Here is a article I am working on for the DeVry newspaper:

What is a blog?

A Web Log is a blog. Really it is that simple? What makes a blog different from a normal web page or discussion group?

1. A blog normally has only one author and many people can comment.
2. A blog is updated rather often, sometimes more than once per day, sometimes multiple times a month.
3. A blog can be personal, professional (or both), inappropriate and have no consideration for audience, but good ones do. A web page will most likely have one theme and will be written towards a specific audience.

How does it work?

It is simple. You sign up, you log in to your own personal space, and you start posting! There are plenty of free blog sites out there such as http://www.blogger.com, http://thespoke.net (for students) and http://www.blogspot.com and even http://spaces.msn.com.

Once you sign up you just decide what to write about. Start by reading some other blogs. Visit http://www.technorati.com and search for anything that you are interested in. If you find something you are interested in read it and see how it is written. Is the author more personal or professional? The voice is an important part of a blog. Your voice is the most important part of your blog. Make sure it comes through. If you find a blog you like, or 10, read them for a week and then comment on those blogs. Make a link to the blog that you agree or disagree with and comment in your blog and make sure to include a link!

What are the rules?

There aren’t any and many bloggers say that there shouldn’t be. Here are some pointers:

1. Blog about something you have some personal insight. This can be feelings, emotions, experience or just an opinion.
2. Blog in your own voice. Don’t worry too much about editing. It should be as if you are ranting, presenting or just talking about the subject. This would be customized depending on how you feel at the time or the trend in your blog.
3. Be consistent. Blog on a regular basis. Once per week, once per month, 3 times a day or just when you find something that interests you. Just treat it as a place that you can share your insights with others.

Anything else you should know?

Yeah there is. A blog is important to someone that is in the IT field. It is becoming more and more important for those in business and journalism. I can say that I wish I had started mine earlier – start yours today!

- Jason Huber has been an Adjunct Instructor at DeVry for the past 5 years teaching courses from Object Oriented Analysis and Design to Web Applications Development and Introduction to databases. His own blog can be visited at: http://www.huberstyle.com/ with his contact information contained therein.

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