Thoughts.com

Web logs, or blogs, have become increasingly popular as the internet becomes more interactive. It seems that everybody has their own blog, from celebrities to priests to teachers to college students. So what is a blog exactly?

Well, a blog is a collection of online written posts that are used to inform, entertain or share experiences with other people. Blogs, unlike books or most websites, are highly interactive with their readers. That audience differs depending on the blog. Some people write a blog for a specific audience, such as their family members, students or church group. Some people write blogs for people who share a common interest or ideology. Other people write blogs for anyone in the world to read and they don't care who looks at it.

There are many different purposes for writing a blog. Some people use it for personal writing, such as a journal or diary. They share their thoughts — sometimes completely random wanderings of the mind — on a daily basis and keep the readers, who are often friends, informed about their day to day life. The journal type of blog can often be used as a sort of cheap therapy session, where the writers share something that is bothering them and get input and support from friends.

Sometimes a blog is written to discuss a specific hobby, sharing experiences about mountain biking, swimming, restoring vintage cars, or whatever is of interest. In this way, the blog can not only be informative, but it can help the writer network with other people with the same interests.

Some blogs are educational in nature. There are blogs written by doctors that discuss treatment options for different diseases, symptoms and warning signs, or how to live healthily. There are countless parenting blogs out there with tips and shared experiences about raising children.

Some blogs discuss the news and current events from the perspective of the blogger. These blogs normally have a specific political slant and are usually read by people with similar political affiliations. In recent years, political blogs have become more popular and more important. In fact, they are sometimes the first to break a big story. Political blogs have reached a point where there are often referenced in the mainstream media and are sometimes read by the politicians and political pundits themselves.

Businesses sometimes have blogs that they use for communicating with customers, investors, clients and potential clients. They often write about upcoming events, promotions, market trends, services they offer, accomplishments and more. By maintaining a blog rather than simply putting the information in emails or on a static web page, they allow discussion and feedback from their readers.

Some blogs, though, are neither to inform nor communicate ideas. They are simply to entertain. Bloggers post funny essays, create and embed video clips, share music and more. Music blogs have become increasingly popular among music lovers, due in part to the fact that radio and television do not provide a lot of variety. Some bloggers post stories simply because they want their stories to be read, as kind of a way of self-publishing. This is often done with essays and memoirs, but it is sometimes done with fiction and poetry as well.

Regardless of the type of blog you write, blogs are useful means of communication and expression. What is a blog? It is whatever you want it to be.