What is a Blog? Back to Basics.
What is a Blog?
The term blog comes from two words: ‘web log’.
The strange little word is used in a variety of ways.
• “I blogged today’ means that you posted to your web log.
• “I’m blogging” could mean that you’re actively working on a blog post or that you blog on a regular basis.
• “I’m a blogger” may be used to let someone else know that you run a blog.
Technically, a blog is an online journal driven by a script and a database. The blog script provides you with an online dashboard for typing in your journal entries and the database stores your words.
Don’t worry about technologically intimidating terms like ‘script’ and ‘database’ – it’s not as bad as it sounds. If you have ever used a web based email system like yahoo.com or hotmail.com or if you’ve ever created an ebay auction or signed up for Myspace.com – you’re technical enough for a blog.
If you’ve never done any of these things, don’t worry! It’s not hard to learn.
Leave the tech terms behind us. What exactly is a blog?
It’s whatever you want it to be.
It can be an online journal. It can be your web based diary. It can be your monthly web article archive or weekly newsletter repository. A blog can include whatever you would like it to include: words, sound, video, pictures, etc.
It can be very personal or it can be quite businesslike.
Words like ‘journal’ and ‘diary’ have a private feel, yet a blog is public. This creates a unique culture among bloggers. People tend to be more personable on a blog, even if the topic is business.
Blogs are a great way to start your online business journey. They are fairly easy to set up. You can get one for free. They are flexible enough that you can easily make changes, and the more you play with your blog, the more valuable your skillset will be. Who knows? Before you know it, people will pay you to create a blog for them!
More blogging info coming! Stay tuned!
