Choose domain name which is taken. Choose another domain name.
Sign-up with Dreamhost despite recent bad press. All the other hosting providers look similar and all have supporters and critics and, to be fair, Dreamhost were quickest (and most helpful) to reply to a simple technical enquiry.
Payment processing takes a long, long time which is a little disconcerting.
Install WordPress 2.0.4 using One-Click installation. Shortly receive email stating ‘Blog creation failed. Please try again later’ which is worrying.
Repeat installation of WordPress which is successful.
Export existing blog from WordPress.com into XML.
Import XML into a local installation of WordPress 2.1 alpha (includes all comments).
Import XML into new blog. Everything imported successfully apart from the comments.
Install TechSailor plugin. Delete some posts with comments and repeat complete import. Existing posts are skipped and import includes comments for some posts but not others.
Delete complete WordPress installation, recreate mySQL database and empty blog.
Install TechSailor again. Import XML which works fast and without error. All posts, all comments, all categories are present. In fact, everything is intact.
Change theme to the stunning Barthelme which was the main reason for all this effort.
Upgrade Barthelme to the latest version (1.2.2).
Notice that the ‘About’ page wasn’t imported and recreate.
Change permalink format to include name/date as used on WordPress.com.
Install widget support and configure sidebar widgets.
Activate Akismet plug-in (needs WordPress API key).
Install Google Analytics tracking code.
Stake my claim on Technorati.
Respond to amusing comment accusing me of blatant plagiarism.
Delete WordPress blog. Suddenly realise I didn’t put up a closing redirect entry. Oh well.
Put kettle on.