It used to be that a person would take ink to paper to record private thoughts and dreams. With the invention of the Internet, online diaries became popular, allowing individuals to keep a running account of their personal lives. Soon, digital communities sprang up on the Internet allowing online diaries to be shared with other individuals. This trend evolved into the weblog.
The term blog is used to describe web sites that retain a continuous account of information. Blogs often feature annotations and links to other articles and range in topics from personal to political.
A blog is made up of a few basic components:
• Page profile-The page profile gives a brief description of the blog content and information about the writer.
• Content-Articles make up the content of the blog and can be written by one or more blog authors. Personal bloggers use the content area to discuss observations, share news or pictures, and give personal reviews. Company blogs use the content section to share news, product information, event details, and announcements concerning the business.
• Followers-Individuals who sign up for a blog feed so they can follow the blog content are called followers. These users can be friends, acquaintances, customers, or just those interested in the content.
• Comments-The comment section gives followers an interactive way to respond to the blog author. Followers can leave comments, impressions, accolades, and tips about the blog or a particular article.
• Archive-A blog’s archive houses past posts. It’s usually indexed by date and allows users to go back to previous blog posts.
• Blog/Link List-This section is a collection of the blog authors’ favorite sites, blogs, or web pages. Typically displayed in the blog’s side column, it provides users with access to links for additional reading.
• Feeds-A news/web feed allows users access to current blog content through a “reader” using special software.
Blogs have so much to offer and with free blog hosting applications, anyone can easily become a blogger.