Blog, Blogs, and Blogging, Part 2 of 2

(A Blog is Another Way to Express Our Selves When Writing on the Internet)


What distinguishes a collection of posts from a traditional home page or Web page?

  • Primarily it's the reverse-chronological order in which posts appear.
  • When a reader visits a weblog, she/he is always confronted with the newest information at the top of the page.
  • Having the freshest information at the top of the page does a few things: as readers, it gives a sense of immediacy with no effort on our part.
  • We don't have to scan the page, looking for what's new or what's been changed.
  • If content has been added since our last visit, it's easy to see as soon as the page loads.
  • Weblogs demonstrate that time is important by the very nature in which they present their information.
  • As weblog readers, we respond with frequent visits, and we are rewarded with fresh content.
  • The Anatomy of a Post

  • A weblog post can be identified by the following distinguishing characteristics: a date header, a time stamp, and a permalink.
  • Oftentimes the author's name appears beneath each post as well, especially if multiple authors are contributing to one blog.
  • If commenting is enabled (giving the reader a form to respond to a specific post) a link to comment will also appear.
  • Links, and the accompanying commentary, have often been hailed as the distinguishing characteristic of a weblog.
  • The linking that happens through blogging creates the connections that bind us.
  • Commentary alone is the province of journals, diaries, and editorial pieces.
  • A Communication Evolution

  • When we talk about weblogs, we're talking about a way of organizing information, independent of its topic.
  • What we write about does not define us as bloggers; it's how we write about it (frequently, continuously, peppered with links).
  • As bloggers, we're in the middle of, and enjoying, an evolution of communication.
  • The traits of weblogs mentioned above will likely change and advance as our tools improve and our technology matures.
  • Meg Hourihan is an independent Web consultant and freelance writer. She is a co-author of the book, We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs.

If you want to leave footprints in the sands of time, don't drag your feet.
—Anonymous

Blog, Blogs, and Blogging, Part 1 of 2.