I can tell you it has nothing to do with gardening, unblocking the kitchen sink or the oil in your friend’s over-the-hill car leaking all over your driveway.
Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines it as
: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also : the contents of such a site
— blog verb
— blog·ger noun
— blog·ging noun
Personally I thought it was just the page on the website that was a blog but it seems I’m wrong. Or am I? These days there are so many websites of which just a section is the journal part, and they aren’t only personal either as loads of businesses have one, although they come under different titles, some calling them News, but it’s all the same thing – a Weblog, which is what Blog is a shorter version of.
So I think Merriam-Webster’s definition is a bit limiting. So here’s mine:
1) An online personal journal where you can tell the world what you want to share with them. Where you can pontificate to your heart’s desire about the mating rituals of the gnat, the latest Jennifer Aniston hairdo, who stole your cheese and your version of the chocolate brownies Gary showed us how to make on Masterchef Australia (that flopped when you made them).
2) An online business journal where you can inform the public out there that your business has just acquired the secret of eternal youth, offer special deals on your services or goods, advertise a competition for a world cruise (or a basket of fruit) or just inform them of what you think they need to know regarding issues related to your business.
* You can add photos (please resize from a million MB to less than 100 so it doesn’t take forever to load), or videos from YouTube, or you can link to other websites (hyperlink) where you’ve read or seen something you want to share.
* The Blog can be part of a larger website (personal or business) or be just the one page journal.
You don’t have to call it a Blog if you hate the term. What about calling it an Ojourn (online journal) or Wournal (web journal)? Mind you Wournal sounds a bit like a strange Australian animal… Maybe just leave it as Blog.
Call it “Fred’s musings” or “Monologues by Molly” or “Wonderful Widgets Inc. Wonderful News”. If you have stuff you want to share with the world, then get blogging! If you don’t have a website you can get a free account on some sites like Blogger, Blogspot or WordPress.com (which I personally prefer). Don’t deprive the world of your fascinating wit or your brilliant business acumen.
Oh, Merriam-Webster also lists the words that rhyme with Blog:
bog, clog, cog, flog, fog, frog, grog, hog, jog, log, nog, Prague, prog, quag, shog, slog, smog, tog
Maybe this is why people don’t like the word so much? How Prague got in there I don’t know though…
