What are blogs?
Wikipedia defines a blog as:
(a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. [source: Blog entry, Wikipedia]
See summary of Commonwealth blog feeds.
What do blogs have to do with government?
By offering a less formal and more direct way of communicating with citizens, and by allowing citizens to comment on blog posts, blogs help break down barriers between citizens and government. Conversation goes two ways, not just one way -- and is more directly influenced by the needs of users. Because blogs are a less formal way to share information, users should carefully read the comment policy, the terms of use, and the privacy policy for each blog they visit.
What does this 
mean?
The RSS icon means that the page or blog is available as a web feed. This means that you can subscribe to read new content in a feed reader, instead of having to visit websites to see if they've been updated.
State government blogs
At Issue & In Focus | Subscribe 
Resource on issues of heating and utilities, not only for obtaining information from the Office of the Attorney General, but also for sharing news, ideas, and information.
Commonwealth Conversations: Conservation and Recreation | Subscribe
Sharing ideas and working together to protect and enhance our natural, cultural and recreational resources. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue between the public and the commissioner and employees of the Department of Conservation and Recreation and other agencies dealing with our natural, cultural and recreational resources.
Commonwealth Conversations: Consumer Connections | Subscribe 
Sharing ideas and working together to empower better businesses and smarter consumers.
Commonwealth Conversations: Jobs | Subscribe
Sharing ideas and working together to promote success for job seekers and employers. Information will include tips on resume writing and job search techniques, helpful career development tools, information on jobs and education, and free resources provided by federal, state, and local government agencies.
Commonwealth Conversations: Public Health | Subscribe
Sharing ideas and working together to build a healthier Massachusetts. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue between the public and employees of the Department of Public Health.
Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation | Subscribe
Sharing ideas and working together to enhance transportation planning and implementation. The purpose of this blog is to share updates and news about our reform and renew efforts as we build a long-term sustainable transportation system to support job growth and economic development.
State Library | Subscribe
Information about events, collections, and more at the State Library of Massachusetts.
Trial Court Law Library | Subscribe
As the public law libraries of the Commonwealth, the Trial Court Law Libraries provide legal information to the Trial Court, legal community and general public. The blog incorporates legal and library news as well as information about website updates.
Federal government blogs
GovGab: Your U.S. government blog
The purpose of Gov Gab is to demonstrate the usefulness, practicality, helpfulness, and vitality of federal, state, and local government information through real-life examples in the bloggers' daily lives.
Other U.S. government blogs: Find active and archived blogs from U.S. federal agencies. From the Grants.gov blog to ’Greenversations' (Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) blog, written by EPA employees who share their perspective on environmentalism to 'Evolution of Security', in which five employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) encourage an ongoing discussion about innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process.