Blogs Worth Checking Out
Feb 17th, 2009 by Val Nelson
One of TIME's Best Blogs
People sometimes ask me, “What’s the big deal with blogs? Who reads those?”
TIME’s Best Blogs of 2009 is a good starting place to see what can be so interesting in the blogosphere.
Are You Reading Blogs Without Realizing It?
People unfamiliar with blogging are probably reading blogs without realizing they are reading a blog. When you do a Google search, many of the top listings will take you to a blog post.
Some blogs on TIME’s list, like The Huffington Post, are competing with the major media outlets for readership. “HuffPo” is a very popular online destination that just happens to be a blog.
So What Makes It a Blog?
A blog (short for web log) is a website (or a section of a website) with regular entries or “blog posts.” Entries are usually opinion-based, similar to the editorial section of a newspaper.
Posts might be from one individual, multiple individuals, or an organization. Most blogs allow readers to leave comments on each post (as available below in this blog post).
An underlying purpose of blogs is to spark conversation, hence the option to leave a comment.
Blogs are structurally similar to news media websites in which the latest entries are at the top. Thus, people can easily confuse a news media website and a news-related blog.
To best understand, watch the 3-minute video in my earlier post: What Is a Blog?
Time To Check Out Some Blog Samples
From TIME’s list, here is a bite-sized sampling to whet your appetite for blogs:
- Lifehacker – tips and downloads for getting things done
- ZenHabits – simple productivity
- Crooks and Liars – the top video snippets from the latest political news
- Slashfood – useful food tips and recipes
- Seth Godin’s Blog – tips from marketing guru and best-selling author
Image by Joyce Rhiannon, a la LOLCATS
And then there’s the very popular campy blogs that didn’t make the cut for TIME’s list. Here’s a good-humored sample for a laugh: LOLCATS
What Do You Think?
Tell me about your favorite blog(s) in the comments below. Why do you like it?
