November 30th 2009 A Basic Introduction to Blogging
Blogging, derived from the term web-logging, has become a widely popular behavior these days.
In the end of the first decade of the 21st century, is there still a point in having to explain blogging? I highly doubt it. The vast majority of individuals already know that blogging is. But to those who are unfamiliar with the term: what is blogging? Blogging basically means having an online personal diary which is shared with the public. There are individuals who write 10 blog posts a day, others write a blog post every month or so. In fact, millions of people are blogging each and every day, and some are actually making a decent living out of it.
Many inquire what is the appeal of that? Exhibitionism? Yes, to some that is the case. To other people blogging means being able to share experiences. To other it gives the ability to share work experiences and network: there are numerous professional blogs in virtually every niche you can imagine: cooking, internet marketing, cars classic cars, insurance, health, GPS satellites, personal computers, back pain, stomach pain, headaches, chronic fatigue and so on.
I have an acquaintance with such a professional blog where he shares many experiences he has learned throughout his days (he is a manager). I have a friend with a personal blog where he tells personal anecdotes about his personal life and family (he has 3 toddlers at home: therefore, much to say). I have a friend that has a funny blog, where he share all the funny stories he hears of. I even know someone with a photoblog where he posts a new - and beautiful - photo every single day. I even knew a someone who had a specialized version of a photo blog: he used to share pictures of all the meals he ever ate. Indeed, the blogging arena is that diverse.
The point is that this relatively new media offers alternatives that until long ago had not existed. In other words, blogging in the 21st century version of journalism. It allows everyone to open a PC, write an article, and basically become a journalist whose articles can in theory be read by millions. While this carries with it a lot of responsibilities, it is also a great tool for free speech and freedom of information.