What is a blog?
A blog can be described as an online diary, usually a collection of posts in reverse chronoligical order which means the latest entry will be at the top.
Some people describe a blog as different things such as: A political soapbox, News. Also it is a great way with connecting with people all over the world.
Definition of a Blog
A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual , with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Taken from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
How Blogging has Increased in Popularity over the years
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:
Open Diary launched in October 1998, soon growing 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, a well-known blogger started LiveJournal in March 1999.
Andrew Smales created Pitas.com 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.
Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan (Pyra Labs) launched blogger.com in August 1999 (purchased by Google in February 2003)
Taken From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog#Popularity
As you can see above Blogging started to get popular in this century so more people are using them because they are the latest thing. Also Blogs have adapted to things such as myspace and facebook there like a blog for the younger generation but they have the same purpose, connecting with people over the internet discussing news and sharing opinions.
My Opinion
I think blogs are a great way with connecting with many people all over the world. There so easy to set up, it took me about 10 minutes probably less to set it up and it is a great way to discuss the latest news around the world with everyone around the world!
Advantages of using a Blog
Some of the advantages of using a blog are: Anyone can make a blog so it is easy for everyone to get their voice heard on the internet. They are very easy to write and set up there also dynamic.
Another reason that people start blogs is to simple become famous! There are many famous bloggers around the world and people read there blogs because they like what they write or because they believe the news the bloggers have wrote is more accurate than the twisted news that come from many other websites or TV.
The advantages of blogs from an organizational perspective include the following:
The consumer and citizen are potentially better informed and this can only be good for the long-term health of our societies and economies.
Blogs have potential to help the organization develop stronger relationships and brand loyalty with its customers, as they interact with the ‘human face’ of the organization through blogs.
Blogs, in an intranet environment, can be an excellent way of sharing knowledge within the organization.
Blogs can be a positive way of getting feedback, and keeping your finger on the pulse, as readers react to certain pieces, suggest story ideas, etc.
Blogs can build the profile of the writer, showcasing the organization as having talent and expertise.
Taken From:
http://gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2004/nt_2004_08_23_blogging.htm
Advantages of using a Blog
Some of the disadvantages of a Blog are: Definition of Character, people can find out who you are and what you are like. Posting a Blog can have negative consequences for example people posting insulting comments on your blog. You could accendentily post properganda which could get you in trouble with the law.
One of the biggest dangers and threats is that there has been attacks on famous bloggers for things that they have written in the blog.
The disadvantages of blogs are:
Most people don’t have very much to say that’s interesting, and/or are unable to write down their ideas in a compelling and clear manner.
I have often found that the people who have most time to write have least to say, and the people who have most to say don’t have enough time to write it. Thus, the real expertise within the organization lays hidden, as you get drowned in trivia.
Like practically everything else on the Web, blogs are easy to start and hard to maintain. Writing coherently is one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks for a human being to undertake. So, far from blogs being a cheap strategy, they are a very expensive one, in that they eat up time. As a result, many blogs are not updated, thus damaging rather than enhancing the reputation of the organization.
Organizations are not democracies. The Web makes many organizations look like disorganizations, with multiple tones and opinions. Contrary to what some might think, the average customer prefers it if the organization they are about to purchase from is at least somewhat coherent.
Taken From:
http://gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2004/nt_2004_08_23_blogging.htm
