- Blogging: The act of writing a post for a blog
- Blogger: A person who writes content for a blog
- Blogosphere: The online community of blogs and bloggers
The World Before Blogging:
There
was a time when the Internet was just an informational tool. In the
early life of the World Wide Web some 20 years ago, websites were simple
and provided a one-sided conversation. As time went on, the Internet
became more interactive with the introduction of transaction-based
websites and online shopping, but the online world remained one-sided.
That all changed with the evolution of Web 2.0 (the social web) wherein user-generated content became an integral part of the online world. Today, users expect websites to provide a two-way conversation and web logs (or blogs) were born.
That all changed with the evolution of Web 2.0 (the social web) wherein user-generated content became an integral part of the online world. Today, users expect websites to provide a two-way conversation and web logs (or blogs) were born.
The Birth of Blogs:
The
earliest blogs started in the late 1990s as online diaries.
Individuals posted information on a daily basis about their lives and
opinions. The daily posts were listed in reverse date order, so readers
viewed the most recent post first and scrolled through previous posts.
The format provided an ongoing inner monologue from the writer.
As blogs evolved, interactive features were added to create a two-way conversation. Readers took advantage of features that allowed them to leave comments on blog posts or link to posts on other blogs and websites to further the dialogue.
As blogs evolved, interactive features were added to create a two-way conversation. Readers took advantage of features that allowed them to leave comments on blog posts or link to posts on other blogs and websites to further the dialogue.
Blogs Today:
As
the Internet has become more social, blogs have gained in popularity.
Today, there are over 100 million blogs with more entering the
blogosphere everyday. Blogs have become more than online diaries. In
fact, blogging has become an important part of the online and offline
worlds with popular bloggers impacting the worlds of politics, business
and society with their words.
The Future of Blogs:
It
seems inevitable that blogging will become even more powerful in the
future with more people and businesses recognizing the power of bloggers
as online influencers. Anyone can start a blog thanks to the simple
(and often free) tools readily available online. The question will
likely become not, "Why should I start a blog?" but rather, "Why
shouldn't I start a blog?"
Learn More About Blogs and Blogging from About.com's Guide to Web Logs:
About.com's Guide to Web Logs will help you navigate the blogosphere from starting a blog to marketing and monetizing
it. Don't be intimidated. Take a look around this site to learn how
to publish your own blog and be a part of the blogging community.
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