A blog is basically a website where posts are displayed in reverse chronological order — newest first. Like a diary or journal. The key difference from a regular website is that blogs are updated frequently and allow comments from readers. WordPress and Blogger are free platforms where you can start one in 5 minutes without knowing any HTML. Your niece is right — blogs are much easier to update than traditional homepages.

The word 'blog' comes from 'web log' — it was originally an online diary. Now blogs cover every topic imaginable. Some are personal, some are professional news sources. The important features are: regular updates, comments, RSS feeds for subscribers, and archives organized by date. Try Blogger.com (owned by Google) to start — it's free and you can set it up in minutes.

A blog is to a website what a newspaper column is to a book. Websites are typically static — you put up information and it stays there. Blogs are dynamic — new content gets added regularly and older content scrolls down. Most blogs also have a blogroll (links to other blogs the author reads) and a comment section for each post. It's more conversational than a regular website.