Bloggers R Us

A blog is basically an online diary or journal that digitally records about anything you would want people to read. Blog is short for the term weblog and a term coined in humor in the late 1990s. They come in different styles and formats, support and settings, all depending upon user preferences. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting).
Of the numerous topics displayed by blogs, perhaps the best known are political, personal, niche, travel, health, religious, and educational. All serve to be a collective of a specific topic written or produced by an individual or by a group of people.

Is Keeping a Blog for Me?

There are any numbers of reasons to start a blog. Once you see how easy it is, you can keep one for just for fun. Or you can use it to advertise yourself, much in the same way social bookmark sites promote individuals. Other reasons are to promote an already existing website, and make money!! Blogging is simple, and if you can type, click a mouse, and have internet connection, then you have what it takes to get started. The best part of blogging is that it is inexpensive.

How Do I Start a Blog?

You can create a blog for free. There are many free blog hosting sites you can locate by searching for ‘blog’ in the search engine. Blogger.com is a popular, but remember, Google owns your content, and can shut you down for any reason. The plus side is that it is easy to use, great for beginners, and takes all of 5 minutes to up and running. As with other blog hosts, users are provided with pre-made, ready to apply, templates. Users are also provided with easy to follow instructions on creating posts and options such as allowing comments, social bookmark site buttons, and uploading photos and videos. Beginners will also get a first-hand exposure to a blogging community and the wide variety of blogs on the internet.

Another very simple blogging tool is WordPress. WordPress is free, open-source software, simple to install, and has a lot, I mean A LOT, of online documentation. Dont let the phrase install on your own website scare you. Most hosts have the Fantastico application in the cPanel, and one click later, you choose the WordPress to have automatically installed. If you get hooked on WordPress themes, and there are hundreds of thousands available for free, learning FTP (file transfer protocol) is another easy skill to master. WordPress themes do vary in complexity, so start with something simple such as ones found at AlexKing.org. Some folks concerned about how much they need to know html and php. Again, there is a tremendous amount of help and tutorials on-line. When I first started with WordPress, all worried about my lack of expertise, here is what one business associate shared with me about her perspective on code: a little goes a long way. So, once you start with WordPress, with all the controls and options you have over a platform such as blogger.com, you are sure to convert to WP, or the like, for life.

A blog (short for weblog) is usually a mixture of what is happening in an individual’s life and what is happening on the Web. It is a sort of diary site that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs come in many different styles, designs, depending on the users’ preferences. Many blogging sites often include features such as videos, texts, pictures, a shoutout box, twitter updates and a lot of other plugins (available for free on the Net). Another new type of blog is audio blogging. Instead of writing just texts, some bloggers choose to make their blogs more attractive by using spoken word entries.

Here is the typical blog structure that most people have:

title- Just like your head. Title defines your blog entry
body- The content of your post, this part reveals your creativity in expressing yourself.
trackback- Let you know when another blogger has commented upon one of your posts.
permanent link- A direct URL to your blog post
comments- Allow readers to post comments on your blog.

Advantages of blogging:

Now, you must be thinking, why choose blogging instead of creating a website? Take a look at the advantages I’m going to list here and you decide if blog or website.

Easy to create: Blogs are easy to create.

You don’t need to go through all the fuss of web programming. You can have free templates from blog providers.
Search engine spiders love blogs: When this happens, your blog is most likely to be indexed in a shorter period. In other words, your blog will be easily found in the organic search result.
Easy to maintain: Blog software allows you to post online anytime anywhere.You don’t have to worry about uploading anything using FTP software or any other softwares.
Easy to have interaction with visitors: The comment section allows you to know what your reader wants and you can communicate with them so that you know which type of topics they would like to view.
It’s free: The coolest part is blogging is free! You can get free blogging platform on the Net. Just Google it. One popular example is: Blogger.com

Who should use a blog?

Anyone can blog. Those who want to start a blog can do so by signing up as a member of a blogging website of their choice. Currently blogging is being used widely throughout the world. It’s estimated to have around 112.8 million blogs worldwide. You can see that it is not limited to personal usage anymore. Many people have used it for commercial usage, such as selling and promoting their products in their blogs, as well as sharing information with people.

The most popular blog type, thus far, is the one that makes it a personal journal. This is the kind that is usually used by first time bloggers. Individuals who are poetic or who love to rant and release their angers will often find that blogging offers them a medium where they are able to express themselves.

This is my first time, where should I get an example of blogs?

Blogs vary in topics and have different niches. They can be found in blog directories if you have never seen one before. First time users who want to get an idea of what the blogging world is all about can browse through a number of blogs using these directories. This way they can get an idea of what these blogging communities are like.

Some example of blog directories for you to choose:

http://www.blogged.com/.
http://blogs.botw.org/.

Common, crawl the blog directories and choose your niche. Start your blog today!

Turn Your Blog Into Big Bucks

Blogs are one of the internet’s fastest-growing phenomena-and one of the best and easiest ways to make money online. Learn how to choose a topic, start a blog and attract thousands of avid readers. Then use your blog to generate income from advertisers, promotions, affiliate links and other techniques-all from your own home.

We’ll reveal how to:

• Attract visitors and hold their interest
• Entice advertisers to promote their products on your blog
• Earn an affiliate fee when your visitors shop at some of the most popular websites
• Promote your blog and get listed on top blog search engines

Successful bloggers reveal their expert strategies for maximizing profits. Pick up this book and get started on the road to riches-without leaving your desk!

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

The editors of The Huffington Post–the most linked-to blog on the web–offer an A-Z guide to all things blog, with information for everyone from the tech-challenged newbie looking to get a handle on this new way of communicating to the experienced blogger looking to break through the clutter of the Internet. With an introduction by Arianna Huffington, the site’s cofounder and editor in chief, this book is everything you want to know about blogging, but didn’t know who to ask.

As entertaining as it is informative, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging will show you what to do to get your blog started. You’ll find tools to help you build your blog, strategies to create your community, tips on finding your voice, and entertaining anecdotes from HuffPost bloggers that will make you wonder what took you so long to blog in the first place.

The Guide also includes choice selections from HuffPost’s wide-ranging mix of top-notch bloggers. Among those who have blogged on HuffPost are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Larry David, Jane Smiley, Bill Maher, Nora Ephron, Jon Robin Baitz, Steve Martin, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Emanuel, Mia Farrow, Al Franken, Gary Hart, Barbara Ehrenreich, Edward Kennedy, Harry Shearer, Nancy Pelosi, Adam McKay, John Ridley, and Alec Baldwin.

Want to break into blogging but don’t know where to start? Dynamic duo Joelle Reeder and Katherine Scoleri of The Moxie Girls^TM show you how to start your first blog, polish your prose, get involved in blogging communities, make sense of RSS feeds, podcasts, photos and more — all with fun, humor and attitude!

Inside you will find the need-to-know info to get your blog noticed: How to choose the right blogging platform or content management tool, select a web host, dress up your blog, manage blog content and keep your privates private! When you are ready for more, The Moxie Girls will treat you to insider dish on blog etiquette, analyzing blog traffic, blogging for business, creating podcasts and adding bling to your blog with plugins, add-ons and more. Throw in the refreshing cocktails, beauty tips and gossip with the Girls at the end of each chapter and you’ll be Blogging with Moxie in no time. So, what are you waiting for?

The IT Girl’s Guide to Blogging With Moxie is packed with the content you need wrapped in casual, engaging dialog and a cheeky, bite-sized format.

• Bargain-blogging with tools such as WordPress®, TypePad®, and Vox
• Choosing a content management system like Expression Engine or Movable Type
• Managing blog content, using tags and moderating comments
• Selecting a professional designer and choosing from off-the-rack templates
• An introduction to podcasting and videocasting
• Finding, joining and managing blog communities
• Protecting your online identity
• Using a blog to better your business

Are you bemused by blogs? Eager to become a blogger? Google Blogger For Dummies can help you start blogging sooner than you think.

More than 14 million people are promoting a business, connecting with family and friends, and sharing opinions with Google Blogger. This book helps you start a Blogger account, create content, build an audience, make money from your blog, and more, all without learning to program. You’ll be able to:

• Learn the parts of a blog, what Blogger does, and how to choose goals and blog topics
• Choose a domain name, learn to use the dashboard, pick a template, and configure settings
• Dress up your blog with themes and find out where to get plenty of free ones
• Learn blogging etiquette and some secrets for long-term success
• Make money from your blog with Google Adsense, contextual and text link ads, and merchandising with CafePress
• Set up multi-user blogs or branch into mobile blogging, podcasting, or video blogging
• Take advantage of social networking sites and learn simple search engine optimization techniques
• Maintain your blog with tools like Blog This! and Quick Edit
• Moderate comments effectively, track your stats, and more

Google Blogger is a great choice for beginning bloggers, and Google Blogger For Dummies gives you the know-how to venture confidently into the blogosphere.

If you want to give yourself a Web presence without spending a lot of time or money, a blog is your answer and this is your guide. Blogs (Web logs) are short, diary-like entries on a Web site that has a chronological, journal format. Fun or informative, but not formal, blogs are easy to set up, maintain, and update. You can share your personal, stream-of-consciousness musings or your expertise on any subject ranging from your family vacation to world peace. This guide helps beginners (even technophobes) get started fast, with the essential info on:

• The elements of blogs, such as entries, sidebars, categories, comments, and index pages
• The different types of hosting services, from free to fee and from “turn key” services that are easy-to-use to DIY programs
• Details on two popular, free “social community” hosted Web services that are ideal for casual bloggers—MSN Spaces and Yahoo! 360
• The scoop on Blogger, a popular free hosted service that has some community tools like the social networks, but is basically blog-intensive
• DIY blogging, covering three of the most powerful and flexible blog programs—Movable Type, WordPress, and Radio Userland
• Hooking into RSS feeds to distribute your blog entries beyond your site
• Choosing a newsreader
• Ways to raise the visibility of your blog and make money from blogging

Complete with step-by-step instructions and lots of screen shots, this guide walks you through everything from setting up your blog and posting your first entry to adding photos, audio, and more. It includes the URLs of lots of sample sites to see to give you an idea of blog possibilities. In addition to the essential how-to, it fills you in on:

• The blogosphere, blog culture and etiquette, snarks, macrologues, and more
• Moblogs that let you post entries remotely using your portable computer, PDA, or cell phone
• Buying a domain through a registrar such as Network Solutions, Register.com, or Go Daddy
• MP3 blogs, vlogs (videoblogs), photoblogging, audioblogging, podcasting, and more

You know you have something to say, whether it’s heavy stuff or just your thought for the day. Make your opinions known. Get your photos shown. With Blogging For Dummies, you’ll soon be blogging with the best of ‘em.

Weblogs are about reading and writing. Literacy is about reading and writing. Blogging equals literacy. How rarely does an aspect of how we live and work plug so perfectly into how we teach and learn? Reading this book will give teachers important clues not only in how to become a blogger and to make their students bloggers, but also how this new avenue of expression is revolutionizing the information environment that we live in.