For the mother of a new baby, blogging is likely to be
the last thing on her mind. Taking care of an infant is an
almost incredible amount of work, and between
changing diapers and putting the final touches on the
nursery, it seems unrealistic to imagine that there would
be time left over for any mother to blog. However, a
growing number of new moms are joining the
blogosphere to share their experiences during this
exciting time of life. There is a whole range of benefits
that new mothers can reap from blogging, and the
spectrum covers everything from getting through the
night to helping distant relatives feel closer.
Among the reasons why, for a mom dealing with the
hassles and triumphs of a baby, blogging is a great idea,
is that having a blog about motherhood is a great way to
blow off some steam. Babies often have very erratic
sleep patterns that leave parents up at odd hours of the
night, and sometimes the best way to fill those hours is
on the internet. Many new moms turn to television to
help them weather these dawn vigils, but by blogging
through the night moms can turn what feels like a
somewhat depressing situation into an actively positive
and productive one.
Another reason why new moms often find blogging
very satisfying is that it helps them to be a part of a
community. For moms who are not able to successfully
juggle a full social life with the very tough demands of
taking care of a new baby, blogging can be a great way
to stave off the isolation that sometimes comes with this
stage of life. A baby requires constant attention, and it
can be difficult to attend social gatherings or events
when you are responsible for an infant. Luckily, the
blogosphere is full of other moms in the same situation,
and by chatting with them it is possible to overcome
some of the loneliness that many new mothers are
surprised to encounter.
Of course, for a mom with an adorable new baby,
blogging can be as much about celebration as it is about
necessity. Having a blog about living with a new child
can give mothers the chance to reflect on how powerful
and warm the sensation of motherhood is, and
sometimes sharing the triumphs of this unique time can
make them even sweeter. A blog is a great way to keep
friends and family updated with news about your baby's
first words or first steps, and with new technology it is
easier than ever to make photos and video clips a part of
your blog, so you can give far-away relatives the chance
to feel much more involved in your child's life.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
What Is a Blogging Tory?
The term Blogging Tory refers to any one of the many
authors affiliated with the conservative Canadian
community known as The Blogging Tories. Today,
there are over a hundred and fifty text-based blogs
associated with the group, and there are new Blogging
Tories every day. The Tories stand as an inspiring
example of a successful online community where the
ever-increasing numbers of affiliated members enjoy a
fertile environment for discussion and debate about the
ideas that shape the face of Canada.
The majority of Tory bloggers do make political events
and topics the focus of their blogs, but not all of the
content that a Blogging Tory creates and publishes is
overtly related to the movements of the Canadian
parliament or the prime minister. Although the
community members were brought together by a shared
conservative viewpoint, the fact that not all of the
postings on all of the member's blogs focus on political
topics is one of the most exciting things about the
Blogging Tories. On any given day, the main website's
blogroll may feature postings about Olympic medalists,
a James Bond film festival in Quebec, or a comical
personal experience with a telemarketer. The idea that
having a political affiliation in common makes it
possible to have a fruitful discussion about other kinds
of topics has interesting implications for how online
communities are established and how they grow.
authors affiliated with the conservative Canadian
community known as The Blogging Tories. Today,
there are over a hundred and fifty text-based blogs
associated with the group, and there are new Blogging
Tories every day. The Tories stand as an inspiring
example of a successful online community where the
ever-increasing numbers of affiliated members enjoy a
fertile environment for discussion and debate about the
ideas that shape the face of Canada.
The majority of Tory bloggers do make political events
and topics the focus of their blogs, but not all of the
content that a Blogging Tory creates and publishes is
overtly related to the movements of the Canadian
parliament or the prime minister. Although the
community members were brought together by a shared
conservative viewpoint, the fact that not all of the
postings on all of the member's blogs focus on political
topics is one of the most exciting things about the
Blogging Tories. On any given day, the main website's
blogroll may feature postings about Olympic medalists,
a James Bond film festival in Quebec, or a comical
personal experience with a telemarketer. The idea that
having a political affiliation in common makes it
possible to have a fruitful discussion about other kinds
of topics has interesting implications for how online
communities are established and how they grow.
Using A Free Blogging Web Site
For first time bloggers, a free blogging web site is a
great way to get started in the blogosphere. Popular
blogging web sites like blogger and eponym allow users
to set up and host a blog without paying any fees at all.
This encourages people to start blogging, because the
fact that one of these sites can provide you with all of
the tools that you need to get your blog up and running
without spending any money means that you have
nothing to lose by starting a blog. The fact that it is so
easy to find a way to blog for free is one of the reasons
why so many people who have never had any other kind
of web presence before find themselves drawn to
blogging.
By signing up with a free blogging web site, you may
find it easier to get listed in search engines that you
would if you were starting your own blog from scratch.
For example, google runs the free blog hosting site
blogspot and crawls its pages very often looking for
updates, so if you have your site hosted by blogspot you
are almost guaranteed to be listed on google's blog
search engine. This easy access to search engines can
take some of the work out of promoting your blog, and
can help you gain a following with a minimum of
marketing effort.
If your blog attracts a large readership, you may want to
consider moving your site. Many people feel that being
hosted by a free blogging web site gives a blog a kind of
amateur flavor that is fine for a new member of the
blogosphere, but is not appropriate for a high-profile
blog. Having your own domain can help you make your
blog feel professional, and finding a company that will
host your domain is not difficult or expensive. Once
your blog takes off, you will probably be able to sell
enough advertising space to be able to afford to buy a
domain and pay for a hosting package, and still have
money left over. However, it does not make sense in
most cases to invest in these glossy luxuries before you
have a sizable readership.
Starting your blog on a free blogging web site is a great
way to build a following before you spend any money
on your blog. If and when your blog becomes popular
and you are ready to take the next step and purchase
your own domain, your readers will follow you to your
new home. The fact that it is possible to use a free blog
host like blogspost, blogger, or eponym as a kind of
incubator for your blog is great news for bloggers
everywhere.
great way to get started in the blogosphere. Popular
blogging web sites like blogger and eponym allow users
to set up and host a blog without paying any fees at all.
This encourages people to start blogging, because the
fact that one of these sites can provide you with all of
the tools that you need to get your blog up and running
without spending any money means that you have
nothing to lose by starting a blog. The fact that it is so
easy to find a way to blog for free is one of the reasons
why so many people who have never had any other kind
of web presence before find themselves drawn to
blogging.
By signing up with a free blogging web site, you may
find it easier to get listed in search engines that you
would if you were starting your own blog from scratch.
For example, google runs the free blog hosting site
blogspot and crawls its pages very often looking for
updates, so if you have your site hosted by blogspot you
are almost guaranteed to be listed on google's blog
search engine. This easy access to search engines can
take some of the work out of promoting your blog, and
can help you gain a following with a minimum of
marketing effort.
If your blog attracts a large readership, you may want to
consider moving your site. Many people feel that being
hosted by a free blogging web site gives a blog a kind of
amateur flavor that is fine for a new member of the
blogosphere, but is not appropriate for a high-profile
blog. Having your own domain can help you make your
blog feel professional, and finding a company that will
host your domain is not difficult or expensive. Once
your blog takes off, you will probably be able to sell
enough advertising space to be able to afford to buy a
domain and pay for a hosting package, and still have
money left over. However, it does not make sense in
most cases to invest in these glossy luxuries before you
have a sizable readership.
Starting your blog on a free blogging web site is a great
way to build a following before you spend any money
on your blog. If and when your blog becomes popular
and you are ready to take the next step and purchase
your own domain, your readers will follow you to your
new home. The fact that it is possible to use a free blog
host like blogspost, blogger, or eponym as a kind of
incubator for your blog is great news for bloggers
everywhere.
ASP.NET Blogging Software
Of all of the different kinds of programs on the market
today, many people feel that Microsoft's recently
released ASP.NET blogging software is the most
advanced. In many ways, this particular program is
more adaptable and more versatile than any other
blogging software on the market. Although most of the
people who favor the program are accomplished coders
who are familiar with programming languages like html
and C++, this new program from Microsoft is much
easier to use than a lot of other blog design software
that incorporates hands-on coding. One of the things
that makes ASP.NET stand apart from its competitors is
the fact that it allows designers to use a wide variety of
programming languages when they build a blog. This
means that a larger number of coders can realize their
dreams by programming in the language with which
they are most familiar and in which they are most
accomplished.
A lot of people have welcomed ASP.NET blogging
software with enthusiasm and with open arms.
However, that doesn't mean that the ASP.NET program
is right for everybody. If you are not familiar with
computer languages like javascript or perl, you may
find that the release of ASP.NET does not directly
affect you at all. However, if you are an experienced
web designer, you are likely to find much to celebrate in
this exciting new program.
today, many people feel that Microsoft's recently
released ASP.NET blogging software is the most
advanced. In many ways, this particular program is
more adaptable and more versatile than any other
blogging software on the market. Although most of the
people who favor the program are accomplished coders
who are familiar with programming languages like html
and C++, this new program from Microsoft is much
easier to use than a lot of other blog design software
that incorporates hands-on coding. One of the things
that makes ASP.NET stand apart from its competitors is
the fact that it allows designers to use a wide variety of
programming languages when they build a blog. This
means that a larger number of coders can realize their
dreams by programming in the language with which
they are most familiar and in which they are most
accomplished.
A lot of people have welcomed ASP.NET blogging
software with enthusiasm and with open arms.
However, that doesn't mean that the ASP.NET program
is right for everybody. If you are not familiar with
computer languages like javascript or perl, you may
find that the release of ASP.NET does not directly
affect you at all. However, if you are an experienced
web designer, you are likely to find much to celebrate in
this exciting new program.
To Join a Blogging Site or Not to Join
Joining an established blogging site like live journal or
blogger has plenty of advantages, especially for the blog
novice. Sites that host a lot of different blogs often have
very useful tutorials about building and updating your
blog, and you are likely to encounter a very user-
friendly software interface at an established blogging
site. In addition, these sites provide a kind of instant
community of fellow bloggers who can provide advice,
insight, and feedback. These established sites often
keep directories of their members, which can be great
news for your traffic logs because it means that other
bloggers on the site will find out about your pages.
However, there are also some downsides to linking up
with a large blogging site. By posting within the
established templates of a site like blogger, you run the
risk of having your blog look and feel like everybody
else's. The blogging movement is very much about the
creation of distinctive sites and the development of
individual voices, so it makes plenty of sense that many
bloggers would shy away from the cookie-cutter look
and feel that these blogging sites often promote. Many
bloggers feel that the content of a blog is what makes it
distinctive, not the look of the blog, but many members
of the blogging community feel that the visual impact
of a blog should match the originality of the writing.
blogger has plenty of advantages, especially for the blog
novice. Sites that host a lot of different blogs often have
very useful tutorials about building and updating your
blog, and you are likely to encounter a very user-
friendly software interface at an established blogging
site. In addition, these sites provide a kind of instant
community of fellow bloggers who can provide advice,
insight, and feedback. These established sites often
keep directories of their members, which can be great
news for your traffic logs because it means that other
bloggers on the site will find out about your pages.
However, there are also some downsides to linking up
with a large blogging site. By posting within the
established templates of a site like blogger, you run the
risk of having your blog look and feel like everybody
else's. The blogging movement is very much about the
creation of distinctive sites and the development of
individual voices, so it makes plenty of sense that many
bloggers would shy away from the cookie-cutter look
and feel that these blogging sites often promote. Many
bloggers feel that the content of a blog is what makes it
distinctive, not the look of the blog, but many members
of the blogging community feel that the visual impact
of a blog should match the originality of the writing.
Personal Blogging, Documentary, and History
When it comes to personal blogging, documentary is
the default genre. There are plenty of blogs that serve
other functions, but many blogs are primarily catalogues
of the life experiences of their author. Although there
are quite a few blogs that focus on collecting poetry and
other forms of creative writing, the vast majority of
personal blogs are in some sense documentaries.
For many years, the act of making a documentary was
meant to be an objective act of reporting the sights and
sounds that the filmmaker, writer, or photographer
encountered. However, in contemporary times there has
been a movement towards embracing the subjectivity
inherent in the documentary form. This means that
modern documentaries often reflect the distinctive
voice and sensibility of their creator, and the fact that
todays documentaries often revolve around personality
blurs the lines between documentary and memoir. Blogs
rest somewhere between these two genres, muddying
the distinctions even further. Personal blogging,
documentary, and memoir are now irrevocably
intertwined, for better or for worse.
Although few bloggers think of themselves as making
documentaries in any formal sense, every time
somebody sits down in front of a computer and types up
a record of their day, they are documenting their own
historical moment. The things that we take for granted
about our daily lives, like the way that we use specific
modes of transportation, or the kinds of products that
we buy, often seem quite fascinating to people who live
in circumstances different from ours, and it is this kind
of fascination that is at the heart of many documentary
projects. When people think about blogging,
documentary is not very likely to be the first adjective
that crosses their minds, but a few decades down the
road it is very likely that todays blogs will be seen
primarily as very subjective documentaries of our era.
The people of tomorrow will almost certainly look to
the blogs of today for insight into our historical
moment.
When it comes to blogging, documentary may not be
the aim of most people who spend their time posting
their thoughts and ideas on the internet. In some ways,
the documentary aspect of blogging is more of a side
effect than a primary goal. However, the fact that so
many people are interested in publishing these public
online diaries shows that personal blogs are about more
than just rumination. The fact that bloggers are so
stimulated by and interested in sharing their ideas with
each other reinforces the idea that personal blogs are, in
some ways, documentaries meant for public
consumption. Documentaries appeal to people who are
curious about other ways of life, and many people who
regularly read others personal blogs are looking for this
same kind of new perspective.
the default genre. There are plenty of blogs that serve
other functions, but many blogs are primarily catalogues
of the life experiences of their author. Although there
are quite a few blogs that focus on collecting poetry and
other forms of creative writing, the vast majority of
personal blogs are in some sense documentaries.
For many years, the act of making a documentary was
meant to be an objective act of reporting the sights and
sounds that the filmmaker, writer, or photographer
encountered. However, in contemporary times there has
been a movement towards embracing the subjectivity
inherent in the documentary form. This means that
modern documentaries often reflect the distinctive
voice and sensibility of their creator, and the fact that
todays documentaries often revolve around personality
blurs the lines between documentary and memoir. Blogs
rest somewhere between these two genres, muddying
the distinctions even further. Personal blogging,
documentary, and memoir are now irrevocably
intertwined, for better or for worse.
Although few bloggers think of themselves as making
documentaries in any formal sense, every time
somebody sits down in front of a computer and types up
a record of their day, they are documenting their own
historical moment. The things that we take for granted
about our daily lives, like the way that we use specific
modes of transportation, or the kinds of products that
we buy, often seem quite fascinating to people who live
in circumstances different from ours, and it is this kind
of fascination that is at the heart of many documentary
projects. When people think about blogging,
documentary is not very likely to be the first adjective
that crosses their minds, but a few decades down the
road it is very likely that todays blogs will be seen
primarily as very subjective documentaries of our era.
The people of tomorrow will almost certainly look to
the blogs of today for insight into our historical
moment.
When it comes to blogging, documentary may not be
the aim of most people who spend their time posting
their thoughts and ideas on the internet. In some ways,
the documentary aspect of blogging is more of a side
effect than a primary goal. However, the fact that so
many people are interested in publishing these public
online diaries shows that personal blogs are about more
than just rumination. The fact that bloggers are so
stimulated by and interested in sharing their ideas with
each other reinforces the idea that personal blogs are, in
some ways, documentaries meant for public
consumption. Documentaries appeal to people who are
curious about other ways of life, and many people who
regularly read others personal blogs are looking for this
same kind of new perspective.
The Right Blogging Platform For Your Needs
Choosing which blogging platform to use is one of the
most important decisions that you can make as a
blogger. The right platform can make blogging a
breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a
chore. Because the program that you use to blog with is
such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is
well worth putting in the time to find a platform that
provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly
interface and a flexible framework that allows you to
make your blog look and feel unique. Finding the right
platform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of
contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on
your way to finding the perfect blogging platform.
Deciding what your priorities are in terms of ease of use
versus customization. Most highly customizable
blogging platforms, like moveable type, are a bit more
difficult to use than very automated platforms like
wordpress. If you are new to blogs and to internet
technology, you might want to sacrifice the ability to
create a custom background design or to integrate a
unique font into your template in order to find a
program that will be easy for you to use. On the other
hand, if you are a veteran web designer with knowledge
of html or javascript, you will probably find the
limitations of a user-friendly platform to be frustrating.
There is no such thing as a blogging platform that is
objectively the best platform, because every blogger has
unique needs. The blogging movement is very much
about individuality, so it makes plenty of sense that
there would be many different platforms available that
are designed to meet the needs of different kinds of
individuals undertaking different kinds of projects. This
diversity is a good thing, because it means that you will
almost certainly be able to find a program that suits
your level of technical aptitude.
However, the fact that no two bloggers need the same
thing from a blogging platform can make your search
for the right platform a bit tricky. When you are reading
reviews of different platforms, try to keep your
priorities in mind and do your best to take into account
the position that the reviewer is coming from. For
example, a negative review written by an accomplished
software designer who complains that a popular
platform is too limited may tell you that the platform in
question is ideal for a beginning blogger. There is no
such thing as the perfect platform for everybody, so
instead of looking for the "best" platform, look for the
best platform for your specific criteria.
most important decisions that you can make as a
blogger. The right platform can make blogging a
breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a
chore. Because the program that you use to blog with is
such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is
well worth putting in the time to find a platform that
provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly
interface and a flexible framework that allows you to
make your blog look and feel unique. Finding the right
platform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of
contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on
your way to finding the perfect blogging platform.
Deciding what your priorities are in terms of ease of use
versus customization. Most highly customizable
blogging platforms, like moveable type, are a bit more
difficult to use than very automated platforms like
wordpress. If you are new to blogs and to internet
technology, you might want to sacrifice the ability to
create a custom background design or to integrate a
unique font into your template in order to find a
program that will be easy for you to use. On the other
hand, if you are a veteran web designer with knowledge
of html or javascript, you will probably find the
limitations of a user-friendly platform to be frustrating.
There is no such thing as a blogging platform that is
objectively the best platform, because every blogger has
unique needs. The blogging movement is very much
about individuality, so it makes plenty of sense that
there would be many different platforms available that
are designed to meet the needs of different kinds of
individuals undertaking different kinds of projects. This
diversity is a good thing, because it means that you will
almost certainly be able to find a program that suits
your level of technical aptitude.
However, the fact that no two bloggers need the same
thing from a blogging platform can make your search
for the right platform a bit tricky. When you are reading
reviews of different platforms, try to keep your
priorities in mind and do your best to take into account
the position that the reviewer is coming from. For
example, a negative review written by an accomplished
software designer who complains that a popular
platform is too limited may tell you that the platform in
question is ideal for a beginning blogger. There is no
such thing as the perfect platform for everybody, so
instead of looking for the "best" platform, look for the
best platform for your specific criteria.
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