Blog
Introduction:
A blog is a discussion or informational site published on the World
Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in
reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first). Until 2009
blogs were usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small
group, and often covered a single subject. More recently "multi-author
blogs" (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of
authors and professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media
outlets, universities, think tanks, interest groups and similar institutions
account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise of Twitter and
other "microblogging" systems helps integrate MABs and single-author
blogs into societal newstreams. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to
maintain or add content to a blog.
What is Blog?
A blog is a contraction of the words web log. Blogs usually provide
commentary or information on a particular issue, event or topic. In some
cases, blogs can be about a particular person; an online, public, personal
diary. A blog is usually maintained by a single person or a small group of
contributors. Visitors to the blog can comment on the entries made or
respond to comments made by other visitors. Blogs are primarily text but
can also be the form of photos or other images, sounds, or films.
History:
The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger[9] on 17 December 1997. The
short form, "blog," was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the
wordweblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog [Link]
in April or May 1999.[10][11][12] Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra
Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's
weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in
connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization
of the terms.
Rise in popularity
After a slow start, blogging rapidly gained in popularity. Blog usage
spread during 1999 and the years following, being further popularized by
the near-simultaneous arrival of the first hosted blog tools:
1
Bruce Ableson launched Open Diary in October 1998, which soon grew
to thousands of online diaries. Open Diary innovated the reader
comment, becoming the first blog community where readers could add
comments to other writers' blog entries.
Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal in March 1999.
Andrew Smales created [Link] in July 1999 as an easier alternative
to maintaining a "news page" on a Web site, followed by Diaryland in
September 1999, focusing more on a personal diary community.[19]
Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan (Pyra Labs) launched [Link] in
August 1999 (purchased by Google in February 2003)
Personal blogs In Education:
The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual,
is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take
pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often
become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to
reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental
quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream but
some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. One type
of personal blog, referred to as a microblog, is extremely detailed and
seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as Twitter, allow
bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends
and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing.
Microblogging In Education:
Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital
content—which could be text, pictures, links, short videos, or other
media—on the Internet. Microblogging offers a portable
communication mode that feels organic and spontaneous to many
and has captured the public imagination. Friends use it to keep in
touch, business associates use it to coordinate meetings or share
useful resources, and celebrities and politicians (or their publicists)
microblog about concert dates, lectures, book releases, or tour
schedules. A wide and growing range of add-on tools enables
sophisticated updates and interaction with other applications, and
the resulting profusion of functionality is helping to define new
possibilities for this type of communication.[29] Examples of these
includeFacebook and Tumblr.
2
Blogging communities and directories are Important in
Education:
Several online communities exist that connect people to blogs and
bloggers to other bloggers, including BlogCatalog andMyBlogLog.
[41]
Interest-specific blogging platforms are also available. For
instance, Blogster has a sizable community of political bloggers
among its members. Global Voices aggregates international bloggers,
"with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in
international mainstream media."[42]