Blogging FAQ

Blogging is still a relatively new phenomenon, and there are only a few blogging MPs. But the trend is catching on - particularly in local government, among our elected councillors - and the medium can only prove to be of use in communicating better with constituents. That's what I hope to achieve with this site.

Here are the answers to some of the questions which may be uppermost in your mind if you're new to the world of blogs:

• What is a blog? "Blog" is short for "weblog". A weblog is a type of website where entries are made as in a journal or a diary. They often provide commentary or news and information on a particular subject, or they may function as personal online diaries. Blogs grew out of other online communities such as e-mail lists and internet forums where subjects would be discussed by a number of people in ongoing "threads" - a method of online conversation which blogs emulate in the comments section after every post.
• I've seen something on your site I want to comment on. How do I do that? Look at the bottom of the post you're interested in - there'll be a "Comments" link. Click on the link, enter your name and an e-mail address, type your message and click on "Post".
• Are comments checked for rude/abusive content? Comments are not moderated politically. If someone posts a comment which disagrees with my politics, that's not to be deleted - it's to be welcomed and engaged with. But malicious and abusive content - be it sexist, racist, homophobic or any other undesirable prejudice - will be deleted and the person posting will be prevented from commenting on the site further.
• Can I get my own blog? There are plenty of blog providers online. This blog is hosted by Typepad; others include Blogger and Blogdrive.

Confused about some terms you've seen on the site? Here are some definitions:

Permalink: You've probably seen this after each post, next to the "comments" link. The permalink is the individual link to the particular post you're reading on the blog. If you want to link to a particular post from your own website, it's the permalink that you use.

Blogroll: This is the list of websites which my blog links to. Check out the "Labour Bloggers" list on this page, down the left hand side, for an example.

Trackback: A method of communication between blogs. If a blogger writes an entry referring to an entry found on another blog, they can send a trackback (or "ping") the blog they're referencing. The post being referenced will record the fact that it's been pinged and list the sites which are referring to it.

Liveblogging: Blogging about an event as it happens.

Thought of another term that needs defining, or a question that should be in the FAQ? Let me know in the comments below.