- In the simplest terms, a blog is an online diary. Whether you choose to chronicle the details of your personal life as with a conventional journal, it is completely up to you to select the nature of your entries as well as the frequency with which you post. If you are an artist or have some sort of craft or growing collection that you want to share with all who care to see, you can make your blog more interesting by featuring pictures and videos. Blogs are not limited to text entries.
- The first blog ever was created in 1994 by Justin Hall when he was a student at Swarthmore College. It was called "Justin's Links from the Underground." In 1997, the term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger--an online diarist whose writings have provoked controversy--in reference to "logging the web." It was only in 1999 that a programmer, Peter Merholz, shortened "weblog" to "blog." The launch of "Blogger" in the same year has enabled anyone to sign up for a free blog.
- In a blog that is for personal use, anything goes. You can customize the layout, colors and fonts according to your preferences. With the constant developments in technology, even bloggers who are not technically advanced can use updated interfaces with minimal effort. Knowledge of complex codes is no longer necessary when uploading videos and photos. Since the early days of the blog, various terms have even been coined to refer to the specific kinds that bloggers have come up with over the years--these include video blogs or "vlogs," photoblogs, audio blogs, "podcasts," art blogs, and music blogs.
- Professionally, you can monetize your blog. You can also use it as a tool to get the word out about your business. On a more personal level, your blog can be a way to keep in touch with friends and family. If you take advantage of the "comment" feature, your readers and subscribers can respond to your posts, and you can reply back. This comes in especially handy if your social commitments are getting out of control. It's an easy way to stay in touch.
- If your blog's settings enable anyone with access to the internet to view it, think carefully about the personal information that you share. For one, there is the issue of your safety, as you make yourself vulnerable to being stalked or tracked down by providing certain details like where you live and where you work. Don't even mention specifics about where you frequently hang out. Be wary also of what you disclose about others. Never reveal names or personal information of those you know. It is unfair to compromise another's privacy for your blog. It is possible that your background check includes any online activities. Think twice about posting photos of yourself in compromising positions.
