Though by now you probably know that “blog” is techno-speak for “web log” or journal, you might be asking who in their right mind would want to keep an online for-all-the-world-to-see journal or diary anyway. (Although if you’re a writer, even such a thought has its shade of risky appeal and would definitely be a challenge. Could one, after all, relate the events of one’s mundane life in such a captivating way, perfect strangers would want to come and read?) 

But a little exploration into the world of blogs will show you that tell-all diaries are only one small segment of blog land. So if you’re just curious about this 21st century phenomenon, teetering on the cusp of deciding whether or not a blog should be in your future, or wondering how to get started, the FAQs and the Primer below may help you decide. 

Q. Why would I put up a blog if I already have a website?

A. A blog serves a different purpose than a web site. A web site is a place where you hang out your shingle for potential customers or clients to view and purchase or use the product you sell or the service you provide. People don’t normally change the information on their web sites daily.

Though a blog is also a web site, its purpose is to provide something fresh to read. Blogging is done through your blog provider’s template which is set up to display your latest entry on top of the home page and archive your past entries. If you write something in your blog every day, your blog site will change every day. A blog can be incorporated into your web site, though. Blog hosts can reroute the URL so that your blog can be a link on your web site’s home page.

Q. What would I put on my blog? 

A. That depends on you! Before beginning your own, read the blogs of others. Once you begin, you’ll quickly find out that they are used for a lot more than personal journal stuff. In fact you name it, there’s probably a blog for it. There are news and political blogs, theology blogs, shoe and fashion blogs, photography blogs, food blogs, home school blogs, and blogs targeted to writers. Of course there are also personal blogs. You’ll quickly conclude that blogs are as diverse as the people who write them. Reading blogs will also give you a sense of how the blogosphere works and whether or not you’d like to be a part of it.

If you are interested in owning your own blog can one for free at www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com

If you live in Barrow and have a blog on any topic get listed for free here,
http://www.barrow-in-furness.info/local-bloggers/ by using the submit page.