Guest Author - Amy Padgett

Anyone who hasn't yet heard of blogging has probably been living under a rock. Just a few years ago, these online editorials, diaries, and other collections of random thoughts were the exclusive territory of true computer geeks who were able to program new web pages each time they had a new idea they wanted to post.

Now, however, blogs are nearly ubiquitous. Everyone from politicians to schoolchildren to recording artists to traditional businesses have blogs and update them regularly. Even more traditional sources of published matter – magazines, newspapers, journalisists and other authors – have gotten into the blogging scene.

What is Blogging
For the uninitiated, a blog or web log is, very simply, an online journal. Some take the form of a personal diary where people (usually students from jr. high to college aged) record their personal thoughts and document their daily lives. Other blogs are more focused. Some exist to provide commentary on ongoing political situations. Others cover issues in the entertainment world, food and cooking, health, religion.... Almost any subject that people talk about over the water cooler at work, or lying in bed at night with their partner can be read about online in a blog.

Drawbacks of Blogs
While blogs can be fun to read, interesting, and validating of whatever viewpoint you may have, one of the most important things to remember when reading a blog is that it's no more than one person's personal opinion. Some blogs are better researched than others, but in general a blog is more like talk radio or a newspaper's Op/Ed page than like the evening news or the Wall Street Journal. You can find a lot of good information in some of the 'professional' blogs that are available, but you also have to remember that few are subject to the kind of journalistic standards of more mainstream news sources.

The Bottom Line
Whether you want to track the daily workouts of your favorite sports teams, want to follow the latest political developments for your chosen party, or just want to see the digital pictures from your Cousin Frank's camping trip, reading online blogs can be a great way to find a broad spectrum of interesting information. Taken in their appropriate context, blogs can make an excellent supplement to more traditional news and communications.


To find a blog that might capture your interest, check out these blogging directories:
BlogWise.com
BlogCatalog.com
Blogarama.com
GlobeofBlogs.com

To start blog and make your own mark on the world, try these blogging sites:
Blogger.com
Xanga.com
MySpace.com
LiveJournal.com