If you've been surfing the web for the past year or five, you've undoubtedly heard of "blogs" or weblogs. These personal Internet journals have taken the Internet by storm. Frequently updated and written in a personal tone, a blog is a diary or journal where the writer or "blogger" will write her observations on the world or provide links to useful websites. Different bloggers write about different themes, sort of like a newspaper columnist but with no specialized training necessary.

The first blog is said also to have been the first website in 1992. Blogs didn't really start to take off until the late nineties, however, and they gained in popularity after 2000. Early blogs were mostly lists of recommended links with some commentary. Since then, they've evolved to something different. Now anyone who fancies himself a writer, and even some people who don't, has a blog on the Internet. Thanks to easy-to-use programs and websites, the most technically challenged person can get a blog online. This isn't a bad thing, as there's something out there for everyone.

For some, blogs are strictly vanity projects as they ramble on about their daily observations to family and friends. For others, blogs take on a deeper meaning. Blogs can be used to make political statements, promote products, provide research information, and give tutorials. If there's a subject that interests you, there's a good chance someone's writing a blog about it.

Everyone's jumping on the blogging bandwagon. Blogs written by politicians, musicians, novelists, sports figures, newscasters and other notable figures have been spotted. Because of this, blogs have also been the center of controversy. Since one can write about anything in a blog, complaints about others are commonplace. In many blogs, names are named. There have also been issues with employees writing about their place of employment in blogs and getting fired. Though you can write what you want in a blog, you're not exempt from the repercussions. Anyone who makes a controversial statement had best be well prepared to back it up.

Blogs have become so mainstream that the word "blog" was Merriam-Webster's word of the year in 2004. It has even become a category on the hit television game show, Jeopardy. Families now use blogs to keep in touch and teachers assign blogs as writing assignments. "Newsweek" magazine even recommends a few notable blogs each week to its readers.

It appears that blogging is here to stay. If you've considered a blog, you'll be happy to learn that many services make creating your own blog as easy as typing and clicking. Why not start your own blog?