Pick of the blogs: Dooce

By Darren Waters
BBC News entertainment reporter

Blogs and blogging have become buzzwords in the last 18 months, with millions of people setting up their own web logs to record their lives, comment on world events or share news.

There are almost as many different types of blogs as there are bloggers. Some are highly professional while others are simple online diaries. We pick out six of the best.

Please note that some blogs can contain strongly-worded language and highly-personal views.

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Boing Boing The self-styled directory of wonderful things - from technology to popular culture Underground An insightful take on daily use of London's Tube system written by a harassed commuter Tokyo Times A quirky viewpoint on life in Japan's capital city from a UK perspective

360 degrees Tales from the African bush in the middle of rural Zambia written by a British charity worker Dooce Uncensored views on motherhood, marriage and life in Utah from a blog celebrity Zucchini Not all blogs are personal diaries - this one is devoted to food and cooking

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DOOCE

WHO WRITES IT?

Heather Armstrong, a stay-at-home mother in Utah, in the US.

She told BBC News: "Blogging is an easy and powerful form of personal expression. It's a way of communicating with friends and with becoming part of a community."

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Dooce is one of the most well-known blogs in the so-called blogosphere. It started as a blog about the life of a single woman living in Los Angeles, but is now about the daily trials of looking after her daughter.

"I talk a lot about poop, boobs, my dog, and my daughter," according to the blog.

"My blog now is about being a mother who has given up her job to look after her daughter, who can't communicate with me yet," she said.

The blog became famous when Ms Armstrong was fired from her job for discussing her work and colleagues in the blog.

Her experiences led to the term Dooced, meaning someone who is fired for talking about work in a blog.

HOW OFTEN IS IT UPDATED?

There is generally one large post per day. It started in February 2001 and has more than 55,000 readers a day.

She said: "It's a book without an ending - with limitless chapters. I can't see myself ever stopping blogging."

IN WHAT STYLE IS IT WRITTEN?

Funny, irreverent, caustic and insightful - Heather Armstrong often uses strong, adult language to describe her world.

She said: "I feel a real impetus to write. It makes me see the world in a different way."

Dooce often feels like a Sunday newspaper lifestyle column but many times more honest and scathing.

SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE POSTING

Saturday afternoon Jon and I took Leta to the grocery store to grab a couple items missing from our usual breakfast line-up: milk, orange juice, clove cigarettes. I usually do all the shopping during the week, but I thought I'd share the love and let Jon join in the Leta Shopping Experience, not that he hasn't done his fair share lately. Last week he took her to Costco by himself and came home with four fingers missing.

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