Are you puzzled by strange
** blogging terms** and unusual **blog abbreviations** and **blogging acronyms Then this post will get the Blargon Demystified. This article attempts to simplify some **common blogging terms** organized into a **simple blogging glossary Only common and popular blog tools and services have been included
Note : The language used here is mostly non technical to make the newbie blogger understand the blogging basics. These have not been created by me, but collected over time. This is NOT a substitute for dictionary meaning or a strict definition of these terms, but a simple layman approach to understanding what they mean. Please feel free to propose a better meaning in the comments
BLOGGING BASICS
Introduction to the very basic terms of blogging
Weblog An online dated diary listing your periodic thoughts on a specific topic, often in reverse chronological order. Blog short form for weblog, or web blog Blogging the act of posting on blogs Blogger a person who blogs Blogosphere The internet blogging community CMS Content management systems
BLOGGING FORMS
Terms used to specify various types of blogging
Photoblogging a blog predominantly using and focusing on photographs and images. Photoblogs are created by photobloggers Podcasting a method of distributing multimedia files (audio / videos) online using feeds for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Podcastsare created by podcasters. Autocasting is an automated form of podcasting Blogcasting the blog and the podcast merged into a single website. Vlogging Also called video blogging. Shortened to vlog. Posted by vlogger. A variant on the blogging using video instead of text. Audioblogging Also called audioblog, MP3 blog or musicblogs. a variant on the blogging using audio instead of text. Created by audioblogger. Moblogging Also called moblogs. A blog posted and maintained via mobile phone. Moblogs are created by mobloggers
BLOG COMPONENTS AND FUNCTIONS
Terms used to specify various parts of a blog, their role and how they function
Index page the front page of the blog Header the topmost part of the blog usually listing the blog title. Footer the most bottom part of the blog usually listing navigation and copyright statements Sidebar One or more columns along one or both sides of most blogs main page Categories A collection of topic specific posts Post, Entry individual articles that make up a blog Comments enabling readers to leave their remarks Avatar A small picture of the commenter beside their comment. Gravataris an advanced tool which can generate avatars Captcha short for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart Those word and letter verification images you need to type in to show you are human and not a bot. Helpful to block automated spam comments. Ping Short for Packet Internet Grouper. Blog and ping helps to notify other blog tracking tools for updates, changes and trackbacks. Trackback A system by which a ping is sent to another blog to notify that their article has been mentioned by you Pingback See trackback. Permalink A link to a specific article Tags labeling / attaching keywords to collect similar posts Tag cloud Displaying tags lists or keywords in a blog. Blogroll list of links to other blogs in your sidebar. Also see blogrolling.com Sideblog A smaller blog usually placed in the sidebar of a blog. Template the blog presentation design BlogThis a function allows a blogger to blog the entry they a reading Plugins Small files that add improved functionality and new features. WordPress plugins can greatly improve your blog usage and interactivity Widgets small apps that add extra functionality and advanced features to blogs Dashboard When you login to your blogging account, it is the first screen with all controls, tools and functions. Archives a collection of all your posts on one page. Can be categorized by month etc. Expandable post summaries show a small teaser part of the post on the index page that link to the full post. Jump the continuation of a the story on another page to preserve space on index page. FTP short for file transfer protocol. Transferring file to and fro from your web host using FTP tools like Filezilla SFTP this is the secure form of FTP Favicon the small icon you see in the browser tab beside the page title Hyperlink the url of the page to which you redirect when you click the link/text/image
WEB FEEDS
Terms used to explain various types of feeds generated by different blogging platforms
Web Feed allows online users to subscribe to websites that change or add content regularly. RSS a family of web feed formats used for Web syndication. Short form for Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0), Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91, RSS 1.0), RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0). WordPress generates RSS 2.0 XML short for eXtensible Markup Language. a general-purpose markup language for syndication formats used on blogs. RDF short for Resource Description Framework. A web content syndication format. Atom another specific web feed format. Blogger feeds are usually of this type. OPML short for Outline Processor Markup Language. It is an XML format for outlines. Easily import and export multiple blog subscriptions between different rss aggregators. Photofeed a web feed with image enclosures
BLOGGING SOFTWARE / CLIENTS
Enlists types of common blogging platforms available
Blogger a free blogging platform by Google. Blogspot free Blogger hosting blog at name.blogspot.com. Allows custom domain names as well WordPress.org Free. Easy to Upload, customize and upgrade. Requires own hosting and domain name. WordPress.com A WordPress blog hosted free for you. Limited advertising options Tumblr Possibly the easiest way to start a blog. Bought by Yahoo! Typepad paid blogging tool by SixApart LiveJournal free blogging tool by SixApart Movable Type paid blogging tool by SixApart
TYPES OF BLOGS
Blogs come in different varieties based on usage
Group blog with multiple contributing bloggers. Event blog focused on an event Kittyblogger writing about cats. Celeblog focused on a celebrity. Celebriblog maintained by a celebrity. Clog Blog written in Dutch and/or in Holland. CEOBlog run by a chief executive officer. Plog a project blog. Also for Amazon.com personalized weblogs Movlogs mobile video blogs. Splog a spam blog Tech blog focused on a technical subject. Anonoblog by an anonymous blogger Linguablog about linguistics, translation etc. Metablog a blog about blogging. Milblog a military blog. Blawg blogged by a lawyer / related to legal stuff Edu-blog education-oriented blog. Progblog A progressive blog. Shocklog provokes discussion by posting shocking content Klog used by company knowledge workers. by Kloggers Blogsite A web site that combines blog feeds from a number of different sources Dark Blog A non-public blog Photocast a photoblog that automatically updates when new photos are added. Vlog video blog
BLOGGING HABITS
Blogging has incited some strange terms and habits
Metablogging writing articles about blogging Blogstipation writers block for bloggers. Cant think of what to blog about? Blogathy I do not want to post today and I do not care about it Blogopotamus A long long blog post Blogorrhea unusually high output of articles Bleg To use ones blog to beg for assistance etc. Hitnosis Refreshing your browser repeatedly to see if your hit counter or comments have increased GAD Google Adsense Disorder. Repeatedly checking your AdSense earnings. Blego Blog+Ego. Measuring blogger worth Blog hopping jumping from one blog to another Blogroach A commenter who rudely disagrees with posted content Blogoholic addicted to blogging Blogorific= blogtasticsomething which a blogger says is terrific Blogsit maintaining a blog while the primary blogger is on leave Blogvertising Also called blogvert. Advertising on a blog. Blurker a blog reader not posting comments, just lurking around quietly. Blogathon update your website every 30 minutes for 24 hours straight. Maybe collect sponsorships. Blogiversary your blog birthday Blog Carnival Links to other articles covering a specific topic. Multiblog running multiple blogs Blog Tipping Compliment 3 blogs on day 1 of every month. Blogger bash a blogger party Commenter someone who leaves remarks/comments Reciprocal Links called link love. You link to my blog, I link to yours. To improve search engine rankings. Linkbaiting a habit of writing good content with the sole purpose of getting it linked from multiple sites. Blogstorm a large amount of blogosphere activity due to particular controversy. Also called Blog Swarm. Blogsnob refusing to respond to blog comments from not-friends Doppelblogger plagiarizes the content of another blogger. To Doppelblog. Blogophobia Fear of blogs and blogging. Bloggerel the same opinion posted repeatedly on a blog Vlogging posting video content primarily
- Guest Bloggingposting articles on other sites to get backlinks an readers
BLOGGER TYPES
Lists types of bloggers based on how and what they blog
Problogger a professional blogger Blognoscenti especially knowledgeable bloggers Blogebrity a famous blogger. Blogerati the blogosphere intelligentsia. Commentariat The community of those leaving comments. Dooced lost a job because of blog entries. To Dooce. Blogther a fellow blogger. A-List the top bloggers who influence the blogosphere. Blogstar blogger running a popular blog
OTHER BLOGGING TERMS
Many more terms to fit and use
Bloggies Annual blogging awards. MSM Mainstream Media, or old media like newspapers etc. BSM Blogstream media. from most heavily trafficked blogs. Blog Day 31 August. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting and tell them. Blaudience your blog audience. Blargon Also called Blogssary. Blogging slang and glossary. What I am telling you now. Blogiversary your blog birthday Blogiverse see blogosphere XFN short for XHTML Friends Network. Is a simple way to represent human relationships using hyperlinks. Blogonomics blogging conference on a Blog Cruise in 2006. EFF short for Electronic Frontier Foundation. A nonprofit group working to protect blogger rights. Blog of Note a recommended blog. Navbar a navigation bar usually seen on top of Blogger blogspot hosted blogs. Blook a book created from a blog. Hat Tip acknowledgement of the source that tipped you the news. Spomments Spam comments Blammer Blog spammer SOB acronym for Successful and Outstanding Blogger. From successful-blog.com Blogiday you get fed up and take a holiday from blogging
BLOGGING TOOLS & SERVICES
So many blogging tools, clients, feed readers to enhance the blogging experience
Bloglines, Rojo, Newsgator, and Kinja are News Aggregatorsthat display content from syndicated Web content from web feed. Can be configured online or downloaded on your desktop. Like . Also called RSS readers, feed readers, feed aggregators or news readers Pageflakes, Newsvine Track multiple feeds on a single page by modules. Odeo, and Podnova are Podcatchers, a form of aggregator used to automatically download podcasts and can sometimes transfer a portable media player. Like Feedburner a professional feed management system Pingomatic, Pingoat ping multiple blog tracking services. Feedblitz, Zokooda Email subscriptions and newsletter tools. Technorati a real-time search engine that keeps track of what is going on in the blogosphere b5media, 9rules examples of popular blogging networks. Collection of blogs and bloggers providing great content, with revenue sharing sometimes. K2, Blix names of some popular WordPress themes. Blogexplosion, and Blogclicker popular blog traffic generation/exchange services. Adsense, Adbrite, CJ, Chitika, Blogads, Clickbank, and Commission junction are popular affiliate programs to generate money from your blogs. Sphere, Icerocket blog search engines Live Bookmarks a firefox web browser feature. Update themselves automatically with the latest content from the Web. Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors to offer a voluntary some rights reserved approach. CoComment Tracks your comments across different platforms and follows conversations WBloggar, Ecto, Qumanna desktop blog publishing tools Mint, Mybloglog, Measuremap, Analytics site traffic tracking tools. Haloscan free trackback service YouTube, Rapidshare puts video on your blog Flickr, Imageshack photo sharing service. Host images on your blog Del.icio.us, furl, spurl share social bookmarks. Blogburst Syndicating your feed to top publishers. Bloggeropoly professional blogger recruiting agency Blogger code a way to describe different types of bloggers. Bloggoggle Directory of Blogging Professionals BlogHer where the women bloggers are. At Blogher.org
BLOG TRAFFIC SURGES
When your site traffic explodes due to blogging
Digged link posted on digg.com driving huge traffic to your blog Slashdotted link posted on slashdot.org driving huge traffic to your blog Instalanche link posted on instapundit.com driving huge traffic to your blog Farked link posted on fark.com driving huge traffic to your blog Boing Boinged link posted on boingboing.net driving huge traffic to your blog
MISCELLANEOUS BLOGGING TERMS
For those other times
Ajax acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. creates interactive web applications. Greasemonkey a firefox web browser extension that can alter the functionality of any website using specific scripts. Wiki a collaborative on-line software that allows readers to add and edit content. SEO search engine optimization. To improve your search engine rankings. Page Rank Google measures of the importance of a page which reflects in its rankings. CMS short for the Content management system. software used to publish and manage websites. **This post is constantly updated Help me develop this blogging resource to include all popular blogging terms and create a useful blogging glossary. I repeat that this is **NOT a substitute for dictionary meaning or a strict definition of these terms but a simple laymans approach to understanding what they mean. Please feel free to propose a better meaning in the comments
Bloggingly Yours
