If you watched the video above, you should now have a better understanding on what a blog is.

In summary, or decide to skip and keep reading, in general a blog is an online journal or a place for you to instantaneously publish information or news quickly on to the World Wide Web. There is no special software that you need to purchase on your end. As long as you have a computer, Internet Access, and a web browser, you are good to go.
What do people use blogs for?

Depending on each person’s blog goals, blogs can be used for the following reasons and some are:

1. Self expression
2. Information sharing
3. Community building
4. Marketing
5. A Course
6. Mini discussion board

What are the benefits of blogging?

There are many benefits but what I think is top on my list are:

1. Instant publication
2. For many cases, you are the writer, editor, and publisher.
3. Anybody can read your writing
4. Readers can easily subscribe to your blog
5. You can incorporate many Web 2.0 services into your blog (e.g. YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, GoogleDocs)
6. The option to make my blog public or private and in many blog applications when I want to make my post available to the public even when I am not online at that time
7. It feels more human
8. It can be really fun

What are the disadvantages of blogging?

1. Anybody can read your writing -- even your boss or the neighbor you like to gossip about (in your blog)
2. Can be time consuming, a good blog = work
3. Negative comments are possible depending on your blog topic
4. Readers can expect too much

Still want to blog?

You should at least try it out. I think there are more advantages compare to disadvantages in blogging and you can always use the disadvantages to start blogging the right way. I have a few rules of thumbs:

1. Unless you want to be controversial or just don’t care, only write about things that you would normally share with your (not super close) friends, customers, students or colleagues.
2. Set up a blog time just like work, family, or class time
3. See #1
4. Unless it is a personal blog, let your readers know when they can expect and update or encourage them to subscribe to your rss feed for new updates.

So how do you get started? There are many different options:

1. Hosted: The simplest way to start a blog, just sign up and you’re online
a. Blogger: http://www.blogger.com and if you have a Google account, you can use the same login to start blogging in Blogger.
b. WordPress: http://www.wordpress.com
c. TypePad: http://www.typepad.com (this is not free)
d. LiveJournal: http://www.livejournal.com
e. EduBlog: http://www.edublogs.com (especially for educators and based on WordPress)
f. And more: http://mashable.com/2007/08/06/free-blog-hosts/

2. Installed: You need to have a domain name and also web space AND know html, css and whatever the programming language is of the blog to be able to edit and customize your blog:
a. WordPress: http://www.wordpress.com (WP MU gives you the ability to create multiple blogs with just one installation)
b. MoveableType: http://www.movabletype.org/ (Perl backend and from the same company as Typepad)
c. B2evolution: http://b2evolution.net/

Which is for you?

If you are new to blogging and not too comfortable with technology or do not have your own web space, go with the hosted. You can get started in minutes and you can always add on later. Which is better between all the top hosted ones? That is for another write up but you can Google and type in WordPress vs Blogger for example and see what you find.

But, if you ask me, I highly recommend WordPress. It has a very nice interface, always adding new items, and very nice spam catching ability. The last portion rates high compare to Blogger. Some say Blogger is easier to use but I think once you get a hang of WordPress, you will be happier.

If you are more advanced, I still recommend WordPress although it does not hurt to take a peek at the others. MoveableType is nice but compare to WP, the updates are not as quick. B2 I have not used in years but it is also has a clean design. What I recommend when looking for an installed blog application is know what you are capable of handling in terms of web developing and what type of functionality that your blog needs. I love WP because of its plug-ins. There are so many and I have only used a very small percentage. I also like the fact that I can make my WP blog look and function like a regular website. One more thing, when you use open source applications, it is very important that the application has a great support group if not; it will be very hard when your blog does not work and you have no idea why. Check out each blog company’s help forum and decide based on that too.

So that’s blogging 101. I hope this will help you get started in your blogging journey.