What is a blog?
Web logs, or blogs, are frequently updated online journals in which bloggers, those who write and maintain blogs, share their opinions about a variety of interests from international current events to favorite wines to travels near and far to local rock bands.

Blogs are created with software that is easy to use (even for those who are not technologically savvy) and can be set up within minutes.

Are you ready to blog?
Before starting your own blog, consider these tips:

• Make sure you are committed to maintaining your blog. Blogs are fun, are easy to use and allow you to voice your opinion online in real time. Maintaining a blog does not mean that you have to make daily updates; however, if you do not make at least somewhat regular updates, visitors will stop checking for new content.
• Don’t blog your every move. Not everyone will find it interesting that you tripped on the way to work today.
• Be original. You are a unique individual. There is nobody else in this world like you. The same should apply to your blog. Blogs tend to take on personalities of the blogger because they present the blogger’s perspective about a particular issue. Therefore, your entries should be as original and creative as you are.
• Anticipate feedback. Most blogs allow visitors to respond to them. Decide whether you want any visitor to be able to post feedback or whether you will require visitors to sign in to post a message. Be prepared for responses that agree and disagree, sometimes vociferously, with your views.
• Link to other blogs. Your blog will offer your unique perspective on any given issue. You may find that other bloggers have a similar view or offer a different opinion on the same topic. Or you may come across an outstanding blog that you would like to share with others. Linking to blogs from your site is a compliment to other bloggers who may in turn link to your blog.
• Incorporate Really Simple Syndication (RSS) into your blog. Ever spend time going to a Web site to find out whether it has any new content? RSS alerts users when a Web site has been updated without their having to actually check the site. Incorporating RSS into your blog ensures that your readers know instantaneously when you have posted a new entry. Find out more about RSS and subscribe to PIR’s RSS feed.
• Register a .ORG domain name for your blog. .ORG is the trusted home for noncommercial organizations. It also increasingly is the preferred domain extension for bloggers worldwide. Find a registrar today, and register a .ORG domain so you can get started.

Happy blogging!