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"Blog" is a blanket term for a website comprising a sequential, time-based series of linear updates, running from most to least recent. A number of software tools exist to facilitate the creation of such sites for those with limited time or technical knowledge - one of the most well-known is Blogger, which started out essentially as an FTP client and branched out into elements of social software and web hosting. People often confusedly represent a weblog created using Blogger as the only thing identifiable as a "blog".
LiveJournal is a particular software product for blogging, owned by 6 Apart. The special features of LiveJournal tend towards ease of use and towards community building. Its major distinction from other blogging software is its introduction of filters, which allow you to screen content to a selected group of other members of LiveJournal. So, although content on LiveJournal can be open to the public, it does not have to be. As such, a LiveJournal can function as a personal diary, an informal discussion group for friends, a subject-specific discussion group or a public weblog, all at the same time, through the use of access controls. It might be easiest to think of it as a social software system with a blogging client as its front end. Something like MySpace continues the ease-of-use line by building more functionality into the basic page structure, in terms of customising with pictures, adding background music, providing download links - which is either useful or bloaty, depending on what you want to do, how good a coder you are and whether or not you have your own server. |
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