We’ve mentioned it before, and we’ll mention it again: if you want to host a good blog, make sure your web host supports a b2evolution extension. b2evolution, developed by François Planque, is a very functional, simple (yet complex) blogging format that is used by millions of bloggers around the world. Unlike Blogger, you can run this on your own domain, enabling you to seamlessly integrate b2evolution into your own site. Here is what you need to know about this great blogging tool.

b2evolution: What is it?

b2evolution, according to its official site, is:

“.. an advanced weblog tool, i-e software allowing you to run your own blogs, newsfeeds or even photo stream.”

Better yet, b2evolution is completely free. It is a completely customizable blogging application that caters to your needs — not theirs. Some of b2evolution’s features include:

- Advanced customization. Organize your blog by page, by category, through a calendar, or through a search button. Seamlessly organize content with a click of a button, enabling visitors to find content quickly.

- Easy image management. Simply upload an image to its system, post in your blog, and forget about it. You no longer have to worry about hosting images on another obscure site — it is tidy, compact, and ready to go for easy image display and storage.

- Draft and Quick Publishing features. You can save a post as a draft or use the Quick Publish feature to quickly publish content without any formatting. Extremely convenient for quick and easy blogging.

- RSS and Atom Feeds. People subscribe your feed and are notified when you update your blog. Find visitors and keep them with this handy tool.

- Customizable skins. Quickly customize the look of your blog with a click of a mouse. Choose from a variety of pre-made skins or create your own. There are all kinds of skins for all sorts of blogs, including professional and casual skins.

- Numerous plug-ins. Include plug-ins with your blog for a complete, customized experience. Some available plug-ins are Last.fm (a radio plugin) and OpenID (allowing people to log in and post from any site). Livejournal.com already uses some of these blogging plug-ins, which is highly popular with its users.

- Create private or “protected” posts. Don’t want nosy relatives reading your latest blog? Simply make the blog entry private.

- Anti-spam control. Weed out spam comments with b2evolution’s advanced anti-spam control, making blogging advertisement-free.

- Multiple member use. By adding another person’s account to your blog, they will have access to post and edit content as well. This is very useful for companies looking to get into the blogging atmosphere.

This is why b2evolution is great for any sort of blogging, professional or casual. Wordpr