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So you're a newbie, huh? It's okay...remember that at one time, we were all 'newbies'. If you're new to blogs, here's everything you need to know to get the most out of our website.
What is a blog?
The word weblog refers to an online diary – or Web Log – but is now generally shortened to blog. Blogs come in many different forms but all of them are web pages that are regularly updated with entries published in order of date, with the most recent at the top. A blog also allows for reader interaction in the form of comments and provides links to other websites, creating a platform for debate. In effect, the blogging world is a modern-day Speakers’ Corner.
Types of blog
There are many different variations of the blog. Wikipedia lists 11 types but they can be combined into three main categories:
- There are personal blogs, in which a writer details his or her day-to-day experiences on subjects as trivial as a trip to work or nights out with friends, or as serious as a terminal illness.
- There are expert blogs, in which a writer gives their opinion on a field in which they have specialist knowledge, for example politics, technology or finance.
- And finally there are directory blogs which provide readers with links to interesting sites across the web.
Many blogs fit into more than one of these categories.
Parts of a blog
Different blogs have different components but here are the basic elements used on our blogs.
- “Posted by … at …” Directly under the headline is a byline. Unlike the byline in a newspaper, which tells you who wrote the article, blog bylines also tell you the date and time of publication.
- Read more. Sometimes our blog posts are long and only the first three or four paragraphs are displayed on the main page. To read the post in full click ‘read more’.
- Comments. Participation is a key element of blogging and the Comments box allows you to respond to our bloggers or, indeed, other respondents to our blogs. Comments from other readers appear at the bottom of the post and you can add your own in the box provided.
Because blogs are updated frequently it can be difficult to stay up-to-date. Most blogs offer feeds which sends each new post to you as it is published. All you need to get started is a feed reader. It’s a process that can seem daunting but we're working on a tutorial. In the mean time, you might visit this page to learn alittle more about RSS newsfeeds.
Hope this gives you a better understanding of what blogs are, how they work and how to read them. If you have any question, feel free to contact us anytime!
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