Suddenly, or maybe it is just how it seems, blogs are literally everywhere. With well over 100 million blogs on the Internet, how did this happen?

You can’t get on the Internet without bumping into a blog site. Though it appears that it happened virtually overnight, blogs have been around and gaining in popularity for a little over 10 years now.

What began as a way for people to jot personal thoughts and ideas and keep each other connected has become an online way of life for just about anyone doing anything on the Internet these days.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Listservs were used as a way to keep groups of people connected to the same information. Online journals then evolved in the late 90s, allowing people to share their ideas, thoughts, travel diaries, family newsletters, or just about anything you could imagine.

This type of website allowed people to connect easily, and without having to learn extensive computer programming skills.

Originally called “weblogs” but quickly shortened to “blogs,” these simple sites became incredibly popular.

The introduction of RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) in 1999 meant that people could subscribe to blog posts, getting up-to-the-minute information delivered right to their desktop.

Big names began emerging in the blogging world, with some blog sites receiving record numbers of hits.

2002 saw the introduction of Technorati, the first blog search engine. Technorati finally made it possible for people to track blog topics and conversations across multiple blogs.

Recent reports indicate that Technorati has more than 112 million blogs indexed in their search engines alone. Estimates suggest that over 12 million Americans are currently publishing their own blogs.

The beauty of blogging is that there is always something new to see, and blog visitors will keep returning to interesting blogs just to see what’s happening, whether it’s informative, thought-provoking, funny, or even just plain silly.

During the past 10 years, blogging has evolved and become an incredibly powerful social, business, personal, and political strategy. Bloggers are responsible for spreading news, trends, political views, and social commentary.

Online business owners use blogs to connect with other people in their niche, interact and communicate effectively with customers and target audiences, promote their websites and products, and spread awareness globally about their business.

Blog publishing tools are now readily available to convert voice mails to blog posts, make posts from your mobile phone, insert streaming video for podcasting, or easily add plug-ins, pictures, widgets, links, ads, or literally anything to your blog site.

What began as a way to keep small groups of people “in the loop” has evolved into a media network of global proportions that is only gaining momentum.

What will 2009 hold for the blogging revolution? What will the next evolution of blogging be? You can definitely expect more blogging tools, more blogging strategies, and more applications for blogging in general.

Blogging is only getting bigger, better, and more powerful every day! The technology is ever-expanding, offering more flexibility and more ways for bloggers to get out there on the web and get noticed.