MAKE A BLOG

What is a Blog? Who is a Blogger and what does Official Blogger mean? What is Ghost Blogging? School Blogs & More...

WHAT IS A BLOG?

What is a Blog? Who is a Blogger & what does Official Blogger mean? This and many more questions as to Pros & cons of Blogging might pop up in mind who aren't tech savvy.

There are a number of ways I could answer this question ranging from the broad to the highly technical aspects of Blogging; be it English or Gujarati, any other language.  Let me attempt a few comments to help you get your head swirl around it.

A few definitions for a start may explain the word 'Blog' (You may watch for more words like this in my forthcoming articles on Blook (LuLu) & Plog (Amazon) 

A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who writes and updates a blog is a “blogger.”

A weblog is kind of a continual tour, with a human guide who you get to know who develop an audience who can comment on posts and read archives. 

You can call it a Diary, Journal, referred as Weblog.

WHO IS A BLOGGER?

Daily or random updated by Bloggers who can be anyone, who wish to write their thoughts, news, views, opinions, etc. Who need not register a domain or host but can use services of Blog Platforms listed on the side - either Free or paid with minimum charges. Even Blog at Blogging communities rising on web.

Blogs are usually (but not always) written by one person and are updated pretty regularly. Blogs are often (but not always) written on a particular topic - there are blogs on virtually any topic you can think of. From News & current affairs, Literature & Poems, Books & music reviews, arts & photography, Religion & spirituality, Food & Drink or recipes, Tech briefs or Games, to Personal Diaries, Hobbies - blogging has as many applications and varieties you can imagine or say, cope to write. Whole blog communities have sprung up around some of these topics putting people into contact with each other in relationships where they can learn, share ideas, make friends with and even do business with people with similar interests from around the world.

OFFICIAL BLOGGER:

A Blogger who is assigned by a Corporate or Individuals to write on behalf of. They are Paid Bloggers/non paid, write for the company or Individual due to some relationship eg. family relation, etc. Especially to promote the activities.

GHOST BLOGGING:

A Blogger who is assigned by a Corporate or Individual to write on their behalf. The Blogger writes under a nick name or company name without revealing his/her own name. These are Professionally Paid Bloggers who charge somewhere starting from 4$ to more / per post. They may write any number of posts depending on the assignment.

BLOGGING FACTS:

Earlier with BBS (Bulletin Board Service), Email groups came, the Moderated Newsgroups, Conference rooms, forums, and so on. You will find a host of Information on the wiki. However, the real Blogging era boomed when Google started it's Blogging service 'Blogger' in August 1999. A formerly Pyra Labs by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan was purchased by Google in 2003. Live Journal was another service that became popular then.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary awarded it "the word of the year" in 2004. In that particular year, the percentage of Internet users who had read blogs spiked sharply from 17% to 27%. It's 2006 and the Blogging is become a 'Revolution'. Blogger, word press and type pad are the most popular easier platforms on the web.

SCHOOL BLOGS & KIDS BLOGS

A shift in technology -  BLOGGING has become a REVOLUTION. Schools Websites are adding Blogging areas for students. Many students write their Blogs revealing a lot of facts on their whereabouts, lifestyles, etc. As a result, newer websites are coming up with Student Blogs. Some newspapers have special Journalism Student Blogs on their main pages. Websites like Google have Blogger.com platform - However, this do not allow students below 16 to blog. epals.com who had started earlier as Paid Student Blogging areas have now made Free Blogging space for Teachers and students. Kidsfreesouls have Kids Reporters who write their own Blogs on kidsfreesouls and these Reporters are students of the Blogging class.

Cost for Making a Blog

There are many Free space areas to make Blogs. Some Blogging Platform calls for a person to know tech skills while some need simple knowledge of html and other basics. However, with experience, Blogging on Blogger and site driven steps can help to make quick blog.

Where to Create Blogs

Many links to choose from the left bar. However, blogger, wordpress, type pad, epals have good blogging areas. Drupal is an excellent platform but needs some tech skills. Jhoomla too needs to learn. Writing on Myspace, msn live blogs and other such places is easier but mainly sharing with group there.

For kids writing their own Blogs, best to create a Blog is their own School or Teacher's website, if any.  Also where there is Adult monitored space like epals.com, a site that recently allows Teachers to make Blogs for students. A nicer way is Google Pages where a Teacher can make own Assignment page where students can blog. Even teachers can have their own Blogs at Blogger and add Kids blog notes from time to time. Why, even use Picasa pics gallery in the class while making blog notes and making them choose the pics to upload supporting their Blog note.

Benefits

Teaches Kids for Responsibility. Daily posts or even weekly posts make them disciplined and responsible to the word they write. Improves writing skills and creative talents. Exposure to technology. Developing communication skills. Learning to type faster and enhance vocabulary and spelling skills.

Kids Privacy

Children do not like to read what they write sometimes. Their privacy on what they write in their actual journal or diary can be hidden in their desk and parents always have a rift to try read it. However, online scenario do need parental guidance as children need to be too cautious with their words.  Words counts - hence children privacy can be safeguard by encouraging them to speak frank what they think and write - even allow you to read whatever they wrote. Some schools have students writing rosy about school activities or it's school madam/sir and this is also not a right thing. It is not a testimonial but children are lurked in to complimenting their school teachers and later, real time conflicts do prevail with other students who do not blog!

Safety while Blogging 

Search Engines are Open Books. Mind what you speak coz your word is recorded and robots may ruin your reputation. Writing on the Web is easier than before. And Search makes more easier finding what you wrote. This goes for all - Adults or kids. However, there are underlying dangers when Kids speak their Blogs! Hence, Safety is a prime concern while Blogging especially for children. Revealing name is fine but revealing all other information like address, phone number, school name, friends etc. is all NO NO. Many times, children are innocently found to be speaking their family, school and other problems - This ends up to more depression and also calling for unwanted problems. Even, calling bullying with words is a serious NO NO as it results to revealing mind - character. The missing kids list is ever on a rise and people who are evil doers of such acts are the ones who roam free to find picks. Hence, kids need to beware, be aware.

Social Networkings Temptations & Age factors

With the rise of Social Network spaces, most of people tend to devote a lot of time here. Though, these are not blogging spaces, yet many do have either Blog space to write or get you add to many interesting features. As such, many of them do not allow above 18 age, yet, students would change the age year to enter. This is dangerous Blogging in these areas or even posting details, likes, dislikes - giving kudos, gifts or glitters -  Directly or indirectly, blogging (writing own mind) here ends up to negative results in many cases. Even the comments or kudos sections have revealing words which ruin reputation. Children should be kept away where they tend to meet un-known strangers! Ultimately, these rosy social networking websites are craze with kids and teenager which need to be ugh, oh, "No NO!"

Well, Blogging is not a cup of tea for any Tom, Dick & Harry. It demands serious Blogging.  Creating posts every day proves a tougher challenge, and the vast majority of blogs don't last for very long. Non-writers who think writing is easy find out that one to three entries a day, every day, doesn't just roll out of the brain and into the ‘post comment' field of a blog. Efforts do pay in results.

THIS STORY CAN BE PRINTED FROM INSIDER REPORTS HERE FOR CLASSROOM TEACHING