Blogging Basics
by Lori Seaborg
Purchased by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, 2005
It
seems that everywhere you go, there is someone speaking of blogging and of
blogs. In newspapers, online, and on television, you have been hearing
new words like “bloggers” and the “blogosphere.” There are literally
millions of blogs and thousands of new ones are started up daily.
What
Is a Blog?
A
blog (or, weblog) is a web page that is frequently updated. Most blogs
are made up of text and links to other web sites. The posts are listed in
reverse chronological order (the newest post being first). Older posts
are rolled into archive pages, where they may be viewed later.
Blogs
often include a title for the webpage, titles for each post, comments from
readers, archives, and links to other blogs.
Why
Would Someone Want to Blog?
You
may want to blog to write an online diary about your daily life. Or you
may want to blog because you have something definite to say and nobody in your
real life listens to you. You also may blog if you have an opinion on
news events, but the local paper doesn’t print your Letter to the Editor on the
front page, as you’d like. Some bloggers will blog to give advice to
others.
Business
owners are starting to blog to promote their business; journalists are blogging
to keep readership interested; writers are blogging to promote their books and
to improve their writing; soldiers are blogging to keep family updated and to
keep people interested in the war.
There
is an endless list of reasons to blog.
Who
Blogs?
All
types of people blog. Children, teachers, moms, and even heads of state
and celebrities blog. Blogging has become important to many businesses.
Blogging has also become a type of renegade journalism, so much so that many
major newspapers and magazines now have blogs on their websites.
Universities have recently added blogging courses to their journalism
degrees. To see a list of the most popular blogs, click on this
link: http://www.blogstreet.com/top100.html
Why
Are Blogs Important?
Bloggers
are credited for breaking some of the most important news events in the past
couple of years. Blogs are important because:
- They
allow you to be an active participant in the news; not passive. With
a blog, you can write a “Letter to the Editor” that will be
published and that will likely be read by many more people than
would read your letter in your local newspaper.
- Blogs
allow you to learn from the experts in a subject. If you are an
expert in a certain field, you should blog about it! Mainstream
journalism has begun recognizing many bloggers as experts in their field.
- Blogging
allows you to write as subjectively, as biased, and as partisan as you
wish. As a blogger, you do not have to be politically correct
or unbiased. Readers benefit from blogs because they have more
access to the truth since the writer is able to write freely on a
subject.
What
Would Someone Blog?
Some
blogs are just journals or diaries, while others are topical. Many of the
most widely read blogs are political. The blogs are Homeschoolblogger.com
all have “homeschooling” in common, but their subtopics vary. Some of
these blogs are focused on the Classical approach to homeschooling. Other
blogs are focused on home business or homemaking, while keeping the main topic
of “homeschooling” in mind.
Blogging
provides readers with access to experts, which is one of the reasons that
blogging is so popular. If you know a lot about a subject, and if
you are passionate about that subject, blog about it and soon you will have a
group of readers and be labeled as the Internet expert on that subject.
Do
a simple search on the Internet, or specifically on http://www.Technorati.com and you will
find as many topical blogs as you can think of topics.
Who
Reads Blogs?
Unless
it is a private blog, anyone with Internet access may read a blog.
That includes bosses and mothers. That also includes people who might
like to send you spam or steal your identity. Keep this in mind, but
don’t be scared off from blogging because of it.
Most
often, your readers will not be spammers or thieves (or bosses). Usually,
your readers will come through other blogs that linked to your blog, or through
the comments that you left on other blogs.
A
private blog may be set up for a family blog, one that is personal in nature,
or a blog for which you want to control the subscription. To read a
private blog, one must be a member of that blog.
“Blog,”
“Blogosphere,” “Vlog,” and Other Strange Words
Since
blogging is such a new phenomenon, new words are being invented for it almost
daily. Here are a few of the most common words you’ll see:
Audioblog:
A blog that is made up of audio sound bites. Also called
“podcasting,” if the audioblog is available in RSS.
Blog:
A webpage that is frequently updated and archived, with text, photos or
video and/or links. A.k.a. weblog
Blogger:
One who blogs
Bloghopping:
To visit one blog after another through links on each weblog
Blogosphere:
The community of blogs on the Internet
Blogroll:
A list of links on a blog. These links are also called “friends”
lists, or “links” lists. A reciprocal blogroll is one in which
only those sites linking to your blog are listed. A blogroll may be done
manually through the HTML in your blog, or it may be done through a service
such as http://www.blogrolling.com
Carnival:
A weekly list of the latest articles from certain blogs. The
Carnival is often topical (“Christian Carnival,” “Carnival of all Carnivals,”
etc.). You must register to be included in the Carnival of your choice
and you must submit your best post for each week that you want to be included
in the Carnival. The Carnival “travels” to a different blog each
week.
Comment:
Readers to your blog may post comments on each of your blog
posts. Their comments are readable to anyone who has access to your
blog. Others may visit the links that your commenters leave. You
have the ability to disable comments and comment reading, if desired.
Group
Blog: A blog that is written by a group of people, usually of like
minds. An example of a group blog would be a blog on Classical
Homeschooling, with five different bloggers writing from their viewpoint.
A group blog may have assigned days for each of their writers, or the writers
may post randomly.
Links:
A list of other blogs and other websites that you post on your blog.
You will only want to include links that may be of interest to your readers.
Link
Tracking: A method of finding out which blogs have linked back to
yours. Go to http://www.technorati.com/search
to use link tracking.
Milblog:
A blog that discusses the military (if written by a soldier, this is often
called a Soldier Blog)
Permalink:
A permanent link to a specific post. Without permalinks, the reader
would only be able to visit your weblog’s homepage, which is continually
changing. Permalinks make it easier to find specific posts.
Photoblog:
A blog made up primarily of photos.
Post:
An entry that you have placed (“posted”)on your weblog. This may be a
piece of text or a photo, audio or video segment.
Ping:
A notification that you receive if someone has linked to your blog
post. You will only receive a ping if you have enabled trackback, and if
the site linking to you is also using trackback.
RSS:
Real Simple Syndication: This allows you to syndicate your blog
material, similar to how comic strip owners syndicate their material to
newspapers. But with blogs, usually only a snip of the blog post is
syndicated, with a permalink back to your blog.
Trackback:
Many bloggers prefer to use trackback instead of comments. If they
want to write about your post, they may do so on their own blog. Instead
of using a permalink, the blogger will use trackback, so that you will receive
a ping, which lets you know that your site has been mentioned and
linked.
Vlog
(video blog): A blog made up of video segments.
Warblog:
Blogs that discuss war and the war against terrorism.
Weblog:
Another name for “blog.”
What
Should I Do BEFORE Starting a Blog?
If
you want to have more than just a blog of your random thoughts, you need to
think about a few things before beginning your blog.
- Read
blogs…lots of them! Read the top blogs, and read blogs that are in
the topic of your interest. To start, go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com
for the list of their Most Active Blogs.
- Think
about your topic and the focus of your blog. The more specific, the
better.
- What
will your writing style be?
- Choose
your blog name.
- Choose
the look of your blog site. At HomeschoolBlogger.com, you have
many template choices.
What
Should I Name My Blog?
If
you are a writer or a speaker and want to promote your name, you may wish to
name your blog with your real name. Otherwise, just choose a name that
fits your content. Try to pick a name that others can easily remember.
How
Much Control Do I Have with My Blog?
Your
blog’s content is owned by you. You may edit and delete your posts at any
time. You also have the control to delete the comments left on your blog
by readers.
What
Do I Blog About?
Choose
a topic that you are intensely interested in, and that you could write on for a
long period of time. Instead of choosing a broad topic like
“Homeschooling,” consider a subtopic, such as “Unschooling,” or “Homeschool
Field Trips.” The more specific your topic, the more you will be seen as
the expert in that area.
How
Often Do I Have to Post?
You
may post as often or as little as you like, but if you want to keep readers
coming to your blog, then you need to post often. The most popular blogs
post several times a day, but many bloggers post just several times per week.
How
Will I Know If I Have Any Readers?
Some
of your readers will leave a comment on your blog, or may even email you.
But most of your readers will not comment or write to you. You will want to
keep track of your visitors with a “counter.” You can get a free counter
at http://www.sitemeter.com or at http://www.onestat.com .
You
may see how many other sites are linking back to yours through http://www.technorati.com/search
.
How
Can My Readers Communicate With Me?
If
you have commenting enabled, your readers will be able to leave comments for
you to read at the end of each post on your blog. Many times, these
comments become just as interesting as the blog itself.
If
you have placed an email link on your blog, your readers may also email you.
How
Can I Improve My Blog?
There
are a few things you can do to improve your blog and get more readers:
- Focus
on the Content: The best way to improve your blog is to focus on the
content of your writing rather than on the fancy ways you can add
graphics. Your blog will be remembered because of its content.
It will be avoided because of its slow download due to graphics.
- Stay
on Topic: If your blog is political, don’t post about what happened
when you walked the dog last night, unless you can somehow link it
to a recent political event. Your readers visit you for the topic
that you have been blogging on. They do not want to read your
ramblings, unless yours is established as a rambling blog.
- Post
Short Blogs: Readers want to read quickly. Keep your blog
posts short.
- Edit
Your Writing: Before posting, look carefully at your blog for typos
and misspellings.
- Use
Headlines and Subtitles: You may not prefer to use both headlines and
subtitles, but consider using one or the other. When others mention
your blog in their own, it helps them to be able to name your post.
- Use
Paragraphs. Cut your blog post into paragraphs containing 4-5
sentences each. Your readers’ eyes will be blessed, and you’ll gain
more readers with this simple thing.
- Add
Photos or Other Graphics to Your Blog: Add a photo or a graphic or a
video or audio file now and then just to keep your blog interesting and to
break up the text. Remember, you are focusing on the content of your
blog, so do not add too many photos or graphics. Some of your
readers are still on slow dial-up Internet connections.
How
Do I Promote My Blog?
There
are a few things you can do to bring more readers to your blog:
- Blog!
Your readers want to read new posts from you. If your readers
keep coming to your blog only to see old posts, they will leave in
frustration and move on to a more active blog.
- Leave
comments on other blogs that are similar to your own. If you are
blogging on “homeschool and home business,” then visit fellow “homeschool”
bloggers and fellow “home business” bloggers. Leave comments on their
blogs with a link to your own blog. Make sure your comments are
substantial so the other readers will want to check out your blog.
- Add
your blog to your signature in emails (unless you are trying to hide your
blog from family members!). Add it to your business cards, mention
it in your online newsletter, and promote it on your website.
Can
I Make Money with my Blog?
Only
a very few bloggers are making decent money off their blogs. Some
bloggers make a few dollars by accepting ads. Most bloggers make no money
off their blog.
How
Do I Maintain My Blog?
You
can post to your blog without visiting the main site, but visit your blog’s
homepage regularly anyway. While at your blog’s homepage, look for links
that no longer work and for photos that are no longer showing up. Also,
look at your text to see that it looks readable. Your blog should be
similar to a newspaper column, with short, easy-to-read paragraphs and
occasional photographs or graphics.
Are
There Any Blogging Netiquette Rules I Should Follow?
So
far, blogging is a free, wide-open field. You can post what you
want, how you want, and when you want. But if you don’t follow the normal
“netiquette” rules such as using short paragraphs and not using foul language,
you will reduce your readership. If you want more readers, think of your
blog as a magazine or a newspaper for which you are the sole writer and
editor. Only post those things that you, as an editor, would allow.
Blogging
is one of the most exciting happenings of the 21st century. It
gives all of us a voice, one that we can share with others who are
like-minded. It is a free and easy way to get our advice and opinion out
to the world.
Welcome
to the Blogosphere!
