These are the raw notes I used for my talk on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org at WordCamp Victoria today. Take from them what you will…I’m WAY too lazy to edit these mofos.
You can put questions in the comments. If you want your question answered first, LINK TO THIS BLOG from yours. I can be bribed, god knows.
.com vs .org
Look, a question:
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/general-questions-re-wpcom-v-wporg?replies=1Look, an answer:
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/please-read-me-first-before-posting?replies=1WP.COM
start with SEO discussion and how they’ve got a contract out they need to retract it
why does .com not mean the end of SEO?
-Terms of Service
-SEO applies to ANY platform; they can all be improved, even if plugins can’t beSo what ARE the terms of service at WP.com?
– no ads
– no third-party sales
– you CAN sell your own products if you’re an author or artist (Jessica) http://jessicadoyle.com/ , and use it to build your professional profile (raincoastermedia) [this is what people DON’T know]content issues:
– embeds: Slideshare, Youtube, Scribd, Picapp etc but NOT raw Flash or Javascript for security reasons
– go into those security reasons
– Vodpod button for unsupported video
– CSS editing is avail, but NOT external themes
– no plugins. No, seriously, no plugins
– no google analytics. And no RSS stats; you’ll want to use Feedburner for that, so pick a theme with no RSS button built in and add one that ONLY shows your Feedburner feed.
– WP.com does NOT claim ownership of your material; they reserve the right to delete or suspend blogs in violation of the ToS. And they DO insist you give them the right to publish your material. For those of you who panic at this, realize they’re talking about POSTING YOUR BLOG, which is why you signed up here, remember?
– MATURE rating, Global Tag Pages– WP.com is primarily a platform for blogging, not a platform for building a website, CMS, etc. You can’t concentrate on making the periods rounder on your theme. You can’t concentrate on Flash games. You can’t concentrate on making a billion dollars from affiliate ads, get rich quick scams, get rich slow reselling, etc.
ALTHOUGH YOU CAN DO PORN
(basics of Adulting)WP.ORG
-plugins
-external themes
-freedom to manifest your dreams
-but in dreams begin responsibilities
-you are still subject to Terms of Service of your webhost, so READ THEM. I know it’s boring; read it anyway.
raincoaster media 
raincoaster
November 15, 2009
Apparently my notes are so good NOBODY has any questions. Supah.
Oh, to the woman on Twitter who was complaining about the “WordPress as a CMS” workshop’s use of plugins, YOU CAN’T USE WORDPRESS.COM AS A CMS.
You’re welcome.
octarendra
November 15, 2009
its very nice blog, and your poet is very informative..
can I subscribe to your blog?
Thanx
raincoaster
November 16, 2009
Certainly, if you don’t mind the fact that I took out your spam link
The Redhead Riter
October 20, 2010
I was Googling and happened upon your blog, read this post and then read the comments down to your last one which made me LAUGH OUT LOUD! Don’t you just get so tired of the spam stuff? I have spammers every single day and I just don’t see the joy in their long nonsensical jargon. It simply drives me nuts.
I know eventually I need to switch to .org and although I have coded everything just find so far on my 8 blogs, it terrifies me to switch to something totally different. I dread the thought of starting all over with the learning process. That curve is always tension filled.
Thanks for your post. It reiterated the fact that I need to change. Period.
I wonder how long it will take me to just bite the bullet…
raincoaster
October 20, 2010
I use Akismet, of course, so I don’t get too many, and mostly the actual human ones are scared of me.
I have blogs on both sides, and the newest versions of WP.org are much easier to manage than the old ones. You’ll do fine, I’m sure.