Why We Blog

Since we started blogging last June, I've had many people ask me, "What is a blog?"

"Blog" is short for web log. If you separate those six letters (w-e-b-l-o-g) differently, you can spell we blog. That word separation is, according to Wikipedia, the origin of the term "blog."

The idea of a blog is that it is an online, reverse chronological log. It can be text, pictures, video, music, artwork, or a combination of these elements.

The topics and purposes of web logs, or blogs, vary. People use blogs as personal diaries, cultural commentary, business advertisement, chronicling of a trip, adventure, or process. Some do photo logs. Some people use a blog as a way to inform, much like a book, but in bite-size daily doses.

Why do we blog?

Mostly, it is an easy way to, with one typed note, keep in touch with many friends and family. We can give updates about our children, life, school, plans, thoughts, reading, to everyone we know with the click of a button.

Besides writing about our family life, our second biggest category is books. Ken and I love to read and we like to tell others about what we think are good books.

We enjoy writing about things we are learning in life, that perhaps it will encourage others. I know this is one reason I read several friends' blogs regularly: for encouragement.

I also enjoy blogging because there is something about writing that makes things click in my brain. It helps me to think more clearly and process what is happening in our lives. And, if I went to the trouble of writing it, why not share it with everyone I know (and don't know...this is, after all, the world-wide web!).

We know many of you reading this have blogs of your own. I'm curious, why do you blog?

Please comment to this post and share your answer!