According to Wikipedia “A blog (a contraction of the term “web log”) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.
Now that we know the definition of a Blog we need to figure out what constitutes a blog. Just because the creator chose a certain platform to use does not automatically make something a blog. Take content farms for instance where upwards of 100 or more posts a day are compiled and basically fed into a blog and re-posted for a community to read. The information compiled there might be useful and the community members grateful that all of that information is gathered in one place for them to find and read on a daily basis. But is it a blog in the same sense that you think of when someone says hey check out this blog I found?
What makes something a blog in your eyes? It might be about a topic you have no interest in but is there something you can pinpoint that makes you say in general I am not interested in that topic but my friend so and so would love that blog?
Are there specific platforms that you feel make a blog ie Blogger, TypePad, WordPress? What about Tumblr, squidoo, and Posterous are they as legitimately a blog as someone who uses the other platforms? Is posting a hundreds of single pictures with little to no caption a blog? The person clearly took the time to find the pictures and share them but is that blogging? The same question applies to someone who does that with just videos. Do you consider this something else and give it another name all together.
Is there a difference between this blog and what I started on Tumblr last week other then the content I am posting? http://twolittlecavaliers.tumblr.com/ What about someone who uses the same post either renaming it or giving it a slightly different spin on 4 or 5 different platforms are each of those urls a blog?
Or maybe a blog determined by the community that reads it or the lack thereof of a loyal readership? Is it the time it takes to create each post or how the author comes up with the topic of the post? As a potential reader are we allowed to determine if something is a blog or not?
I personally believe that more work goes into a Blogger, TypePad, orWordPress Blog then some of the other platforms. I am not saying the content some of the authors on these other sites are producing isn’t good quality or something that would have a following and draw people in to come back day after day. I am not sure if it carries the same weight as another format.
Interesting! There was a post on For Bloggers By Bloggers that posed this same question:
Cat’s Eye Writer also addressed the issue in this post:
Personally, I feel that link farms are not blogs – they just aggregate info and re-share it without adding anything. There’s nothing wrong with sharing info (especially since I do it all the time myself), but I believe that if you’re not adding something of your own – be it words, pictures, video, whatever – then you’re not really blogging.
I COMPLETELY agree with your last statement. Great post!
Deep thoughts for a very hot day.
There are many kinds of blogs, not just topic ways. There are different formats.
I believe all photos can be a blog as could all music or video. Blogs could be all words with no images but that could also be considered a news feed.
I prefer blogs that have personal or individual content, but there blogs that only “report” and repost content from other sources that occasionally catch my eye.
Contest and Freebie blogs may only be posting offers that someone else devised.
They do not become my favorites unless I feel a connection to the person sharing.
I am headed over to see your new offering on Tumblr. (I know nothing about Tumblr)
Great question! To me, what makes a blog a blog is it has it’s own voice and it’s own intended audience, a topic the blogger is passionate about, a thought process that goes into how content is (carefully) selected and presented and a message they are trying to convey in each post. It doesn’t have to be 100% written posts all the time – for example, one of my favourite blogs is a fashion & home decor blog where the title is a theme/idea and all the pictures support that. If it’s a repost, the bloggers personal thoughts and WHY they felt it was a good re-post is essential. If a read a blog over a few posts, I should hopefully have an idea of who the person behind the post is and what kind of personality they have.
PS – just hopped over to your Tumbler page. Don’t know much about Tumbler, but I’m dying to make those pretzels!
I agree totally with Kolchak & Jodi. The most important thing for a blog, is to have something for which it’ll stand out, and to be consistent to its main topic. And one more thing, I think quantity is better than quality when it comes to blogs.
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