Live English ! - What is Blogging?

Unit Four - Live English ! - What is Blogging?

What is Blogging? 

The term blog is short for web log. It is an online public diary which lists each diary entry in reverse order so that new diary entries are placed on the top of the page, and older entries are placed below. Each entry is called a post.

Who Blogs? 

Anyone can create a blog, if they have a basic understanding of the way the software works. There are privately owned blogs on individual webpages, which require a little knowledge about creating webpages, but there are also blog creation services which allow you to quickly and easily set up your own blog. You can add posts as often as you like, and can say almost anything that you want. Blogs are created for a lot of different reasons, and by many different people.

What Are Blogs About? 

There are many topics that a blog may contain, depending on who is updating it and why. Many blogs provide news or comment in response to a particular subject, like local news, politics or even hobbies. Food blogs are popular for people who want to share recipes, and many political activists and writers have blogs which are used to respond to current political topics. Many blogs also function as personal online diaries.

Blog Classification 

A blog is usually textual, based on news and commentary, although there are other types of blogs which are gaining popularity. Artlogs are blogs which focus on art, Photoblogs focus on photography, Sketch - blogs focus on sketching, and so on. There are also a few specialised types of blogs, including Vblogging or video blogging, and Podcasting or audio blogging.

Creating a Blog on the Internet 

If you have a good understanding of webpage design and development, you may be able to create your own blog on a personal website. Otherwise, your best option is to choose a website that does the setting up for you, so that all you have to do is join, customise a little and begin to write. There are many blog websites like www.livejournal.com, www.wordpress.com, www.blogger.com or www.blogs.myspace. com which will allow you to quickly and easily create your own blog. They also give you the option to set controls so that you can choose to allow only friends or only yourself to read them.

Blog Popularity 

Blogs are becoming more and more popular for many reasons. This is because they offer a wealth of information on a lot of different topics. They also drive traffic to websites by attracting new visitors with interesting blog column commentary. Blogs are a great tool because they allow anyone to express themselves on the Internet. If you are looking for a way to express yourself online, or to share information regarding a favourite subject of yours, beginning your own blog may be the best option for you because everyone has an opinion on the Internet, and soon everyone will have their own personal weblog too.

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