Video:What is a Blog?

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Transcript:What is a Blog?

Hi, I'm Don Schechter for About.com Computing. Today I'll tell you about blogs. By this point, even if you're not that tech savvy, you've heard of blogs. But what are they? What is the purpose? How can you get one? Today I'll give you some answers.

Blogs, or Web Logs

Blog is short for a web log. A web log is a series of chronological posts most of the time made by a single person. People write blogs for many different reasons. Mainly people write them with readers in mind, whether its to promote a business or to entertain readers in a number of different topics.

Blogs vs. Websites

A blog is different from a website because the posts are always in chronological order and below each post is a place for readers to comment. Commenting is a huge part of why blogs have become so popular. Most websites do not allow for reader participation, whether they are for businesses or just articles. Being able to communicate directly with the person who penned the entry is a unique feature of blogging.

How to Start a Blog

If you want to start your own blog about issues or topics you are passionate about, you will need to find a blog platform or host that you can use to publish your blog. Popular platforms and programs include:

• myspace.com
• Blogger
• Wordpress

These are free platforms so you will be using a subdomain name like donsblog.blogspot.com. But many platforms allow you to have your own domain. Most platforms are very user-friendly, so getting started is easy. In many platforms you can even add links to other blogs that you read and friends' blogs.

Writing Successful Blogs

If you want people to read your blog, you will have to update it pretty often. If you plan on updating once a month or once a week even, dont expect much traffic. To increase traffic, visit other blogs and post comments, adding your blog URL address so viewers might click it. You can also submit posts to social media sites like Digg.com.

Don't be discouraged if you don't get a lot of traffic right away. Keep writing and posting on your blog. It's free, and it's easy, and the best part is you can write about things that are important to you. Get comments and feedback and build community through discussions on your blog.

Thanks for watching. For more information please visit us online at computing.about.com.