skin”. My site offers xanga layouts that’s really easy to use.

i second what rikkye said. i don’t make my own layouts though… i borrow others… ^_^. i just edit font color, links, background music, etc.

the basic xanga service is not as limited as it sounds, you just have to find the right codes and links. You can make it very original and the best part is that it’s free

i luv using xanga the reular one is juss fine…plus the premuin it 24 vucks! o_O thass reallly expensive for a blogging web site!!

actually u dnt even need to go premium to getta xangaskin…you can make ur own as long as you know the right webstites to go to such as http://www.blogring.net or http://www.xanga.com/user=xang3erhtmlcodez4u xanga’s a really good resource when it comes to webdesign and if you know ur way around the web you can do really well

Jenna is right.. u just need to search for the right skins..