Guide Note
The massive online conversation known as blogging has taken the world by storm over the last decade, with 100,000 new blogs being created every day. Although blogs are just a reverse chronological series of dated postings and are often produced by a single person, they create an interconnected dialogue through the use of comment boxes and linking.
Blogging is for everyone
Blogging is as diverse as the millions of people who do it, ranging from personal diaries to major news hubs staffed by dozens of professionals. What all blogs have in common is their basic format and their accessibility to anyone who wants their voice to be heard. Blogging requires little more than a computer, an email address, and an urge to write. Even writing is negotiable, with photo blogs and video blogs quickly gaining in popularity.
Joining the conversation
One of the best ways to get an education in blogging is to read blogs. Try searching Technorati for subjects of interest or start with some of the blogs about blogging that are listed on this page. Commenting on a few blogs can help you get a feel for being part of the conversation and help you find your own voice. Once you know what you want to write about, find a blog host, sign up, and start blogging!
Fast Facts
- Blog: Shortened name for weblog
- Blogosphere: All of the blogs online and their interconnections
- Vlog: A blog composed of videos
- Artlog: A blog composed of artwork
- There are more than 71 million blogs on the Internet
- 100,000 blogs are created every day
Quotes
- "A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list." —Unknown
- "And it occurred to me that there is no such thing as blogging. There is no such thing as a blogger. Blogging is just writing — writing using a particularly efficient type of publishing technology." —Simon Dumenco
- "In China, blogs enable millions of citizens to express their opinions with reduced political risk simply because of the sheer number of like-minded opinions online. Facing these independent voices, the old ideological machine starts to crumble." —Xiao Qiang
- "Blogs can help bring humanity back into the workplace." —Michael Wiley
- "The first thing you need to decide when you build your blog is what you want to accomplish with it, and what it can do if successful." —Ron Dawson
- "Yes, blogging is entertainment. It is performance. Each blog post a show, sometimes an opera, sometimes a 30 second commercial." —Lorelle Van Fossen
