What Does The Word Blog Stand For

What Does Blog Stand For

Have you ever asked yourself, "What does 'blog' stand for?" The term itself is not an acronym, instead it's a shortened version of what Internet enthusiasts once called a "web log."

What Does Blog Stand For: Finding the Answer

While many people suspect that the word "blog" is an acronym like "HTML," it is nothing of the sort. In order to really understand the origins and the meaning behind the term "blog," it's important to understand the history of blogging. Unlike most other objects or technologies that you may use in your everyday life, blogging has had a very brief history. In fact, the term "web log" was renamed "weblog," from which "blog" was derived. "Weblog" was only first used by Jorn Barger in December, 1997 on his own website Robot Wisdom.

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The Evolution of the Blog

From 1997 to 2000, there were so few blogs on the Internet that blogger Cameron Barrett of the infamous website Camworld was able to catalog all of the weblogs that he cam across on the Internet, and visitors typically visited almost all of them every day. In 1999, the list consisted of only about 23. At the time, weblogs were defined by those within the blogging community as websites with dated entries. At the time, bloggers also had to be web designers who created these websites from scratch without many tools at their disposal.

Free Blog Platforms Lead to a Blog Explosion

In mid-1999, Pitas created the first free, easy-to-use blogging platform, which led to the creation of hundreds of new online blogs almost overnight. Of course, after 1999 and 2000 came the giant free blogging platforms known as Blogger and WordPress, among others. Once the general public had an easy platform to create a fairly nice looking web page that they could easily update on a weekly or daily basis, the "blogosphere" was transformed forever into a small clique of Internet enthusiasts to a very large (and growing) community of folks who are interested in, and blog about, a very wide range of topics from gardening, to camping to finance.

The Meaning of the Word "Blog"

While the original meaning of the word "blog" certainly comes from the concept of an internet log of entries, links and other information, the transformation of the world of blogging provided new answers to the question, "What does blog stand for?" Today, a blog is no longer just one format or style. Nor is a blog created by only one type of person or on just a few topics. Today, if you are seeking out a community of bloggers who share your fascination with UFOs, genealogy, music or any other subject under the sun, you'll likely find thousands of folks out there who form an online blogging community who are eagerly waiting to meet you and communicate with you. So how do you join those communities? It's easy - start your own blog, and comment on other blogs.

More Resources for Bloggers

If you're looking for more information about blogging, make sure to check out all of the following LoveToKnow articles on the topic.

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Blog Etiquette
Blogging Basics
Free Blogs