An introduction to blogging

Blogging refers to the act of writing and maintaining a blog. A blog is, most simply, a web-log. Originally, web-logs were the record of changes that took place to a web site. However, blogs have grown in their application and their appeal over the years. It is easier today than ever to blog, as blogging software and blog hosting sites make it extremely quick and user-friendly to start a blog.

A blog differs from a traditional web site in a couple of ways. The entries on a blog are typically listed in chronological order, with the most recent entry appearing on the front page of the blog or at the top of the blog's page. A traditional web site tends to have static content; that is, the content of a traditional blog isn't likely to change over time. Blogs are also easier to set up than traditional web sites, and don't require the user to know HTML or other programming languages. Blogs are usually more interactive than traditional web sites, and provide the reader the opportunity to interact with the writer and other readers via the comment area. Finally, blogs tend to be different from traditional web sites in that they tend to be more personal and use more of a casual writing style and voice than traditional web sites.

There are some terms related to blogging that can be helpful to know. A "post" is a single entry in a blog. A "comment" is an entry at the bottom of the post written by the blog author or by a reader that somehow relates to the post. "Trackback" or "Pingback" is a technology whereby a different blog can automatically leave a comment at a blog linking to a post on the same topic. A "sidebar" is a vertical column in which the blog lists things like recent posts, ways to subscribe, or advertisements. "RSS," which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a way for a reader to keep up with their favorite blogs without having to bookmark the blog's page and remember to come back to it on a regular basis. Instead, the reader uses an RSS viewer, such as Google Reader, to keep track of their favorite blogs. The "blogosphere" refers to all of the blogs on the Internet and the community that exists between them. "Monetization" refers to the process of making money on a blog.

Obviously, there are many other terms related to blogging, but these are some of the more basic terms. Learning them can help you to begin to understand the basics of blogging.