Chapter 1. Discovering Blog Basics
In This Chapter
Recognizing the hallmarks of a blog
Getting started with your own blog
Deciding what to blog about
Blogging successfully
Unless you live under a rock, you've heard the word blog used sometime in the last couple of years — journalists, in particular, are fascinated by this new type of Web site. And bloggers, in turn, are showing up as commentators and experts in news stories and on television. At the same time, you might have a son or daughter who has a blog, or perhaps you've been told about a blog your company is starting. What exactly is it that all these people mean when they say they have a blog? And how can such different organizations be using the same technology to communicate?
Don't be too hard on yourself if you aren't exactly sure what a blog is. The word blog is actually a mashup of two other words — Web and log — so if it sounds made up, that's because it is. A blog is a chronologically ordered series of Web site updates, written and organized much like a traditional diary right down to the informal style of writing that characterizes personal communication.
In this chapter, you find out just what makes a blog bloggy and why so many people are jumping on board with this trend. (Hint: It's isn't just that we're all narcissists!) You get some ideas that you can use to start your own blog and become part of the blogoshere (the community of blogs and bloggers around the world).
No matter what your teenager tells you, there is absolutely ...
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