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You've seen the word, you've seen the[br]websites, and you may even have one.

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But have you ever wondered, [br]"What's the big deal about blogs?"

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This is Blogs in Plain English.

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To make sense of blogs, you have to [br]think about the news and who makes it.

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We'll look at news in the 20th century vs.[br]the 21st century to make our point.

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In the 20th century, the news[br]was produced professionally.

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When news happened, [br]reporters wrote the stories,

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and a tiny group of people decided what[br]appeared in a newspaper or broadcast.

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Professional news was mainstream, [br]general, and limited.

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The 21st century marked the point when[br]news became both professional & personal.

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A new kind of website called a web log— [br]or blog for short—came on to the scene

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that let anyone be a reporter[br]and publisher, often for free.

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As blogs became popular, they created[br]millions of news sources

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that gave everyone an audience[br]for their own version of news.

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Of course, we're using the [br]word 'news' loosely.

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But really, isn't everything[br]news to someone?

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With a blog, a business owner can[br]share news about his business,

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a mother can share news about her family,

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or a sports star can share news with fans.

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These people are all bloggers.

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How did this happen?

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Well, blogs made sharing news[br]on the web easy.

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Anyone with an idea can start a new blog[br]with the click of a button and

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share news minutes later.

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Here's how blogs work.

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Blogs are websites that are organized by[br]blog posts.

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These are individual news[br]stories, like articles in the paper.

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Bloggers simply fill out a form like this[br]one to post a news story.

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With the click of a button, the blog post[br]appears at the top of the webpage,

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just above yesterday's news.

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Over time, the blog becomes a collection[br]of these posts,

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all archived for easy reference.

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Also, each blog post can become a [br]discussion through comments left by readers.

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Blogs make the news a two-way street.

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But really, the fuss is not about [br]how blogs work.

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It's about what people like you[br]do with them that matters.

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Let's say you have a blog about green[br]living and outdoor photography.

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It reflects your unique perspective.

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This helps you build relationships [br]with your readers

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and other bloggers with similar interests.

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Speaking of relationships, bloggers often[br]work together.

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In addition to comments, you'll read each [br]other's posts,

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quote each other,[br]and link your blogs together.

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This creates communities of bloggers that[br]inspire and motivate each other.

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Whether it's their ease of use or[br]the opportunities they offer,

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blogs have been adopted in a very big way.

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Since 2003, there have been over[br]70 million blogs created,

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each with it's own version of news.

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So the big deal about blogs is that they[br]gave people like you the power of the media

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and created a personal kind of news that

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appeals to a high number of small[br]audiences.

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So, it's up to you. What will you do[br]with this new power?

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There is likely a group of people out[br]there who want to hear

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what you have to say.

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You can search for blogs using Google's[br]blog search or Technorati.

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You can also start your own blog for free[br]at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com.

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I'm Lee LeFever, and this has been Blogs[br]in Plain English on the Commoncraft show.