Getting Started With Blogs Jim Murray, Birmingham Public Library [email_address]

What is a Blog? Contraction of the words “Web” and “Log” “ Web ”—a blog is produced on the World Wide Web “ Log ”—a blog is a log, or chronicle, of someone’s thoughts, opinions, and activities

Contraction of the words “Web” and “Log”

“ Web ”—a blog is produced on the World Wide Web

“ Log ”—a blog is a log, or chronicle, of someone’s thoughts, opinions, and activities

Some Other Definitions Blogging —the act of reading and contributing to a blog Blogger —a person who reads, contributes to, and perhaps maintains a blog Blogosphere —the World Wide Web environment in which bloggers communicate with each other Post —a individual entry of content on a blog

Blogging —the act of reading and contributing to a blog

Blogger —a person who reads, contributes to, and perhaps maintains a blog

Blogosphere —the World Wide Web environment in which bloggers communicate with each other

Post —a individual entry of content on a blog

Some Statistics on Blogging 147 million American adults use the Internet (49 % of the total population) 57 million American adults read blogs (20 % of the total population) 12 million American adults maintain a blog (4 % of the total population) 54 % of American bloggers are between the age of 18 and 30 As of September 2007, there were over 106 million blogs worldwide

147 million American adults use the Internet

(49 % of the total population)

57 million American adults read blogs

(20 % of the total population)

12 million American adults maintain a blog

(4 % of the total population)

54 % of American bloggers are between the age of 18 and 30

As of September 2007, there were over 106 million blogs worldwide

Why Do People Blog ? To Express Themselves Creatively To Document Their Personal Experiences and Share Them with Others To Stay in Touch with Friends and Family To Share Practical Knowledge or Skills with Others To Motivate People to Action To Entertain People To Store Information that is Important to Them To Influence the Way Other People Think To Network or to Meet New People To Make Money

To Express Themselves Creatively

To Document Their Personal Experiences and Share Them with Others

To Stay in Touch with Friends and Family

To Share Practical Knowledge or Skills with Others

To Motivate People to Action

To Entertain People

To Store Information that is Important to Them

To Influence the Way Other People Think

To Network or to Meet New People

To Make Money

Highlights in the History of Blogging 1998 —the term “weblog” is coined 1999 —the websites Blogger and Pitas began to offer simpler way to create blogs 2001 —September 11, 2001 helps bring blogging to the public consciousness 2003 —U.S. Invasion of Iraq creates flurry of blogging debate 2004 —U.S. presidential election shows blogging to be important aspect of American political life 2004 —Merriam-Webster picks “blog” as word of the year

1998 —the term “weblog” is coined

1999 —the websites Blogger and Pitas began to offer simpler way to create blogs

2001 —September 11, 2001 helps bring blogging to the public consciousness

2003 —U.S. Invasion of Iraq creates flurry of blogging debate

2004 —U.S. presidential election shows blogging to be important aspect of American political life

2004 —Merriam-Webster picks “blog” as word of the year

Types of Blogs Personal Blogs News Blogs Political Campaign Blogs Tech Blogs Organizational Blogs Business Blogs Topical Blogs

Personal Blogs

News Blogs

Political Campaign Blogs

Tech Blogs

Organizational Blogs

Business Blogs

Topical Blogs

Components of a Blog

How to Find Blogs Blog Award Websites Bloggies http://2007.bloggies.com Weblog Awards http://www.weblogawards.org Webby Awards http://www.webbyawards.com

Blog Award Websites

Bloggies

http://2007.bloggies.com

Weblog Awards

http://www.weblogawards.org

Webby Awards

http://www.webbyawards.com

How to Find Blogs (continued) Blog Review Websites The Weblog Review http://www.theweblogreview.com Bloggeries http://www.bloggeries.com/blog

Blog Review Websites

The Weblog Review

http://www.theweblogreview.com

Bloggeries

http://www.bloggeries.com/blog

Blog Search Engines Technorati http://www.technorati.com/ Google Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com/ Blog Pulse http://www.blogpulse.com/

Technorati

http://www.technorati.com/

Google Blog Search

http://blogsearch.google.com/

Blog Pulse

http://www.blogpulse.com/

Major Blog Hosts on the Web Blogger https://www.blogger.com/start Owned and operated by Google Easy to use FREE!!!!!!! TypePad http://www.typepad.com/ Charges Monthly Fee Basic, Plus, and Pro plan levels More design options

Blogger https://www.blogger.com/start

Owned and operated by Google

Easy to use

FREE!!!!!!!

TypePad http://www.typepad.com/

Charges Monthly Fee

Basic, Plus, and Pro plan levels

More design options

Major Blog Hosts on the Web (continued) Live Journal http://www.livejournal.com/ Monthly and Annual fee plans Provides email accounts, personalized domain name, and advanced template customization Advanced password protection

Live Journal http://www.livejournal.com/

Monthly and Annual fee plans

Provides email accounts, personalized domain name, and advanced template customization

Advanced password protection