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Microblogging, a blog (short for “weblog”)[1] is an informational site on the internet that contains individual, often casual, diary-like written entries, commonly referred to as posts. These posts are usually arranged in reverse chronological sequence, meaning the newest entry appears first at the top of the page. In the 2000s, most blogs were run by a single person, sometimes by a small group, and often concentrated on one specific topic. By the 2010s, multi-author blogs (MABs) became common, involving contributions from several writers and occasionally professional editing. Such MABs, run by newspapers, media companies, universities, think tanks, advocacy groups, and similar organizations, began to account for a growing portion of blog readership. Platforms like Twitter and other “microblogging” tools helped merge both single-writer and multi-writer blogs into the broader news ecosystem. The word “blog” can also function as a verb, meaning to create or update content for a blog.
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The rise of Microblogging in the late 1990s coincided with the introduction of online publishing tools that allowed non-technical individuals, with little or no knowledge of HTML or programming, to easily share content online. Before this, posting material to the web required familiarity with HTML, File Transfer Protocol, and related technologies, meaning the earliest web content creators were generally hackers or tech hobbyists. By the 2010s, most blogs had become interactive Web 2.0 platforms, enabling visitors to leave comments—this interactivity Microblogging is what sets them apart from static websites.[2] In this way, blogging can be viewed as a form of social networking. Bloggers not only write and share content but often develop connections with readers and fellow bloggers. Microblogging administrators typically review and moderate comments to filter out hate speech or offensive language. Some high-traffic blogs, however, choose to disable comments altogether.
Many blogs focus on commentary about a particular subject—such as philosophy, religion, art, science, politics, or sports—while others serve as personal journals or as marketing tools for a person or business. A standard Microblogging blends written text with images, hyperlinks to other blogs or websites, and media relevant to the subject. While most blogs are text-oriented, some specialize in visual art (art blogs), photography (photoblogs), video (video blogs or vlogs), music (MP3 blogs), or audio recordings (podcasts). In the field of education, blogs used for teaching purposes are known as edublogs. Another variation is microblogging, which consists of very short updates.
Today, the terms “blog” and “blogging” are often loosely applied to long-form content creation and sharing on social media. Someone could be said to be running a blog on Facebook or “blogging” on Instagram. As of 2022, estimates suggested there were over 600 million public blogs among more than 1.9 billion total websites.[4]
The expression “weblog” was introduced by Jorn Barger on December 17, 1997. The abbreviated form “blog” originated with Peter Merholz, who humorously split the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his site Peterme.com in May 1999. Soon afterward, Evan Williams of Pyra Labs began using blog as both a noun and a verb (meaning “to maintain or update a weblog”) and coined the term “blogger” for Pyra Labs’ Blogger service, which helped make these terms widely known.
Before blogging rose to popularity, online communities appeared in many different formats, such as Usenet, commercial online services like GEnie, the Byte Information Exchange (BIX), and the early version of CompuServe, along with e-mail lists[10] and bulletin board systems (BBS). During the 1990s, internet forum platforms introduced ongoing discussions known as “threads.” These threads linked messages around a shared topic, similar to a virtual “corkboard.”[further explanation needed]
Tim Berners-Lee also launched what Encyclopedia Britannica describes as “the first blog” in 1992, where he documented progress on developing the World Wide Web and the software that powered it.[11]
Starting on June 14, 1993, Mosaic Communications Corporation curated their “What’s New”[12] list, highlighting new websites each day and archiving them monthly. This feature could be accessed via a dedicated “What’s New” button in the Mosaic browser.
In November 1993, Ranjit Bhatnagar began sharing details about notable websites, online pages, and discussion groups he encountered, along with snippets of personal updates, on his site Moonmilk. These were arranged chronologically in a section called Ranjit’s HTTP Playground. Some early figures in blogging, including Justin Hall, have credited him as an influence.
The earliest example of a commercial blog appeared in 1995 on the first business-to-consumer website created by Ty, Inc. It included a section called “Online Diary,” with posts written from the perspective of Beanie Babies chosen each month by site visitors.[15]
Modern Microblogging grew out of online diaries, where people regularly recorded events from their personal lives. Many of these writers referred to themselves as diarists, journalists, or journal keepers. Justin Hall, who began personal blogging in 1994 while attending Swarthmore College, is widely regarded as one of the first bloggers,[16] alongside Jerry Pournelle.[17] Dave Winer’s Scripting News is also recognized as one of the longest-running weblogs.[18][19] Additionally, the Australian magazine Netguide ran a feature called Daily Net News[20] on their website beginning in 1996, which offered daily links and reviews of new websites, primarily from Australia.
In the early days, blogs were essentially manually updated sections of regular websites. In 1995, Ty, Inc. featured an “Online Diary” on its website, which was created and maintained entirely by hand before any blogging tools existed. Entries appeared in reverse chronological order by manually editing HTML text and uploading it via FTP software multiple times a day. To visitors, it looked like a constantly updated live diary with several new posts each day. At the start of each day, new entries were added to a fresh HTML file, and at the beginning of each month, past entries were moved into an archive folder, with a separate HTML page for each day of that month. Site menus linking to the newest diary entry were also updated manually throughout the site. This file-based, text-driven system provided an early framework for blog organization that would later be refined in modern blogging platforms.
The development of electronic and software tools that made it easier to create and maintain web posts in reverse chronological order opened up blogging to a much broader audience, including those without advanced technical skills. Over time, this led to a distinct category of online publishing recognizable as today’s blogs. For example, using browser-based interfaces has become a standard feature of blogging. Blogs today can be hosted on specialized blogging platforms, through general web hosting services, or operated using blog management software.
A significant early moment in the growing influence of blogs occurred in 2002, when numerous bloggers focused on remarks made by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.[24] During a celebration for U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, Lott complimented Thurmond by suggesting that the country would have been better off if Thurmond had won the presidency. Critics interpreted these remarks as implicit support for racial segregation, a policy promoted by Thurmond in his 1948 presidential bid. This interpretation was strengthened by documents and recorded interviews uncovered by bloggers. (See Josh Marshall’s Talking Points Memo.) Although Lott’s statements were made at a public event attended by journalists, major news outlets did not report on the controversy until after bloggers brought attention to it. The incident sparked a political scandal that ultimately led Lott to resign as majority leader.
Likewise, blogs played a major role in the so-called “Rathergate” controversy. Journalist Dan Rather, on the CBS program 60 Minutes, presented documents that contradicted widely accepted accounts of President George W. Bush’s military service. Bloggers argued that the documents were fabricated and offered evidence and reasoning to back their claims. As a result, CBS issued an apology, citing shortcomings in their reporting methods (see: Little Green Footballs). These events boosted the reputation of blogs as legitimate sources for breaking news.
In Russia, certain political bloggers have begun to contest the dominance of the official, heavily pro-government press. Influential figures such as Rustem Adagamov and Alexei Navalny have large followings, with Navalny famously labeling the ruling United Russia party as a “party of crooks and thieves,” a slogan embraced by anti-government demonstrators.[25] In March 2012, The Wall Street Journal referred to Navalny as “the man Vladimir Putin fears most.”[26]
By 2004, blogs had moved further into the mainstream, as political advisors, media outlets, and candidates began adopting them as instruments for outreach and shaping public opinion. Politicians and election contenders used blogging to voice perspectives on wars and other matters, solidifying blogs’ status as a legitimate news platform. (See Howard Dean and Wesley Clark.) Even non-campaigning politicians, such as Tom Watson, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the UK’s Labour Party, started blogging to connect more closely with constituents. In January 2005, Fortune magazine named eight bloggers who were considered essential reading for business professionals: Peter Rojas, Xeni Jardin, Ben Trott, Mena Trott, Jonathan Schwartz, Jason Goldman, Robert Scoble, and Jason Calacanis.
Israel became one of the earliest national governments to launch an official blog. Under David Saranga’s guidance, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs embraced Web 2.0 strategies, which included creating an official video blog and a political blog. The Ministry even organized a microblog-style press conference on Twitter regarding its conflict with Hamas, during which Saranga replied to questions from the public using common text-messaging shorthand in real-time during a global press event. These questions and answers were later published on IsraelPolitik, the nation’s official political blog.
Governments have also recognized the effect blogging has had on traditional media. By 2009, the American newspaper industry was shrinking so significantly that several major publishers declared bankruptcy, leading to reduced direct competition among papers in the same markets. This decline sparked debates over whether newspapers should receive a federal bailout. U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged the growing role of blogs in society, warning that “if the news environment becomes entirely blog-based, full of opinions without thorough fact-checking or context, the result will be people yelling at each other across the void, with little shared understanding.” Between 2009 and 2012, the Orwell Prize included a category for blogging.
By the late 2000s, blogs had become common features on corporate websites and were also widely used in grassroots political campaigns.
