I did a little research on the history of Weblogs to further add to my exploration of Journals, Diaries, and Blogs: Is there a difference? I found the history timeline of blogs interesting, especially how the definition of Weblog or blog changed. It appears that the change is in direct association with the users of blogging technology as the technology became more available to the average surfer and easier to use.

Here is an article written by journalist, Scott Rosenberg, in 1999 for salon.com that defines Weblogs and their use.

A short excerpt: Weblogs, typically, are personal Web sites operated by individuals who compile chronological lists of links to stuff that interests them, interspersed with information, editorializing and personal asides. A good weblog is updated often, in a kind of real-time improvisation, with pointers to interesting events, pages, stories and happenings elsewhere on the Web. New stuff piles on top of the page; older stuff sinks to the bottom. (At Salon, we’ve been using the “log” label a little differently, to denote short, newsy items that are posted frequently on our sites.)

Here is Dave Winer’s blog, one of the earliest and currently the oldest on the net. It has stayed true to the original definition of Weblog. Dave is the CEO of a technology and publishing company, UserLand. Here is his first entry in 1996.

Here is another early blog created by, Cameron Barrett, with an archive dating back to June of 1997.

Here is an article on Wired News posted on February, 2000 on the Weblogging explosion.

Here is an excellent essay written by Rebecca Blood on September, 2000 that offers a history of Weblogs, who coined the term, the original definition and how that definition expanded to include what blogging has become today.

Here is an article written in June 2001 on the development of Weblogs.

I’m going to keep exploring the blogging phenomenon when time permits. I’m sure it will continue to change and some will not be happy with how it changes.

I did get started on the National Novel Writing Month’s (or NaNoWriMo as it’s called) challenge yesterday. I’m just under 2,000 words, which is good for me but not good enough to get to 50,000 words in one month. My immediate problem is that I really do not have a clear story premise. What I have is several stories trying to be one story. When I read what I wrote yesterday, I want to edit it to create more of a story focus. My inner-child is screaming no, no, no! Are you crazy! Just keep writing! Okay, okay, on with the word count and maybe a real story will develop.

I haven’t even tried to update my word count on the NaNoWriMo site. Its just too slow for my old computer with a dialup connection. I can’t even maneuver the forums without getting frustrated waiting for a thread to load. It’s supposed to get better near the end of this week so I will wait until then to update my word count.

I don’t know how much writing I will accomplish on the days I have to go to work but I’ve decided to give myself two hours every evening to write. What I get done in that amount of time will have to be good enough. I have read on the NaNoWriMo forums about those burning the midnight fire to push through and complete their daily word count but I’m just too old to do that on nights before a work day. So I am timing the time I spend in front of this computer. If I don’t get to 50,000 words, so be it. I will have least started writing again.

Yes, there is such a month. Thank you, chartoo, for telling me about this site. I think it’s a great concept; write a 50,000 word novel in one month without editing as you write. Talent is optional. It’s all about quantity and quality can be put away for a month of free-flow writing. The month of writing began on November, 1 and will end at midnight November, 30.

The Web site, National Novel Writing Month, gives the details and provides tips and strategies, weekly pep talks, and a forum with active participants. Writers can even post excerpt from their novels in progress on the site (membership required). I’m finding that the site is slow to maneuver today, probably having a lot of traffic, which is a good thing.

I found a link on the National Novel Writing Month forum for a calendar wallpaper to help participants keep track of their word count here. Very well done and I’m sure it will be helpful to everyone joining in on a month of fast and furious writing, if for no other reason than to remind you to write.

Even if you don’t want to do a month of writing 50,000 words, the information found on the forums is worth exploring. I have signed up but have not written a single sentence to date. For someone like me, who obsesses over editing, it’s almost sacrilegious to not even think about editing as I write. Of course, it would probably be the best thing I could ever do for my writing, or perhaps I should say, for my procrastination and/or resistance towards writing. So, I’m off to start my quest, to show up at the blank page and allow my create-self full expression without fearing my internal editor’s critical eye and nimble eraser. I will update my progress throughout the month, positive or negative. Will I complete the 50,000 word challenge? Time will tell and so will I.