WordPress:
This blog is made using wordpress which I thoroughly recommend. I have also used Joomla, but my recommendation is that if you can do it in WordPress, then use WordPress. Joomla is much much more complicated, more things to go wrong, the benefit of course is that it is slightly more flexible in the layout options, although if you know some PHP and HTML I think you can mimic most of the Joomla features in WordPress.
For those interested in setting up a similar server, it took about 2 hours to download, upload to the server, set up and get the themes going. This seemed good, I have never set up a weblog before. It uses php to access an sql database where all the entries are stored. There is an admin page where you can add new entries.
Hosting:
My blog is hosted on bluehost.com which I also thoroughly recommend, not just because I get a commission if you sign up with them :-) but because I have been using them now for six years, I have never had a problem, they were extremely helpful when my website got hacked into, not only in helping me restore a previously backed up version, but with technical help on how to keep the hackers out.
Probably the best feature about bluehost is that they have some software called simple script which keeps my WordPress installation up to date very easily. It’s literally one click to update to the latest version of WordPress or Joomla, or bbpress, or limesurvey, all of which I use with the bluehost.
Google Ads
The adds by google on this site bring in about US$40 per month, which pays for the hosting. I am using WordPress plug-in called Adsense now! which was very easy to set up.
Affiliate Links
The more popular this site gets the more people ask if I can add a paid link to their products or site. The answer is no. If you want to advertise on get a google add and it can appear in the add section! From time to time I may sign up to receive a commission from links to a product that I review. These will be listed below so that you know what I make a commission from. These are articles I have written because I like the product, not because I am chasing a commission. If you buy them you may like to use my link to help me out!
Products I receive a commission from if you buy them from my link:
Article: Speech Recognition Arrives on the Macintosh
Link:
Dragon Dictate for Mac 2.0
Article: The best place to buy ram for your mac.
Link: Crucial.com