A moblog is a combination of the words mobile and blog. As Internet connectivity has increasingly gone mobile through the use of mobile devices like PDAs, cellphones and the like, some dedicated bloggers upload picture or text on the go, instead of simply sitting at home and blogging about their subjects of interest. One of the most popular of current moblogs is Twitter, which allows people to blog via cellphones and keep tabs immediately on what others in their social network are doing.
The ability to upload photos and text while not at home can lend immediacy to a blog. If you write about fashion for instance, you could take pictures of people wearing clothing you like (or hate) and almost immediately upload these to places like Twitter, or to sites like Facebook. A good website on bird watching gets even better if you snap pictures and blog about rare birds when you’re on a bird watching excursion, or even just viewing an unusual bird while you pick up a few groceries.
Naturally, creating a moblog means you need access to a handheld device that allows you to blog on the go, and a way (such as wireless Internet) to immediately transmit new materials to your blog. Cell phones and PDAs, or even a good digital camera hooked up to an Internet connected laptop can make mobile blogging easier. Programs like 3Guppies, a widget that can be used to connect cell phones to the Internet, to post on MySpace pages, are leading the charge in helping people quickly download what’s happening at the moment.
The moblog not only allows people to make near instant posts on their blogs, but also allows others to track their favorite moblogs and be alerted when these blogs are updated. Even if you’re simply a fan of others’ blogs, widgets for cellphones like 3Guppies allow you to follow your favorite blogs from your cellphone or PDA. Essentially, even when you’re not online at home, you’re hooked in to social networking sites and following your chosen blogs.
There are some who resist the moblog and around the clock Internet connection. Some wonder whether it’s necessary to remain continually connected to a network, and whether moblogging is yet another symptom of growing Internet addiction. Perhaps people constantly blogging or getting blog updates will interact less with people in close and physical proximity. Just as cell phones initially brought about changes in social interaction in public places, mobloggers may do the same. Yet it is also true that the ability to create a moblog may result in more interesting blogging, especially visually, and a large “hooked in” network can create tremendous chatter about a blog, increasing its visibility and use.