i would get a host so you can change the theme to what you want. otherwise if you go with a wordpress.com, you only have so many templates to choose from. yeah, wordpress.org is the way to go IMO. very easy to setup. - Chris Harris

WordPress is the way to go... Get a Dreamhost account and get on your way - andy brudtkuhl

Harvey - the big question that might bite you down the road is, do you want web advertising revenue or not? If the answer is no, definitely go with wordpress.com or similar. If you think you will eventually try to get money with ads, switching later is a pain, so it's better to go with a hosting company like bluehost, laughing squid or dreamhost and use their one-button wordpress install. - Phil G

absolutely agreed with Chris. I personally use godaddy for hosting, they have a 1-click Wordpress install. I am not sure if they are the best/cheapest/fastest/whatever, but thats where I am... - Jeremy Toeman

Ditto Jeremy and Chris - Shey, Jamaican of FF

I've tried quite a few different blog engines, and WordPress is may favorite thus far. - Mack D. Male

I use godaddy for hosting Wordpress. I also have a Wordpress.com blog. - Michael Tefft

yes, if you're going to host it yourself and try to make a few bucks out of it. If it's just for exposure/fun, just get a hosted one at TypePad - john conroy

I use WordPress.com. It sucks. Use WordPress.org if you can. - Hao Chen

Don't go to WordPress.com if you think you'll upgrade later. Just get cheap GoDaddy or Dreamhost and use WordPress.org (both hosts mentioned have 1-click installs) - andy brudtkuhl

Depends if you like getting your hands dirty, get some hosting and install WordPress. If you want to keep your hands clean or a little unsure go wordpress.com, you can always upgrade to your own wordpress install later. - Nick Cowie

I was going to suggest wordpress.com, because I have the plan to host it in the future to Wordpress.org, but looking at the commnets it seems to be pain to import. - Jay Cruz from twhirl

+1 for self-hosted WordPress. Just remember to install Akismet, XML Sitemap, and WP-SuperCache. - Robert Fischer

+2 for self-hosted WP. Almost every site that I frequently update uses WP, though some are HEAVILY modified. It's an incredible tool. - Bradley McSpinn

I've been reading up a bit on WordPress since reading about the WordCamp conference in Dallas earlier this year. I missed the conference, but learned quite a bit just reading about it. Thanks for all of the input, folks. I'll definitely keep all of your comments in mind. - ha3rvey (Ho)^3

Make sure to check out the vast amount of plugins available too. They've saved my butt on many an occasion, by allowing me to implement functionality without having to custom-code. - Bradley McSpinn

Self hosted WP - NOT WP.com but WP.org. - AJ Kohn

+3 for self-hosted WP. I've been using it for years on a number of high-traffic sites, and no complaints so long as I keep everything up-to-date. Writing your own themes and plug-ins is a breeze, and IMHO the interface and publishing process is less "clunky" that MT. - Tom Harrison

I'll say wordpress.com is the way to go if you just want a blog and you don't want to trick it out with widgets, themes, or the like. If you just want someone to post your words and a few pictures, and you don't want the hassle of upgrading, go wordpress.com (or even TypePad, but they charge money). - cecily

Wordpress.org - definitely. You have so much more control over every aspect of your blog. But yeah, if you think there's a chance of you getting bored and giving up after a couple of weeks then go with wordpress.com or even Blogger. - Martin Bryant

I recommend self hosted wordpress as well for a personal blog. Also check out bluehost.com. For a more robust platform I recommend Drupal. Just had to give Drupal some love. - Mark Krynsky

WordPress or Drupal - Igor Poltavskiy