Pros and Cons of different hosting options

I just finished debugging a technical problem with my website. Once I figured out what the problem was, I couldn't help but think that anyone who isn't a programmer couldn't possibly have figured out, let alone solve the problem. That made me think about the benefits of completely managed blog hosting.

If you want to start your own blog, fictional or otherwise, all of your options fall into 1 of 3 categories.

In the first category is a completely managed host. That is, you don't install any software and do all of your configuring and personalizing your blog through a pre-defined interface. Examples of this category is blogger, wordpress, and typepad. The pros is a something that is very easy to use, you never have to worry about technical problems, and configuring is usually extremely easy.

The second category is that I use for Terran Resistance. You buy space on a webserver and a domain. With this option I have to install all of my own software. The pros is that I get a lot more options and flexibility. I can install other software like forums or wikis to supplement my blog. The problem is that you need a little technical know how to install and manage. A major con, as I discovered, is that if something goes wrong you're on your own.

The third category, which makes sense for almost no one, is to get a virtual or dedicated webserver. The pro here is that you have your own webserver. I wouldn't suggest this option for anyone unless you have thousands of visitors an hour and you(or someone you know) has a lot of technical know how.

Until tonight, I would almost always would suggest the second category. Installing this software is really easy and it's always nice to have your own domain name. The problem, I've come across, is when something goes wrong. Unless you are a programmer, stuff can happen that would be near impossible to fix by yourself. That's why my suggestion now is to almost always go with a service unless you are really confident of your technical ability.