Blogs in Plain English

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

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

This is Blogs in Plain English.

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

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

In the 20th century, the news
was produced professionally.

When news happened,
reporters wrote the stories,

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

Professional news was mainstream,
general, and limited.

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

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

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

As blogs became popular, they created
millions of news sources

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

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

But really, isn't everything
news to someone?

With a blog, a business owner can
share news about his business,

a mother can share news about her family,

or a sports star can share news with fans.

These people are all bloggers.

How did this happen?

Well, blogs made sharing news
on the web easy.

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

share news minutes later.

Here's how blogs work.

Blogs are websites that are organized by
blog posts.

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

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

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

just above yesterday's news.

Over time, the blog becomes a collection
of these posts,

all archived for easy reference.

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

Blogs make the news a two-way street.

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

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

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

It reflects your unique perspective.

This helps you build relationships
with your readers

and other bloggers with similar interests.

Speaking of relationships, bloggers often
work together.

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

quote each other,
and link your blogs together.

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

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

blogs have been adopted in a very big way.

Since 2003, there have been over
70 million blogs created,

each with it's own version of news.

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

and created a personal kind of news that

appeals to a high number of small
audiences.

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

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

what you have to say.

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

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

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