What is a Blog?
A blog (again a shortened version of “weblog”) is an online discussion or personal website, usually based on a personal interest, posted on the Internet consisting of brief, informal blog-style text posts. Blogs can be informative and sometimes controversial, but they all share the common aim of presenting data, ideas, and events in a personal way. In the early days of blogs, a single blog could be used for many purposes. Today it is usually used to provide information or for advertising a product or service. Some blogs are professionally run and maintained, while others are simply user-operated by individual enthusiasts.
One of the most popular forms of blogging is a type called “diary” or “vlog”. A diary is a more casual version of a web log and describes events as they happen rather than relying on a “logical” sequence of events as is the case with a web log or online diary. The diary is more self-organized and user-friendly than other forms of blogging. In fact, one can consider a diary a type of online diary where readers can post questions and comments as well as being able to make changes to the existing text.
Personal blogs are another type of blog that are used by certain categories of bloggers. These blogs are usually written about a particular hobby, profession or personal interest of the blogger and can focus on any topic. They can also be more technical in nature, covering engineering, mathematics or technology.
A third type of blog is more popularly associated with web content publishing. Content publishing blog is a type of blog where a blogger can submit new blog posts as they arise without the need to maintain a blog on a regular basis. The blog is updated when a user submits a post with new information via RSS or direct feeds. This form of blog distribution is often used by companies to publish news and information to their users via blogging platforms such as Google Reader and WordPress. This type of blog is similar to a static website, but unlike static websites, these do not need to be refreshed every time new information is added.
As there are many benefits of blogging, there are also many people who are not comfortable with blogging. Bloggers may face rejection from industry colleagues or clients if their blogs are deemed “tainted” or “inflammatory”. This could be due to the tone of the blog posts, the topics covered or even the platform used to publish the blog post. For those who are not comfortable with blogging, there are alternatives such as social networking, bookmarking, RSS feeds and video blogging which allow for a level of publishing that is much more reader friendly.
Bloggers can express themselves in many different ways depending on their personality and interests. Some bloggers prefer to blog in a more conversational manner while others prefer to write in a more formal tone. There are also bloggers who use online journals as platforms for sharing their opinions about current events and local happenings. Most blogs today share a common interest among many bloggers but there are some who stray into other areas such as blogging about music or politics. Blogs have become a necessary tool for many people to connect with others and express themselves. The future of blogging looks bright because the internet continues to grow and become an increasingly popular way to communicate with others.
