First came the web, then the web log, the space was removed and it became weblog, "we” was removed and it became a blog. Sources disagree on when the term was first coined. Some say blogging first appeared in 1995, while others credit John Bayer with first using the term in 1997. Either way, blogging has become a popular pastime and blogs are a common part of the internet community. Some maintain that web logs are personal diaries or journals of individuals and blogs are topic specific sites. The term is commonly used to describe both personal diaries and topic specific sites.

Types of Blogs

In the beginning, blogs were straight text. Now most contain text and images. Topic specific blogs include everything from sports and politics to history and literature. There are photoblogs on which individuals post photographs of various things. There are photoblog discussion sites which are mostly plain text blogs where people discuss their own photoblogs and the photoblogs of others. There is photoblogging news which again consists of mostly plain text and people discuss different photoblogs that are out there and what they have to offer. Videoblogging is relatively new and is basically another form of self-_expression. There are blogs about videoblogging on which groups and individuals discuss things like the best digital video format. There are MP3 blogs which are very popular. These offer musical selections for listening and downloading pleasure.

Blog Hosting Services

MySpace is a service that allows users to use there weblog (blog) application software, either free or for a fee. MSN has a similar service. Usually basic services are free and customers pay extra for additional services. Individual users have their own web page or pages consis

ting of journal blogs, photos, or videos if desired as well as various background selections. Depending on a user's knowledge of HTML text and graphics, these sites can be very simple or very complex, but all are as unique as the individuals that design them. MySpace has gotten some bad press lately because site users can browse profiles, in order to "meet” people in real life. This may be how some people choose to use the site, but is not how or why the site was designed to be used.

Why we blog

Blogging of any type is basically a form of self-_expression or idea exchange. It is not a dating service. People use them to keep in touch with their families and friends. Let everyone know what is going on in their life. They share photos from across the miles and across the years. People sometimes connect with people from other countries and sometimes reconnect with people who moved away in grade school. Yes, the sites have gotten some bad press and parental warnings, but doesn't everything new. If memory serves, it used to be chat rooms that were full of perverts waiting for the chance to take advantage of unsuspecting innocents. Now they blame it on the blogs.

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