Ian Jamieson

Blogging is a form of online communication that allows individuals and organizations to share their thoughts, opinions, experiences, and expertise with a global audience. Blogging has evolved over time from simple online diaries to sophisticated platforms for journalism, marketing, education, activism, and more.

The history of blogging can be traced back to the early days of the internet, when people used bulletin board systems (BBS) and Usenet groups to post messages and exchange information. Some of these posts were personal and informal, resembling the style of modern blogs. However, these posts were not easily accessible or searchable by the general public.

The term “blog” was coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger, who used it to describe his website Robot Wisdom, where he posted links and commentary on various topics. The word is a shortened form of “weblog”, which was first used by John Barger in 1997 to refer to his online journal. The word “weblog” itself was derived from “logging the web”, a phrase used by early web users to describe the process of browsing and bookmarking websites.

The popularity of blogging increased in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the emergence of several tools and services that made it easier for anyone to create and maintain a blog. Some of the pioneers of blogging include:

• Open Diary, launched in 1998, was one of the first hosted blog platforms that allowed users to create online diaries and interact with other diarists. Open Diary also introduced the concept of reader comments, which became a key feature of blogs.
• Blogger, launched in 1999, was one of the first free blog hosting services that enabled users to create blogs without any technical knowledge or software. Blogger was acquired by Google in 2003 and remains one of the most popular blogging platforms today.
• LiveJournal, launched in 1999, was one of the first social networking sites that combined blogging with online communities. LiveJournal allowed users to create personal blogs and join interest-based groups, as well as share photos, videos, polls, and more.
• WordPress, launched in 2003, was one of the first open source blog software that allowed users to install and customize their own blogs on their own servers. WordPress also offered a hosted version called WordPress.com, which provided free blog hosting for millions of users. WordPress is now the most widely used blog software in the world, powering over 40% of all websites.

Blogging has also been influenced by other forms of online media, such as podcasts, vlogs, microblogs, and social media. Podcasts are audio or video files that can be downloaded or streamed online, often featuring interviews, discussions, or stories on various topics. Vlogs are video blogs that showcase the personal lives or opinions of the vloggers. Microblogs are short-form blogs that allow users to post brief updates or messages, usually limited by a certain number of characters or media files. Social media are platforms that enable users to create and share content with other users, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

Blogging has become a powerful medium for expressing oneself, connecting with others, learning new things, promoting one’s brand or business, influencing public opinion, raising awareness about important issues, and more. Blogging has also created new opportunities for monetization, such as advertising, sponsorship, affiliate marketing, crowdfunding, e-commerce, etc.

Blogging is not only a hobby or a passion for many people but also a profession or a career. According to a survey conducted by ConvertKit in 2020, there are over 31 million bloggers in the United States alone, and about 11% of them make over $50K per year from their blogs. The survey also revealed that bloggers use various strategies to grow their audience and income, such as email marketing (67%), SEO (66%), social media (65%), guest posting (38%), paid advertising (24%), etc.

Blogging is an ever-changing and evolving phenomenon that reflects the trends and needs of the online world. As technology advances and new platforms emerge, blogging will continue to adapt and innovate to provide value and entertainment for both bloggers and readers.