blog (blog)
n. A weblog.
intr.v. blogged, blog·ging, blogs
To write entries in, add material to, or maintain a weblog.

[(we)blog.]
blog·ger n.1

Well, that isn't much help. Maybe Wikipedia (a semi-reliable resource and a blog in its own right) can offer a more usable definition. According to Wikipedia:

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other material such as graphics or video. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. 2

Better, but still a little vague on specifics.

"Blog" is a contraction of "web log" which is geek-speak for something no more exotic or sinister than an online journal or diary. But unlike your sister's diary, locked up and hidden under her mattress with a readership limited to the author or a nosey sibling a blog is meant to be read by a much wider audience.

(For the morbidly curious, a more comprehensive timeline of "web logging" can be found here: http://nymag.com/news/media/15971/)

The blogosphere (no, not the bizarro world occupied by a certain disgraced former Illinois Governor) must be a happening place. As of 2008, the blog search engine Technorati listed almost 113 million blogs.

At its most basic, a blog is a digital chronicle devoted to whatever happens to interest its author: words, pictures, music and/or movies that appeal to the authors' particular affinity. A great example of a blog dependant solely on the strength of the written word is www.rogerlsimon.com. Mr. Simon is an author and screenwriter as well as a prodigious political blogger with a distinct point of view. Nothing fancy about this blog, nothing cosmetic or artificial. It's a little corner of the Internet exclusively devoted to the world of ideas – Mr. Simon's ideas – and its enduring popularity speaks for itself. (Mr. Simon is also the Chief Political Columnist for www.politico.com, a blog that could be best described as the antithesis of The Huffington Post.

Another fun example of a basic blog can be found here: http://tritonsatsea.blogspot.com/

This particular blog is the fascinating journal of Robb and Ann Marie Triton, a young couple who purchased a 45- foot catamaran in the British Virgin Islands, and then spent the next 8 months sailing it to their homeport in San Francisco. Covering numerous ports-of-call, high seas, foul weather and various invited and not-invited guests along their voyage, the bloggers have produced a modern day digital sailing logbook. One needn't be remotely interested in boats to get swept up in the authors' contemporary seafaring tale.

While Tritons at Sea is predominantly a read-only blog, most blogs rely quite heavily on their interactive component. The blogger writes, readers comment, the blogger comments on these comments, ad infinitum, until the item under discussion either spiderwebs into other discussions or dies like overboiled vegetables. Some excellent examples of personal, interactive blogs are:
www.floppingaces.net
www.artfulwriter.com

Flopping Aces is a pop-culture, political blog that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. It even has a run on the outrageous videos from ever-popular Kid From Brooklyn. www.thekidfrombrooklyn.com Funny, foul and completely irreverent... and definitely worth a visit.

Artful Writer, the brainchild of screenwriters Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, is also funny. When it wants to be. It also happens to be incredibly smart and informative. Mazin and Elliott primarily focus on the art of the screenplay, with an occasional foray into the politics of the Writers Guild of America and the entertainment industry in general. The blog page serves an additional purpose, as it is the gateway to a discussion forum where the entire Artful Writer community can hang out, swap stories and occasionally meet successful screen and television writers.

Blogs can be categorized as personal (here's one that'll put you to sleep: www.jasondunn.com) or corporate (www.pharmamkting.blogspot.com), or even questioning (www.webmd.com). They can also be distinguished by media type (sketch or photography blogs, mp3 or film blogs) or by genre (fashion, education, music, etc.) They can be private, by subscription or invitation only, or totally public with free and open access to anyone with a shared interest. With 113 million blogs out there, there's literally something for everyone.

Fascinated by a particular car? Porsche and Corvette lovers have hundreds of blogs from which to choose. Ahhh, but what if your special love happens to be something a bit more obscure, say the Lada, the former USSR's contribution to automotive excellence and greenhouse emissions? Best described as a shoebox on wheels, what the Lada lacks in style it more than makes up with an engine better suited to a Singer sewing machine. If only the car was as stylish as the sewing machine. Lada lovers can blog to their underpowered, underappreciated heart's content at: www.lada-owners-club.co.uk/

Want to know everything there is to know about a particular movie? Pay a visit to www.imdb.com. Full of facts and figures, casts and crews, the Internet Movie Data Base also has a blog section for the serious filmophile.

First-time mom-to-be? Need a daily dose of Smashing Pumpkins? Want the latest news in scrapbooking? Just go to Google, type in the appropriate search terms, and .04 seconds later, an entire world of pertinent blogs are there for the taking. There's something for everyone, and everyone for something. The blogosphere does not disappoint.

One of my favorite dirty secret sites is www.abovethelaw.com. Above the Law is a multifaceted blog on (what else?) the law. But within its hallowed virtual walls of jurisprudence lurks a special place where newbie lawyers bitch out the law firms that employ them. These young associates swap horror stories of long hours, poor pay, tyrannical senior partners, ethical challenges and who's doing what to whom atop the desk. Even if you know nothing of the law, it's a guilty little pleasure and quite addicting.

Whatever the peccadillo, somewhere out there in the vast blogosphere is a blog guaranteed to feed the beast. And if it's television you're interested in, you absolutely must access the Caucus's very own online community at forums.caucus.org.

The Caucus Forums have been designed to educate and inform, and to promote social and career networking. It hopes not only to increase communications between its members, but also to allow the public access to the great brain trust that is the Caucus. If it has to do with television – past, present or future – someone in the Caucus can answer the question. Heck, the Caucus has members who practically invented the medium.

So, next time you're surfing the net, stop in at forums.caucus.org, complete the simple registration process, lurk around a bit to get the lay of the land, and then take the plunge. Tell us what your favorite blogs and online hangouts are, and find out what the Caucus membership is reading as well. Just click through the 'Caucus Journal' section. I think you'll be glad you did.