How Blogs Grew Out of Diaries and Columns and Became a Cultural Phenomenon

Blogs did not appear by accident. They became a natural continuation of two older genres: personal diaries and newspaper columns. The internet made it possible to combine the intimacy of writing for oneself with the publicity and regularity of media. This is how a new phenomenon emerged, which quickly turned into a significant cultural force.

At first, blogs were called online diaries. The term web log was proposed by Jorn Barger in nineteen ninety seven, and a little later it was shortened to the familiar word blog. The late nineteen nineties marked the beginning of mass interest in blogging. Platforms such as Open Diary and LiveJournal appeared, making it possible for anyone to keep a blog.

The first true blogger is often considered to be Justin Hall, a bold and slightly eccentric student who in nineteen ninety four created the website links dot net. He wrote about everything, from his personal experiences and family difficulties to the oddities of the early internet. Hall essentially set the tone for the confessional style of blogging. His texts contained more personal experience than those of many later authors.

However, just a few years later, blogging became more serious. Programmer Dave Winer launched Scripting News, a blog about technology, internet culture, and politics. He helped develop RSS, podcasts, and content management systems that later became the foundation of modern blogging. For the IT community, his blog was like a daily newspaper for programmers.

By the end of the nineteen nineties, the blogosphere expanded beyond the technical environment. Science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle began publishing daily notes on politics, science, and life. People discovered a format that allowed them to share anything, from scientific debates and military programs to everyday details and letters from readers.

With the emergence of LiveJournal, Blogger, and other platforms, blogs filled the internet. The late two thousands became a true peak of blogging. But already in the twenty tens, the situation changed. Social networks drew audiences away, and text based blogging gradually declined. Its place was taken by video blogs, live streams, and podcasts. In essence, these are the same diaries, just in a new format.