What oh what ... is the point of a blog???

highdose

something i've never understood. Could someone please explain this to me and finaly answer this nagging question?

I was kind of waiting for an answer also. The blogs of people who have invited me to read them would lead me to think they are like a personal diary or maybe a "soap box" from which to declare personal info, opinions, etc. ?

leavingwt

If you'd like to know what a weblog is, please read these two articles.

Rebecca Blood (wrote a book on the topic)

http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html

Dave Winer (has one of the oldest blogs in existence)

http://oldweblogscomblog.scripting.com/historyOfWeblogs

PS: Gregor's summary, above, is also accurate. They are online "logs" or "diaries". Are they websites? Yes, but most blogs also have certian other common features that are not necessarily found on other sites.

highdose

i know what a blog is, but i can't see the point of one? I mean what is the point of wanting everyone to read your day to day thoughts and experiances? I mean unless your someone like the Queen or the Prime Minister, in which case it might be interesting. But the average joe?

leavingwt

i know what a blog is, but i can't see the point of one? I mean what is the point of wanting everyone to read your day to day thoughts and experiances? I mean unless your someone like the Queen or the Prime Minister, in which case it might be interesting. But the average joe?

A weblog containing "day to day thoughts" is but one type of weblog. Weblogs are as diverse as books.

Here's an example of a weblog by a scientist:

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/

Is it valuable? Each of us can decide.

Gregor

Free, basic therapy?

MrFreeze

For the average person, it's nothing more than a diary. You can choose to share it with other people if they are actually interested in what's going on in your life. I have a couple of friends who have showed me their blog and I read them because I care about what's going on with them. Essentially, it's a diary. A place where you can just write what you are feeling without scrutiny and without loading down other people around you. I have one where I write stuff about my life which right now consists of the details of my exit from the organization.

nolongerwaiting

An online diary is the short answer. As someone who reads a number of blogs and maintains one, I can say that common reasons include:

1.) Diary of daily life - Especially common with people who have a unique job/life/hobbies (a farmer, wood worker, cooking, avid book reader) or people who have young children (sharing stories with relatives)

2.) Discussion on random subjects - Professors and enthusiasts sometimes maintain blogs related to subjects in computers, biology, math, science, literature, hobbies

3.) News - People both agregate news on a certain subject or offer commentary (Pharyngula, mentioned about, is mostly of this type)

4.) Marketing - Companies maintain blogs of new products, contests, new services, etc.

5.) Entertainment - Humerous stories, comic strips (webcomics), etc.

Blogs, especially those related to unique hobbies and interests, tend to form communities which comment on each other's blogs, offering ideas and encouragement. It's a form of social media I suppose, but more content-heavy and less frivolous than sources like facebook and twitter.

Finally, nobody has mentioned vlogs (video logs). On YouTube, you can find people who create regular videos of any of the 5 types above. These videos are usually organized in channels, and viewers can offer comments or create their own videos as direct responses. Just like extremely popular blogs can earn you money (through advertising and referrals to online purchasing), vlogs pay money through Google text ads. One source recently estimated the income of the top 10 "video bloggers" and many of them landed in the $100,000+ range.

Gregor

Gregor's blog for today, 12-12-10

Watched most of the early NFL game (Steelers vs Bengals) while preparing oxtail soup. A rip roaring rain storm (warm, 'pineapple express') outside. The birds were flocking the feeders like crazy. Naturally, they prefer the expensive thistle seed over the black oil sunflower seeds. Made up a batch of suet for them. Early afternoon my wife took over the kitchen to make banana bread.

While my soup was simmering I put on my rain gear and walked down to Thunder Island (Cascade Locks, OR) with a half loaf of stale bread. Fed geese and seagulls while watching the river roaring by. No river traffic today, Sunday. Beautiful, wild weather. Had an epiphany, but fortunately, I was wearing an old pair of pants. Got back, read a little of my new book and took a nap with the dogs.

My oxtail soup was so good it would make your brains fall out. Dessert was banana bread with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Oh, yeah, my point is....

I forgot

What oh what ... is the point of a blog???

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