How to Recognize a Blog

Blogs can be categorized by either their format or function. Blog publishing software provides the user with several options that allow her to customize her blog. A person can organize her blog to become a personal diary, an electronic clippings folder, a publication inviting commentary and feedback from readers, or a unilateral communication device that publishes the creator's thoughts and opinions without providing a feedback option. A blog's structure will inform the blog's function. For example, a blog that invites reader feedback becomes a dialogue. A blog that serves more of a function as a pamphlet lets its creator rant into the universe without much concern for a response. The diary format serves the function of giving the creator's voice a forum for expression.