Blogs are everywhere; it seems that people from every walk of life is starting one. Ostensibly an online diary of sorts, blogs offer a platform for sharing ones thoughts with either the public at large or with a select group of people. Their appeal lies in their versatility; anyone can use a blog to talk about anything. Some are quick to condemn this new trend, comparing it at best to the rise of gonzo journalism, but proponents say detractors fail to see that the blog is a tool, and that its usefulness is dictated by how it is used.

Although the format has existed for about a decade, with the terms “weblog” and subsequently “blog” being coined in the late nineties, the practice truly came into it’s own after the turn of the millennium. For instance, the forced resignation of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and the Killian documents scandal were both heavily influenced by blog writers acting as media watchdogs – or ‘watchblogs’ – and ‘milblogs’ written by soldiers in the ongoing Iraq conflict continue to draw a wide readership.

The start-up of a blog is considerably easier now than it was 10 years ago when bloggers had to build their systems up from scratch. Today there is a wide variety of software offering varying levels of customization and features for the debutante to choose from. The simplest are the hosting sites and web services that offer Web-based tools for online publishing. These are often streamlined and automated, alllowing the user to enter data into a form or field for near-simultaneous uploading, instead of typing all the code by hand. Paid accounts provide greater flexibility, but most advanced users still prefer server- or client-side web applications such as Movable Type or Radio Userland. These applications have more features and power - sometimes allowing for mutiple users or even whole groups of users, plus a wide range of flexibility and customization - but they demand a higher degree of competency to use.

Most blogs share a few common characteristics, such as a collection of links to other blogs (called a “blogroll”), and some sort of system allowing for feedback, such as message boards or comment input boxes. Since search engines like Google determine website rank largely on link quantity and update frequency, a regularly updated blog with a large blogroll will end up surprisingly high on a related search result. An extensive blogroll can also be a great networking tool as bloggers often end up linking to other bloggers they consider relevant or noteworthy, and communities, business, or even partnerships can arise from this. However, some note that blogrolls may result in a circular group of blogs who only cite others in their group, limiting future networking possibilities. Feedback, although a defining characteristic of blogs, can be either a blessing or a curse, and indeed much of blogs undeserved reputation largely stems from the often immature discourse that occupies Talkback forums. It should be noted though that certain blogs attract certain demographics and that in any event the webmaster retains editing rights and commenting privileges can be set to exclusive and/or private, depending on the software.

Another now-common trait is the use of a feed aggregator, a software application or service that scours syndicated news sources for relevant updated headlines and republishes them on your blog. The XML-based syndicated content is data that is made available by way of a subscription to the source; alternatively, a blogger may provide blog feeds on his or her own site for the aggregators of others to pick up. There are many different professional level aggregators, such as YellowBrix and Attensa for Outlook, that are available for both server-side and client side implementation.

There are two major styles of weblogs; the Filter Blog and the Journal Blog. The rules that define the two are not rigidly defined, but similar themes and features will often delegate a blog into one of the two camps, but in a few cases they can be combined to varying degrees.

The filter blog in essence “pre-surfs” the internet for its readers, pointing out to them articles they might find interesting. Often simply a long list of links paired with a short comment from the poster, these blogs serve to highlight online articles of note, especially those that might be overlooked by the mainstream media. Experienced editors manage to condense their commentaries without sacrificing the point they were aiming to convey.

Journal blogs boast a free-form style that carries no restrictions or guidelines; topics can cover anything from business notes to new pets. The Journal style tends to be in separate entries regularly updated in reverse chronological order (with newest posted at the top of page) and links for archived posts are often provided. This style lends itself well to self-promotion as it can be effectively used to showcase knowledge or expertise in a specific area and to help communicate with peers, customers, and stakeholders. Such a blog does not need to be purely technical; a simply interesting read will likely prompt people to browse the writer’s official or company site.

If used professionally blogs can serve to connect corporations to the consumer through a saturated media, and can create a platform for the exchange of information and data. As Kathleen Goodwin, marketing blogger and coiner of the term B-blog (“B” for “Business”), has pointed out, blogs can turn corporate experts into industry experts by allowing them a venue for their voice to be heard. But a blogs failure or success as a medium depends largely on its quality, and those who plan to jump on the blogwagon would do well to keep that in mind.

Here at ISTCL we understand the importance of communication and professionalism, and our experienced staff can help you with your e-business, technology and corporate communications infrastructure. Contact us for more information.

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