ABSTRACT
A "blog," from the longer term, "weblog," is simply a website powered by software that makes it easy to publish to the web, typically posting content as entries in reverse chronological order. Blog posts typically connect their readers with source materials mentioned or used by the writer, a cross-referencing that provides layers of information and, by both displaying and providing access to source material, can contribute to credibility. This chapter is most interested in blogs dedicated to news, information, opinion, and public relations and, therefore, not those devoted to personal events, seemingly private thoughts, and observations from daily life. The practices of good blogging, however, are applicable to all blog formats. With more than 82 million users, the most popular blog software is Wordpress, which offers a free, self-hosted version and a paid version that can scale and expand into a very complex website or content management system.
