Unfortunately, the title wasn’t just a move to capture your attention, exactly one year after the last post. I am shutting down PersonalLog in about 6 months’ time, at the end of January 2011.

Why?

The cause of this shutdown is multifaceted. Here are the top three reasons this decision is necessary:

• PersonalLog was never profitable; it was always operated, in essence, for fun.
• I can no longer dedicate much of my personal time to maintaining the software on this service and combatting splogs (spam blogs). Instead, I am seeking to focus my Internet operations on a few core sites.
• The ratio of splogs to real blogs is very high; the majority of users aren’t using their services, so this shutdown won’t have a huge impact on them.

What will happen to PersonalLog blogs?

For those who wish, there is an easy way to export your data and import it at WordPress.com (a superior commercial offering by the folks who develop the WordPress software). See their features page.

Some of the benefits of using WordPress.com:

• 3 GB upload space
• A larger infrastructure that ensures speed and uptime
• Many features built-in to the platform
• Paid upgrades to use your own domain, expand the storage space
• Same (or reasonably similar) interface to the PersonalLog dashboard

Some of the drawbacks of migrating from PersonalLog to WordPress.com:

• No plugins are available on the WordPress.com platform (but a lot of the features are built-in)
• Custom CSS is a paid add-on
• A different selection of themes (there is some overlap); no ability to request themes

In January 2011 when this site will be closed, your blogs will all be disabled; you will not be able to view them, log in to your dashboard, or fetch backups past that time. As a result, I encourage you to take your backups in the next 6 months and get a head-start in migration.

How do I migrate to WordPress.com?

Before we go any further, let me make it clear that I am willing to help anyone who has issues with this procedure. Do not hesitate to contact me.

First, set up a new blog on WordPress.com by visiting http://wordpress.com/signup/ . Once you’ve signed up for a blog on WordPress.com, you can migrate all of your posts and content from PersonalLog to WordPress.com.

1. Log in to your PersonalLog dashboard.
2. Go to the Tools » Export menu item.
3. Click the download button to get your backup file.
4. Log in to your WordPress.com dashboard.
5. Go to the Tools » Import menu item in your WordPress.com’s blog dashboard.
6. Choose the WordPress option.
7. Upload your backup file.

After the migration, I recommend going through your posts to find any links that point to your old blog and update them to point to your new WordPress.com blog.

What else can I do?

You can also set up your own shiny new blog on your own independent hosting (like I’ve done with my own blog which I migrated from PersonalLog in 2008). Simply get a domain, get hosting (free or paid), and set up WordPress from the free, open-source download.

Once you do so, you can also follow the procedure above to migrate your data from PersonalLog to your own blog, on which you will be all-powerful. You will be able to install plugins, install themes to your liking, customize it however you want, and upload as much media as your hosting provider will give in your hosting package. An example is Sandra Skanderlic’s blog, which was started up by a PersonalLog user who migrated to her independent installation.

This is a really good route for technically inclined users, but it is a path that will involve an amount of maintenance — not recommended for those unfamiliar with the Internet.

If you would like to take this route, there are many hosting providers and domain registrars I’d recommend. On hosts with which I am familiar, I could even guide you through the process of migrating your blog to your own installation. Take a look at the following hosts:

We sell hosting and domains too; hosting is competitively priced at $6.50/month

If you choose us for hosting, I’m in the best position to help you with the migration process and setting up WordPress. Or you can choose DreamHost, where you can get $10 off a yearly plan with the coupon code “20O” (20 and the letter “O”) — the “20″ comes from getting $20 off the longest commitment of 10 years, but you… probably won’t choose that.

Use coupon 20O to get $10 off a yearly plan (or just click on the banner)

HostMonster - competitive hosting at $6.95/month

BlueHost also offers $6.95/month hosting with a free domain

Cirtex Hosting - starting at $2.49/month

You can pick hosts other than the ones listed above and still run your own WordPress blog.

Final words

I’m sorry for any inconvenience this shutdown may cause you. It has been an enjoyable experience operating this service and getting to know some of the users whom I didn’t know personally before.

I hope that you will have an easy migration experience during the next 6 months.