Since I’m probably going to get asked this question eventually, I’m going to explain how I run my site, and how I’ve gotten to deal without having a laptop everywhere I go. It’s basically all down to this, and what I have installed on it.
It’s like every other portable HDD, but it’s fitted with applications from PortableApps, a suite of programs that you can tailor yourself, or use right out of the box. They run entirely on a flash-drive or other removable storage, without leaving any trace behind (apart from Firefox, which leaves your cache in the appropriate folder in the logged on username, unless you set it to be automatically cleared). You can run other programs from it as well, if you snoop around the net and figure out how to do it. I have Last.FM, StarCraft and Quake 3 Arena on mine, as an example.
However, running my blog(s) is all down to one program: Flock, and it’s portable brother, PocketFlock. Flock is Firefox, but with a lot more added onto it. Firefox was just the framework for Flock to be fleshed out on, providing links to Social networks, Media, Email, Favourites, RSS feeds and Blogs. With my current set up, I have RSS feeds from 9 different gaming sites (Some news sites, some blogs) which refresh whenever they have a new article up. I read the article, and if it’s good (and relevant), with another click I open up my Blog Post Editor, bang a small article together, put a link in, and click post. It really is that simple, because it’s all configured beforehand in a simple and easy process.
Put it this way: I wouldn’t have even heard of Twitter if I hadn’t used Flock, and I would’ve stopped using Facebook, Youtube (for posting content), del.icio.us and Flickr a long time ago. It makes the entire job much easier, and is also a fully fledged browser, compatible with 90% of Firefox’s add-ons. Flock is now an integral part of my Web experience, and is the only real secret to getting posts out quickly, before other, more popular sites (such as Kotaku, one of my sources too) get it out, despite having worldwide editors/posters.
There is no real tried-and-true way of running a blog or a site. It’s what you’re comfortable with, and this is what I am comfortable with. The only real tried-and-true way of successful blogging is be relevant, be consistent, and above all, update regularly.