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What is a Blog?

Sparky — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:32:23 +0000

This may seem like an obvious question, but there are many people who don’t understand what a blog really is and how it can help them and their organizations.

The simplest answer to the question is that a blog is a website. Many people out surfing the web don’t want or need to know any more than that. However, if you plan to have a presence on the web you should know more so you can decide if a blog style website is right for you.

Evolution of Blogs

Blog is short for Web Log. Early definitions of a blog described it as a personal journal or diary on the web. This conjures up the not so serious image of a collection of frivolous, rambling, or random stories. While some of the early blogs started this way and you can use a blog for that purpose, if you focus on the topic or content to define a blog you are really missing the big picture.

A blog is a type of website that consists of a series of posts. Posts can include but are not limited to text, pictures, videos, audio, or any other type of content. Blogs frequently allow comments which creates an interactive quality to the content.

Software like Open Diary, Live Journal, Blogger, Movable Type, and WordPress was developed to easily create this style of website. This software did its job well and made creating blogs really easy. It became so easy that lots of people did it. As lots of people did it, the software and the characteristics of a blog evolved.

Two Definitions of Blogs

These days there are two ways to define a blog:

1. A blog is a website with some or all of the following characteristics:

A series of posts frequently in reverse chronological order
Has an interactive quality due to the ability for readers to comment on posts
Usually one but often more than one author
The ability for readers to subscribe to RSS feeds
The ability to notify other blogs that are linked in posts
The ability to receive notification from other blogs that link back
Organization of posts with archives based on time, categories, tags, and authors

2. A blog is a website created with blogging software.

Blogging software is a specialized form of Content Management System that allows someone to publish a website with the characteristics of blogs.
Blogging software separates content from design and code so that publishing to the web is simple and quick.
Since blogs typically contain timely content and are generally interactive, most blogging software is designed to automate the process of commenting and of notifying other sites of new content.
Most blogging software can be customized with new designs and new functionality.
Popular modern blogging software includes WordPress, Movable Type, Blogger, and many others.

Who Publishes Blogs?

Blogging software has made it so easy to publish to the web that anyone can do it. People of all ages and walks of life can blog. Writers, business people, artists, scientists, photographers, journalists, musicians, academics, students, film makers, hobbyists, poets, children, retirees and anyone else that has a desire to communicate can and do blog. Blogs can be simple or complex. Online newspapers and magazines are often created with blogging software.

Why Blog?

Many people blog because it is an easy way to publish to the web. Because it is easy, blog content tends to be timely. Because it is timely, blog software has developed many features to notify people of new content. Because of quick notifications, readers tend to react and interact. Because of this interaction, blogs tend to generate buzz. If you have an idea, product, service, or something to say, you want to be part of that buzz. If you want to be part of that buzz, you need to blog.

Should I Create a Blog?

Here are some good reasons to create a blog:

You have a product, service, or idea.
You want to communicate with a group of people.
You want a presence on the Internet.
You want to create a website that can be updated easily without knowing code or html.
You want to publish new material frequently or infrequently.
You want to edit existing content easily.
You want an interactive website where people can comment on your posts.
You want to have software that automatically reaches out to websites you reference.
You want software that reaches out to people or services that are interested in you.
You want to be able to categorize, tag, and otherwise organize website content.
You have something to say.

What Blogging Software Should I use?

There are many options out there. Some are dedicated blogging platforms. Some are comprehensive CMS systems. Some are free and open source. Some cost money and include support.

Choose WordPress

If you are just getting started and don’t really know what you want or need, I recommend starting with WordPress. I am a big fan of WordPress. But don’t take my word for it, it happens to be the most popular blogging platform on Earth. If you are just starting out, there is no reason you can’t start there.

There are two ways to get WordPress:

Download it from WordPress.org and install it on your webserver. (Or install it automatically at the vast majority of web hosts. This is the recommended option.)
Sign up for a free account at WordPress.com and try it out for free. (Just try it out at WordPress.com. Do not start your “real” blog there for these important reasons.)

Choose Other Blogging Software

WordPress is free, simple, extensible, well documented, and well supported. However it is not for everybody. If you know that WordPress does not meet your needs, you can try any of the hundreds of CMS and blogging platforms out there. A comprehensive (and frankly intimidating) list can be found at CMSMatrix.org.

I’ve built sites with Drupal, Joomla, DotNetNuke, and Community Server. They are powerful and popular content management systems with good blogging capabilities and more. I just find that WordPress is much simpler and handles 98% of my website needs.

13 Reasons New Bloggers Should Start with Their Own Domain and Hosting

Sparky — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:18:22 +0000

If you are considering starting a blog or a website, you should buy a domain name and hosting package before you begin. Like most bloggers, I learned this lesson the hard way. I started an experimental blog on Blogspot.com to “test the blogging waters”. It didn’t take long before I started getting visitors and I discovered the limitations of using someone else’s resources. I knew I needed my own domain and hosting but kept putting it off because of the uncertainty and inconvenience of moving. This hesitation simply delayed the inevitable and just made the problem worse. After 9 months of lollygagging, I finally got my blog moved and though it was inconvenient the payoff was worth it. In the years since, I have started several new blogs the right way and seen much success. I only wish I had seen this list before I started the first one.

13 Reasons to Buy Your Own Domain Name and Hosting Before You Start Your First Blog

1. It’s Cheap - Most people use free blogging platforms because, well… they’re free. However you can get a domain name for less than 10 bucks for a year and a good starter hosting package that automatically installs everything you need for less than 5 bucks a month. If you quit after a month you’re out less than $15. If you succeed, you’ll find that free costs more than you think.

2. It’s Motivational - When you put money on the line, it is like saying you plan to succeed. You are far less likely to quit after a month because you believe you have a good shot at success and have built the foundation to profit from your efforts.

3. It’s Easy – Web Hosts have gotten the process of setting up WordPress (and other open source website scripts) down to an art. It literally takes a couple of clicks and you have a fully working website. Security and feature updates are just as easy.

4. Image – Owning your own unique domain name carries a certain prestige, professionalism, and respect. It says you’re serious (even if your website is not). Many/most free blogs are spammy at best. Do you really want to be associated with them?

5. Ownership – Hosting your own blog gives you ownership of your success, your brand, your content, and your files. When people link to something you wrote they are linking to your domain. The more you create, the more you create value for yourself.

6. Brand Identity – With your own domain name you are building brand value and identity for yourself or your organization not Blogger or WordPress. Do not underestimate the tangible and intangible value of a good brand.

7. Earn More Money – When you own your own domain and website you have more opportunity to earn more money. Some free hosted platforms (like WordPress.com) don’t allow commercial use. Other platforms put their advertising on your blog. And finally there are more money earning programs (advertising and affiliate) available for people with their own domain and host.

8. Freedom of Design– Many free hosting platforms provide limited design choices. On your own host you have unlimited possibilities.

9. Power – Free hosted blogs limit what you can do. They choose the features. They choose the plugins. They block access to functionality according to their whims. You are left with generic wimpy features and can’t be distinguished from anyone else.

10. Flexibility – Do you want to add your unique plugins, special scripts, or a forum? Do you want to add additional pages or sub-domains? Do you want to switch to a whole new platform but keep the same address? You can’t do that on a hosted platform.

11. Control – Hosting your site and owning your domain gives you more control over your identity and your files. One invaluable aspect of this is the ability to backup your files. With free hosts you simply have to trust some stranger to do the right thing. With paid hosting you are buying a certain amount of support and accountability.

12. Value – Websites have value. When your blog or website becomes popular, you want to own that value. You can’t sell a Blogger or WordPress.com hosted blog. Popular self hosted, uniquely identifiable blogs and websites have been known to sell for nice sums.

13. Moving After You’re Successful Is Not Fun – Moving a blog from a free host is not impossible. It is inconvenient, can be tricky, and may be time consuming. But there are many people that have done it in the past and there are many resources to help you. However, you will take several frustrating steps backwards in terms of links, popularity, and audience when you decide to move. The moment you realize you want to get your own domain and host your own blog, take action. Don’t procrastinate. Or better yet, plan for your success and start off right.