What Exactly Is a Blog?
Any decent how-to guide will always start by defining its subject, and that's what we'll do here. Anyone with a little experience will probably not benefit much from this post, but for the sake of anyone new to the game, this should give you a basic idea of what we mean when we say "blog."
What is a blog?
A blog is a website that is set up to receive new content frequently. Think of it as an online journal. In fact, the word "blog" is a shortened version of "weblog" or "web log." Entries are usually organized by date, and may be made up of text, images & photos, or audio clips, and sometimes even video clips. Most blogs will include a place for comments that allow readers to give their input or feedback about each entry.
Why would I want to blog?
Blogs are much easier to update than static websites, and can be kept for any number of reasons, from personal expression to keeping in touch with distant family & friends, from writing practice & self-publishing to marketing and PR. In your blog, you can write about pretty much anything you want to, and as much or as little as you'd like. Keeping a blog is one of the easiest ways to communicate or convey messages, whether you're trying to get something across to a specific audience or have something to say to the world in general.
Who can start a blog?
It is extremely easy for anyone to start a blog, and you need almost no technical expertise to begin. Your only real requirements are a computer with an Internet connection and something to write about. If you have something to say, and a way to connect to the Internet, then you can blog.
Where can I keep my blog?
There are blog-hosting sites that provide everything that you'll need and can have you up and running in a matter of minutes. Other sites require special software that helps you to create a blog. For the do-it-yourselfer with a little more Internet experience, you can even blog from an existing website or get your own domain for your blog. Where you choose to blog will be deterined by the features that you desire, your technical know-how, the subject or topic of your blog, and probably a number of other considerations.
We'll be going a little more in depth in each of these areas as we progress. In the next post in this series, we'll look at the structure and layout of blogs. For a more in-depth discussion of exactly what a blog is, and a little bit of the history of blogs, see Wikipedia's entry for weblog.
What is a blog?
A blog is a website that is set up to receive new content frequently. Think of it as an online journal. In fact, the word "blog" is a shortened version of "weblog" or "web log." Entries are usually organized by date, and may be made up of text, images & photos, or audio clips, and sometimes even video clips. Most blogs will include a place for comments that allow readers to give their input or feedback about each entry.
Why would I want to blog?
Blogs are much easier to update than static websites, and can be kept for any number of reasons, from personal expression to keeping in touch with distant family & friends, from writing practice & self-publishing to marketing and PR. In your blog, you can write about pretty much anything you want to, and as much or as little as you'd like. Keeping a blog is one of the easiest ways to communicate or convey messages, whether you're trying to get something across to a specific audience or have something to say to the world in general.
Who can start a blog?
It is extremely easy for anyone to start a blog, and you need almost no technical expertise to begin. Your only real requirements are a computer with an Internet connection and something to write about. If you have something to say, and a way to connect to the Internet, then you can blog.
Where can I keep my blog?
There are blog-hosting sites that provide everything that you'll need and can have you up and running in a matter of minutes. Other sites require special software that helps you to create a blog. For the do-it-yourselfer with a little more Internet experience, you can even blog from an existing website or get your own domain for your blog. Where you choose to blog will be deterined by the features that you desire, your technical know-how, the subject or topic of your blog, and probably a number of other considerations.
We'll be going a little more in depth in each of these areas as we progress. In the next post in this series, we'll look at the structure and layout of blogs. For a more in-depth discussion of exactly what a blog is, and a little bit of the history of blogs, see Wikipedia's entry for weblog.
posted by J Bradley at
2:54 PM
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