Online Magazines, You Can Believe Them!

Blog, blog, blog, everyone wants to blog. What exactly is a blog? For the most part, a blog is just someone telling a story about someone or something or some place or some activity or some event. That is basically what a blog is. Most blogs have a way that the reader can communicate with the writer of the blog, but sometimes that option is simply not available. What makes blogs interesting is that writers can use their own slang language, whether that is pig-Latin or some other form of language that the writer invents. Even better than that, the writer of a blog can write in a foreign language no matter where he is situated at the time. The basic idea is that the writer goes to the site, provides an email address and then writes his own little stories of life and whatever is in between life and death. Yes, some write about death also. Bloggers will and do write about anything on earth.

Many times bloggers use their space to complain and gripe about the world and its' processes. People will write blogs and complain about the weather, about work, about school, about storms, tragedies, about kitchen equipment. Whatever is around in life bloggers find the way and the means to complain about it in a blog. And, watch out if someone has a beef with you, you just might see the beef online on the net. You will read blogs about people's bosses and people's families and anything at all remotely connected to the writers. And on the other hand, you might see some educational blogs, where some would like to teach others academic lessons. That is the wonderful part of the net that you can see and hear just about anything and everything. (You can hear some blogs if they add videos or audio pieces). Now, just because writers are able to write about almost anything that does not mean that you have to read about everything. After all, not everyone is interested in every subject on earth. And think about it, not everyone is interested in Jack's boss or Joan's uncle. Some write about their personal relationships and others write about their operations. If you see it in the world, you most likely will see it in the area of blogs.

So, what makes the difference between an ordinary blog that anyone (with an email account) can write and an online magazine or literature or academic website? There are many differences, but the largest, most obvious difference between blogs and magazines is the fact that bloggers generally can and will use any language and any type of language (even if such a language is non-existent) that they want to use. Really, no joke, a blogger can make a language up and write in that language. I am not saying that anyone might even read such a blog, but I am stating the possibilities. And it is quite possible that a blogger can make up a language and write in his made-up language. And, that is entirely acceptable by the company that set up the blogger's account. Basically there is no approval process in the blog area of writing. If a blogger wants to write FLUFF, then a blogger writes FLUFF. If a blogger wants to write lies, then a blogger writes lies. There is no approval and no denial process when you are writing or publishing a blog.

Blogs and Online Magazines are Very Different:

1. Bloggers can write any words they want to write, whether they are true, misspelled false, or whether they are even words or not.
2. Many times, more than not, usually the blogger is trying to impress someone by writing in a blog.
3. Blog writings are published almost instantly or as fast as your computer can digest it.
4. Online magazines are more organized in the fact that, usually, there are chapters, and sections and many detailed divisions that writers can write into.
5. Online magazines have an official approval or denial process (rules and regulations about which types of writings they will approve or not). (Companies that service and publish blogs have a TOS (terms of service), but many times, bloggers ignore these TOS and some do get away with ignoring them and that leads to more inaccuracies in blogging. Yet, if you want more accurate and truthful information, you might want to go to an online magazine instead of going to a blog. (Yes, there are some blogs that are accurate but for the most part, blogs are usually written for fun or for complaints, rather than for any other serious purposes.
6. Online magazines are slower, and the approval process could take a day to ten days or more, depending on the online magazine.
7. Some blogs have spell-check available but most online magazines have spell-check available.
8. Generally in a blog you can talk and say, "dems and dose --thems and those" and all sorts of fractures of the English language and phrases.
9. An online magazine is a little more formal in that most of the language is correct English or correct in some other language.
10. Generally online magazines are more respected and or more accurate than most blogs (due to their approval processes.
11. Many times in blogs you might see discouraging or even obnoxious remarks in the comments section and some blog writers allow that kind of writing to stay there in their blog.
12. In most reputable magazines, you will not see anyone calling anyone names or typing derogatory remarks about anyone. just for the sake of complaining. (For example, you might see an article about a defective automobile part in an online magazine but you might see a blog writing about an auto mechanic that the blog writer thinks is "bullish" or "fat" . Do you see the difference? Usually the online magazines are about facts, education, information, and progress, where most blogs (unless they are specialized for education or health) are mere vehicles of complaints and similar actions.

Some blogs are different than personal blogs. There are blogs that corporations set up or that groups set up for personal training or for sharing experience. Recently I came across a blog that was about crimes committed against the disabled. Now, though this is a blog, it is quite a serious one, that is filled with good information, and facts. So probably since some sites have approval systems and or censorship, censorship would be the biggest difference in a blog and an online magazine. You probably could write that Jim is a jerk in side a blog but probably could not write that in an online magazine (unless the name of the magazine was All About Jim)
You, the reader, need to decipher whether you came to read a blog or an online magazine or both. But know when you are reading a blog, that not everything inside a blog is true. Most times in an online magazine, you might see references or notations which will point to the writer of quotes and other statements in the magazine. In a blog, on the other hand, you might see a writing such as , "Mary chopped the cherry tree down in front of my home and I yelled and yelled at her ". Now, the reader reads that and might think, "wow, Mary is naughty for doing that". However, the educated reader says to himself or herself, "Wonder if that is true; after all it sounds like hearsay and after all it is just written in someone's blog".

Yes, you must question the truth always, especially if you do not know the writer. So, question things whether you read them in a blog or in an online magazine. Question everything when it comes to important things. It has been my experience that a lot of the seemingly facts that are written in most blogs are not as exact as the writer would want you to think. So, again, question and question. Never let someone's gossip page change your mind or convince you of something that happened or did not happen. Judge for yourself.

The best blogs are supported by online magazines or by other resources or printed material. As a professional, if I had to make the choice of a blog or online magazine, I would choose the magazine first and write the blog later on.

Some Blogs are Good: The purpose of this article is not to discourage anyone from writing a blog. On the contrary, I encourage everyone to have their own blog. The purpose is to remind individuals and groups that not everything that you read in blogs is the truth. I just wanted to remind the reader that when and if they read something damaging or seriously libelous inside a blog, they need to stop, pause and really think about the process of how that information was obtained and printed. The reader needs to discern whether the blog writer has a grudge against someone or if the so-called facts inside the blog are true or false. That is all this article is about. I remind everyone that if you read something about your Aunt Tilley or about the Secretary of State or about your neighbor inside a blog and if that writing is strewn with angry , upsetting or libelous words, then you know that there is cause for pause. Then pause only long enough to figure out what the real truth is.

In this day and age, just because of quickness and just because everything wants everyone right away, we tend to just read and believe. I am writing to urge people to read and to think. Yes, stop to think. Ask yourself important questions about the writing. And then decide for yourself what you believe is true. Sometimes it helps to check sources, references and or footnotes or even check far back into the referenced literature, but do check. Anyone with an email address can publish almost anything inside a blog. Even people without email addresses can write for blogs if they have a friend who will furnish an email address to them temporarily . Blogs serve a purpose and online magazines serve another purpose. So, choose which one works best for you. If you want to use slang, or make up your own words, then blogging might be the way to go. If you want to have a professional website, be accountable for what you write and print, and if you want to know exactly how many readers you have, then perhaps online magazines, with special features and additions, might be the way for you to go. Choose carefully and wisely and you will be most successful and productive in reaching your goals.

So what are the other differences between blogs and online magazines? There are many other differences. I will get into the other differences in a later article about blogs and online magazines. Most blogs are free and many journals and magazines online are free. I have not yet seen a blog that permits you to automatically make a widget for your articles and yet online magazines, most, have this feature. Some online magazines have single buttons to press for you to print an article or for you to make copies of the article for your own benefit. The differences between a blog and an online magazine are as different as night and day. Decide which one serves your purpose and open that kind of an account.

Any names or personal references used in this entry are merely for example and not related to any living human beings. Any names used in this online magazine are for example only, and the author apologizes for any similarity herein.

Article updated Thursday, May 15, 2008.

Published author, creator of genuine, unique television shows that air on Time Warner and on Cablevision in New York City. A warm-hearted individual who gives a voice to those who have been silent all along. This author produces television shows about almost all topics that help people in their lives. Many of the shows are entertainment; some are information and resources and still others are festivals, fiestas, and community events that bring all people together in one place in the city or in the country.