Facebook.com - A social utility that connects people with friends, colleagues, etc.
Twitter.com - A free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time.

 Personally, I only use WordPress, Facebook & Twitter. Was never a fan of MySpace.

1. WordPress.com - Blogs managed by the developers of WordPress.
2. Blogger.com - Blogging tool from Google for easily sharing your thoughts.
3. Windows Live Spaces - Blogging with your Windows Live (Hotmail/MSN) account.
4. Yahoo Profiles (formerly Yahoo 360) - Part of your Yahoo account.
5. LiveJournal.com - Once, one of the most well known of the blogging hosts.
6. Thoughts.com – Share your thoughts with family, friends and our members.
7. Blogr.com - Allows you to blog, host photos & videos, and podcasts.
8. Tumblr.com - A blog platform with a focus on allowing media-rich posts.
9. Bravenet.com - Blog hosting with RSS feeds and more.
10. Squarespace.com - Lets you build your blog with numerous themes.
11. ShoutPost.com - A platform for creating blogs with a focus on generating traffic.
12. Picso.com – Create your own microsite with drag’n'drop utilities
13. Aeonity.com - Blog hosting community.
14. Blog.ca - Made by you.
15. Blog.com - Blog hosting with unlimited bandwidth for their free package.
16. Blogabond.com - A site dedicated to travel blogs with map integration and more.
17. BlogCheese.com - A video blogging website.
18. Blogetery.com - Offers multiple templates, anti-spam, free sub-domain and more.
19. Blogsome.com - Based out of Ireland, this site uses the WordPress MU platform.
20. Edublogs.com - WordPress powered blogging for educators.
21. BlogSpirit.com - European based blogging site, offers 30-day trial.
22. Blogster.com - Offers free image hosting in addition to free blogs.
23. BlogYx.com - Blogging site with extras such as chat boxes so you can interact online.
24. Bloki.com - Lets you build a blog site and even open it up for collaboration.
25. BusyThumbs.com - A blog site for your text messages and camera phone images.
26. ClearBlogs.com - Blog hosting and offers friends only posts, IP-Banning and more.
27. Freevlog - Designed for video blogging.
28. GreatestJournal.com - Based on the same software as LiveJournal.
29. JorunalFen.net - Very much directed towards various “fandoms”.
30. LivePodium.com – Where blog readers speak their mind.
31. Multiply.com - Mixes blogging and social networking, with photo galleries and more.
32. Netcipia.com - Free blog/wiki for private/public display with 2GB storage.
33. One.com -  3 Click blog with one years free hosting.
34. OpenDiary.com - Offers unlimited storage and posts, low cost subscription rates.
35. Over-Blog.com - is a free blog platform to post text, photos, video and music.
36. SocialGo.com - Create an entire online community around your blog.
37. SoulCast.com - Want to blog anonymously?
38. Tblog.com - Blog without the restraints of un-flexible templates and klunky software.
39. Terapad.com - Offers blogs as well as features such as an integrated store.
40. Travelpod.com- Preserve & share your travel memories with a FREE travel blog.
41. Triond.com -  Gain recognition for your writing and earn monthly revenues.
42. Trippert.com - Create and share blogs of your travels.
43. MyEWeb.com - Making it easy for anyone to publish online.
44. Vox.com - Part of the SixApart family of blogging sites, geared towards personal journals.
45. Weebly.com - Allows you to create a site and blog, change designs on the fly.
46. WordCountJournal.com - Write one word on the first day, two words on the second day…
47. Wordmess.net - Upload pictures, videos and documents, supports Google AdSense
48. Xanco.com - Blogging site for you to share all your mobile communications.
49. Xanga.com - Part social network, part blogging, all free.
50. Zoomshare.com - Blog hosting with 250MB of free storage.

Source: Adapted from a MASHABLE list published in 2007. All dead links have been removed and I’v added some new ones. More coming soon.

Feel free to add some more to the list!

Technorati Tags: adsense, blog, blogger, Blogging, blogr, bravenet, facebook, free blog, free blog provider, free blog providers, free blogs, google, livejournal, micro-blogging, shoutpost, social networking, squarespace, tumblr, twitter, Wordpress

I was frequently asked this question during my freelancing days and used to give a rather generic answer. As blogs and ‘blogging’ have become so mainstream on both a personal and professional platform, I hardly ever hear that question anymore.

To put it simply -

A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order.

According to Wikipedia:

A blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting), which are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging, one which consists of blogs with very short posts.

With the advent of video blogging, the word blog has taken on an even looser meaning — that of any bit of media wherein the subject expresses his opinion or simply talks about something.

I particularly like Blogger’s explaination. It beams with enthusiasm.

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a website, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what’s new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Here are a few great posts out there discussing the term:

• My favourite, by Darren Rowse: What is a blog?
• Harvard Law; What makes a weblog a weblog?
• WordPress Introduction to Blogging

For more on the history of Blogging, check out Rebecca Blood’s post; Weblogs, a history and perspective.

If you’d like to start a blog of your own, I’ve created a small list of useful posts to check out before you start. I hope you find them helpful.

• Get blogging in minutes (I suggest reading this post first)
• 10 Quick Steps to Starting a Blog
• Introduction to Blogging by WordPress
• Free Blog Providers, list of 50 so far, more to come!

Technorati Tags: blog, blogger, Blogging, blogs, micro-blogging, technorati, weblog, wikipedia