What is a Blog? What is Blogging?
Blog FAQ: The Basics of Blogging Explained
Welcome to Pseudorant and the start of another multipart guide. Today I am going to be explaining what a Blog is!
I’m guessing that anyone reading this is already familiar with what a blog is, but for those who are not I will outline the details to help you better understand this phenomenon that is taking place on the internet.
What is a Blog?
A blog is traditionally thought of as a web based journal or diary. An author of a blog will make frequent updates of different posts of information. These entries can consist of text based information, pictures, audio, video and various other web mediums. Different types of media may be used to help readers get the most out of a blog post.
The word Blog is short for “Web Log” which provides a good description of a blogs main purpose, which is logging data on a website. While this is commonly what blogs are used for there have been many adaptations of the way blogs are implemented on different websites through out the years.
Most blogs are maintained by individuals as a hobby or news platform, to quickly relay information to the masses. This can consist or journal entries about what a user did with their day, to news articles about current events that are happening around the world.
There are literally millions of blogs covering almost any topic you can think of. It is hard to give an exact number on the amount of blogs on the internet because they are so easy to setup, that there are new ones created every couple of minutes. Estimates from some sites in early 2008 put the number at anywhere between 125,000,000 and 200+ million blogs, trying to also account for blogs which are published in foreign languages like Chinese.
What is Blogging?
Blogging is the act of publishing articles and information onto a blog. Once a user has a blog setup they can post articles about anything that is on their mind for others to read. This would be known as blogging.
Most blogs will usually pick a topic or genre to focus their articles on. This will usually be a topic of interest to the author so they can present as much useful information on the subject as possible.
Bloggers may not be specialists in their field, but their writing skills allow them to convey their ideas in a way that others can understand. This allows the author to present topics to readers that may normally be confusing when they are found in technical articles or websites.
You may also hear people refer to blogging as, “needing to blog”. This is an instance of “blog” being used as a verb to describe the act of blogging, and not a web log itself.
The History of Blogging
This history of blogging is also hard to pin down because of the nature of the technology surrounding blogs. Some of the earliest forms of blogs were simply websites that contained content in the form of a journal that was updated manually on a frequent basis. Sites that could be considered some of the first blogs on the internet began to originate in the early to mid 90’s.
Around 1998 the idea was starting to catch on and some websites started offering journal and diary hosting services which would be considered some of the first easy to use online blogs. Through these sites users could post their daily entries with a content management system that allowed users to easily post frequently updated articles.
It was around this same time that websites started to implement different types of “comment” systems. These comment systems allowed readers of an author’s blog to post feedback and opinions about the author’s articles. The comment system is considered one of the most important features of all modern day blogs.
By the year 2000 blogs had grown in popularity and had become very accessible to users through the advent of blogging sites and blog publishing software. Publishing software would allow users to host blogs on their own domains with an easy to use content management system.
From 2000 - 2008 there have been many instances of blogs affecting political news and mainstream media. Because of the accessibility that blogs have put at peoples finger tips, there is now way for people to voice their opinions and ideas without having to worry about being censored by governments and corporations.
However, this idea has led to many political issues and trials for authors around the world based on government rulings that where made in countries like China, Egypt, Singapore and many others.
Different types of Blogs
There are many different types of blogs out there today. As mentioned before most are personal journals maintained by users. But because of the easy access that blogs provide, numerous websites have utilized the technology in many different ways.
It is not uncommon to see blogs that are maintained by political figures and celebrities. You can also find blogs that are based on different genres like travel, food, home and garden, health, computers, technology, etc.
There are even new types of blogs that specialize in different forms of media like video or audio to produce content for their readers.
One interesting type of blog that has sprung up in the past few years is the “monetized” blog which is used to generate income for the author. These blogs focus mainly on driving traffic to generate advertising revenue for the authors.
All these different types of blogs are available to users. The reader would just need to decide what subject they are looking for and it could be found through most any search engine out there, including numerous blog search engines that specialize in only searching content published by blogs.
Sites for Blogging
There are many sites out there that will let you sign up for a free blog if you are interested in getting started. These sites are best setup to accommodate authors that are interested in maintaining a journal or diary type blog.
Most authors feel that if you are going to pursue a commercialized blog with a more professional feel, that it is best to start by downloading blog publishing software and getting your own domain name to establish an online identity.
Three of the most popular blog sites out there are Blogger, Live Journal, and WordPress
Blog Publishing Software
As I mentioned before most authors that intend to create a commercial blog will usually look into purchasing a domain name which they can host their blog on.
To do this the author needs to setup blog publishing software. Blog publishing software is a type of content management system that allows the author to quickly and easily maintain content on their website.
It is similar to using a blogging service in the respect that the author can access this software from their domain, and make updates to their blog from anywhere they can access the internet.
There are lots of popular blog publishing programs available with the most noted being “WordPress”. WordPress maintains it’s popularity because the open source platform it was built on allows users to constantly add to the program and improve it.
Two other popular publishing programs are “Movable Type” and “Grey Matter.
There are numerous other resources out there for blog hosting services and publishing software. Always feel free to try out new services to see which ones you like the best. The ones listed here are a brief example of popular programs and services that authors currently use.
Overview
At this point you should have a better understanding of what a blog is, the history surrounding the blogging phenomenon, and the different ways in which users can implement blogs on their websites.
As always please feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have about the article. I am always interested to hear peoples feedback, so I can continue to improve the site.
Thanks for visiting Pseudorant!
My iPhone Wishlist – Future Updates?
All the things I want from my iPhone and then some!
Driving home from work today I had a great idea in the car that I needed to write down so I didn’t forget. Now I love my iPhone to death, and use it all the time for taking notes. The only problem is when I am driving in my car this is not the safest or smartest thing to do.
It got me thinking about how I wish the iPhone had an audio recording feature so you could record mental notes for yourself when it is not convenient to write them down.
My mind started to wander, thinking about all the other functions that I wished the iPhone was capable of. I have had my iPhone since the week they first came out and this has given me plenty of time to come across numerous things I wish it could do. As if it doesn’t do enough already, I’m sure I am not alone when I say it needs to do more!
The first thing that is at the top of my list is an audio recording feature like I mentioned for making quick notes of things you need to remember. You could then set these audio reminders to calendar events that could be triggered as reminders or just look them up in a “notes’ type browser.
I really love the camera on my phone and I use it a lot. For the most part the pictures come out great! That is, when I have good lighting. If it is dark out, it is really hit or miss with the camera. Some pictures will come out nice, but most of the time they tend to come out grainy looking which can really ruin some shots.
I can understand why the iPhone doesn’t have a flash as this would probably chew through the battery life in no time, but I wish the camera had a higher megapixel count and some extended options for it. It is just so convenient to have the camera function that I use it all the time, and wish I had a little more control over it.
One thing I am really disappointed my iPhone doesn’t have is a video recording function. This seems like something that could have easily been incorporated since most digital cameras out there have the ability to capture motion jpeg. I am guessing this was also probably a battery life consideration but considering how great the video playback is on the phone it’s disappointing that you can’t record video with it.
Another really nice feature would have been a GPS capability. It seems silly, since most phones are required to utilize some sort of GPS technology for emergency services, that this can’t be put into practical use by users. The incorporation of Google maps and how well it works on the phone always drives me nuts when I think about how cool it would be to be able to track myself on that map as well. Between Apple and Google this seems like it should have been there from the start.
This next one is something I am sure I am not alone on, which is full fledged java and plugin support through Safari, especially for playing simple mpeg videos. Because of competition between Apple and Microsoft I can understand why the phone does not support WMV files but mpeg is pretty much standard. It is frustrating to be limited to videos in YouTube or content you have downloaded to the phone. It would make the internet experience on a phone unmatched in my opinion, if they could add this ability in the future.
Another thing that has really bugged me along these lines is that I cannot save files to my iPhone directly from a website. I’m talking about images to use as backgrounds, mp3s and videos to enjoy when I’m bored, and text files for projects I am working on. I can understand that this may be to protect the phone from potential security flaws, but having an 8GB hard drive that can’t store things at the touch of a button is like having a beach house I lost the key to. I don’t want to climb in through the window every time I want to enjoy that luxury.
The last 2 things I wish the iPhone had are an external keyboard similar to what some of the PDAs out there have, because I take lots of notes with my phone and I mean LOTS! I will use it for taking meeting notes, jotting down ideas, making lists, writing down songs to download, etc. I would really love a keyboard for those times when you are sitting down somewhere and you really want to get your ideas out in full. Especially for things like blogging!
The second thing along these lines would be a stylus. Now don’t get me wrong. The iPhone has one of the best touch screen systems I have ever used. In fact I was blown away by how good it actually is. You see it in the commercial and think there is no way it can be that good and then you use it yourself only to find out it’s better! I would just really like the ability to use a stylus for when I am messing around with various options and sliders in settings that are smaller than the standard keyboard letters. It would also be nice because then you could incorporate some type of doodle program for me too!
Ok have I asked for enough yet?
Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone. (Did I already mention that?) I take it everywhere and use it all the time. I have used it so much in fact that my battery is finally starting to show some slight signs of aging after about 10 months.
Requests like this show how good you have made something when people make all sorts of unreasonable demands about “lacking” features. Whenever I read a review on an item and the negative comments are “Did not come with a universal remote to start the vacuum from the other room”, I immediately buy that product because you know it must be good if that’s all there is to gripe about.
Speaking of which, where is my universal remote function Apple?
Why can’t my phone control all the things in my real life like it does in my cyber life? Oh wait that’s right! Check out the following article for information on rumors that apple is developing limited universal remote functionality for the iPhone. (For use with iTunes of course)
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/04/rumor-apple-to.html
But considering they can do this, it would be nice to control all the rest of the stuff in the house with my iPhone too.
Even if it can’t do these things I guess I can settle for what it currently offers me. It’s like having someone cook dinner for me, and then complaining that I wanted to get Chinese take out. I guess I have set pretty high standards for my iPhone but it is only because I see the potential for this device and all the things it can be used for in the future.
I hope Apple sees the same thing and continues to build on the great device they have already created.
Google Office in Madison Confirmed by The Capital Times Newspaper
Official Details on the Google Office in Madison
The Capital Times newspaper has released an article today confirming the news that Google will be opening an office in Madison, Wisconsin.
It is an interesting article that provides details on the new office, and what its role in Madison may be. It also answers an important question that readers were asking in regards to my April 16th post “Google to Open Midwest Office in Madison, Wisconsin“, about where the new office will be located.
According to the article the office will be located at “301 S. Blount, just off Williamson Street”. This confirms the information I posted in my follow-up article where I stated “I have heard the office will most likely be very close to were John Nolan Drive and Williamson Street intersect, or within 2 blocks of this location.” For those who are unfamiliar with Madison, Blount Street is located just one block from this intersection.
For details from my follow-up article please check the following post “Google Office in Madison - Additional Details”
For those who are new to my blog I hope you continue to check back for all the latest tech news and happenings in Madison and around the world. I will try to bring you reliable news as I hear it in addition to guides on computers and technology!
For the complete article from The Capital Times newspaper, please check the link below:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news//index.php?ntid=283649
Here is additional information on the story that can be found at WTN News (Wisconsin Technology Network)
http://wistechnology.com/articles/4715/
As always thanks for checking out Pseudorant! I appreciate the support!
HEMA Viral Marketing Webpage?
HEMA’s Viral Marketing Approach to the Web
Define: Viral Marketing - Marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message.
I received an email from a friend the other day with a link to a really cool viral marketing campaign for a Dutch store called HEMA. I wasn’t sure what HEMA was at first or if it was even a real store, or just the theme for someone’s amazing flash presentation.
I have come to find out that HEMA is a Dutch department store that would be similar to Target. They focus mainly on houseware products at low prices.
HEMA which stands for Hollandse Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam translates into Dutch Standard Prices Company Amsterdam. They were founded back in 1926 and have made quite an impression for themselves online considering how far this viral marketing campaign must have traveled to get emailed around Madison.
With that being said check out the email I received. Once you click on the link wait a few seconds for the fun to begin.
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HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands.
Take a look at http://producten.hema.nl:80/
HEMA’s product page. You can’t order anything and it’s in Dutch but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens.
This company has a sense of humor and a great computer programmer.
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For more information on the “real” HEMA website you can check their mainpage here:
Thanks for visiting Pseudorant!
News - Pseudorant is now part of Technorati
Pseudorant Has Joined the Technorati Cult!
Hey all! I am just posting to say that Pseudorant is now part of Technorati. Technorati is a search engine for blogs which acts in many ways as a social networking site allowing authors to connect with one another and keep each other informed of updates.
This post is actually part of the signup process to confirm that Pseudorant is indeed owned by Paul. 
Even though this is a confirmation post for verification on the Technorati website I decided I would leave it up so users are aware of other places they can find me on the web!
Once again thanks for checking out Pseudorant!
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