What exactly is a blog?
As more people turn to the World Wide Web for their news, business, and personal correspondence, writers are using online journals called weblogs or blogs to reach readers.
Blogs, Wikis, MySpace, and more : everything you want to know about using Web 2.0 but are afraid to ask
Terry Burrows.
Chicago : Chicago Review Press, c2007.
Includes index.
The lost blogs : from Jesus to Jim Morrison : the historically inaccurate and totally fictitious cyber diaries of everyone worth knowing
Paul Davidson.
New York : Warner Books, 2006.
"A humorous compilation of blogs 'written' by 175 historical figures and celebrities, showing what really went on inside the greatest minds of all time."--Provided by the publisher.
The uprising : an unauthorized tour of the populist revolt scaring Wall Street and Washington
David Sirota.
New York : Crown Publishers, c2008.
"Job outsourcing. Perpetual busy signals at government agencies. Slashed paychecks. Stolen elections. A war without end, fatally mismanaged. Ordinary Americans on both the Right and Left are tired ofbeing disenfranchised by corrupt politicians of both parties and are organizing to change the status quo. In his new book, David Sirota investigates whether this uprising can be transformed into a unified, lasting political movement."--BOOK JACKET.
How to say it : marketing with new media : a guide to promoting your small business using websites, E-zines, blogs, and podcasts
Lena Claxton and Alison Woo.
New York : Prentice Hall Press, 2008.
How to Say It: Marketing with New Media offers cutting-edge solutions for marketing your small business to today's ever-evolving online community. Packed with content templates and practical steps for getting the word out, this one-stop resource includes: Tips for writing selling copy, The keys to creating a marketing message that sizzles, Step-by-step instructions for promoting with new media tools, Strategies for attracting site visitors and e-zine, blog, and podcast subscribers, Savvy techniques for using search engines, viral marketing, and social media.
Weblogs originated as a way for Internet users to keep a log of the websites they visited. John Barger coined the word ‘weblog’ in 1997. The shorter version, 'blog,' was coined by Peter Merholz who broke the word weblog into the phrase 'we blog'.
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One every 7.4 seconds
The Pew Internet study estimates that about 11%, or about 50 million, of Internet users are regular blog readers.
A new weblog is created every 7.4 seconds, which means there are about 12,000 new blogs a day. |
Today’s blogs are more than listings of websites. The typical blog entry begins with a heading followed by a short reflection on a particular website and a link to that website. Below the reflection is a link to a comment board. This ability to comment on the author's work, and view others’ comments, gives blogs their community aspect.
Blogs are easy to create. It takes only a few keystrokes to build a home on the World Wide Web for your creative output. Within minutes, and at no cost, you can begin to publish your own blog.
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First, pick a topic that will be the focus of your blog. You may choose to write about your daily activities. Some of the Web's most entertaining blogs are simply accounts of what the author did that day. Other blogs are more specific and cover an area of interest such as politics, movies, or music.
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Next choose a home for your blog. Carefully evaluate blog providers to select one that is reliable and right for you.
Blogger and
Live Journal are two companies offering this service free of charge. Each provide simple onscreen instructions that allow you to select a name for your blog and make layout decisions.
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Once your blog is created, it's time to write your first entry. To cultivate an audience, you will want to develop your own voice, say something unique, and update your blog regularly. Readers will not return to your blog repeatedly if you don't provide new material.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
