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Introduction

A weblog (sometimes called a blog for short) is a site where stories are posted in time sequence, and typically people can post comments in a threaded discussion under the story. Some of the better known weblogs are SlashDot (built using SlashCode), Kuro5hin.org, Advogato.org, UserLand and http://blogger.com/.

The software used to build a weblog site is sometimes known as a ContentManagementSystem (see this article on CMSs and weblogs). PHP seems to be the most popular language for weblogs, mainly for scalability reasons it seems - see this thread comparing various PHP weblog tools including PhpNuke, PostNuke and many others.

Some Wikis are experimenting with weblog features, e.g. TWiki's own CommentPlugin and DiscussionForumAddOn as well as MeatBall:WikiLog and Pikie:WikiLog. The combination of Wikiness and Blogginess is sometimes termed a WikiLog.

Many weblogs are also adding Wiki modules - see PostNuke and SlashWiki for a couple of examples. However, they will (probably) still look like weblogs (many boxes on each page, wiki fits within this structure), whereas WikiLogs will look like wikis (simple pages, weblog entries fit within this).

And then, there are some sites playing with building bridges between pre-existing WebLog and Wiki packages. This approach neither makes a WebLog out of a Wiki, nor a Wiki out of a WebLog, but tries to link the two without embedding one within the other. (See DecafbadWiki:WeblogWithWiki.)

The ChangesProject on TWiki is also looking at how best to show changes to TWiki sites, which is something of a WebLog issue. This has been discussed a fair bit on TWiki but I don't know the topic names smile

What We're Doing When We Blog

There have been many write-ups on blogging. Over the past two or three years, it's a been nitche defining itself. The essay I like best is by Meg Hourihan. I found her article published in Dave Winer's DaveNet. Here's an excerpt that is the nut she builds around:

If we look beneath the content of weblogs, we can observe the common ground all bloggers share -- the format. The weblog format provides a framework for our universal blog experiences, enabling the social interactions we associate with blogging. Without it, there is no differentiation between the myriad content produced for the Web.

Whether you're a warblogger who works by day as a professional journalist or you're a teenage high school student worried about your final exams, you do the same thing: you use your blog to link to your friends and rivals and comment on what they're doing. Blog posts are short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal, no matter what topic they approach. They can be characterized by their conversational tone and unlike a more formal essay or speech, a blog post is often an opening to a discussion, rather than a full-fledged argument already arrived at.

As bloggers, we update our sites frequently on the content that matters to us. Depending on the blogger, the content varies. But because it's a weblog, formatted reverse-chronologically and time-stamped, a reader can expect it will be updated regularly. By placing our email addresses on our sites, or including features to allow readers to comment directly on a specific post, we allow our readers to join the conversation. Emails are often rapidly incorporated back into the site's content, creating a nearly real-time communication channel between the blog's primary author (its creator) and its secondary authors (the readers who email and comment).

Weblog software and sites

Here are some lists of weblog sites based on popular weblog software - there are a lot of weblogs out there... From a posting by Julian Bond in mid-2001, mirrored here to bypass Yahoo's intrusive advert. Weblogs are a good source of RSS (RichSiteSummary) feeds, particularly PHP-Nuke which advertises feeds on the front page.

A great way to find interesting weblogs and specific articles, including those most referenced by other blogs, is DayPop.


Slashcode Sites

See SlashCode

Scoop based sites

PHP-Nuke based sites (PhpNuke)

Other weblog software

Most are PHP and MySQL based.

Integrating MoveableType with TWiki

Here's a site that describes how to integrate MoveableType blogging software with our favorite Wiki software. -- LynnwoodBrown - 07 Dec 2002

Lists of weblog sites

Julian Bond eMail: julian@n...
HomeURL: http://www.shockwav.demon.co.uk/
WorkURL: http://www.netmarketseurope.com/
WebLog: http://roguemoon.manilasites.com/

TWiki-based WebLog

I have designed a weblog application entirely within TWiki. It's based on TopicClassificationAddOn with additional setup description presented here.

-- LynnwoodBrown - 22 Apr 2005

Media-wiki based WebLog

-- MartinCleaver - 04 Aug 2005

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Topic revision: r18 - 2005-08-05 - SvenDowideit
 
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