Discussions

Blogs

• What's a blog?

  A blog is an online journal written by one or more authors. Blog articles usually appear in reverse-chronological order, so you see the most recent article first, followed by earlier articles. Some blogs have comments from readers, which you can read by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of the article. You may also be able to post comments to those blogs.

• How do I post a comment on a blog?

  It's easy. Posting a comment on a blog is a lot like replying to a message on a board. If the blog is open for comments, you'll see a Post a Comment link or a Comment count link at the bottom of the article.

  To post your comment:

  1. Click the Post a Comment or Comment count link.
     You can post a comment to an article or to someone else's comment.
  2. Type your comment in the Post a Comment area.
     You can use simple HTML and quote the article you're commenting on. You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first.
  3. When you're happy with your comment, click Post Your Comment.

  Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

• Can I post a blog comment without registering or logging in?

  Yes, you can!

  All we ask is that you give us your name (which we'll show) and your email address (which we won't). You may also be able to enter a website URL to display with your comment.

  Then, simply type your comment and click Post Your Comment.

  You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first. And since you're not a registered member of the community, you may be asked to take a test to prove that you're a person and not a robot.

  Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

• Where is my blog comment? I posted a comment, but don't see it.

  Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

  If your comment doesn't appear immediately, check back in a few minutes. If it still doesn't appear, your comment is most likely in the approval queue.

• Can I edit or delete my blog comments?

  No, you can't. Be sure to check your spelling and preview your comment before you post it; you can't edit a comment once it's posted.

• How do I share a blog article with friends?

  If you want to tell your friends about blog articles, you can use any of dozens of shared bookmarking, social network, or other tracking services, such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, Facebook, MySpace, Google, StumbleUpon, Technorati, or Twitter. All you need is an account with the service and friends to share with.

  To share a blog article:

  1. When you get to an article you want to share, click the Bookmark button.
  2. Click the service you want to use.
     The next steps depend on the service. You may need to log in. If you don't already have an account, you'll probably be asked to register and create one. The way you share the article also depends on the service.

  Just choose a service and go. That's all there is to it.

• Can I subscribe to a blog?

  Yes. You can subscribe directly to a blog or an article, or you can subscribe to their RSS feeds. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can use an RSS reader to view new content that's added to the blog. If you subscribe directly to a blog or article, you receive an email alert when new articles or comments are posted.

  To	Do this
  Subscribe to a blog	Go to the blog page and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog.
  Subscribe to an article	Go to the article and choose Article Options > Subscribe to this Article.
  Subscribe to an RSS feed	Go to the blog or article and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog's RSS Feed or Subscribe to this Article's RSS Feed. Then, save the live bookmark or whatever you usually do to add an RSS feed.

• What's a Blog Reaction?

  The blogosphere is a very interconnected place where bloggers constantly react -- comment on and refer -- to the work of other bloggers. Technorati^TM is a specialized search engine that tracks reactions to more than 100 million blogs, including the one you're reading. Blog reactions, like comments, tell you what others think about a blog article and can be interesting to read.

  To view reactions to an article:

  1. Click View Blog Reactions at the bottom of a blog article.
     The link takes you to a Technorati page that lists all the reactions (if any) to the article you were reading.
  2. Click any of the links and start reading.

  That's all there is to it.

• What's a Permalink?

  A permalink, short for permanent link, is the URL for a specific blog article. In an active blog with lots of entries, a particular article will only stay on the blog's front page for a short period of time. It becomes hard to bookmark a specific blog article or to email a link when the article you want is replaced with something new.

  This is where permalinks, which alway stay the same, come in handy. They take you directly to an article, rather than to the blog's front page, which typically shows only the last few articles.

  To use a permalink:

  1. Click Permalink at the bottom of a blog article.
  2. Copy the URL that appears in your browser's navigation toolbar.
  3. Paste the link wherever you need it.

  That's all there is to it.