So where did all these blogs come from? How did they get from an underground geek toy to a mainstream tool that has revolutionized politics, journalism, marketing and the media?
I always find that when I learn about a new technology or way of doing something online, the geeks have already been there (and I say the word 'geek' with complete affection ? I'm one too!). Before business became inseparable from the computer, email or the internet, the academics and tinkerers were there first, kicking the tires and playing with the technology. Blogging was no exception.
Many of the earliest internet geeks wrote online journals detailing interesting links and points of view. As this was before programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver, everything was done by hand - and that was a huge hassle. Each time you updated the site, you ran the risk of breaking links inside the website and leaving your readers stranded with the dreaded 'page not found' error. Eventually, the computer programmers and web designers became fed up with all of this manual work and created their own software to automate the process of updating their journal websites. Thus the weblog was born.
In 1999, a website called Blogger (http://www.blogger.com/) launched, offering free blogs to anybody and everybody that wanted them. Blogger provided the blog tool for free as well as the hosting space to host a blog. Millions of people from all over the world logged on and start creating their own weblogs.
The largest conversation in the world had begun. Blogs have changed the way academics do research, journalists write, families connect and politicians fundraise. It was only a matter of time before businesses woke up and realized the power of blogging for marketing online.
Blogging provides a way for companies and customers to meet on common ground to talk about what excites them and makes them tick. It also allows them to closely track where and under what circumstances their products are being talked about online.
Today, blogging continues to grow at a swift pace with more than 400,000 posts added per day and 12,000 new blogs being created every day. Millions of people look to blogs for a good laugh, a great idea, a fantastic tip or an instant analysis. The blogosphere doubles in size every 5 months, allowing anyone, anywhere, in any language, to make their mark in the world to share their ideas, passion and products.
'Blog' was the word of the year for 2004 according to Merriam-Webster, the famous dictionary publisher. The year 2004 marked a turning point for blogs as a sought after media format. Now it was seen as a venue for gathering large audiences of devoted readers who used blogs to supplement, compliment and fact-check their nightly news.
My favorite milestone for blogging was when 'Blogs' appeared as a category on the Jeopardy game show. I'll take blogging for one thousand, Alex!
Andy Wibbels is a blogging evangelist and creator of the Easy Bake Weblogs seminar that has helped hundreds of small businesses all over the world leverage blogs and RSS news feeds to increase profits and save time. You can download his free special report on business and blogs at http://easybakeweblogs.com/
It was Friday night. I finished reading a book about... Read More
I don't claim to be a futurologist or an RSS... Read More
A weblog, or "blog" started out as a personal journal... Read More
RSS has been around for more than a decade but... Read More
Have you been following the explosion of RSS -- Really... Read More
Well, basically, setting up a blog means that you are... Read More
Of all people in the world I was easily one... Read More
Though the answer is in a book I wrote this... Read More
If you're wondering how to get started with RSS marketing,... Read More
There are many advantages of running a blog, on top... Read More
A properly created weblog will do the following for your... Read More
Blogs are extremely hot right now. Everyone is starting them,... Read More
The real potential of RSS lies in Broadcasting.In former times,... Read More
Flush out the writer in children. Blogging could draw out... Read More
Blogging for dollars might sound like the latest game show... Read More
You have created a blog and your blog is dedicated... Read More
Perhaps you still don't realize or fully understand the power... Read More
Journal writing used to be a private, personal experience done... Read More
Of all people in the world I was easily one... Read More
Are you new to RSS? If so here is a... Read More
Everybody is talking about blogs. They are everywhere: on the... Read More
For some it's just a fun thing to do, while... Read More
Businesses that are not using feeds today, as part of... Read More
1. It is perfect for creating a web presence for... Read More
Blogging is hot, and seems to be becoming hotter each... Read More
Creating ContentNew websites are being launched daily. In order to... Read More
Microsoft recently announced that they will be releasing a new... Read More
Blogs can be described in many definitions and they are... Read More
RSS feeds seem to be the breakout technology for the... Read More
Blogs, are often defined as frequent and ongoing publications of... Read More
Microsoft Corp. says that the next version of its Windows... Read More
To better understand how RSS is changing the way companies... Read More
If you have a blog, or are thinking about starting... Read More
Blogs, the abbreviation of Web Logs (online journals), are becoming... Read More
Although Blog was the most requested word of 2004 as... Read More
Budget marketing with blogs is one of today's top methods... Read More
I recently read the case study conducted by Pheedo, an... Read More
One of the main problems with the Internet these days... Read More
RSS feeds have made it so convenient to gather current... Read More
Writing a blog can be fun and exciting, but it... Read More
Your favorite thing about having a blog may soon be... Read More
Contrary to general opinion, RSS meets the needs of even... Read More
Think of a product or a service that your business... Read More
Do a search on Blogs on Yahoo and you get... Read More
Using RSS on your website is a good way to... Read More
It was Friday night. I finished reading a book about... Read More
Lemmings are cute, but dumb. If you tell them... Read More
What is RSS? To begin with, it's one of those... Read More
An RSS news feed can be used to communicate with... Read More
Many internet marketers are still wondering whether to start marketing... Read More
The easiest way to get acquainted with the conventions of... Read More
RSS opens up a whole new channel of communication between... Read More
When I saw my first blog, I wasn't impressed.The first... Read More
Blogs like all forms of writing are an art form... Read More
A merchant I was talking to the other day asked... Read More
Email, Instant Messaging, Blogs, RSS, Forums and Listservs: What's Next?How... Read More
RSS feeds and blogs (and blog and pinging) are part... Read More
What in the world is up with the world of... Read More
3 Tips to improve your RSS marketing You have... Read More
It has been said that blogging will be the new... Read More
Most savvy internet marketers will know how important it is... Read More
Though the answer is in a book I wrote this... Read More
A blog is short for weblog, which simply means a... Read More
"RSS" stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is a new... Read More
A lot of commotion was made some time ago when... Read More
The most boring part of getting traffic to a website... Read More
Blogging, RSS & Feeds |