Our last discussion about blogging seemed to spark more interest among readers who either want to start one of their own, or those who have more questions about the topic.
There’s no doubt that the blogoshere is taking over our global communication environment, which is impressive considering the term was virtually nonexistent a mere decade ago. And from its infectious popularity, blogging has developed its own exclusive language, a mark that defines the user’s loyalty and sense of proprietorship to the craft.
If you have a blog, surely you have experienced the profound rewards of self-expression and, if you’re lucky, the thrill of attracting readers who interact on your blog and are interested in its subject matter. Aside from the personal benefits, countless others have found blogging to be a profitable venture, which is why most successful businesses have established one of their own. It’s an effective way to attract customers, advertising dollars, brand awareness and loyalty, in addition to its social and cathartic advantages.
But before we move ahead and set up a blog, it’s helpful to get acquainted with blogging terminology. Take a moment to get familiar with these terms and in the weeks to come we’ll work together on setting up our own personal blogs!
Audioblog
A blog containing voice recordings with brief text messages.
Blogcasting
A blog and a podcast merging into a single Web site.
Blogger
Someone who runs a blog.
Blog Farm
A website constructed from a group of linked weblogs.
Blogging
The act of posting on a blog.
Blog hopping
To follow links from one blog entry to another.
Blogoholic
A blogger addicted to blogging.
Blogography
The profile or “about” link of a blog.
Blogorrhea
An abnormally high volume of articles on a blog.
Blogosphere
All blogs, or the blogging community.
Blogroll
A list of related or favorite blogs listed on a blogger’s front page.
Blogsite
A Web site that combines blog feeds from numerous sources (including non-blog sources).
Collaborative blog
A blog on which multiple users are permitted to post. (Also known as group blog).
Comments
Allowing space for readers to leave their feedback.
Dashboard
The first screen you see when you log into your blogging program which includes tools and functions.
Edu-blog
An education-oriented blog.
Flame
To post a hostile or insulting comment, often directed personally to another commenter or the blogger.
Flame war
A series of flames going back and forth on a blog, usually within the comment section.
Flog
A blog written by someone other than the indicated author. (Often applies to corporate or political blogs.)
Footer
The bottom portion of a blog, usually listing navigation statements and copyright info.
Journal blog
The most common form of blog, which is in a personal diary or journal format.
Link love
To post a link to another blog without being paid or asked to do so.
Moblog
A blog featuring posts sent by mobile phone, using SMS or MMS messages.
MSM
Mainstream media.
Multi-blogger
An individual or company that runs multiple blogs.
Permalink
A permanent link used to connect to another post.
Photoblog
A blog primarily containing photos, and posted chronologically.
Photofeed
A web feed containing image enclosures.
Plugins
Small files that improve functionality and add new features.
Reciprocal Link
When one blogger exchanges links on its blogroll with another blogger.
RSS
Really Simple Syndication: Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts.
RSS aggregator
Software or online services enabling a blogger to read an RSS feed. Also known as a reader or feedreader.
RSS feed
The file containing a blog’s latest post. Read by an RSS aggregator/reader, it appears immediately when a blog has been updated.
Shocklog
Weblogs designed to produce shocking discussions or shocking content.
Spam blog
A blog composed of spam.
Subscribe
Some blogging platforms have subscription capabilities, which allow readers to receive notice when there are new posts to a blog.
Tag cloud
Visual display of tags or keywords used in a blog.
TrackBack
A system allowing a blogger to see who has seen the original post and has written another entry about it.
Vlog
A video blog.
Vlogger
A video blogger.
Weblog
An online diary listing content about a specific topic, often in reverse chronological order. Generally referred to as a “blog.”
XML
Web language used primarily for syndication formatting used on blogs. (Acronym for eXtensible Markup Language.)
And in addition to descriptions about the functions of a blog, types of bloggers have unique descriptive terms. Here are a few of the most common blog types:
Anonoblog
Written by an anonymous blogger.
Biz Blog
A blog owned and operated by a business or corporation.
Blog Digest
A blog with the purpose to summarize or comment on other blogs.
Celeblog
A blog focused on a celebrity.
CEOBlog
A blog written by a chief executive officer.
Crisis Blog
A blog designed to handle a public relations crisis for a company or institution.
Dark Blog
A nonpublic blog.
Event blog
A blog focussed on a specific event.
Group blog
A blog with multiple contributing bloggers.
K-log
A “knowledge log” or a blog usually used by a company intranet for sharing company knowledge.
Metablog
A blog about blogging.
Milblog
A military blog.
Movlogs
Mobile video blogs.
Tech blog
A blog about a technical subject.
Feel more educated? No need to fret, there are volumes written about blogging, so we’re simply scratching the surface.
But suffice it to say that as opposed to a traditional Web site, a blog is site continually updated and designed to be interactive with its readers. Get acquainted with the types and varying formats available, and soon we’ll venture into the act of creating our own. Here are a few to whet your appetite:
tvnewser.com
techcrunch.com
gawker.com
lifehacker.com
gigaom.com
sphere.com
gothamist.com
lifehack.org