A blog simply put, is an online journal. It’s a special kind of website in which regular entries are made about a particular topic. The topic can be anything under the sun, but usually relates to something that the author is fluent and knowledgeable on. On top of text entries, a blog can also contain pictures, audio, and video to make the blog presentation more interesting.

The history behind the blog stems back to 1994, where online diaries began to surface on the web. In 1999, the phrase blog was derived from the phrase web log and has stuck every since. The 21st century has seen the blog gain popularity exponentially. Some estimates put the number of blogs worldwide at over 100 million!

So why are blogs so popular? Because blogs can be written by anyone, on any topic they choose! They can be personal in nature, such as diary / journal entries. Blogs can provide commentary on current events such as sports and politics. Or, blogs can simply be an outlet to express one’s thoughts and views on a subject. Regardless of the topic, if you’re a good author, there is always a niche audience who will be interested in what you’re writing.

Let’s use the blog you’re reading right now as an example. This is a blog written by Colin Vickers on behalf of PC Authority Inc. I can post an entry from anywhere in the world, simply by logging into blog’s website. It will then be immediately available to read by anyone who visits the blog. Neat!

The word blog can be used as either a noun, or a verb. An example usage as a noun would be the following:

“Today I will post an entry to my blog.” In this example, a blog is a thing (an online journal).

An example usage as a verb would be the following:

“Yesterday I was hired to blog for ABC Company Inc.” Here, we are using the blog as an action word (as in, to write).

And yes, it’s true. The profession of blogging does exist, and many have become very successful at it! If you’re an interesting writer, some companies will pay mega bucks for you to blog (verb) for them! A professional blogger!

Next time the word blog comes up in conversation, you will surely impress your friends with your geeky knowledge! Happy Blogging!

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 9:33 am and is filed under Blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.