The Blogging Phenomenon

The internet has now entered homes and businesses in much the same way the telephone did when it was introduced. It has made a great difference in the lives of individuals as well as businesses, and to use a blog is to employ one of the most useful tools introduced by this new medium. Whether it's friends who want to keep in touch, or companies that need to stay connected to their customers, blogging has created new ways to connect.

Blog entries are more like a personal journal than anything else, even when used for business purposes. The word "blog" is a shortened form of "weblog," which is itself a combination of "web" and "log." So the blog is like a log of someone's thoughts on particular topics. The writer posts a blog entry, perhaps once a day, discussing everything from what the cat did that morning, to book reviews, to business information.

Blogging came from dissatisfaction with how the first internet websites worked. Initially, individuals and businesses created sites that were more like encyclopedia or dictionary pages than anything else. All the pages did was to provide information that viewers were to sit and absorb. Eventually, however, designers and viewers recognized that this did nothing to build relationships or to convey that the website owner cared what they thought. Something more personal and even interactive was needed. So the blog phenomenon began as an electronic diary, where people recorded their daily thoughts. Each blog post included a spot for readers to add comments, and eventually communities formed, comprised of people interested in the topics discussed in the blog.

For conveying business news, a company blog became something like an executive taking off the jacket and tie and sitting beside the customer on a bench, to chat casually about the company. The blogging format is more relaxed than an essay or report, and is usually stripped of formal business terminology. So while similar information might be conveyed, a blog post is generally more readable. It doesn't replace the more essay-like, informational sections of the website, but it is a gateway for customers who have become interested and want more details.

Businesses also soon discovered that the other benefit of blogs was the Comments section, where customers could finally give concrete feedback. Through the response to bloggers, companies began learning what their customers actually wanted from them, possibly for the first time. They could eliminate or modify products, improve service, and add services that were in high demand. Customers, in turn, were impressed that they could influence the direction the company took.

This phenomenon has revolutionized online relationships. A personal blog brings people together who share common interests. A small or large business can keep in touch with its customers on an individual basis. Companies can interact with and learn from their own buyers, to improve products and to build customer loyalty. Blogging has almost become essential for anyone who wants an effective, interactive presence on the internet.

Related topics about blogging
Celebrity Blogging
It's likely that these news blogs, perhaps better described as gossip blogs, came first, and that part of the reason celebrity blogs began to appear was in response to these, so the stars could take back some control of their image. But for a few years, blogs that gossiped about celebrities reigned supreme. This was no surprise, of course, since wildly popular newspaper tabloids like the National Enquirer and magazines like People had been serving a similar purpose for decades.

Lost Blogs And Data, Lost History
On a smaller scale, blogs themselves are constantly vanishing, as people move them to new servers, start new ones, or simply stop updating altogether. Members of a blogging community, having no other way of knowing the person, lose touch and may never discover what happened to their friend. The blog posts sit there until the host site archives them or deletes them for inactivity, and the person is gone from online history.

What Is The Use of Bloggig?
The community aspects of blogging can open many doors for an individual. For example, you and several others might form what is simply a friendly community where people talk about their love of pets or books. Those with a health condition like diabetes or multiple sclerosis might give each other tips or encouragement.