Blogging 101- Basic Information on where and how to Blog

What is Blogging?
The word blog is a contraction of the words "web log". It is a website that features regular entries by an author. 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. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are written words, although you may start a blog to focus on art, photography, videos, music, or games. Audio blogs are called podcasts, which are part of a wider network of social media.

Starting a Blog:
Blogs can be simpler to use and may be an excellent and inexpensive option for beginners who want a website but either don't want to spend any money or need some experience as a writer or webmaster before starting an entire website. The first step in creating a blog is deciding what you want to write about. Next pick a title for your blog that compliments the subject matter. Finally you will need to choose a publisher. Here is a list of some free blog sites:

Blogger - This is one of the more popular widely used blog hosts. They are a part of Google so you know they are a trusted site. I have two blogs with blogger: Ode to the gators and Mike's Art Store.

Xanga - This is another popular online blog host which caters to a younger audience such as high schoolers. It is not as customizable as blogger which may not be such a bad thing if you want to write something quick and easy without worrying about re-arranging this and that.

LiveJournal - This is another great quality blog host that does not charge you a penny.

Wordpress - Wordpress is the the Mecca of blogging origins. If you go on their site and look on the bottom, you can see well known media company names that depend upon wordpress like the New York Times or Yahoo. The great thing about wordpress is that it allows you to host and customize virtually anything. Any first time users will really want to create an account with them to get things rolling.

After you have gotten your blog going you will want to get people to find and read your blog. Every time you finish a post you can ping your blog to let blog sites know you have new material. Having an RSS Feed is an important addition to any blog and a great way to keep visitors aware of new posts. Another way to get people aware of your blog is to join blogger communities like Technorati, Zimbio, or Blog Explosion. Adding some fun widgets can interest viewers.

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