by James Richardson

Created on: December 07, 2008   Last Updated: January 06, 2009

WHAT ARE BLOGS ALL ABOUT?

Unless you've been living in a cave since the turn of the century, you've probably heard the term "blog" before. Ever find yourself wondering what exactly a blog is, how it may benefit you, and how in the heck does one get started in blogging?

If that's you, you're not alone. So, what is a blog and how did this strange term come to pass? A blog is the combination of web + log equaling weblog or the commonly shortened version, blog. According to Wikipedia, the term was coined nearly 10 years ago even though blogs only started showing up on the mainstream radar 4 - 5 years ago. Writing to a blog, called blogging or posting, evolved from the simple concept of keeping a diary online. Early bloggers (those who write - post - to blogs) often used the Internet to chronicle their everyday thoughts and musings.

Today, bloggers have realized the potential of the medium as more than just an online diary. They utilize the blogosphere (part of the Internet encompassing blogs) for everything from sharing breaking news, to writing opinions, to digressing trade expertise. Corporate America has not missed out on the blogging bandwagon either, with many firms using blogs to bolster advertising and marketing communication efforts.

Looking for some examples of successful blogs? Start by visiting your local newspaper or TV news channel's website. Chances are they have a blog. Or try out a large corporation's website; there's probably a blog link on there. You can also use a blog search engine like Technorati.com or blogscope.net. Similar in nature to Google and other search engines, these sites specifically organize and categorize blog posts. Search for something that's of interest to you, such as aviation or cooking. The topics and content of blogs are as diverse as the people writing them; you're bound to find several good blogs of interest.

When you do find blogs of interest, you can subscribe to them and keep abreast of the latest posts. In your browser window, look for an orange button with three white curved lines on it. This is called an RSS feed, and is supported by most browsers. When visiting a blog of interest, click this icon, and you will be subscribed to getting the latest updates. It's like the daily newspaper - only delivered to your computer screen and with content you select.

Blogs update in chronological order, with newest posts displayed at the top. Old posts are archived, and on more sophisticated blog sites, can be queried using a search

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