What The Heck Is A Blog?

Confused about what exactly a blog is? Then this “blogging 101″ should help you get started with the basics!

In order to start blogging, we must understand the basic vocabulary, and what the fundamentals of blogging are. Master these key elements and you will be well on your way to discovering how easy it is to become a blogaholic like me.

Blog is short for weblog and is a series of online entries in reverse chronological order – technically, the online version of an offine diary. However, that is where the similarity ends.

Where almost all traditional diaries are kept to be the private thoughts and recordings of a single person, a blog is meant to be shared. Many blog owners even encourage reader participation. They share text, photos and videos with anyone who chooses to read. For example, you are reading a blog right now!

To start blogging, you need to choose a platform, a web host, and a domain name. Here is the nitty gritty of exactly what these terms mean:

Platform: A blogging platform is a software program that has been designed to allow you to easily write posts, add pictures/video, and update your blog whenever you wish. Compare it to the offline version of a journal or notebook. The platform also controls what your blog looks like and what features you want to add.

Web Host: A web host is is basically a virtual filing cabinet. It stores and displays all of your blog files, taking them from your personal computer and placing them onto the world wide web for everyone to see.

Domain Name: A domain name is the virtual address of where your blog resides – just like your home address. In the offline world we have address extensions such as ’street’, ‘road’, and ‘drive’. Online, our domain names have extensions such as ‘.com’, ‘.org’, and ‘.info’.

Stay close for a step by step guide about how easy it is to start your own blog.