Does anyone here have a running blog?
It fascinates me that it's possible to generate ad revenue by writing online and I quite simply have no idea how it works.
I'm aware of Blogger and Wordpress and things but is it really the case that one can start a blog on one of these (or some other one) and after some number of hits the hosting site will offer money for providing advertising?
Yes, especially if you're a review blog. If you have a wide viewership, it's certainly possible to get money for advertising. Just look at Perez Hilton's blog.