Blogging Basics

Blogging has exploded in the last year. In fact, Merriam-Webster online reported that based on user queries, the word blog was the 2004 Word of the Year.

Have you decided to join the blogging revolution? Great! Let's get you on your way.

What is a "blog"?

Short for web log, blogs are the web's biggest buzz. Blogs are often described as an online diary, with regular postings on a variety of subjects of interest. Beyond the hype, blogs can be a powerful communication tool that allow managers to articulate their vision or provide subject matter experts with a broadened reach.

At their very core, blogs are simplified contenet management systems ("CMS"). They separate design from content or in more technicnal terms, presentation from data.

The Platform

We are not offering an extensive analysis of all blogging platforms. There are a growing number of them out there, with some definitely being better than others. Several factors will guide your choice of a blogging platform. Your answers to these types of questions will guide your selection:

1. Technical and Design Background
   
   • Are you familiar with HTML, CSS, PHP and other technical web elements?
   • Do you have any web design or web layout skills?
   
   
2. Use
   • Will your blog exist outside of your site or will it be integrated into your web presence?
   • Will it have the look and feel of your current site or have a customized design?
   • Will it be for business or personal use?
   
   
3. Resources
   • Do you already have a URL or web hosting?
   • Are you willing to invest in the purchase of a domain name or web hosting?
   • Does your current hosting provider meet the minimum third party requirements needed for your blogging platform to work?

Below follos a rough sketch of where commonly used blogging platforms fall. The horizontal (x) axis reflect the level of technical and design skills while the vertical (y) axis reflects the relative cost of the platform:


Some other personal, low-cost blogging options include Xanga∞ and Yahoo! 360∞ (in beta as of 08/09/05)

How To

Blogging best practices are still in the works. A great starting place though, is a recent article found in Inc. magazine entitled The Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Blog. Check it out∞ and / or get working on Blogging Best Practices

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CategoryBlogs