Well, I’ve been blogging for three and a half years as of two days ago and I’m starting to think quite seriously about which direction I want The Mad Reviewer to go.  What do you want to do with your blog?  People have been quite reasonably asking me that since I started blogging and I haven’t really found a good answer.  Talk about books with like-minded people, for the most part.  But what if I wanted to expand into a more professional sort of setting?  WordPress.com is fine for free users but I think that WordPress.org is a lot better for more serious users like the one I want to be.  Plus, there’s also not the threat of an arbitrary suspension hanging over my head again because an automated spam bot flagged me and the staff doesn’t give a rat’s arse.

With WordPress.org I’d have to become a little more tech-savvy but if I pay for a guided transfer (that includes hosting on Bluehost) and a redirect for this site so that people who are used to coming to this address automatically go to my new one I think it will be worth it.  Of course the costs will be a little high to begin with but that’s part of the reason why I took Penny Sansevieri up on her offer of paid honest reviews and why I’ve kept a change jar where I’ve put aside any change I got toward my blog.  I do have enough money to make a go of it.  The only question really is when should I do it?  As of now, I’m not quite sure.  I may do it before the craziness of July or I may do it this winter when I have a little more time to myself.

That’s why I wanted to ask you guys what you think.  Do you think I should transfer over to self-hosting?  If you’re self-hosted, what are some of the pros and cons you’ve faced?  When is the best time to do the transfer?  Do you have any other thoughts or comments on the move?

Please, I would love it if you would share your thoughts and any feedback you might have.  This is a big step for me and I want to go into it informed.