Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, then you’ve surely heard the word ‘blog’ being tossed around online or in the papers. But what the heck is a blog?

The term is actually short for ‘weblog’—an online personal journal that is updated frequently and intended for general public consumption. Differing from traditional websites, the essential characteristic of a blog is that, like a journal, it updated regularly (sometimes daily) and written in an informal style. Unlike a journal, outsiders are encouraged to read and comment on entries.

As blogs closely represent the personality of the author, they often include philosophical deliberations as well as commentary on social and internet issues.

The first blog was started in 1994. Since early 2003 blogs have gained increasing notice and coverage for their role in breaking and shaping news stories. One of the most significant events leading to blog proliferation was the Iraq War, where bloggers from both sides of the political spectrum publicised points of view that put an interesting twist on the more traditional political dichotomy.

Today’s 20 million blogs are being used for more than just political ramblings. Corporate blogging is fast becoming the next hot trend as companies such as Microsoft and eBay give their employees free reign on publishing details about the internal workings of the organisations. Have a look at http://googleblog.blogspot.com and http://ebaystrategies.blogspot.com just to name a few.

On Australian soil, several corporations have started blogging. Just this month Telstra launched a new website promoting blogging as a key feature. Born out of the need to communicate better with Telstra’s stakeholders, the site (www.nowwearetalking.com.au) houses facts and views on topics ranging telecommunication regulation in Australia to mobile phones. Given Telstra’s ‘discussions’ with the Federal Government on regulation, there is a not-so-subtle PR objective behind this website.

Even Internetrix now has our very own blog. To start with, we’re posting our newsletter articles, and in coming months we’ll be introducing personal features from key staff members. Check out http://blog.internetrix.net to have a look and post your thoughts and comments.

If you’re now itching to have your own blog or one for your business, then signup to one of the free providers for a ‘no frills’ package (www.blogger.com, www.wordpress.com, www.xanga.com) If you would like some further advice on how to make use of a captive audience of blog readers to promote and market your business, then feel free to contact Internetrix.