With Posterous, you can create a blog in just a few minutes, without needing to know any HTML or coding skills.
The service allows you to start a blog by simply sending an email to a special address, and then posting updates and photos by sending emails to the same address.
You can also upload photos to your blog by emailing them directly to Posterous.
This makes it easy to share your thoughts, photos, and ideas with others, and to create a blog that's tailored to your interests and needs.
A unique perspective: Comparison of Free Blog Hosting Services
What is Posterous?
Posterous was a microblogging platform that allowed users to publish posts to multiple platforms at once. It was founded in 2008 by Sachin Agarwal and Bryan Berg.
The platform allowed users to post content via email, which was a unique feature at the time. This made it easy for users to share updates without needing to log in to a website.
One of the key benefits of Posterous was its simplicity, making it accessible to users who weren't tech-savvy. It was easy to use and required minimal setup.
In 2012, Posterous was acquired by Twitter, which eventually shut down the platform in 2013.
Features and Benefits
You can create and participate in a Posterous Group from your phone, the Web, or via email privately or publicly, without limitations.
With the addition of Pages, Posterous has become a more bona-fide alternative to full-on blogging. You can now have a dedicated About Page, where you can expand on who you are and what you do/offer.
You can also offer a Contact Page, a Services Page, or any other page you want to add. Setting it up is as simple as adding the new page from your admin area, filling out the content, and hitting Publish.
The Pages feature also allows you to redirect a page, which is a cool feature. You can set up a page called Store, for example, and use the redirect function to open up your full-on e-commerce store.
Mobile Apps
Posterous made it easy to share photos on the go with the launch of PicPosterous in August 2009.
This iPhone application allowed users to quickly post photos to their Posterous page, making it a convenient way to share memories with friends and family.
In January 2011, Posterous expanded its mobile offerings by launching an app for the Android platform.
This app was supported by 9 different phone models, giving Android users a range of options to access and share content on Posterous.
Posting
Posting to Posterous is a breeze, requiring very little from the user. It's a simple upload and the Posterous team figures out the rest!
Users are presented with a rich-text editor when posting from the Posterous site. This makes it easy to format your content just the way you want it.
If you choose to email the link instead, Posterous will convert the document, photo, or video automatically. No need to worry about formatting or uploading multiple files.
Sending an mp3 file? Posterous will create a flash player for it in the post. This way, your audio content is showcased in a neat and tidy package.
Related reading: Twitter Content Moderation
Posting multiple photos? Posterous will automatically create a gallery. This is a great way to share a series of images with your audience.
Documents are displayed through Scribd's flash interface, making them easy to read and navigate. This is especially helpful for longer documents or reports.
Sending a YouTube URL? Posterous will immediately embed the video in the post. This is a quick and easy way to share your favorite videos with others.
Grows with Pages
Posterous has grown up with the introduction of Pages, which allows you to have a dedicated online hub to build your brand, business, or services.
You can now add additional information like an About Page, a Contact Page, and a Services Page, which is ideal for those who want to offer more than just simple blog posts.
With Pages, setting up is a breeze – just add the new page from your admin area, fill out the content, and hit Publish.
You can even drag-and-drop the navigation to rearrange where the page sits on your nav bar.
One of the coolest features of Pages is the redirect function, which allows you to open up a different website or page when someone clicks on a specific link.
For example, you can set up a page called Store and use the redirect function to open up your e-commerce store.
This feature alone puts Posterous above many premium WordPress themes.
Social Collaboration
Social Collaboration is a key aspect of Posterous, allowing users to share their content with others and connect with like-minded individuals. With Posterous, users can share with a select crowd or join interest communities of other Posterous bloggers.
Users can easily auto-post to other social media apps to share with a wider community, making it simple to reach a larger audience. This feature is particularly useful for educators who want to share their knowledge with students and peers.
If this caught your attention, see: Social Blade
One of the benefits of Posterous is that it provides a common site for teachers and students to share knowledge and skills. This common language and skill set helps to facilitate learning and collaboration.
Here are some ways Posterous facilitates social collaboration:
- Forums and blogs to share existing knowledge and build upon it
- A common site for teachers and students to share knowledge and skills
- Consistent feedback through discussion and reflections
- Feedback from educators, peers, and the wider community (distributed learning)
- Links to assessments such as simulation exercises or virtual labs
- A collaborative environment for project or product-based assessments
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Posterous a successful platform?
Posterous was a straightforward platform, but its limitations ultimately led to its shutdown in 2013. It struggled to compete with more feature-rich alternatives.
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