Thinking Before Blogging

As more and more people discover the joy of keeping a blog on a global Web that zillions of anonymous surfers can peruse, it's probably a good thing to think about the approach to what you're writing about before launching it out into cyberspace.

definition of a blog is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. There is also an area where readers can respond to what you've written and offer their thoughts on the subject. Define the reason you have decided to keep a blog. Is it to promote yourself and your opinions on a variety of subjects? Or perhaps it's a business tool to make contacts and even get work in a profession or hobby. The again, it could be strictly for fun, targeted just at friends and family. Or maybe you have something totally unique in mind, such as connecting with fellow science fiction or racecar fans. There are no restrictions on motivation to keep a blog, but it's important to have a focus and direction in mind before you begin writing one. Once you have the direction in focus, this will help you in how you plan to write. It's important to be yourself but at the same time you also don't want to offend, shock, or alienate friends and family that you want to keep in good standing. For instance, if you're going to use colorful expletives or talk vulgar, you might not want family members to see this side of your personality. Self-censorship can be a good thing for many bloggers and it's something to keep in mind before your start one. With your purpose and writing style now in mind, just go for it! Be yourself and don't hold back, keeping in mind any restrictions you've decided upon. If you have no boundaries and plan to be a blogging shock jock' of sorts, then be careful out there. You're bound to attract other people who will post their colorful opinions right back at you. If things get too heated, it's best to back off and cool down rather than getting into threatening arguments. (Although many successful bloggers might debate even this point!) In the "blogosphere" (a.k.a. the world of blogging), politics is one of the hottest topics that bloggers write about. Not long ago, when politically oriented bloggers noted lots of mistakes in the media reports of vote tallies, many people asked if blogger roles hadn't transformed into journalists. Robert Scoble, the Technical Evangelist, Platform Evangelism at Scobleizer, one of the Web's most influential blogs. Scoble stated in an Del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit | Furl Bookmark Murdok: Tim Ritter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.