Even Fodor's has injected this ugly term into this web site -- and I bet most of us who wish to use (and preserve) the English language have no idea what it means. Is it unique? Is it necessary? Or is it some hip term that obscures the truth?

No doubt "ugly" was a new word at some time too - - and someone almost surely objected - - "must we have a new word for the absence of beauty?"

In any event, blog is a contraction of "web log" - - and Fodors is barely using it in the sense it was originally put forward. This whole forum is a "web log" - - the biggest difference between this forum and "Right this way" is that this forum is successful in attracting commentary from others.

Best wishes,

Rex

As was web site? ? ?

Rich

Huh? I still don't get it.

A blog is when someone wants to talk about themselves and maybe their trips, they keep an on going report of feelings and events.
gogle- blogs and you can read a few. Several people I know have their own website to blog.

sorry, I have a disability, it's google.com

A lot of these 'blogs' are forums for holding a series of extended political discussions - a bit like some Fodors threads (before they're pulled by the editors). Some attract well-written and informed contributions, some are inhabited by semi-literate ravers.

I'm not sure how Fodor's version fits into this idea, but imagine a normal person, during any era in time, keeping ongoing notes about their life, trip, whatever. They're keeping a log. (aka a journal). Take the early computer geeks (which I can and do identify with) and apply the idea to putting it on the web so that others can read about what you're up to. Then say absolutely nothing. Often. It became a Web Log.

Computer guys, always on the lookout for ways to use new and cryptic words, in order to confuse and irritate the general public while impressing their socially challenged and somewhat reclusive associates, shortened it to 'BLOG.

Eventually it expanded so that some BLOGS became a social exercise themselves, allowing many such monitor jockeys to all add their input, rather than going out for a walk. Of course, the idea has caught fire and any series of entries entered in chronogically is now referred to as a BLOG - and even fewer people are getting in those walks. The trend has an approximate of about 8-12 more months, give or take.

Hi there--

I'd say that the characteristics blogs share is that each covers only a handful of topics, they're frequently updated, and they often link to other places on the Web. Some allow for comments, some don't.

The first blogs were often public diaries, and there are many examples of this kind. But blogs don't have to be all that personal -- they might cover local news, or new technology.

If you look under "A Few Good Blogs" in the left column of Right This Way www.fodors.com/news/, you'll find some more examples.


Best,

John Rambow
Editor of the Fodor's Blog

But there is also the obvious use in relation to travel that no one is quite mentioning. That is as both travel journal and reports back to friends and family.

Instead of emailing everyone, if you have a blog (a free and easy thing to get), you can post your entries from any computer and not only can anyone interested read them, but can also respond and read other responses. I would think the usefulness of this would be obious to anyone using these forums.

But also, if you are willing to spend a small amount (though this can also be done for free), you can post photos from your digital camera while on road.

Some of these features are obviously more useful for longer travels, and much of what has been said is true about blogs ingeneral, but that is what you get when you allow just anyone to publish their thoughts and opinions.

Clifton, interesting take on Blogs from an insider geek. Witty and fun. Thanks.

In terms of actual content and potential, there's little or no difference from any other website. The difference is that a number of sites offer people a simple, pre-set formula (as opposed to hand-crafted webpages) for journal entries, brief comments and links (or links with commentary).

If you will permit a little immodesty:

www.pjw74og.u-net.com/blogthoughts.htm

It's a pleasure to see you posting here, Mr. Rambow - - I have been (more than?) a bit critical of "Right This Way", perhaps because I have not quite grasped why items are more appropriate "there" than "here" (on the forum - - and not just the Europe forum).

In any event, I submit that regular contributions to this forum from Fodor's staff - - who, like many of "us" here, are presumably thinking about travel darn near all the time - - would always be most welcome.

John Rambow, I lke your little Thingey, what is it? I do not have my readers on. I am still not comfortable with the term "blog'. Must be showing my age ;-)!

Patrick

Thanks for the link to your site. I actually very much enjoyed that essay of yours.

I particularly loved this very ironic passage:

<i>It's the focus on someone's stream of consciousness I find strange. I don't think I work all that hard nowadays, but after working, commuting, eating, housework, reading books and keeping up with what's going on in the world, it's hard to find the time (and the temerity) to just witter on to the world at large. </i>

And no I'm not being sarcastic. I really enjoyed it!


Really blogs are nothing new - there have been internet journals in chronological order long before the term &quot;blog&quot; was coined. Before the web was much of anything they existed in Usenet (newsgroups). And before internet ones there were paper journals and oral stories of peoples' lives. All that's new is the ease with which new software tools allow non techies to create blogs and the trend that makes them much more popular.

The kids having been doing this for years and are surprised that it's just now getting attention and being called blogs. My daughter (former computer geek) was doing this when she was 11-12 years old. She is now 19 so it's definitely nothing new just a new name.

Well, it looks like a Fodors logo - - let me take a guess at how you make it - - does this work?

&fodors;

Oh well, it was one guess - - maybe he'll tell us, maybe he won't.

You're welcome Julie and thanks for the kind words.

John, it's a very nice feature and I do read it regularly. I'm also glad to see you stop to add to the thread. I'm just old school and set in my ways when it comes to terminology. How bad? My office sign, until I lost it somewhere, said &quot;Real men operate at the command line&quot;. (Ok, so it made me feel better that I wasn't out making a living lumberjacking or Thai boxing, but still...)

The small Fodor's icon next to my name is there because I'm on staff. It's there to prevent impersonation.

Zo, you're completely right that another major use of blogs is to document a trip or travels. I should have thought to mention this, since I'm doing one myself for an upcoming family reunion.

Rex, the short answer to your question about Forums vs. the blog is that in general Forums are for readers. Of course, we love it when there's something on the blog that Forums people think is worth linking to . . . .