By Igsaan Salie
Millions around the globe are daring to share online, writes Igsaan Salie.
Some consider blogs to be the online equivalent of scribblings on the back of a toilet door, while others say they are a tool that empowers the masses to express themselves.
Regardless of your point of view, blogs or "web-logs" are here to stay.
The number of blogs worldwide stands at more than 30 million. Blogs, loosely defined as online journals updated frequently, have begun intriguing an increasing number of South Africans in a growing "blogosphere".
Anyone can register free on a large number of blog-hosting services, such as Blogger or iBlog.
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You can then email them regarding your blog site design or how you would like your site to look.
You then update the site as often as you like.
These online diary entries cover an array of topics, or simply reflect the everyday life of millions of people across the globe.
'There are thousands of blogs in operation but most of them are dormant' In the past three years, blogs have grown from being online diaries to becoming support and debating forums.
Blogs cover any topic, from the Baby Jordan and Jacob Zuma trials to South Africa's dismal cricket performance and inflation.
Tony Carr of the Centre for Educational Technology at the University of Cape Town said blogs began in the early 90s but only took off in a big way in the United States in 1999.
He said statistics showed that the number of blogs worldwide stands at more than 30 million - and this number doubles every five and a half months.
He said the number of blogs was increasing fast, and it had been alleged that a blog was being registered every second.
He attributed the huge numbers of sites to many of the bloggers updating their sites only once or twice and then leaving them dormant.
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