The Basics of Blogs and Blogging

The word “blog” came from the combination of the words web and log — weBLOG. It is basically an online diary, and much, much more. People create blogs to record entries at their leisure, be it daily, weekly, or several times a day. The blogging software they use keeps track of all of their posts and arranges them according to the theme, or layout, of the blog. In fact, you are reading a blog right now.
Blogs are a very free-form and easy way to start a nice website for people to visit, and blog owners can record entries on very focused subjects or on very broad subjects. Additionally, blogs can contain text, video, photo, or a combination. You have probably read blogs on many occasions and did not even realize it.

It is free and extremely easy to start blogging. The two main players in blogging software are Wordpress and Blogger , although other options exist as well. You can register for an account at either wordpress.com or blogger.com and start blogging immediately.

If you are more serious about blogging, you probably want to buy a domain name and get a web hosting account set up. Then you can install some blogging sofware (I’d recommend Wordpress if you go this route) select a theme and start building your site.

Whether you use one of the free services online or start your own site, blogging is a easy and fun way to get your thoughts and opinions out there. You can even make a some money on your blog by using Google Adsense, Squidoo, and any number of affiliate sales programs.