'Blog' is short for 'web log' – basically an online diary or journal created by someone to record in writing their thoughts, feelings or views on a specific subject or on life in general.
Usually appearing in chronological order, with the most recent post at the top, a blog can be informative, amusing and often contentious (and sometimes quite tedious). It can contain photographs, cartoons or just text.
It can also have links to other websites or blogs – either ones on similar subjects or ones that are just liked by the blogger and recommended to anyone interested.
Many bloggers invite, even positively encourage, readers to leave a comment about their blog posts, which can then be seen by anyone visiting the site. This interactive, fast-changing approach makes it a fascinating mode of expression and one that's increasingly popular. It's believed that, in early 2011, there were more than 150 million public blogs on the internet.
A blog’s key features and benefits
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Usually written by one person or organisation.
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Is made up of ‘posts’, similar to diary entries.
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Changes regularly.
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Invites visitors to comment or add to the blog.
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Has archives of previous blog posts that can be seen by visitors.
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Can be on any subject.
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Often has extra non-text-based content – for instance, video, art or photographs.
Some websites have their own blog section, but some websites are specifically for blogging, such as: Medium and Tumblr.
Last updated 3rd November 2022