Blogging--Creating a Weblog
I have enjoyed writing the blog much more than I anticipated. This lens is all about my blogging experience and resources for you to get started blogging. How to blog, where to blog, examples of blogs I like. My advice is to just take a deep breath and get started.
"Blogging
Is
Fun!"
What I Love About Blogging
I'm blogging this! by lakeerieartists
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I am the kind of person who never could keep a diary or journal, but I just love blogging. Here is why:
- It is easy. I use blogger.com, but there are many other blogging websites that are absolutely free to use.
- It is free.
- I can add as many pictures as I like.
- I can sell stuff on my blog.
- I can write as much or as little as I want.
- I can add cool links.
- I can brag about my website and my business.
- I can change the background to reflect my personality.
- I can talk to all of my friends and customers at the same time.
- When I update my blog, it also updates on my website, facebook, squidoo, and any other places that I have RSS fed it to.
- I don't have to tell my husband about my day; he reads it on my blog.
- By linking it to my website and blogging consistently, it raises my visibility on search engines like Google.
- Build Links Fast and Free and climb to the top of search engine listings. Get all the SEO features here!
Not Sure How to Get Started? There are lots of great books about blogging.
WordPress For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
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Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
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No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog
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The Rough Guide to Blogging 1 (Rough Guide Reference) (Rough Guide Internet/Computing)
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We the Media: Grassroots Journalism By the People, For the People
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Blogging 101
by Sandi Hardmeier

Not long ago there was a television advertisement airing here in Australia that featured an elderly couple watching television. Suddenly, in another room, their personal computer downloaded an e-mail from one of their adult children. The elderly couple turned around and was surprised to see dozens of identical grandchildren crawling towards them. I think that the point of the advertisement was to highlight how easy it is, in the brave new world of personal computers and broadband connections, to send family and friends lots of photographs of family members, events, celebrations, and such.
The Internet has completely changed the way that many of us keep in touch with each other. Instead of writing letters, we send e-mails and instead of using the telephone, we will fire up an Instant Messaging program. Instead of printing and distributing photographs in the traditional way, we upload them to a Web site. It used to be the case that virtually all ISPs would offer to host a personal Web site for their customers as a standard part of their access packages; however, over time, some very large ISPs stopped providing such space, forcing their users to "free" Web hosts that would often burden hosted sites with compulsory embedded or pop-up advertisements. We all know how popular pop-ups are.
I believe that a key component of the widespread success and popularity of any form of communication on the Web is simplicity. Much of the technology now in use on the Web has actually been around for a very long time, but did not come into its own until it was presented to the masses in such a way that they realized "Hey, I can do this". Personal Web sites never became super popular, at least not on a scale comparable to something like Instant Messaging, probably because Web sites can be difficult to build and maintain without an understanding of HTML or the assistance of specialized program such as Microsoft FrontPage.
Over the past few years, "blogs" have taken over where personal Web sites left off. Once the domain of journalists, commentators, politicians, and savvy University students, blogs are now used by people from all walks of life and of all ages. It has been said that there are now millions of blogs on the Web. Bloggings rise in popularity has been nothing short of phenomenal. Blogs are used as online diaries, soapboxes, political commentaries, to report breaking news, to share the latest family events with those we love, or just to talk to the world at large.
What is a blog? And why are they so popular?
A blog is a special type of Web page-an online journal-with unique characteristics that set it apart from regular Web pages. Blogs are made up of multiple journal entries listed in reverse chronological order that invariably include a title, a date, and time stamp. Each blog entry also will have its own Permalink (a unique Web address) and sometimes a Trackback (an automatic entry that appears in your blog to tell you that somebody has written about your entry, and linked to it), a Category, and Comments.
Comments are one of the things that make blogs unique and special. Anybody who reads a blog may, if the blog owner allows it, publish comments under a blog entry to agree, to disagree, to sympathize, or to share their own thoughts. This interaction is different than more traditional feedback utilities such as Guestbooks. Guestbooks are generic-entries are not tied to one particular page, or commentary. Blog comments, on the other hand, are tied directly to a particular entry.
Who uses blogs?
Nowadays, anybody can use a blog. Traditionally, blogs have been used by journalists, political commentators, and the like. Blogs have been used as the instrument of choice for some amazing exposés over the years, some of which are mentioned in Wikipedia's article about blogs. In recent times, blogs have been adopted by mainstream Internet users, thanks in part to Blogger.com and LiveJournal, and MSN when they introduced MSN Spaces-a very easy to use, free blogging service that is available to all users of MSN Messenger.
What's this Trackback thing again?
Trackbacks, like Comments, make a blog more interactive and 'alive' than a traditional Web page has even been able to achieve.
A Trackback is a link that appears in a blog's Comments section to tell you that somebody has not only read your entry, but has then gone on to create his or her own Blog entry talking about you and your entry. For example, we may read a Blog entry and think that it is absolutely marvelous, so we post into our own Blog to say "have a look at [Trackback link]. It's fantastic." The wonder of blogs is that your blog entry will automatically appear in the Comments section of the blog entry you have linked to. How cool is that?
How do I start a blog?
Simply choose a blog provider, create an account, and start writing. A list of the most popular free blog services can be found in the Related Links list to the right of screen.
After you have chosen a blog provider, creating a blog entry is very easy. It is not like designing a Web page where you have to find software to create your site, design a layout, create the pages and then upload them. The most popular blogging sites do not even need special software-all you need is a Web browser.
Blogs entries are created using a submission form. Decide on a title, select a category, type in your content, decide whether to allow Comments and Trackbacks, and then publish your work with the click of a button.
Blog entries are much easier to create than traditional Web pages.
What about pictures?
Most blog sites allow you to upload pictures to galleries, or embed pictures into a Blog post by using HTML. How pictures or images are added depends on the site that is being used. Blogger.com, for example, has a photo upload tool, MSN Spaces offers online photo albums complete with a slideshow, and LiveJournal has a photo hosting service called ScrapBook.
How will people find my blog?
Your blog's content, how it is written, and where the content is placed will have a direct effect on the world's ability to find your blog.
Blogs are most often discovered through standard search engines or dedicated blog search facilities. The important thing to remember is that search engines read content from the top of your page's source code downwards, therefore, the title of your blog can be very important. Search engines also depend heavily on key words; therefore, it is important that the title of your blog entry, and its early content, mention key words that are relevant to the content of your page-key words that will capture the interest of people conducting Web searches.
Many blog sites provide an RSS (syndication) facility. Make sure you turn this on. RSS is by far the largest consumers of Blog sites. More information about RSS can be found at my previously published article "RSS: An Information Revolution".
Are there any free blog sites?
The original and best blogger services are still free. One of the original blog communities is www.blogger.com. Two of the more popular blog sites would be MSN Spaces and LiveJournal.
A final word
Many have called blogs the epitome of free speech. They show us the best and worst in human nature and some would claim that blogs have affected the course of modern history. I say, don't take it too seriously and enjoy being able to quickly and easily keep family and friends informed of life events. Most importantly, enjoy the dialogue that will take place between you and those who read your blog.
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Best Places to Blog

Diaryland.com
DiaryLand is a community of bloggers and diarists. more...0 points
How to Start Your Blog
from WikiHow

Find a decent blogging provider that appeals to you. Some may include MuseCrafters.com, Livejournal.com, JournalHome.com, Blogger,ChoseIt, WordPress.com , TheDiary.org, Mindsay.com, Blog.com, Blogagotchi.com, Diaryland.com, Blogdrive.com, weebly.com or Xanga.com. Most of these sites are pre-made with templates and push-button publishing that don't require much technical know-how.
Once you sign up, you'll have a gallery of ready-made templates to choose from. With these, you can pick a color scheme and layout for your blog.
Most sites come with a set of predefined layouts and schemes that you can choose from. Select one and personalize it. Then add your name, interests, images, etc.
If you want to, get a more unique template, there are some sites up that have many of these that might make it look better. For example, PimpMyProfile.com or Pyzam.com.
Add blogging freebies like buttons, images, blog chalks, imoods, tagboards (for example, myshoutbox.com), guest maps, guestbooks, comment boxes for readers' input, etc.
Explore other blog sites that offer more features for a small fee, such as Typepad.com and ChoseIt.
Decide on whether or not you want your blog to be private or public: do you want any Internet visitor to be able to read your blog, or do you just want your friends and family to be able to read it? Most blog sites offer the ability to password-protect your published posts so only those who you approve of can view what you've written.
After you've set up your blog, write a few posts to test it out, and make any adjustments to the layout or style that you see fit. Like if you just got a new template, you'd check your blog to see if you like it, right? At first, it will seem tough to figure out what to write, but once you get into a routine of daily blogging, you will find it addictive. Write about your day, your thoughts, events, ideas, fears, pleasures, the news, current affairs, art, or anything you are interested in!
Visit other blogs to build a blogging circle. When you leave comments, add your blogging address so they can visit you too. (Note: This will not work if your blog is private)
Publish your blog by sending the URL to your friends or publish the URL on your website. Add the URL to posts you make on other blogs.
My Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBlogcatalog.com

While researching this lens, I discovered Blogcatalog.com. This is a really cool site where you can consolidate your social networking sites to one place, including blogs. I am really just discovering what you can do on this, but it looks like a another great place to promote your squidoo lenses, and any other blog you have. Here is what they say about themselves:
"BlogCatalog is more than just a social community for bloggers; we are one of the largest blog directories on the internet. Whether you are looking to search blogs, connect with bloggers, learn more about blogging, or promote your own blog, BlogCatalog is for you."
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Blogcatalog
How Do You Know What to Write?

This is a great question to ask yourself. What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? Choose a theme to focus on and write.
Blogs are supposed to have a casual feel to them as if you were talking directly to the person. More like a conversation. So don't overthink it.
I am writing to promote my business, so I usually write about topics related to the business, the shows, the developments and trips I take. So just go ahead and start.
More Books About Blogging
Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom
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Publishing a Blog with Blogger: Visual QuickProject Guide
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Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content (Voices That Matter)
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Blogger Essential Training
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The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly
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Writing Blogs
- Annie Writes About Writing: Blog Chain: Feel This Post
- Can you feel that? It's blog chain time again. This round was started by Christine, and she wants to know how you're handling your emotional writing. She asks, How do you add emotional depth to your stories? ...
- Three Rules for Writing a Novel and Other Great Quotations about ...
- Here are some more quotations and sayings about writers and writing:There are three rules of writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.? W. Somerset MaughamThe only reason for being a professional writer is that you ...
- Angela Booth's Writing Blog: Freelance Writing: 3 Tips to Help You ...
- If there's one thing that befuddles freelance writers both new and experienced, it's the vexing challenge of setting your rates. Few writers are confident when it comes to pricing their own services. Unfortunately, if you're not ...
- Adventures in the Writing Life Blog - Information, Comments ...
- Adventures in the Writing Life chronicles my trials and tribulations of beginning my professional freelance writing care?
Links to Sites and Articles About Blogs

- How to Write a Blog
- How to write a blog that other people like to read.
- Seth Godin on How to Write a Blog
- Hear from Seth Godin on how to write a blog.
- How to Write a Blog by Marketing Profs
- More how-to on blog writing.
- Problogger Series
- How to write a blog series.
- How to Write a Better Weblog
- How to write a better weblog by Dennis Mahoney.
Just What is a Blog?
A blog (a contraction of the term "weblog")Weblogs: A History And Perspective, Rebecca Blood, September 7, 2000. is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog''.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Micro-blogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.
As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs.
Writing, Blogging in Pictures
Here's my favorite link:
And Even More Books About Blogging!
Clear Blogging: How People Blogging Are Changing the World and How You Can Join Them
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The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog
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Baghdad Burning II: More Girl Blog from Iraq (Women Writing the Middle East)
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The Open Laboratory: The Best Science Writing on Blogs 2007
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Career Building Through Blogging (Digital Career Building)
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Kimberly Monaco Designs Blog
Kim is a wonderful jewelry designer and this is her blog.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byDon't Think--Just Type!

Don't think too hard when typing your blog. You can edit it and enhance it later. Blogging is about content. Getting the message out in a casual, easy way for your target audience. Once you determine what your audience is, you can then frame your blog entries for that audience. Making Money Has Never Been Easier! Order Google Gold Mine Today and Work From Home!
Carrying Cases for Your Laptop
So You Can Blog Anywhere
Don't Forget!
Blog consistently, once a day, once a week, once a month. That will help Google find your site.
Brewed Fresh Daily
This blog is a very popular blog in Cleveland, Ohio. It is all about the hot issues going on in my hometown.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWhat Do YOU Think?
Blogging is a fairly new phenomenon in the marketing world. What is your true opinion on blogs and blogging?
Tell Me How You Really Feel!
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI Love Blogging and Reading Other People's Blogs!
JaguarJulie says:
Oh, yes I love reading other people's blogs and trying to make time to do some blogging myself!
Posted October 15, 2008
WendyKrick says:
I blog as well. I agree, It is also a great way to promote a business.~Wendy
Posted September 17, 2008
ElizabethJeanAllen says:
I have a blog and a website, but I have to force myself to sit down and write. I know it shouldn't be that way. I'm going to put this in the I love blogging category but I don't love it. But its not dumb either.
Posted August 17, 2008
Blogs are Dumb! I Do Not Understand What People See in Them!
Don't Get Stressed!

Blogging should be fun. It is not something that you should get stressed out about. It not like writing a research paper, or a novel. If you can't think of what to write, do something else, then come back to it!
Get Comfortable While You Blog
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You Can Blog From Anywhere!
Why not blog from Paris?
Art Addict Blog
Art Addict blogs about art subjects that she likes.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBlogs About Blogging
- Blogging Tips: The Safest Way Of Upgrading All Wordpress Blogs by ...
- Upgrading Wordpress can be a harzadous task but here's how I managed to do mine without tears.
- Scott Rosenberg's Wordyard » Blog Archive » Two additional ...
- When I set out to chronicle the rise of blogging in book form, I knew there was no way my work could hope to be comprehensive. This story simply has too many strands and facets. The ones I chose to focus on are, I believe, ...
- Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Blogging From Tegucigalpa
- Reliable news is hard to come by, particularly from a foreign country going through turmoil. Which is why new blogger Hunter Smith is doing such a service by blogging (text and photos) from inside the crowds on the streets of ...
- The Agitator » Blog Archive » Sunday Evening Dog Blogging: New ...
- Due to some changes in my personal life which I for obvious reasons am not going to get into on the blog (and I'd appreciate it if you didn't speculate in the comments section), I'm out one dog. For lack of a better phrase, ...
What Do You Like To Blog About?
I'm blogging this! by lakeerieartists
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Snozzle wrote...
Very interesting lens. I've been blogging for over two years and it's a fascinating outlet. I hit on a good story and had over 40,000 hits in one day - this struck home to me the massive potential. I use Blogger mostly and it works okay for me.
Mike
JustBon-Crochet-Designs wrote...
I blog, but not as often as I should. I seem to have to force my self sometimes. Great lens, though, and I love the graphics! 5*s.
JaguarJulie wrote...
You know, I used to be a blogger [I think] before I found Squidoo ... now I simply must force myself to get back to blogging and your lens has inspired me today! 5*****
spirituality wrote...
These are some great links. I'm going to seriously try my hand at blogging soon. :)
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