Weblogs.com blogs were created with Userland’s Manila software, and require hosting that supports Manila. Winer referred users to a directory of providers who support Manila.

One Weblogs.com blogger whose site is still operating is Doc Searls, a senior editor of Linux Journal and widely read blogger. “Thousands of us got a free ride from Dave, and Userland, over the past five years,” wrote Searls. “What we got was far more than we didn’t pay for. For many of us (certainly for me), the benefits have been incalculable. Let’s keep that in mind as those of us involved try to make this transition over the next few weeks.”

Other bloggers noted that such magnanimity was more difficult for bloggers who, unlike Searls, were offline and without access to their content.

“It’s not okay for 3,000 weblogs to revert to a post by the software vendor one day without warning,” wrote Jeneane Sessum.