I found this blog component at last. It's simple and elegant. No need of configuration, except adding some menu items. It just works.

Good extension but needs improvements especially in the backend. What I have noted is that even administrator cannot delete others entries. The only option is to go to the database and do it there which is a downside of this component really. The extension could be the best joomla blog estension if it had backend options. The extenstion was released in April 2009 and would really like to know if the maker has any plan of developing it or should we look for another extension with backend options?

This component is a good one, simple and easy to use but one thing is missing and that is the METADATA where you can add keywords and description tags on each post. I hope this will be included on the features for the next version update.

This is a fairly good blog. Only thing that it is missing is an instruction manual on how to use this and a more features. This is something that you DON'T want to download if your a beginner.

Smart Blog is an easy, nice and smooth component but without the whistles and the bells.
I just wanted a component that let registered users write and submit photos in a “Tip of attractions” page and others registered users to comment on the tip, nothing more and nothing less and for this purpose Smart Blog works perfectly.

The component was easy to install and self explaining. I emailed one question to the developers and I got a quick reply and answer for my question.

The component is native in English but it is easy to translate into your preferred language.
Thanks for the great work Aneesh!

Easy install, no configuration as there is no backend. It stores articles in it's own world so can't manage the articles in Joomla. I like using Joomla's sections and categories instead.

No controls for meta variables, no controls period. I need little more features and backend management.

But it works! If you just need ability to blog, this will work. Thanks for great work, I'm sure within time this will become a great blogger.

Easy installation .. after playing around for a couple of minutes, everything was set up.

I was just wondering, if there are any translations for Smart Blog? Does someone know, if Smart Blog exists in other languages? THX

Great simple component that just worked! Running on Joomla 1.5.14. This is such a simple component that uploaded simply and was ok to configure. I am using the “blog” to provide an “Ask the Users” section and it works great. The picture upload works fine, the simple back end control of blogs is all that is needed. Sure I had to dig into the code a bit to change the title and then change it on every instance of the default.php files for the various views so I guess multi-language would be an issue, but for me it filled a quick need. Recommend it to anybody wanting a simple way of letting all registered users submit a topic for comments.

like the simplicity of the extension but it's buggy. every so often when i click the read more button on a post in the blog, there seems to be a script entered into my html that displays in my "home" button on my top menu. i have no idea how to fix this???

an it doesn't seem that the support forum is very active.

I found that the installation was easy and the layout of the blog is nice in the frontend but I was looking for a way to customize it e.g. change name Smart Blog in frontend and have some administrator possibilities in the backend. Also, I would love to implement this into Community Builder.

This extensions is not too bad, if you only want few simply functions.

However, and admin backend, u can do nothing, everything you need do at front-end, so if can add several function such as access control and add article at back-end should be fantastic.

Hi there! Well, the SmartBlog is really buggy. I spent 24 hours trying to improve it. No more. Hence, I would recommend its authors to debug it as soon as possible so as to keep good reputation.
P.s. SmartBlog looks much better than IDoBlog. But how can I use it on my website if it doesn't work properly?
Cheers.
Serrus.

Before instal it, it appeared to me to be a nice extension but in reality it's buggy .
No way to view new posts in backend. They are never displayed.
No way to reinstal it. Error to create or delete table.
I only wanted this extension run properly with above features, no more. Unfortunatly this is not the case.

Easy install.
Easy setup.
No manual, but when we wanted to change a bit in the standard setting (make it possible to embedd videoes in the blog) we asked on the forum and soon got simple and easy instructions on how to make it happen.
Thanks.

I think this is a great extension and is easy to use and set up (despite the last couple of reviews that state otherwise). However, without the ability to review the posts prior to them being published makes it not usable in many, if not most applications. Allowing automatic posting on the blog is just an invitation to abuse. Open blogs will soon be filled with obscenities, male enhancement links, and the usual internet garbage.

With this simple option (just make the new post Unpublished), I would be singing its praises to all who would listen.

By the way, for the previous posters who could not figure out how to make this work: after loading the extension, enable the plugin, enable the module, and then add the various "pages" to the menu system (add a blog, blog, etc).

Despite a negative review, I downloaded Smart Blg. I found the installation painless and it worked exactly as I had expected it would. Thank you so much Aneesh!

I installed this component without any trouble, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to create a blog or post an entry!

There's no documentation included and the developer's support forum is no help, despite multiple postings reporting this issue.

How some of you were able to get this working is a mystery. I can only assume you're using a previous version because v1.5 is a dud.

I looked all over for a blog solution. I installed this one, however, there is no way to add blog posts as there is no "New" button, so I'm not sure how anyone could use this module. No response from support.

After investing a large amount of time and money with another solution, I discovered Smart Blog and my problems were over! :)

As others have noted, there are always features we would like added, but...I was able to customize the component and module to get it exactly the way I wanted in about an hour. And more importantly, it is a native 1.5 Joomla component, not a port, which means even if you have just an average working knowledge of Joomla,
you are in familiar territory.

Setting permissions for who can and cannot blog and controlling pagination are important features that need to be added to Smart Blog (again as others have noted), but I was able to work around the permissions issue by some simple tweaks and other practical access functions with only a small amount of effort. Pagination control for the landing page is still a bit of problem for me.

I am greatly looking forward to the next version, as Aneesh has been listening carefully to the many suggestions users have made on the support forum.

I am delighted with this extension. First, it solves my first concern, wanting to make blogging super easy for my readers to post blogs...no worries about selecting Section, etc.

Next, I like the ultra-simplicity of this blog. If you add new features in the future, please make all optional, so that we can choose to have more features, or choose to have an ultra-simple blog, as this is.

It is nice to have image upload, but would like that to be an option. Also a future option could be an Add Link on the toolbar.