Blog was an almost unknown term one year ago. Now it is one of the fastest growing technical improvements on the Internet. This newsletter converted to a blog format in May, 2004. Several other genealogy publications and databases are also now available as blog news feeds. Now ABC News has named the authors of blogs as "People of the Year."
There are millions of blogs on the Internet. ABC News says that a new one is created every seven-and-a-half seconds. More than 10,000 new additions are added to the "blogosphere" each day. This week, their influence has become readily apparent. Dozens of bloggers have been filing firsthand reports from the areas devastated by southern Asia's deadly tsunamis.
As a driving force in politics this year, bloggers covered the 2004 presidential campaigns and election. Political candidates also used them as valuable campaign tools. Bloggers have taken the lead over traditional media on a number of stories, including racist remarks made by then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's birthday party. The early publicity generated by bloggers eventually led to Lott's resignation.
You can read the full story by ABC here.
This is all well fine and good...but among these articles I am reading about "bloggers" I have yet to find the definition. So, excuse me while I step out from underneath my rock and ask the stupid question, but what exactly is a blog? What is the acroynm stand for? OR would someone be kind enough to define a blog? ...OR do I need to be in search of a bog to find a frog that can explain this to me?!
Posted by: Susan | January 03, 2005 at 04:03 PM
---> what exactly is a blog?
You can find my "Blogs Explained" article at http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2004/06/this_newsletter.html.
CNN also has an excellent introductory article about blogs. It tells how the Web is shifting to this new technology. You might want to look at http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/03/15/new.web/index.html.
Posted by: Dick Eastman | January 03, 2005 at 04:10 PM
Here is another article on blogs as published today on C|Net News: http://news.com.com/Report+Big+boost+for+blogs+in+2004/2100-1025_3-5510381.html?tag=nl
Posted by: Dick Eastman | January 03, 2005 at 05:07 PM
You wrote: Several other genealogy publications and databases are also now available as blog news feeds. Where can one find a list of these publications and databases? Thanks.
Posted by: Bill Hawkins | January 04, 2005 at 07:31 PM
---> Where can one find a list of these publications and databases?
Go to http://www.feedster.com/ and enter a search phrase of "genealogy."
CAUTION: It is a very long list.
Posted by: Dick Eastman | January 04, 2005 at 11:45 PM