Technical Skills and Development
Blogging
A "Blog" is an abbreviated version of “weblog”. It is a type of website or can be part of a website. Blog sites are easily built from templates and require no programming knowledge to update or maintain. They are usually maintained by individuals who regularly put up thoughts, comments, graphics or videos. These are called entries and they are arranged in reverse chronological order.
Blogs first came out in 1999 in the form of online diaries where people would keep a running account of their personal lives. Most such writers called themselves diarists, journalists, or journalers. Now in this modern day, most such writers call themselves bloggers. Also, blogs now range from the personal to the political, and can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects.
A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic. It is interactive meaning that other internet surfers can access it and leave comments on it. This is usually an important part for many bloggers because it shows them that their blog is popular and inevitably gains them followers who are people that particularly like the blog and read it regularly. Many blogs enjoy a very loyal readership.
There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written.
Personal blogs:
The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. One type of personal blog, referred to as a micro blog, is extremely detailed and seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing.
Corporate and organizational blogs:
A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called corporate blogs. Similar blogs for clubs and societies are called club blogs, group blogs, or by similar names; typical use is to inform members and other interested parties of club and member activities.
By genre:
Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs (also known as travelogs), house blogs,fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a blawgs) or dreamlogs. Two common types of genre blogs are art blogs and music blogs. A blog featuring discussions especially about home and family is not uncommonly called a mom blog.While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.
By media type:
A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog.Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see typecasting (blogging).
A rare type of blog hosted on the Gopher Protocol is known as a Phlog.
By device:
Blogs can also be defined by which type of device is used to compose it. A blog written by a mobile device like a mobile phone or PDA could be called a moblog.One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. This practice of semi-automated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as sousveillance. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters.
Technical Terms/ Aspects of Blogs and Blogging
The Blogosphere:
The term appeared at first in 1999 and was used as a joke but become popular after it was used to discuss public opinion by radios and magazines. It is the collective community of all blogs. Since all blogs are on the internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked, through blogrolls, comments, linkbacks (refbacks, trackbacks or pingbacks) and backlinks. Discussions "in the blogosphere" are occasionally used by the media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues. Because new, untapped communities of bloggers can emerge in the space of a few years, Internet marketers pay close attention to "trends in the blogosphere".
Services of social networking provided by blog hosts:
Friend list: List of other bloggers. Bloggers can restrict access to their blog to their friend list thanks to the privacy feature.
Blog ring:
A group of weblogs with a same focus or theme, that is displayed on the blog.
Metro:
Provided by a host, indication of the geographic location of a blogger and list of members in a same location. This improves again the social networking aspect.
Privacy:
Several levels of permission may be given to read to post comments to a blog, to a friend, group or the public.
Blog Day:
Blog Day was created with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers from other countries and areas of interest. The designated date is August 31, because when written 3108, it resembles the word "Blog". On that day, bloggers recommend five new blogs to their visitors, so that readers discover new, previously unknown blogs.
Blog search engines:
Several blog search engines are used to search blog contents:
Technorati: Display a Top 100 list of most linked blogs from RSS feeds, blog rolls and other links. Uses and contributes to open source software. Related tag cloud.
Feedster: Weblog search tool that indexes and archives individual blog posts based on RSS feeds. Offers also other related services.
Ice Rocket: Blog search engine
Blog Pulse: Trend graph
Feed search: Sort by popularity
Google Blog search
Tec meme: Focused on tech news and Indexes selective blogs. Only the most popular ones are in results.
Blogging communities and directories:
Several online communities exist that connect people to blogs and bloggers to other bloggers, including BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog. Interest-specific blogging platforms are also available. For instance, Blogster has a sizable community of political bloggers among its members.
Blogging and advertising:
It is common for blogs to feature advertisements either to financially benefit the blogger or to promote the blogger's favorite causes. The popularity of blogs has also given rise to "fake blogs" in which a company will create a fictional blog as a marketing tool to promote a product.
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