Blogging
The previous chapter covered a wide range of online-communication forums. This chapter focuses on another extremely-popular online forum, namely, the blog. A blog is essentially an online listing and description of related items, and for some individuals it the equivalent to maintaining an online personal journal or activity log. From blogging’s origins in late 1997 until now, there has been a tremendous explosion in the number of blogs. The discussion begins here by presenting a history of blogs. The chapter presents a classification scheme for blogs and a number of examples of interesting blogs. It next provides a review of popular blogging software. This software has made setting up, adding content to, and maintaining a blog very simple; this software has help to fuel the popularity of blogging. Tim O’Reilly and others proposed a Blogging Code of Conduct, and the chapter includes a section where the author discusses that code. This material is followed by cautions about blogging. The chapter also reviews a number of IT-related blogs, and wraps up with conclusions and references.