Blogs may serve any of a number of purposes, ranging from the outpouring of an individual's deepest feelings, to being a platform for political opinions that the blogger may be afraid to voice in person. Blogs can also serve as a means for a company to get news of its product or service out to its customers. Whatever the reason for writing, certain basic elements of blogging have remained constant. Many of the necessary ingredients for a successful blog are the same as when blogging first became popular in the late 1990s.