Blogs

A blog is a more informal, less complex way to establish a presence on the internet. Functioning almost like a ‘personal’ website that can be easily updated, blogs tend to be much easier to build than full websites. In fact many web-hosts and blogging software, such as Blogger or Wordpress, offer free platforms that do not require any knowledge in programming languages such as html. The boundaries between websites, which can accommodate large amounts of intricately structured information, and blogs, which started out as informal diaries, are becoming blurred, as websites are updated at increasingly short intervals and blogs become more professional and more complex. In the interest of time and money, more and more organizations are choosing to set up blogs rather than full-fledged websites. Some websites also include links to blogs, e.g. the Women Won’t Wait Campaign to end HIV & Violence against Women presents the campaign on its main page. More editorial-type, reflective articles are shared on the campaign blog, which can be accessed directly from the website.

Campaign blogs can intensify communication between activists working in different geographical regions, as a virtually unlimited number of internet users can contribute. It is however necessary to agree among activists as to what can be published on the blog and what cannot, and step-by-step instructions must be provided for those who have no experience in blogging. In large campaigns with many activists, it may be useful to designate one or two campaigners to act as blog administrators, who collect contributed information and upload these on the blog.

A blog can also be used as a purely internal communication tool by restricting its use to authorized, registered users. That can work as an effective communication and monitoring tool where internet use is common and all campaigners have easy access to it.