What is a blog?

Blogging

Blog: A web log, or journal, published online by someone referred to as a blogger (Earthshine). The act of blogging is a relatively new idea in which a blogger posts insight into whatever topic they deem worthwhile, and do so frequently (Earthshine). In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis (Blogger).

Breaking Down the Blog

Courtesy of [Wikipedia on Blogs]

A blog entry typically consists of the following:

  •Title, the main title, or headline, of the post. 
  •Body, main content of the post. 
  •Permalink, the URL of the full, individual article. 
  •Post Date, date and time the post was published. 

A blog entry optionally includes the following:

  •Comments 
  •Categories (or tags) - subjects that the entry discusses 
  •Trackback and or pingback - links to other sites that refer to the entry  

Why Should I Blog?

"A blog gives you your own voice on the web. It's a place to collect and share stories, pictures, recipes, prayers, travel tips, and love poems that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember." (Blogger). You can use a blog to organize your thoughts, publish breaking news, or tug at the hearts of your audience (Blogger).

How Do I Get Started?

The roots of blogging began in digital communities taking many forms, including Usenet, e-mail lists and bulletin board systems (Wikipedia). However it is not wise to try the same tactic today with any hope of success.

Types of Blogs

Not all bloggers share the same goal, or intent, when starting up their very first blog. It's best to be familiar with your choices so as to fully understand how you'll be understood by your intended audience.

Understanding that there are more options available to you, here are some popular blog types as shown on [Wikipedia on Types of Blogs]

• Business
• Travel
• Online Diary
• Political
• Topical

These common blog types fully cover the spectrum as it exists today, so I encourage these to be your respective starts.

Blog Publications

A variety of different systems are used to create and maintain blogs (Wikipedia).

•Web Applications
 •Often times incorporating the use of user friendly web interfaces
•Blog creation tools and blog hosting can be used, often free of charge.
 •These services are available through the following:
  •Webhosting such as [Tripod]
  •Internet Service Providers (ISP): [AOL]
  •Online Publications like [salon.com]
  •Internet Portals resembling [Google]
  •Mix of Blog and Wiki, called a bliki. Information on these can be found [here]

Where Do We Go From Here?

The future of blogging, an uncertain thing, has been alluded to due to it's popularity. As written in a [CNET] news article on the topic: "Recently, blogs have been credited with everything from CBS News anchorman Dan Rather's departure, to unauthorized previews of the latest Apple Computer products, to new transparency in presidential campaigns. The big question is whether blogs[...]have the staying power to become more than just online diaries."

Blogs, having been redifining themselves from conception. Starting with personal accounts, evolving