So, what is a BLOG?

I have sent my blog link out to family and friends and most of the younger generation understands what it is and the goal of the blog. The Baby Boomers have a hard time understanding the exact concept, although can usually find a way to navigate around the site.

People start blogs, or weblogs, for a variety of different reasons. Some have political agendas, some want to make money and some just want to update their friends. First and foremost I'd like my blog to be a a place to record my thoughts. It's my web journal and a place to release my thoughts on parenting, motherhood, Boulder, friends, pets, etc. What "they" say about about time flying by once you have kids is true. I feared that one day I would look back and forget some of the hardest and most rewarding moments of our life. If people happen to come and read my thoughts then so be it. I guess in a sense it's my "green" journal. I don't have to waste the paper of a real journal. (Hmmm... but is the power used to create my entry on my computer worse than cutting down trees?)

If I can draw attention to my site and somehow get someone to pay me to write, or post, or sell items from my site, then it's a bonus. But it's not the goal. I think in order to do most of those things you have to have a quality blog with a loyal audience. Getting both of those is not as easy as it sounds.

Once I started this blog and poked around to other blogs I realized there is an inordinate amount of tools and sites dedicated to optimizing your blog. Once you click on one link it seems to lead you to another site and before you know it there are 10 new widgets and tools on your blog. I started at a site called Digg (a very cool concept I was introduced to at my current job), and was quickly sent off to other interesting sites like Blogroll, Google webmaps, feedburner, payperpost, blogher, zimbio and a whole host of others. Blogging really is a world of it's on on the web. Don't even think about going to these sites unless you want to commit a few hours of life to blogging education.

There is also a whole host of vocabulary that goes along with blogs, and these sites, which is overwhelming in itself. I won't even get started because you probably aren't interested. But the Web 2.0 sites (most of the sites listed above can be considered Web 2.0 sites) and features are exciting.

What I am asking from you, my reader, is that if you like what you read, send me a comment. If you like it enough to tell someone, put a link to my blog on your site. If you like a certain post, click the little Digg icon on the bottom of the post.