From Bulletin Boards To Blogs

Bulletin boards (BBS) used to be a common sight on the Internet. Now, they're less common, although they still see some use, since their users have moved to a related method of expressing themselves - blogging. While the word "weblog" was coined in 1997, and broken down to "blog" in 1999, it took a while for this phenomenon to really become popular.

It wasn't until the 2000s that BBSs finally lost their hold, and blogs became more popular. While BBS hosting capabilities were once something to look for in a discount web hosting provider, now we prefer to look for the ability to host blogs and journals.

Before blogging became popular, BBSs and Usenets were popular digital communities. Conversations were run via threads, connecting topics on the metaphorical bulletin board. This sort of posting is like wandering by a community noteboard and leaving your own note. Blogs, by comparison, evolved out of online diaries, and used to be manually updated components of websites. Now, there are many tools to help produce and maintain the articles posted as part of a blog.

There are a number of different types of software you can use, and it's important to make sure that a discount web hosting service permits you to create a place for people to post content. It could be a guestbook, blog, or even an old fashioned bulletin board. However you choose to do it, letting your visitors post on your site is very important.

Posts from others can greatly improve your search engine ranking, and are part of search engine optimization (SEO). If these posts are on a topic that is commonly searched, you'll rise in the rankings, and be closer to the top of the page for that search term. The higher you are on the search, the more people will visit. For business people, that translates into more sales and greater popularity. So, whether you're using Web 2.0 blogging services or sticking with bulletin boards, make sure you find a discount web hosting company that can allow your visitors to communicate.

BBSs may have fallen out of favor with the advent of newer technology and ways of creating online communities; however, they're still out there. More importantly, the methods of communication used on them are the same as they ever were. BBS style communication applies to blogs and other content posting services as well. You can use this to help advance your business or personal website - you just have to be sure to choose the right host.

Return to Discount Web Hosting Advisor from Bulletin Boards.