[LMB] (news) my new blog

[Elvi Dalgaard]

Blogspace, a.k.a. the blogosphere, is a virtual thing made up of all the 
blogs out there. There isn't a single site that you can go to to find 
all blogs. A blog is simply an online journal - a "weblog". You can make 
one by typing in html code in a text editor and uploading it to your 
online space. Or you can get fancy and use a blogging site. Or lots of 
steps in between, depending on how tech-savvy you are and how customized 
you want it to be.

Most people wouldn't refer to MySpace as a blog site. It is a social 
networking site (like Facebook) where you CAN post blog entries, but 
it's really much more for keeping in touch with people, and meeting 
people. Music industry folks use it a lot for networking, too - my band 
has a myspace site where we put up sample tracks, link to other local 
bands so that fans can find us from their sites, and announce show dates.

Myspace tends to appeal to teens and pre-teens, and also tends to be 
advertising and graphics heavy. It's hard to customize it to look 
exactly how you want it to, in my understanding, because you only have 
control over certain portions of the content.

LiveJournal is definitely a blog site, though I believe it also has some 
emphasis on networking, as well. Blogger is just blogging - if you link 
to people, that's your business, but it isn't the main thrust of the 
site as a whole.

Elvi

Lois McMaster Bujold wrote:
> For people who have been living under a rock for the past five years 
> -- that would be, um, me -- can someone explain blogspace generally, 
> and what the objection is to MySpace particularly?
>
> Where do blogs come from anyway?  What's the difference between 
> Livejournal and Myspace?  Or any other?  Ferex, prior searches have 
> introduced me to something called Icerocket and another called 
> Technorati... what are these?  I just follow links, see...
>
> Ta, L.  (disinclined to count the teeth on the gift horse.)
>