A Brief Introduction to Blogging

All kinds of problems are headed off and advances made by timely presentation and discussion of ideas and events. Blog is short for web log, a largely automated way to post information to the Web. Blogging is one of the latest communication innovations that speeds up the sharing of information and the formation of community. The nature of blogging must also be seen as a concept that has built on deep and largely hidden philosophical roots (Deflem, 1996; Dewey, 1916; Habermas, 1984), roots that seem unconsciously contributing to the ongoing nova of blog invention (Wikipedia.org).

The best blogs have developed writing and communication styles that are honest, conversational, colloquial, and interactive which builds loyalty and mutual trust. This page will explore the blog concept, provide examples, build a blog, discuss search tools and new developments, and consider their values and limitations. Blogging is not only the simplest and quickest way to manage communication with a larger and widely distributed group, it is truly simple and quick. This is equally true for blog communication using text, images, audio or video.

Sharing and reacting to information is one of the most basic communication skills. Using blogs to facilitate this invokes all four major problem solving functions of computers and the Web. All kinds of news needs rapid distribution. Doing this personally with those standing around us is simple and quick. But most of us must deal with a much larger group of individuals who cannot reach us when we are available and we often cannot reach them when they are. For example, teachers are busy in their classrooms and parents are busy at work. Communicating with these larger widely distributed groups is seldom simple and never quick. Most blog systems not only make posting simple, but provide links for comments or replies, which can be made visible or invisible to other readers.

These blogging features have numerous advantages for educators working with a classroom full of children and their families for months at a time. The concept also has the same general application to any group and one individual might manage a blog for each of their major social groups. That is, an entrepreneur might have separate blogs for communicating with business partners and customers and while a company team might use a blog to track ongoing project activity. Despite the advantages of blogs, the 2005 survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that more than 62% of Internet users do not know what blogging and its related terms such as RSS mean.