by Daniel J. Gansle

Created on: December 10, 2008   Last Updated: January 06, 2009

In the midst of the great information technology boom of the mid-to-late 1990s, a new concept in sharing information over the nascent internet began to emerge. Dubbed a weblog by computer expert Jorn Barger in December 1997, the idea was to create a medium through which writers, editors, technology experts, and ordinary people could write a sort of public diary of their lives and their interests.

In the Spring of 1999, Peter Merholz shortened the word "weblog" and coined the resulting phrase "blog." Both a verb (to blog) and a noun (a blog), this word has truly changed the way we gather and share information over the internet. Furthermore, it laid the foundation for what we now refer to as Social Web 2.0.

Launched in October 1998, Open Diary.com was the very first blog to allow readers to post comments on blog entries. This was followed by LiveJournal.com in early 1999 and Blogger.com in the Fall of that same year. Soon the questions, "Do you have a blog" and "Who's blogging about what" became standard lexicon in the international community.

The Impact of Blogs
The impact that blogs have had on society has been phenomenal. Not only has it provided millions of internet users a place where they can voice their opinions and tell others about their interests, but it has also proven a formidable political, social, and economic force that even many politicians have underestimated. During the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, political blogs such as Politico.com, Truthout.org, and Huffingtonpost.com had a tremendous impact on public opinion.

Blogs have also had a very positive effect on the democratic process as more bloggers have engaged in what is commonly referred to as participatory journalism. This idea that ordinary people can shape the face of how they get their news by broadcasting their own opinions on political and global issues has given the traditional mainstream news media a run for its money. Indeed, blogs have created a vast online community where the "power of the people" has become a force to be reckoned with.

One very interesting consequence of blogging has been in employment. Some employers today are performing web searches for job candidates. If the candidate is posting questionable material in his or her blog, it could mean the person will be passed over for the job. Furthermore, others have been dismissed from their job for posting blogs that showed poor taste, profane material, or a conflict of interest. This is why, though it may be tempting

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