What is a Blog?
That might seem like a silly question to discuss since many of you probably read blogs daily (including this one). However, I’ve realized that just because we consume or use technology, doesn’t mean we always understand it. I’ve also heard many different answers to the question “What is a blog?”
In the article “Introduction to Blogging,” Wordpress says:
“Blog” is an abbreviated version of “weblog,” which is a term used to describe web sites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information.
The same article goes on to describe some common attributes (though there are exceptions) of blogs:
- A main content area with articles listed chronologically, newest on top. Often, the articles are organized into categories.
- An archive of older articles.
- A way for people to leave comments about the articles.
- A list of links to other related sites, sometimes called a “blogroll”.
- One or more “feeds” like RSS, Atom or RDF files.
Wikipedia also has a thorough and frequently updated article on blogging.
There are still many people who don’t blog, or don’t understand blogging. How have you described what blogging is when people ask?
Visit 
I usually describe it as a web journal, or log of your life or things you find interesting.
People do have a harder time understanding what it means at first, or what RSS feeds are and why people would blog in the first place. What’s the point?
I have been trying to empasize a blogs simplicity. Seems like people feel like it will be complex.
Also they seem to respond more to it being participatory more than it being informational.
A blog is about control. Compare it to the complexity of trying to control a Message Board. It’s much easier to control the reactions to one subject at time by moderating each comment, than to try and control the reactions to a message board, no matter the limitations. A blog is about the now. If it didn’t happen recently, bringing up the past posts often is just a cause for irritation. A blog is about the self. My WebLog is about Me. If it’s not, why, it’s about what interests me. Don’t you agree? If not, you can comment on someone else’s blog, thank you very much. The battle is on every front, everywhere, all the time. If you think differently, well please, feel free to blog about it. (grin)
I’m curious..What are all of your thoughts about the chronological aspect? Does a blog have to be chronological…is that a significant factor?
I would tend to think that to me personally, a blog is usually best when it’s in the here and now. I have my Google Readers checking tons of feeds, and it’s usually about news, sports, technical stuff and current events.
I don’t need much informations about things of the past, I care more about things that help me NOW.
A blog for me is sometimes an idol.
-Obsessively Checking stats and search ranking
-Over-thinking my English
-Burn a sunny sunday afternoon writing (did that Yesterday)
-Asking people to comment
-50 retakes to get a video just right
-Repeatedly letting my non-tech family know I’ve posted something cool.
-Blackberry RSS feeds for breakfast lunch and dinner to make sure I am keeping up with you all.
-Wordpress and Twitter T-shirts on my Christmas list
I will really have to take some action to ensure I am not loving my blog, more than I love my God.
I think when I’m following a blog, the chronological way it’s ordered helps…but if I’m just searching for info or can find something by an interesting category, the time doesn’t really matter.
The chronological aspect is probably more important to the person(s) writing than the person(s) reading. From time to time I take a look back through the archives to see where I have been. It is good to process that information to see if I am making any progress on things I am working on, things I have been called to do, and just random things that have happened over the time that I have been blogging. Granted, my blog is pretty much personal stuff, with some leadership, randomness, and current events thrown in. I’ve been through the archives on this site and I kind of like how they are just by pages mostly. That is a neat way to do it. it is still chronological and it is still by date, but yet different than a normal archive.
My .02.
This is a new aspect of technology that has me captivated, for the moment… It helps to organize my thoughts by actually writing things down, yes, I can hear you saying “where have you been” but, can I be transparent here, it just has not been a strong area for me. I didn’t like english class and I don’t remember doing that well in typing either.If the topic is interesting it’s really a blast and makes learning punctuation,spelling,sentence structure, ect. fun!
That is a good question Bobby reagarding the chronological nature. Virtually every blog is displayed this way and certainly for those discussing current affairs it is certainly the best. It is also useful for regular viewers who can see what has been added since they last visited.
My blog is more information based though and I am wondering how better to display the blog without breaking the mould so much it annoys people. Problogger has just redesigned his site and has a blog page which is the traditional view, and the home page as a “landing page”. This lets him highlight the best articles he has written (which probably won’t be in the last week) as well as a few other things. This way you can get the best of both worlds hopefully!
To me, a blog has the potential to be the virtual story of what God’s doing in our lives. Man, I get to talk to lost loved ones (about God) like never before!!
I think a Blog is most often described as an online journal, but I like the ones such as this one that are intended to share and create an atmosphere of community where conversation can take place.
I use mine mostly to share my life with distant friends and family, but I also use it publicize my thoughts, or just things that I think are fun to share with others.
Chronological order is good because it brings the most recent news to the top for someone with little time wanting an update on the latest. In most of my family’s case, they don’t read it everyday, so that play catch up when I have been blogging a lot and its much easier to read it chronologically.
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