Semantic micro-blogging may sound like a mouth-full of techno speak, but it's actually a fairly simple subject that has attracted a large following recently. Semantic micro-blogging is essentially a publishing method that allows short bursts of information to be aggregated under umbrella categories and easily synthesized on the web. But to understand semantic micro-blogging, one must first understand its component pieces: blogging, micro-blogging, and the semantic web.



What is a blog?

A blog -- short for weblog -- in the broadest terms is a form of online commentary. It is often text-based (video blogs are called "vlogs"), separated into entries, and presented in reverse chronological order. Blogs and blogging have become popular over the past few years as a form of publishing short-form opinion, analysis, and even fiction on the internet.

And with the growth of blogs and their emergence into mainstream society, many corporations and other large entities have begun "blogging" to keep the public at large abreast of their plans, ambitions, and day-to-day activities.

At its core, a blog is an internet-based publishing platform. It is a cheap, easy-to-use method of disseminating information over the web.

What is micro-blogging?

Micro-blogging is blogging on a small scale (usually under 200 characters). The difference between micro-blogging and blogging is accessibility and readability.

Micro-blogging involves recording very short, "stream of consciousness" thoughts onto whatever medium the micro-blogger wishes. Sites like Twitter and Facebook have popularized micro-blogging as a means of communicating quick thoughts to a large number of people instantly. It is a fast-paced, slimmed-down version of blogging that allows users to push thoughts, rather than ideas, out to a large network of people.

The advantages of micro-blogging over blogging within the accessibility and readability parameters mentioned above are a function of a micro-blogs size. Small messages can be written and read very easily on mobile devices. This makes micro-blogging a much more practical means of communicating when away from a computer.

One interesting implementation of micro-blogging has been through citizen journalism. This application of the service has added a new dimension to the platform and very well may prove to be its most important and compelling use.

What is the semantic web?

Semantics has to do with the meaning of words. And when applied to the web, it has to do with the association of content with different words. The essence of the semantic web is found in a web search -- the results that come up when you search for a certain word or phrase. As the web becomes more semantic, search functions and content aggregations will become more precise.

Putting it all together

Semantic micro-blogging involves "grouping" micro-blogs together into threads via semantics. On the Twitter service, this involves using a hash (#) followed by a keyword to target a specific search term. The purpose is to collect messages of the same tone or purpose and make them easily digestible for research or educational initiatives.

The reason semantic micro-blogging is innovative is that it's basically a group of thoughts, categorized within a keyword or phrase, that can be archived indefinitely. It's a recordable zeitgeist on the internet.