What’s a blog?
Do you remember the first Xerox machine? They were huge, slow, but wow, did they make like much easier. No more carbon! As with most technology, they evolved. Other machines came out but as a society we decided to call them Xerox machines, even if they were made by another company. Same thing with Kleenex. It’s sad to say but the same thing has happened with blogs, but with a different twist.
If you ask 10 people what a blog is you will most likely get at least five different answers, all similar but slightly different. My point is everyone will not agree with what a blog is (however just about everyone would agree on what a Xerox machine is). The question is: what’s the difference between a blog and a web site?
If you look at Wikipedia’s definition of a blog, its go general that every site made today would be a blog unless the site owner decided to do it the old fashion way with individual HTML pages. That can’t be right, can it? There has to be something that distinguishes a blog from a web site. The data stamped/permalink requirement is a standard now. So what is it that distinguishes a blog from a web site? See a blog could be a web site but a web site is not necessarily a blog.
What’s the difference for me? The ability for readers to add comments to the original post. If a “blog” doesn’t have comments then it’s not a blog, it’s a web site. Interaction not only with the author(s) but amongst each other is what makes it different from a web site, in my opinion. Let’s look at some examples:
1) Robert Scoble BLOG – has date stamped entries, permalinks and comments.
2) Scripting.com (Dave Winer) WEB SITE – date stamped entries, permalinks but no comments.
3) Really Simply Syndication (Dave Winer) BLOG – date stamped entries, permalinks and comments.
4) BoingBoing WEB SITE – date stamped entries, permalinks, no comments.
5) Slashdot.org BLOG – date stamped entries, permalinks, comments
Don’t take it personal if I don’t consider your blog a blog. Unless you can give me a reason (beside I want it to be) that your web site is a blog it’s a web site. I mean come on, any site made with MovableType or WordPress is automatically a blog? There are a ton of MovableType sites that are used in a professional setting that look like normal web sites. They are not blogs, no posts:people use it because it’s an easy way to put up content. Those sites are not blogs. Heck, if one were to use Wikipedia’s definition any site launched today with a CMS is a blog. If that’s the case, what’s the big deal with the blogging hype? If everyone has one it isn’t special, is it?
If a blog is a web site, and a web site is a blog, then let’s call them all blogs and call it day.
Related posts:
I’m glad you brought this up because I don’t think BoingBoing is a blog anymore, yet they keep winning blog awards. I don’t understand it.
With all the talk about interaction and conversation with blogs, especially Business, then comments would have to be the determining factor. No comments, no blog.
If the definition of a personal diary is the one that is accepted, then there would be no Business, would there?
I guess the question is - what’s NOT a blog?
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
When I told my boss we needed a blog his response “we already have a website”. I explained that we should have posts made regularly and allow people to comment on them to get feedback. His response “we could add that but would that make our website a blog?” I had no clue because if timestamped entries are the case, we already have a blog - each page is static and time dated.
I think the hype should be “have an interactive site” instead of using the word blog.
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
Good point. I’ve been struggling with the issue of what makes a blog a blog, and I find comments essential. I love Ernie the Attorney and Scripting News, but by turning comments off, they’ve stopped the conversation and made it one-way communications.
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
I think a concrete distinction should be made, especially with all the blogging books coming out. One of the most frequently asked questions (that I receive) is what EXACTLY is a blog? Companies ask what’s the difference between a frequently updated web site and a blog? The only difference it can be is comments.
Somewhere a line has to be set, otherwise the value of a blog diminishes.
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
[...] hough they are using Movable Type which supports both. This doesn’t fit Tyme’s definition of a blog, does it fit yours? I’m wondering if publicists will be writing [...]
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
How about ‘Foghorn or dialogue?’
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
[...] t Link: “> Posted by Dave under Blogging What is a Blog? Thyme White asks what makes a blog a blog? And her answer may differ from some of the most popular [...]
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
I agree. The only thing that makes a blog different is the comments. I always thought of a blog as a mixture between a website and forums.
You made a bold move saying the King of Blogs (Dave Winer) main site isn’t a blog. I agree though!
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am
[...] ` di un blog risiede nella possibilit` di commentare i post dell’autore. Come sostiene BlogTyme: Se un blog non ha i commenti allora non può definirsi tale: si tratta di un si [...]
Posted on May 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am