You have certainly heard about blogs. If you don't have a blog yourself, there must be at least one of your friends who has one. Celebrities have their own blogs. Pop stars, politicians, actors, but also ordinary people devote part of their spare time to blogging. But what is a blog and why have they become so fashionable? A blog is, mostly, an online diary where you can write your thoughts, impressions and views on life for other people to read. If you have a hobby that you are very fond of (like gardening, playing the guitar or collecting stamps), you can write about it in your blog. You can also use the blog to share your favorite music and videos with other people.

But what is the whole purpose of blogging? Why would you want people you don't even know to read about your personal life? Of course, the answers to these questions cannot be universal. It depends entirely on the blogger. For some people, blogs are helpful in their professions. Celebrities use blogging to keep in touch with their fans and promote their new albumes or movies. With the expansion of Internet, blogging has become the most efficient and inexpensive method of publicity. It is no wonder that even politicians have made their own blogs, to attract electors. Writers can also use blogs to publish pieces of their writing and wait for feedback from their readers.

Even if you are not a celebrity, blogging has many advantages. You can communicate with a wider range of people and meet persons who share your opinions and interests. The blogging communities give you the opportunity to make new friends and learn what life is like in other parts of the world. Bloggers leave comments on each others? blogs, so writing a blog is not like talking to yourself. It is more like a dialogue, as you get feedback from people who read your blog. Here is the place where you can say what you really think?without the fear that others may judge you. This doesn't mean, of course, that you can feel free to denigrate other people or write racist and discriminatory content. However, there are shy and introvert persons that find it hard to express their opinions in live discussions. The anonymity of the blog allows them to communicate easier and share their most intimate beliefs.

If you have friends living in other countries, you probably talk to them on the phone or via email. Have you ever thought to use blogging in order to keep in touch with your faraway friends? Suppose something really funny has happened to you and you cannot wait to share it with your friends. You can start to write emails to each of your friends, but by the time you have got to the third email, you will feel that the story lacks humor and it doesn't sound so funny anymore. A better idea is to write your funny story on the blog, where all your friends can read it. You don't need writing talent in order to have a successful blog. The beginning can be hard sometimes, but once you have got used to it, it will come naturally. You can think of your blog as a virtual place where you can meet friends for an (imaginary, of course) cup of coffee and a nice chat.