What is Blogging? -Part I of Why Blog?

What is Blogging?

In the Twenty-First Century, the Internet is taking over communication, entertainment, information sharing, and more. The reason is simple - endless amounts of information and entertainment. Through the World Wide Web, anyone and everyone can find out anything for themselves and then tell the world what they think. Once they’re done with that, web browsers can find endless entertainment by watching videos on YouTube, playing games, chatting with friends through the vast amounts of social networking web sites (like Facebook or MySpace), or what ever else imaginable. Just about anything can be achieved through the Internet - the only limit is human intuition.

One of the key components of modern communication is blogging. Blogging is “the design and editing of a blog (or weblog)”* whereas a blog is “a personal or corporate website in the form of an online journal, with new entries appearing in sequence as they are written.”* In plain English however, blogging is an online journal about what ever the author (or authors) choose to write about. However, unlike a paper-based journal, anyone in the world with an Internet connection can read what you write. Blogs can delve into subjects such as sports, current events, or even how to blog.

Traditional journals are simple. They have a front, a back, usually a title page saying “This journal belongs to: ____,” and then (typically) about one hundred pages filling the space in-between the front and back. Blogs on the other hand are a lot more complicated. Blogs require a host, a blogging engine, a layout, and content - aside from the many other additional components that are required to make a ‘good’ blog. Starting with the basics, a blog requires a host and a blogging engine. A host is a service that places your information on the web for visitors to view and a blogging engine is a program that posts your information on your host. Both of those are easily obtained for free by completing a simple form on web sites like Wordpress.com, Blogger.com, and Xanga.com. However, many Bloggers go a step further and purchase a hosting service and install a blogging engine (like Wordpress). The results are full control over every aspect of the blog. Upon installation (or sign-up), the new blog is automatically outfitted with a default layout (the basic content arrangement and visual appeal*) - which is usually changed. When content is posted, a blog is online, accessible to anyone with the Internet.

Why do people blog? There are many reasons to blog, most of which vary depending on the blog’s main topic. The most common reason to blog is personal enjoyment. The second most common reason for blogging is to make money, either as a cash flow supplement or as a sole form of income. Thirty-five percent of blogs receive fewer than one hundred unique visitors per day* - which typically, isn’t enough to earn a living. Forty-six percent of Bloggers receive between one hundred one unique visitors and two thousand five hundred unique visitors* - which still isn’t enough to earn a living, but could be enough to supplement a blogger’s ‘real’ job’s income.

To hear what the bloggers themselves have to say about blogging,
stay tuned for Part II…