As more and more newspapers converge with the online world the informal ways of reporting, like Facebook and Twitter, have become so important for the news industry.

Coinciding with that is the ability to blog.

A blog gives people the ability to find their voice, which is what the Garner News staff hopes to provide readers with the new blog feature on our website.

We hope the blogging ability will give readers the ability to informally post community announcements, upcoming events and news tips.

Also, we hope it will allow readers the chance to share their stories. Are you in your last semester of high school and you want to document it? Are you an active member of the Senior Center and you want to tell people how it has changed your life? Do you want to write about the Southeast Regional Library and how important it is to the community? We want to hear about it.

You also can post photos of what you are writing about and what you see around town. A picture is worth 1,000 words, so adding images will only enhance a blog.

I have my own blog, called Finding Grace. Over the next several months, I will be taking dance lessons with Grace Ballroom in Angier and sharing the experience on my blog. Through the ups and downs, twists and turns, I hope to write about my journey as I check off one of the many items off my own bucket list.

Like anything of this sort, there are a few rules. We can’t post press releases. If you are a business and want to get the word out about your services, we would like to include you. If you own a bookstore, write daily or weekly book reviews and share community events taking place at your store. However, we cannot allow press releases plugging a certain product or an event that will cost people money to get in.

We cannot allow people to post libelous information. The blogs will be monitored just to make sure everyone is safe.

Blogs have to be updated periodically, whether you post something daily, weekly or even monthly, it’s important to keep up with it. Your readers will want to hear from you.

We also want to hear your feedback. What do you think of our blogs and how can we make the feature better?

Please visit the blogs at www.garnernews.net/pages/blogs. And please send your comments and questions to kgriffith@raleighsouthonline.com. I look forward to hearing from you.