CEDAR FALLS - Blog.

It was voted one of the most useful words of 2004 by the American Dialect Society. It is easy to see why.

Short for web log, Internet blogs have sprouted up like dandelions in spring.

The online journals of written entries, links, graphics and photos on any topic under the sun have created millions of online communities.

Iowa's blogosphere is smaller than in many parts of the country, but it is thriving, nonetheless. Iowa's first Blogger Bash took place in Des Moines last month. Fifteen bloggers gathered for lunch and conversation. The group is expected to meet again in Iowa City next month.

Jody and Doug Halsted (iowageek.blogspot.com), who attended the event at Wellman's Pub, began blogging in 2004, after reading other people's blogs for years.

"You get to know people by their ideas," Doug Halsted says. "You have no clue, nor do you care, what their skin color is, their religion, what they do for a living, though many write about these things."

No matter what your interests are - from rugby to knitting - there's a blog for you.

A new mom, Jody Halsted typically blogs about "mommy stuff," while Doug, an Army veteran, writes about news and politics.

Eugene Wallingford, a computer science professor at University of Northern Iowa, (www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog), writes a blog primarily on computer software development and programming. Occasionally, he writes about his running hobby, and sometimes he even blogs about blogging.

"For me, the real value in reading and writing blogs lies in the intellectual community it creates," Wallingford writes. "Reflective professionals and otherwise interesting people share what they learn as they learn, and we all grow richer in the process."

There are some 5 million blogs online, says Doug Halsted, so those new to the process will have to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.

"There's a lot of junk, but there's also a lot of gems," he says.

His wife, Jody Halsted, offers a warning to anyone with a hectic schedule who's thinking to start a blog.

"If you begin, know that it's highly addictive," she says. "Once you post, you keep checking back to see if there's been comments. Then there are blogs I go to everyday to see, for instance, what's happening in Yankee Bob's life (yankeebob.blogspot.com). It's almost like a soap opera."

Wallingford started his blog six months ago. He, too, became interested in blogs after five years as an avid reader. He signed up for a subscription service, which alerts him when one of his favorite blogs - all 87 of them - has been updated.

Since he began his blog, he has received e-mail from France, Israel, Denmark and Australia.

"It's a way for online people to form communities of readership and share ideas that otherwise would be very difficult," Wallingford says.

Paul Huber, an information technology specialist at UNI (weblogs.uni.edu/huber), started his blog just weeks ago.

He thought about starting a blog for years before he actually did it. He primarily reads technology blogs, but his blog is, so far, primarily about movies and books.

"I think part of it is just the idea of getting your ideas out there," Huber says. "Anyone can stand around and say anything, but with a blog, you're putting your ideas down, getting them out there."

Stacey Palevsky can be contacted at (319) 291-1580 or stacey.palevsky@wcfcourier.com.

A blogging how-to

The first blogs emerged on the World Wide Web in 1998. In 1999, it is believed there were only 23 Web logs as chronicled by one of the blogging pioneers Jesse James Garrett (blog.jjg.net).

Then, in 1999, Web designers created a slew of build-your-own blog site.

Today, even the most tech-challenged person can create a blog.

Start by going to the search engine of your choice and type in "blog" and the name of a topic or idea that interests you.

Start reading.

Most bloggers provide links to blogs they read. Navigate the virtual neighborhood to find out what type of blogs you prefer, and what type of blog you'd like to create.

Next, choose a host, a registration name, and the site will walk you through the steps.

"Once I had my account, I had an entry up on the Web in under 30 minutes," says blogger Paul Huber (weblogs.uni.edu/huber).

Recommended hosts include:

www.blogger.com

www.moveabletype.org

www.diaryland.com

www.livejournal.com