This week I got an email from an aspiring blogger, so I wanted to share a key terms that new bloggers need to know as they enter the world of web 2.0. Sometimes I see questions like this pop up on writer's forums, too. You regulars will probably know most of these terms already, so humor me.
1. Blogroll: a list of related blogs. Some people don't like to have too many outgoing links, because they are afraid to lose the traffice. But it's good blogging karma to link to bloggers you admire. Many of them will return the favor if you ask nicely and some will do it automatically.
2. Domain name: this is the name of a website. For instance, in the email address info @ somewebsite.com, some website” is the domain name and that’s what you’d type into a web browser to find the website. My blog domain is UrbanMuseWriter.com, but it used to be theurbanmuse.blogspot.com, because I let Blogger host. Generally, it's considered more professional to have your own domain (and it's dirt cheap, so there's really no excuse).
3. Social bookmarking: allows users to search, store, and organize favorite links and access them from any computer. Examples include Delicious, Digg.com, and StumbleUpon.com. If your article or website makes into the homepage of one of these sites, it can significantly increase traffic (some sites even crash thanks to the “Digg Effect”).
4. UGC: user-generated content (this is sometimes called citizen journalism if it's a news site). Examples include TripAdvisor.com, Yelp.com, and Zeer.com. About a year ago, a newspaper launched in Boston with the idea of bringing bloggers to print audiences five days a week. It died within a year. Magazines like Budget Travel have tried this, too.
5. Widget: third-party online applications that can be embedded in your website. If you've ever been on Facebook, then you've seen about a million and one widgets. I can't explain it very well, so here's a definition of widgets from someone who's more tech-savvy than I am.
Next week I'll write about tips for new bloggers, so if you have tips or questions, be sure to leave them in the comments!