Boundless blogs.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Blog, Blog, Blog.

If your eyes still glaze over when you hear the word "blog," it may be time to give blogs, aka Web logs, another chance.

These personal Web sites may have had a bad name in the past - the Urban Dictionary Web site defines a blog as "A meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary that gives the author the illusion that people are interested in their stupid, pathetic life" - but they've matured a lot. And thanks to a host of new Web sites that make blogging free and easy, now's a great time to start one.

"The great thing about blogs is they're so specialized," says Jeffrey Morgenthaler, head bartender at El Vaquero restaurant in Eugene and author of a mixology blog (you can find it at www .jeffreymorgenthaler.com.

"(The best part) is being able to connect with like-minded people. My area is so specific. There aren't a lot of people in town that I can talk to about this stuff."

Although Morgenthaler is interested in a highly specialized area - namely mixology, the more artful side of bartending - there are lots of other uses for blogs. And now that you can launch a blog in a matter of minutes at free Web sites such as the Google-owned Blogger.com, more and more people are discovering every day applications for the technology.

For example, if you're one of those people who sends out a newsletter every year during the holidays, you might find that a blog is an easier and more timely way to post breaking news on the family. Similarly, some people are finding that blogs are a great way to share photographs with relatives in far-off places.

Or, you might start a blog to honor a friend or family member who has died. While it might sound strange to offer a virtual memorial, many have been surprised by the usefulness of such sites. You can include photos, a biography and milestones from a person's life, and invite friends and family members to post remembrances in the comments section of the blog.

Ken Fletcher, author of the popular Eugene music blog Mr. Random's Blog of Randomness, says he's heard of blogs being used for everything from radio DJs posting playlists to families coordinating the use of a vacation homes.

"Really, there's no limit to what you could do with the format," says Fletcher, a blogger since 1999.

The communities created by blogs used to be fewer, smaller and more underground. Not so long ago, setting up a blog required a certain degree of technological know-how. But now that a blog is as easy to acquire as an e-mail account, those networks are growing exponentially.

According to the blog search engine Technorati (www .technorati.com), a new blog is created every 1.4 seconds. The site estimates the total number of blogs doubled in less than a year from 35 million to the current number of more than 70 million.

Even more impressive than the number of blogs is their increasing influence. A survey of the top 100 most linked to Web sites includes 22 different blogs, up from 11 the previous year. Well-known blogs such as Boing Boing (www.boingboing.net) and Engadget (www.engadget .com) are now more than just collections of random thoughts. They're in the same league as Business Week, CBS News and other mainstream media outlets.

Even though the average entry level blogger probably has no interest in attracting millions of page views, experienced bloggers say there's no telling where a blog might take you.

"(If you start a blog) you might find yourself a part of a community that you didn't think you'd be a part of," says Fletcher, whose blog went from being related to copyright issues to politics to music.

Today, Fletcher's blog is an outgrowth of his radio show "Mr. Random's Armadillo Radio Show," which airs on KWVA-FM. He has links to other Eugene blogs such as one run by musician Ed Cole (www .edhead101.blogspot.com) and one written by singer TR Kelley (www.madmadj.blogspot.com), plus his own thoughts on everything from lunchboxes to Pee Chee school supplies.

"I'm creating my own niche," says Fletcher when asked what his area of expertise is. "I blog what I'm interested in and people read it."

The evolution of Morgenthaler's blog is even more dramatic. He says he didn't set out to launch an influential blog on mixology, it just happened.

Four years ago, he started a blog as a way to post pictures and update friends and family members, but after posting several drink recipes on the site, the focus began to shift.

"I just decided to take the emphasis off of me and start writing on a topic," Morgenthaler recalls. "The majority of the people that were reading my blog were interested in bars and cocktails and they didn't really want to see a picture of my dog."

Now Morgenthaler's blog draws from all over the country.

His site includes drink recipes for cocktails such as the Bee's Knees, plus advice on how not to make a Mint Julep and personal essays on topics related to bartending.

Morgenthaler says beginning bloggers should be passionate about their subject matter. He says even if you're not a great writer, your writing will improve as you post more.

Although he pays a third party to host his blog, he recommends first-timers go to one of the many free sites on the Web to set up a blog.

The most important aspect of blogging, Morgenthaler says, is keeping the content fresh. He recommends updating the site regularly and paying attention to other blogs to see what's being discussed.

Morgenthaler spends about two hours a day working on his blog.

Fletcher agrees that freshness is important when maintaining a blog.

He recommends first-timers be realistic with themselves about how much time they're willing to commit to a blog before starting one.

"There are a lot of stumps or aborted blogs out there," Fletcher says. "You can see (a number of instances) where somebody had some enthusiasm, but it didn't last very long."

HOW TO START A BLOG

Pick a site: Visit one of the many free blog sites on the Internet such as Blogger (www.blogger.com), Live Journal (www.livejournal.com) or the upstart Vox (www.vox.com). The social networking site MySpace (www.myspace.com) even offers a free blogging service. WordPress (www.wordpress .org) - the favorite of many blogging purists who prefer the flexibility of finding their own full Web host - has long offered downloads of open source software, and now offers free blog hosting for nongeeks at its sister site (www.wordpress.com).

Sign in: Enter some basic personal information - usually a name and email address is sufficient.

Fill out your profile: Tell a little bit about yourself. Upload a headshot if you wish.

Write something: This is your first "post." It will appear at the top of your blog until you write another posting. You can also post a digital photograph that goes along with whatever you're writing about.

Tell all your friends: Advertise your blog by e-mailing the Web address to all those who might be interested. If you really want to bring traffic to your site, bloggers say, the best way is to link up with other similar blogs.

Update it: Aside from making your blog interesting, the best way to assure that people actually read it is to keep the content fresh, so keep posting new material.