What's a blog?

A few weeks ago my mom posted a message on her Carepage from my sister's blog. Many people posted replies to the message, including my aunt, my dad's eldest sister, who wrote this (unedited!):

Dear Patty, Sarah and all, Isn't this technology just great !!!!!! I thought E-mail was the bestest thing, but just what is a ""blog"" ??????? Another way to share I guess and that was a wonderful ""blog"" from Sarah. The very bestest things are hugs and smiles and if ""blogs"" can pass those around-------God bless the ""blog"" !!!!!

Beyond her ridiculous over use of quote marks and punctuation, I found this message to be very funny--and enlightening.

It reminded me of a lunch-time conversation I had about two and a half years ago with a group of English professors at the university I worked for at the time. Most of the professors were middle-age or younger, but one venerable--and favored--faculty member was in his 80s. In the middle of lunch he blurted out, "Now can anyone tell me why I see all these people with white wires hanging down the sides of their faces and what in the world is a blog?"

After I stifled my laughter I told him about ipods. Another faculty member chimed in that blogs are on-line diaries and they are "getting lots of kids in trouble--even ruining their chances of getting jobs--because of the personal stuff they put on-line for the world to see".

At the time I didn't have a blog and didn't read blogs, but I at least knew that they weren't all bad. In fact, I knew that a good friend of my brother had just been hired by VH-1 as a writer because they liked his blog so much. I shared this concept of blogs being used for good rather than evil with the table and the discussion lasted for about a half hour.

Two and a half years and 100 posts later, I clearly know much more about blogs. I wonder if those professors do, too?

And, I wonder what in the world my aunt would say if I shared this blog with her!!