2.3 Date and Post Title
A blog is a "frequent, chronological publication," remember? Blogging tools have recognized this essential quality by managing content according to the date on which it was published. As a result, most blogs display this information to readers, typically at the very top and/or bottom of the entry.
Blog entries are also typically identified by a post title. A post title functions like the subject line of an email, offering a succinct overview of the post's subject matter. Also, many blogs (but especially group blogs — those that allow posting by more than one user) include the name or pseudonym of the person responsible for the post.
Here are a couple examples of typical blog post headings.
Notice that the format of the dating varies from blog to blog. Some spell out February, others use Feb; some note the day of the week and the precise time of the posting, others do not. Blogging tools typically allow you to customize this type of formatting with simple drop-down menus.
By associating each bit of content with a specific title and date, blogging tools can also automatically build convenient archives of old content. Access to the archives is typically made available in the sidebar of a blog, and content is typically archived monthly.
Here are a couple examples of typical blog archives.
Menu
1. history of blogs
2. anatomy of a blog
3. how-to
4. active learning
5. professional development
table of contents
A Little Tip
Most blogging tools allow you to back-date your entries. For example, if you wish to post an article that you wrote in May 2003, you can select that date, and your blogging tool will archive the article accordingly.
