Are you puzzled by strange blogging terms and unusual blog abbreviations and blogging acronyms? Then this post will get the Blargon Demystified. This article attempts to simplify some common blogging terms organized into a simple blogging glossary. Only common and popular blog tools and services have been included.

Note : The language used here is mostly non technical to make the newbie blogger understand the blogging basics. These have not been created by me, but collected over time. This is NOT a substitute for dictionary meaning or a strict definition of these terms, but a simple layman approach to understanding what they mean. Please feel free to propose a better meaning in the comments.

BLOGGING BASICS

Introduction to the very basic terms of blogging.

Weblog– An online dated diary listing your periodic thoughts on a specific topic, often in reverse chronological order.
Blog – short form for weblog, or web blog
Blogging – the act of posting on blogs
Blogger – a person who blogs
Blogosphere – The internet blogging community
CMS – Content management systems

BLOGGING FORMS

Terms used to specify various types of blogging.

Photoblogging – a blog predominantly using and focusing on photographs and images. Photoblogs are created by photobloggers
Podcasting – a method of distributing multimedia files (audio / videos) online using feeds for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Podcasts are created by podcasters.
Autocasting – is an automated form of podcasting
Blogcasting – the blog and the podcast merged into a single website.
Vlogging – Also called video blogging. Shortened to vlog. Posted by vlogger. A variant on the blogging using video instead of text.
Audioblogging – Also called audioblog, MP3 blog or musicblogs. a variant on the blogging using audio instead of text. Created by audioblogger.
Moblogging – Also called moblogs. A blog posted and maintained via mobile phone. Moblogs are created by mobloggers.

BLOG COMPONENTS AND FUNCTIONS

Terms used to specify various parts of a blog, their role and how they function.

Index page – the front page of the blog
Header – the topmost part of the blog usually listing the blog title.
Footer – the most bottom part of the blog usually listing navigation and copyright statements
Sidebar – One or more columns along one or both sides of most blogs main page
Categories – A collection of topic specific posts
Post, Entry– individual articles that make up a blog
Comments – enabling readers to leave their remarks
Avatar – A small picture of the commenter beside their comment. Gravatar is an advanced tool which can generate avatars
Captcha – short for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”. Those word and letter verification images you need to type in to show you are human and not a bot. Helpful to block automated spam comments.
Ping – Short for Packet Internet Grouper. Blog and ping helps to notify other blog tracking tools for updates, changes and trackbacks.
Trackback – A system by which a ping is sent to another blog to notify that their article has been mentioned by you
Pingback – See trackback.
Permalink – A link to a specific article
Tags – labeling / attaching keywords to collect similar posts
Tag cloud – Displaying tags lists or keywords in a blog.
Blogroll – list of links to other blogs in your sidebar. Also see blogrolling.com
Sideblog – A smaller blog usually placed in the sidebar of a blog.
Template – the blog presentation design
BlogThis – a function allows a blogger to blog the entry they a reading
Plugins – Small files that add improved functionality and new features. WordPress plugins can greatly improve your blog usage and interactivity
Widgets – small apps that add extra functionality and advanced features to blogs
Dashboard – When you login to your blogging account, it is the first screen with all controls, tools and functions.
Archives – a collection of all your posts on one page. Can be categorized by month etc.
Expandable post summaries – show a small teaser part of the post on the index page that link to the full post.
Jump – the continuation of a the story on another page to preserve space on index page.
FTP – short for file transfer protocol. Transferring file to and fro from your web host using FTP tools like Filezilla
SFTP – this is the secure form of FTP
Favicon – the small icon you see in the browser tab beside the page title
Hyperlink – the url of the page to which you redirect when you click the link/text/image

WEB FEEDS

Terms used to explain various types of feeds generated by different blogging platforms.

Web Feed – allows online users to subscribe to websites that change or add content regularly.
RSS – a family of web feed formats used for Web syndication. Short form for Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0), Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91, RSS 1.0), RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0). WordPress generates RSS 2.0
XML – short for eXtensible Markup Language. a general-purpose markup language for syndication formats used on blogs.
RDF – short for Resource Description Framework. A web content syndication format.
Atom – another specific web feed format. Blogger feeds are usually of this type.
OPML – short for Outline Processor Markup Language. It is an XML format for outlines. Easily import and export multiple blog subscriptions between different rss aggregators.
Photofeed– a web feed with image enclosures.

BLOGGING SOFTWARE / CLIENTS

Enlists types of common blogging platforms available

Blogger – a free blogging platform by Google.
Blogspot – free Blogger hosting blog at name.blogspot.com. Allows custom domain names as well
WordPress.org– Free. Easy to Upload, customize and upgrade. Requires own hosting and domain name.
WordPress.com – A WordPress blog hosted free for you. Limited advertising options
Tumblr – Possibly the easiest way to start a blog. Bought by Yahoo!
Typepad – paid blogging tool by SixApart
LiveJournal – free blogging tool by SixApart
Movable Type – paid blogging tool by SixApart

TYPES OF BLOGS

Blogs come in different varieties based on usage

Group blog– with multiple contributing bloggers.
Event blog – focused on an event
Kittyblogger – writing about cats.
Celeblog – focused on a celebrity.
Celebriblog – maintained by a celebrity.
Clog Blog – written in Dutch and/or in Holland.
CEOBlog – run by a chief executive officer.
Plog – a project blog. Also for Amazon.com personalized weblogs
Movlogs – mobile video blogs.
Splog– a spam blog
Tech blog – focused on a technical subject.
Anonoblog – by an anonymous blogger
Linguablog – about linguistics, translation etc.
Metablog – a blog about blogging.
Milblog – a military blog.
Blawg – blogged by a lawyer / related to legal stuff
Edu-blog – education-oriented blog.
Progblog – A progressive blog.
Shocklog – provokes discussion by posting shocking content
Klog – used by company knowledge workers. by Kloggers
Blogsite – A web site that combines blog feeds from a number of different sources
Dark Blog– A non-public blog
Photocast– a photoblog that automatically updates when new photos are added.
Vlog – video blog

BLOGGING HABITS

Blogging has incited some strange terms and habits

Metablogging – writing articles about blogging
Blogstipation – writer’s block for bloggers. Can’t think of what to blog about?
Blogathy – I do not want to post today and I do not care about it
Blogopotamus – A long long blog post
Blogorrhea – unusually high output of articles
Bleg – To use one’s blog to beg for assistance etc.
Hitnosis – Refreshing your browser repeatedly to see if your hit counter or comments have increased
GAD – Google Adsense Disorder. Repeatedly checking your AdSense earnings.
Blego – Blog+Ego. Measuring blogger worth
Blog hopping – jumping from one blog to another
Blogroach – A commenter who rudely disagrees with posted content
Blogoholic – addicted to blogging
Blogorific = blogtastic – something which a blogger says is terrific
Blogsit – maintaining a blog while the primary blogger is on leave
Blogvertising – Also called blogvert. Advertising on a blog.
Blurker – a blog reader not posting comments, just lurking around quietly.
Blogathon – update your website every 30 minutes for 24 hours straight. Maybe collect sponsorships.
Blogiversary – your blog birthday
Blog Carnival – Links to other articles covering a specific topic.
Multiblog – running multiple blogs
Blog Tipping – Compliment 3 blogs on day 1 of every month.
Blogger bash – a blogger party
Commenter – someone who leaves remarks/comments
Reciprocal Links – called link love. You link to my blog, I link to yours. To improve search engine rankings.
Linkbaiting – a habit of writing good content with the sole purpose of getting it linked from multiple sites.
Blogstorm – a large amount of blogosphere activity due to particular controversy. Also called Blog Swarm.
Blogsnob – refusing to respond to blog comments from “not-friends”.
Doppelblogger – plagiarizes the content of another blogger. To Doppelblog.
Blogophobia – Fear of blogs and blogging.
Bloggerel – the same opinion posted repeatedly on a blog
Vlogging – posting video content primarily
Guest Blogging – posting articles on other sites to get backlinks an readers

BLOGGER TYPES

Lists types of bloggers based on how and what they blog

Problogger – a professional blogger
Blognoscenti – especially knowledgeable bloggers
Blogebrity – a famous blogger.
Blogerati – the blogosphere intelligentsia.
Commentariat – The community of those leaving comments.
Dooced – lost a job because of blog entries. To Dooce.
Blogther – a fellow blogger.
A-List– the top bloggers who influence the blogosphere.
Blogstar– blogger running a popular blog

OTHER BLOGGING TERMS

Many more terms to fit and use.

Bloggies– Annual blogging awards.
MSM – Mainstream Media, or old media like newspapers etc.
BSM – Blogstream media. from most heavily trafficked blogs.
Blog Day – 31 August. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting and tell them.
Blaudience – your blog audience.
Blargon – Also called Blogssary. Blogging slang and glossary. What I am telling you now.
Blogiversary – your blog birthday
Blogiverse – see blogosphere
XFN – short for XHTML Friends Network. Is a simple way to represent human relationships using hyperlinks.
Blogonomics – blogging conference on a Blog Cruise in 2006.
EFF – short for Electronic Frontier Foundation. A nonprofit group working to protect blogger rights.
Blog of Note – a recommended blog.
Navbar – a navigation bar usually seen on top of Blogger blogspot hosted blogs.
Blook – a book created from a blog.
Hat Tip– acknowledgement of the source that tipped you the news.
Spomments– Spam comments
Blammer– Blog spammer
SOB– acronym for Successful and Outstanding Blogger. From successful-blog.com
Blogiday– you get fed up and take a holiday from blogging

BLOGGING TOOLS & SERVICES

So many blogging tools, clients, feed readers to enhance the blogging experience.

Bloglines, Rojo, Newsgator, and Kinja, – are News Aggregators that display content from syndicated Web content from web feed. Can be configured online or downloaded on your desktop. Like . Also called RSS readers, feed readers, feed aggregators or news readers
Pageflakes, Newsvine – Track multiple feeds on a single page by modules.
Odeo, and Podnova – are Podcatchers, a form of aggregator used to automatically download podcasts and can sometimes transfer a portable media player. Like
Feedburner – a professional feed management system
Pingomatic, Pingoat – ping multiple blog tracking services.
Feedblitz, Zokooda – Email subscriptions and newsletter tools.
Technorati – a real-time search engine that keeps track of what is going on in the blogosphere
b5media, 9rules – examples of popular blogging networks. Collection of blogs and bloggers providing great content, with revenue sharing sometimes.
K2, Blix – names of some popular WordPress themes.
Blogexplosion, and Blogclicker– popular blog traffic generation/exchange services.
Adsense, Adbrite, CJ, Chitika, Blogads, Clickbank, and Commission junction – are popular affiliate programs to generate money from your blogs.
Sphere, Icerocket – blog search engines
Live Bookmarks – a firefox web browser feature. Update themselves automatically with the latest content from the Web.
Creative Commons – licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors to offer a voluntary “some rights reserved” approach.
CoComment – Tracks your comments across different platforms and follows conversations
WBloggar, Ecto, Qumanna – desktop blog publishing tools
Mint, Mybloglog, Measuremap, Analytics – site traffic tracking tools.
Haloscan– free trackback service
YouTube, Rapidshare– puts video on your blog
Flickr, Imageshack – photo sharing service. Host images on your blog
Del.icio.us, furl, spurl – share social bookmarks.
Blogburst – Syndicating your feed to top publishers.
Bloggeropoly – professional blogger recruiting agency
Blogger code – a way to describe different types of bloggers.
Bloggoggle – Directory of Blogging Professionals
BlogHer – where the women bloggers are. At Blogher.org

BLOG TRAFFIC SURGES

When your site traffic explodes due to blogging …

Digged – link posted on digg.com driving huge traffic to your blog
Slashdotted – link posted on slashdot.org driving huge traffic to your blog
Instalanche – link posted on instapundit.com driving huge traffic to your blog
Farked – link posted on fark.com driving huge traffic to your blog
Boing Boinged – link posted on boingboing.net driving huge traffic to your blog

MISCELLANEOUS BLOGGING TERMS

For those other times…

Ajax – acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. creates interactive web applications.
Greasemonkey – a firefox web browser extension that can alter the functionality of any website using specific scripts.
Wiki – a collaborative on-line software that allows readers to add and edit content.
SEO – search engine optimization. To improve your search engine rankings.
Page Rank – Google measures of the importance of a page which reflects in its rankings.
CMS – short for the Content management system. software used to publish and manage websites.

This post is constantly updated. Help me develop this blogging resource to include all popular blogging terms and create a useful blogging glossary. I repeat that this is NOT a substitute for dictionary meaning or a strict definition of these terms, but a simple layman’s approach to understanding what they mean. Please feel free to propose a better meaning in the comments.

Bloggingly Yours…